I am an amputee who lost the leg to the hip just about and my son is autistic so it's different for us then say it would be for a neurologically typical child and me for a mother, but it's all I know. He's ten and doesn't seem to care and I'm sure he remembers when I walked around using an artificial limb, but it just hurt so much I went back to using a wheelchair. He can be mean about it at times, taking my chair and running off with it when I am in the bathroom, making me have to get up and hop after him. It's really a shame he can't understand that doing that is wrong, and hurts me to hop like that. When he takes it from me in the bedroom I have to get on the floor and crab scoot out to the living room, I just cannot take hopping that far and he just laughs.

I bet none of you have that trouble do you? *sigh* My life is so darn complicated at times. I lock the chair but he's so strong he just yanks it away no care that it's locked. I would have to say that he knows it's wrong but he just doesn't care, it's all a game to him. So it's hard to live with being an amputee as high up as I am, but add in his autism and you can imagine life is anything but peaceful here at my house. Not meaning to drag the convo down, just needed to vent and saw this thread to do a little of that in.

I am surprised this forum isn't used more...I will be checking back now that I have found something to post to. Thanks for starting this thread Rocking4Epilepsy.

I am sorry to hear of your troubles. Life must be very difficult for you. I worked with people with developmental disabilities in my early twenties, before I became disabled myself. I understand autism. But, I do not understand what your situation must be like. I've always been on the outside looking in. I will keep you and your son in my prayers. Promise.

Peace, and Love,
-Cgirl-

Thank you cgirl, I am feeling a lot better today now that my son is doing a little better, he's having a reaction to his medication called akathisia and it's been really hard up until today where things seemed a little better and its been a week on the reduced dose so I think it's finally starting to get better for him. It's been a rough year so far, but I have hope for a better summer if we can get a few things done. *wink* like get moved into a new place where there is an on site park for him to go play on and get him off the one drug this reaction is from and started on something else that might work better for him.

Hope everything works out for you. Like I said before, will keep you two in my prayers. Promise.

Peace, and Love,
-Cgirl-

Pamster...

I'll be keeping you both in prayer as well.

I don't know a lot about the different kinds/levels of autism and which is the best way to guide them in these instances....so I admittedly may be way off here....but I'm guessing that there must be some reward your son perceives in making a game out of taking away your w/c. He's getting something out of it, or else he wouldn't be doing it. It's possible that the 'reward' is your reaction and/or the action of you hopping/scooting. Each time this happens, it reinforces his behavior.

I wonder what would happen, over time, if you simply didn't react? And that would include not responding to him in any way, shape or form as long as your w/c is not accessible to you. Again, I don't know how your son learns best, (or how long you'd be left stranded without your w/c! ) but it may become more desirable for him to have your interaction again, rather than trying to elicit another hopping exercise from you. (?)

I'm sure you've tried everything imaginable, so I hope I haven't insulted you with my simplistic advice. I only want for you to have your w/c!! That must be wearisome for you to go through each time. Please let us know how it's going.

Thank you Cgirl, I really appreciate that, I know prayer does help.

It's been so hard today, he's been hitting and kicking a lot, I am waiting on his p-doc to call back and he hit me in my upper back near where I have a partially herniated disk so I'm not feeling so hot now. He got a time out for it but other then that what can we do? It hurt so bad I cried and he laughed, he always laughs when he's like that. Other times if I just have my eyes tear up, like when I wake up or get tired, he'll be concerned sweetly and ask, "Why cry? Aw, don't cry." So there is good behavior to brag about, but the bad is just getting worse and worse because we're having to adjust his medication.

He's been having a reaction called akathisia where he's really restless and iritable, but it's been over a week with the decreased dosage and he's a bit better then he was last week. But still it's been incredibly hard. I hate the idea of seeing him off this medication, it's an atypical anti-psychotic, but we can't have him hurting me and other people like at school where he's hit a teacher in the eye and hit them over the head with another student's cane. I don't know how much of this is just because of the medication issue or the fact that they got a new student in the class a month ago and he's having a hard time adjusting to that. He is also on his fourth teacher this school year, yup 4th teacher in less then 1/2 a year.

Thanks so much for caring Hoosier Mama & Cgirl. It really means a lot to have friends. I think I am gonna post in the autism forum about this...See what they think too.

He's been taking my chair more because he's home on spring break so yesterday was bad, he got it from me about three times...I am hoping things get better with his behavior, he's calming down some but I think that he's definitely still suffering from Akathisia.

I posted more about it in the Autism forum, and I am feeling a bit better today then I was when I posted here in this thread the other day. Still it's not very fun to have to hop after your chair while your laughing son drags it away taunting you the entire time unless Daddy's there to intervene.

Is it next Monday yet? LOL!

What age will they understand
my sister has an little boy he 3years old and i have to say well i cannot read to you but we can look at the pictues he now i use an white cane and i wear glassess all the time.

take care cazzie

He should be able to understand in simple terms. Give him a basic explanation of your hydro and tell him that it makes your brain work harder to do certain things. That'll satisfy his curiosity for the moment, and as he gets older, his questions will be more sophisticated and involved. Just follow his cue and take them as they come.

LIZARD

Hoosier Mom's advice is good, she is talking about behavior mod. Ask your son's teacher about what approach they use in the classroom. (I once worked in class of Autustic children and there are so many degrees and behaviors.) It must be very hard for you. Is there an autism society near you? The ones in NJ (Where I once lived and worked in) offer respite care.
I can't imagine how hard it must be.