My son is 7.5 years old and was diagnosed asd at around 3 years old. Is he high very functioning. He has friends and lives an all round happy life. Since returning to school (year 2) this year he hasn’t been himself at all. Not listening or participating, removing himself from the group, threw chairs in class the other day. He has never acted out like this, EVER. He is normally my sweet spirited beautiful boy. He just told us he hears voices and they tell him to do these things and that he can’t control it. Since this behaviour at school has started he has been a psychologist but this is the first I’m hearing about the voices today. I am really scared for him. I know there is a high rate of suicide for male mental health. I don’t want him to grow up thinking like that though. Has anyone had experience with anything like this from their children. I don’t know what to do.
3 Replies
Behaviour and feelings are REALLY hard for kids to understand and explain. It’s very possible that the voices to ‘throw the chairs!!!” Is his anger/fear/anxiety once it gets into fight/flight mode, this is all he can think of.
Regardless, definitely work back to the point that started it all, what was happening etc because teachers working with him to NOT get there will help immensely. Also, having other options once he gets close, helps. Does he know what he CAN do when he feels like this?
Ask him, what would help/what else could you do, or do you think would help? For eg, my kid could basically say ‘I just want to run away’ when asked what would help ‘I want a teacher to take me for a walk around the school like 20 times a day’ the Inclusion teacher did indeed come and take them out of class for a movement break and a play but took friends, so my child settled in and it helped a lot. Each child has different needs and different things work for them, but they can help.
Not listening and removing self from group is a big warning they’re not comfortable and need help before even starting. Are they tired, hungry, have social trouble with small groups, understand the task, noise sensory, control issue - want to choose their group, classroom and inclusion teacher should be trying all sorts of things to help with this.
Tell the psychologist, you're paying them for their expertise.
Suicide usually results when men know there is something wrong with them, are scared to get help and self-medicate.
Your son, from a young age will know he has some extra challenges mental health wise and will know how to seek help.
As a young adult, if he ends up with a diagnosis, there will be no mystery around his condition and he will get the support he needs.
Often the self-medicating makes things exponentially worse, so that will be eliminated.
The voices and probably his intrusive thoughts with anxiety etc. the best possible way for you to help him is to keep up regular appointments with a child psych. Also if the one you see doesn’t work for him, try another. It takes a few to get to the one that is the right fit for him.