explosive/reactive autism sptrm without meds

[sing2joy]

Does anyone have suggestions for a child who has learned to swear in public school and is now explosive and reactive in the morning and after school as his meds wear off. I know from reading your posts that I need to be more strict again on his diet. I can return to being good in that arena. He seems to be defiant and odd as he comes off the meds. Yet he can act rotten when you ask him to go to bed or clean something up. He is intentionally saying really bad stuff. He has had some terrible fits before school. He is now deciding to hit also. I feel like I need to start praising actively when I see good things but I have a struggle to find things and I am getting grouchier often over the obvious defiance. He is 9 and we have come soo far with diet and therapy but now this. Some thoughts go toward what other adoptive parents go through that may have substance abuse exposure. It could be some of that and not the spectrum behaviors...I think prayer is also important because it is such a spiritual battle in me. I get mad. My husband and my other son get mad too. I need to teach him not to explode reactively and to manage frustration correctly. How do you teach that if I am mad? How do you teach it period?

[Amy F in LA]

:bighug:

Pray, pray and pray!

[FabTXMomma]

You may want to look at some of Tony Attwood's materials on managing feelings. My son is only 7, but I have heard from parents with older children that these are very good. And his website says Asperger's, but I think his stuff is good for helping any child with autism, if you modify it for their verbal ability.

http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy To Manage Anxiety and Anger

The Cognitive Behaviour Therapy program Exploring Feelings was designed to be highly structured, interesting and successful in encouraging the cognitive control of emotions. The child participating in the program has a workbook for the six two-hour sessions that includes activities and information to explore the specific feelings of being happy, relaxed, anxious or angry. There are sections in the workbook to record individual comments and responses to questions. At the end of each session, a project is explained to the child, which is to be completed before the next session. At the start of the next session the project is discussed with the person implementing the program, which can be a professional or parent. A metaphor was created of the child being an astronaut or scientist exploring a new planet, as children with Asperger syndrome are often interested in exploration of the physical
world, science and science fiction. The Exploring Feelings program is designed to explore the mental world from a scientific perspective. There are two Exploring Feelings programs, one is designed to explore and manage anxiety, the other to explore and manage anger. The evaluation study of the Exploring feelings program for anxiety will be published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry in 2005.

The program is available in Australia from Book in Hand or from www.fhautism.com for other countries.