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!

I'm happy to know that you're feeling better....

Would you be able to (or even want to) get a motorized w/c for the house? That might be the 'deal-breaker' for him. Mine doesn't have a key, but I know they come that way.

Just a thought....

I already have one believe it or not and I can't use it because it's too slow when I have to run after him to stop him from flushing something down the toilet or dumping it out on the floor. I loved using it when he's not here but the tires are flat and it's not charged up, but I am glad to have it.

When we move to the new place I expect to be able to use it more since it's a bigger apartment. I expect a lot of things to be better after we move, it's just getting there that is so hard, being patient is not my strong point.

LOL...my son complains that mine is too fast. I can book pretty good with it...that may have more to do with the specific manufacturer. I wonder if the motors can be tweaked at all?

Mine does have a delay feature for safety, which is aggravating to me...and nearly killed me when I was trying to seek safety during a tornado that killed my neighbors....safety feature, my rear end.

Mine has a knob you can twist to adjust the speed, but I can't control it when its too fast so that's really where the trouble lays. The small apartment we live in just doesn't have adequate room to let me use it.

I do hope that the new apartment will be easier for me to use it during the day when I am at home and cleaning and stuff, that will be great. But I can already smell summer coming on and am hating it knowing it's going to be sheer heck if we don't have another aide set up by then.

If we do then it might be bearable. I don't know. I just feel so frustrated right now, but we're one day closer to tuesday when he goes back to school. He's got a dental appt. that monday so I might take him in to school if we get home in time, but most likely he'll be home monday too. At least the end of spring break is in sight.

Can you use a manual chair Hoosier Mama? I like my manual a lot but the power chair is really cool too, if only I could get to use it more.

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.