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Autistic 2yr Old?
i had a new little guy start today that has been recently diagnosed as severely autistic. I've had autistic kiddos before but they were older and had been diagnosed way before coming to me. so they were more controlled. this lil guy was 2 in July and is in foster care. new to the foster parent. i went through the room yesterday after he visited(pulled everything off shelves and climbed while visiting) and started slimming down on toys. pulling in some younger toys. making some smaller sets of toys. etc. I've moved our pets to a higher level. today has been a lot of tantrums. nap was OK he passed put in highchair after eating. circle was a disaster as he sat and screamed while we sang and did our book of the day. he has no experience with other kids, silverware, child size chairs, etc. foster mom is waiting for early intervention to call her back. i have no idea how to start inclusion with this little dude. i want to start something now for my sanity and then pull early intervention in. at this point he ignores the other kids and im the only person he acknowledges in the room. so im not to concerned about safety of others yet just him. anyone have any advice for me? im at wits end today......
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WOW! This little one is going through a ton of new stuff right now and at such an early age where they can't truly express how they are feeling. New home, New care giver, New daycare... I'm sure they are terrified about where they are at, what happened to their parents, etc.
I think this little one is going to need a ton of love and reassurance. I wouldn't go too crazy about the diagnosis at this point. I would just love on that child and try to help them verbalize things when they appear frustrated.
I am a parent of an autistic child and a former foster parent of several years. Both of these things are hard, but the child just needs reassurance the most right now.
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eeek. sounds like mom needs to stay with him until early intervention can step in. i dont know that there is anything you can do when he is being placed in a new home and a new daycare and is special needs. perhaps mom should hire a nanny at their house until services can be arranged. daycare sounds like a bad idea for him right now. the only solution that may help is bringing in an extra person to your home to help with the transition.Comment
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our unoffical room mom stuck around for almost 45min today while i was doing morning diapers and pottys. kinda sat and played tried to keep him busy but it didnt seem to help much. but i am going to see if she can be here for party day next week. def will need her thenComment
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I do think he would be best at home with mom until an assessment is done and a plan is in place. If that is not possible try to make his surroundings as familiar as possible.
I would try having the same schedule at home and daycare. Ask the foster mon if she can follow your schedule for meals, nap. Try and keep the same routine each day. Are there any transition items that might help? A photo of his foster mom, a lovey, a CD of music that calms him, meals you know he likes. Find out if sensory activities soothe him or make things worse. Offer him a comfy uncluttered welcoming space where he can retreat but still observe the other kids if he needs some space. Try and keep the noise level from becoming too loud. What about mom recording one of those recordable books so he can hear her voice. It's a lot for any child to go through but I'm sure the autism is making things even more overwhelming for him.Comment
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Then I would print some picture cards and introduce sign language. Some of his delayed language could be due to his birth parents situation/neglect. I've had several foster children who came into my care with limited verbal abilities. - but it was due to lack of exposure. Anyways, I would use the picture cards to introduce "conversations". Eventually he'll be able to point to a picture to tell you what he needs or how he's feeling.
Whether he's autistic or not, his clinging behaviors are very typical of foster children. If he's feeling that you are a safe individual, he's going to cling to you until he figures out that the other kids are safe too.
I'd try to have some conversations with the foster mom about his previous home life - why was the child removed. There may be certain things that are triggers to his fear or behavior because of how he was treated at home.Comment
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Circle time and group interaction was a trigger for my son. Maybe allow him not to participate in circle time. Once you learn what he likes a puzzle or special toy allow him that activity during circle time.Comment
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I'm not sure you're dealing with autism here. What you describe is pretty typical of a child who was exposed in utero to opiates. They can and usually do permanently alter brain structure, chemistry and subsequently cognitive function. Resulting behaviors can very from mild to the extreme end of extreme. With early and intense interventions a lot of that can be countered, but that he's already a toddler really stacks the odds against everyone.
Go to the extreme end of scheduling his days if you can. Don't be rigid as he'll likely struggle with transitions, but do set the tone for precise predictability. Above all else exercise utmost patience and calm. Show him that you and your home are safe but unfailingly structured. Don't give second chances, they will likely only confuse him. This equals that every single time if that makes sense.
Butterfly's suggestion with the picture cards is fantastic. Read lots and encourage him to point. Do a lot of narrating throughout your day, not necessarily speaking to or at him but keep chatting about what you're doing as you're doing it -"I'm putting my shoes on now, tieing them up!" and why - "now that we've got shoes on we can go outside!" making lunch - "I'm cutting up the celery now, celery is green" etc. It'll help not only desensitise him, but actually open up an un/under socialized child to the concept of dialogue. If the sound itself alarms him he cant get anything out of anything thats said. The narrating can greatly improve his interventionists odds of getting through if that makes sense.
Less is more for toys and assume he is much younger developmentally than his age suggests. Start with rattles, blocks, stackers and shape sorters - one at a time - and work up from there until you see his abilities plateau. Sensory activities , may over stimulate or soothe. Play with different textures to see if you can find a gem.
Best of luck to you, thank you for helping him
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. my day is crazy. but hes been here since 6 so my fingers are kinda crossed that hes an early kid
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