6 yr old seeing things.. Freaking us both out!

My ds is 6 and currently waiting for an autism assessment.. The pead knows about his imaginary friend "Jake" jake has been around for about 3 yrs now but sometimes there are other things.. Jakes mum (sometimes she is pregnant) Jake had a porcupine that he let ds look after a few months ago.. He has also had "captain" but he didn't like him so he went back on his boat.. A cat once.. But more recently a scary looking man keeps running over the walls and he freaks out.. Then tonight he seen "secret eaters" and was freaked out for around 5 mins.. I just tell him not to worry about it and they aren't real. But it's hard when he wakes up at 2 am to tell me something has just ran across my face.. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to say to him..? I will be telling the psychologist when the time comes about seeing things as it's getting worse.. Im not even sure it's part of an ASD.. It freaks me out so I can only imagine how he feels!

How scary for you both! I hope you get some help soon. Your DS must be terrified at times

Yeah his eyes go really wide and he genuinely looks scared.. The first time he saw the man he had tonsillitis so I just thought he had hallucinated with a temp but he's seen it again without one.. I can deal with Jake being around and even his mum but animals and scary things is getting a bit much!

A lady I know has a ten year old with ASD who has an imaginary friend. I've never met him (the boy that is, not the imaginary friend!) She says he's had this imaginary friend for years and he is always around and involved in whatever they do. I know it was causing problems at school, but now he leaves his friend at home each morning. It sounds like there's been a lot of support and involvement from psychologists and school too.

I hope this doesn't freak you out any more than you already are, but you are not alone. Keep on doing what you are doing.

I have no experience with any of this, I can only imagine how scary it is for him and you. Can he ask these scary things to leave him alone?

JLeigh29: I've noticed Jake is around a lot more when he is in "a mood" as I like to call them I don't think Jake has ever been to school but I'll ask him.. I always ask who he is talking to when he talks to something just incase it's something or someone new.. Guess all I can do is wait until this assessment gets done to know what we are working with.. It does go a lot deeper than these imaginary things but I won't bore u! Haha

PB: that's a good idea man that's an easy one I really should have thought about that! When he was about 3 he use to see monsters heaps in his room and I used glen 20 as monster spray maybe I could use that again around the house to try help with the mean things.. He has a dream catcher above his bed for his nightmares but he doesn't think it works!

That sounds really upsetting for both you & DS! Definitely worth mentioning & possibly even recording the times he is upset about it so you can show just how convinced & upset he becomes about what he is seeing.
Personally I would take the approach of explaining to him that YOU can not see it but understand that it must be frightening for him. Just do your best to reassure him that he is safe & that they can not hurt him. Try with out planting idea's in his head to make sure he understands that if the things he is seeing starting telling him to do things that it is ok to say No.
I have 3 children Dx with ASD, high functioning. Although I have not experienced what you are describing. However it does not mean its not an ASD thing. But keep in mind that often there are co morbid Diagnosis for children on the spectrum.
Hang in there & maybe speak with your Pediatrician about what is currently happening to try & speed up his assessment & appointment with the psychologist.

I think he understands that I can't see them as he knows this with Jake.. Last week when he woke up at 2 am telling me about the man on my face he's like "but u can't see it mum just me" if it does happen again in the next week then I'll def be ringing and trying to speed up the process even if it's the psychologist.. The pead called him a very troubled little boy.. So I hope it's not to long of a wait.. The doc prescribed him melatonin for night time it works when I can actually get him to swallow the tablets.. But with them being so expensive and him wasting them I've given up so back to him taking ages to fall asleep and tossing and turning

Do you still have the script for Melatonin? My Son is also on this but its a LIQUID. You need to go to compound chemist for it & I pay $22.90 for 15mls which lasts about 3 months. If you have a regular GP maybe you could go back to them & show them the script for the tablets & ask for a script for the liquid.

My only reason for saying to let him know you don't see them is just so he feels validated that just because you don't see them, you do understand he is upset because for him it is real (as in something he did see & didn't make up).

Yeah I still have the script I was thinking of going to a liquid but wasn't aware a normal gp could prescribe it it helps so much so I think I'll do that

I don't want to scare you, but I know an 8 year old girl who sees multiple people, some frightening who tell her to do naughty things, she has been diagnosed skitzophrenic. I felt that was a pretty extreme diagnosis for a young child but they've had multiple opinions.

That has crossed my mind a bit. It's the reason I always ask who he is talking to as if it's something or someone new then I like to keep track!

The Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) protocol would really help your son. I can't recommend the book highly enough. The good thing is too that you heal through food so it doesn't have to cost very much, except the time to cook it. At the very least I'd recommend putting him on a gluten and dairy free diet and you should see such significant changes that it will make GAPS make sense.

Did he have antibiotics when he had tonsilitis? I would say his yeast issues have flared up and that is why his visions have become more aggressive.