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My son was diagnosed about 6 mos ago at age 3.5. In the past couple weeks, he's become increasingly defiant, difficult to handle / keep calm, having more extreme temper tantrums, rougher with everyone physically, etc. For example - typically, when we say no to a toy, he grumbles a little, but moves on. Last week, he threw an all out fit, running away from me in the store, screaming...it took about an hour to calm him down
Is this just a phase of being a 3 year old, or is this something I… read more
Sometimes it helps to take a big step back and observe the behaviors from afar. An ABC chart may help. When these behaviors (whatever they are) occur, what happened before? (antecedent), during (behavior) and after (consequence). Sometimes you can pinpoint reasons the child continues the behavior - either a trigger or a reward that you were not aware of. Good luck.
First 3.5-5yrs is the WORST age for EVERY child..The 4yrs are terrible 2 squared (though I have never seen the terrible part of 2s). Add on top of that problems with communicating and attention and yes you have more issues...However I always say that often the increase in "defiance" is not a bad thing, it means your child is understanding more and a big piece of that understanding is that they are a separate being who has choice and control! Keep working on it and look at as a POSITIVE!
@A MyAutismTeam Member..thanks for that answer
First thing is what is he eating? Gluten in the diet can set off a child on the spec. So that's my question and try to keep the foods pure, no sodas, no MCdonalds, no corn syrup-- have him cook with you now at this age so that he can learn the beauty of creating good food that is good for his body. As for the tantrums. Whenever my son acted up I would leave the store with nothing. After a while, he stopped tantruming in the stores because he knew that mommy was going to leave.
Believe me I know this is hard. I also recall that some stores set him off because of the bright lights. Like Savon was a nightmare for my son but I could take him to Wild Oats with no incident. Just some things to think about. Hug yourself and than hug your son. Its a stressor for you both.
My son is three and has ASD. When his meltdowns are extreme or behavior is out of control we try to do sensory activities. Maybe try a sensory swing or a trampoline. Maybe play wrestle or have push heavy boxes. We try to do these activities in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Has your son started OT? The therapist can help you develop a sensory diet. Also we started watching his diet, tried GF an saying away from soy products. It has been night and day.
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