Sam
What Sam needs
eat...Sam won't eat at school 80% of the time. He comes home ravenous and cranky because he hasn't eaten all day. I have offered to bring stuff Sam will eat to the school for them to feed him. They have almost refused...saying I could, but I would have to bring it at lunch time and then take him in the family room, feed him, then take him back. Sam has some separation anxiety issues so if I were to show up with food, he would expect for me to take him home. So I have hit a wall...I want Sam to go to Early Headstart...But I'm afraid they are neglecting his needs. He doesn't eat their food not because he isn't hungry, he has some sensory integration issues that prevent him from enjoying his food like a normal kid. They don't want to provide a special diet, I want him to eat something. I don't honestly care what the child eats; he just needs to eat. Dr. Wight said we should feed him what he likes and make it healthy.
sleep...bedtime is a fight, nap time is a fight at school apparently he goes down just fine.
discipline...At school they use redirection most of the time, and that is usually fine. However Sam has been hurting his little friends at school and at home. At home when this occurs, we put him on "time out". What I mean by timeout is
1.) he gets put in the corner
2.) he stays there till he stand still and stops crying for about 30 seconds
3.) he is asked to come to us
4.) we ask him why he was put there or tell him
5.) tell him we love him and not to do it again
The fighting has stopped at home but continues at school.
speech therapy...Steve says he is making excellent progress, and he saw some autistic traits in Sam.
occupational therapy...Dixie says he is making good progress
tantrums...how do we help him cope when its due to autism, how do we he him when its not
potty training...is interested at home but not at school.At home Sam is asked about every half hour to hour if he wants to sit...he usually does, then he gets a sticker if he goes. At school he refuses most of the time and has never used the potty.
-School won't push him to do anything whether its eating, potty training, or being nice to kids. All they do is ask or plead...nothing is done to make him do what he should.
What I Need For Sam
Coping techniques...What should I do when we are shopping and he acts out?
Bed time drama...It takes about three hours to put Sam to bed at night. When I say this I mean he has had his bath, teeth brushed, and jammies on...we are talking ready! I or Mark will take him upstairs put him in bed tell him good night, before you can even leave he starts screaming. I leave anyway telling him goodnight and closing his door behind me. I get downstairs and he has followed me, I tell him to go back to bed, he screams. So I carry him back up and do the same thing put him in bed this time saying nothing and leaving. it then becomes a cycle of carrying, screaming, telling, screaming. I have tried the super nanny method and it hasn't worked.
Schedule drama...Sam has a schedule and it can't be broken...he freaks out. Bryce, my other son won't conform to a schedule, he's 3 months old! Thus Sam's schedule is broken alot. Mark wakes Sam up at 7:45am and has him to school by 8:30am then he has school till 3:30pm Sam comes home from school and diaper change at 4 pm play till 5pm dinner at 5pm Daddy awake at 6pm play with daddy till 8 pm diaper change at 7pm then bedtime at 8pm he is usually asleep at midnight. I want him to sleep sooner! If I keep his schedule he is mostly ok...however if I need to shop or go out for any reason, he has a fit.
Family...We got a big family, Sam seems to hate people. We are around Mark's family at least once a week. Sam will scream or whatever and instead of ignoring it or let me handle it they override me. It pisses me off! I have now told them about Sam's condition and most aren't surprised however the treat him like he just trouble on feet.
Violence...Sam has really hurt some of his little friends: bruises, cuts, and general bullying. I want Sam to defend himself; however he is too good at it! I'm not sure how to get him to stop.
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