ASD/Autism in teenager referral

[under the ivy]

Apologies if there’s already a thread on this topic - Mods please feel free to merge/delete as appropriate.

I have a younger brother approaching 13 and he has been referred via school for an ASD diagnosis. His behaviour is uncontrollable, disruptive and distressing for him and for me to witness.

I won’t go into too much detail but some of his behaviour includes:

• Meltdowns especially on a night
• Obsessive behaviour about certain things e.g stationery
• Verbally/physically aggressive
• Fussy eating

Part of me thinks his hormones are raging and are partly to blame. Has anyone experienced similar with their child/teenager?

 

[Scrooge]

Hey! I work in child and adolescent mental health and you’re absolutely right that hormones are probably making things worse for him at the moment. If he does have autism going back to school and changes in routine are probably also having an impact on the way he’s feeling and managing. Its likely he’s probably masking and trying to manage all day in school whilst feeling incredibly overwhelmed and then coming home and just releasing all that pent up distress he’s tried to cope with all day.

If he does get diagnosed with ASD then a sensory assessment to support the school and your family to make adaptations and ensure his environment is appropriate would probably really help, that would hopefully reduce the stress and anxiety he feels throughout the day. Small changes can make a huge difference!

 

[TwooTwooTwitTwitTwoo]

I'm glad the school are being supportive as getting them to take your concerns seriously can be half the battle sometimes.

In my experience there can be a worsening of meltdowns and similar behaviours around his age and it is in part due to hormones. The ramp up of expectation in terms of school work can be a contributor too along with a wider range of emotions to navigate in terms of personal relationships.

There can be a really long wait for an assessment, often around two years but some areas are getting through the referrals faster by referring to Healios. This service carries out assessments via video calls and I could definitely see how it could work for a teenager whose need for a diagnosis is fully supported by their education setting. I've just had the first video appointment for one of my children (much younger than your brother) and I have to say, despite my initial concerns, it seemed to be very thorough. This process cut our waiting time from another 26 months (having already been on the waiting list for a year) to 4 weeks!

Whilst you wait to hear back from the referral I'd recommend contacting your local CAMHS or Forward Thinking. They should be able to offer some mental health support should you feel he needs it. It's possible his school may have links with a Communication and Autism Team (CAT) who will visit him in school and offer mentoring type sessions. Again this varies by area.

Also there are a number of useful resources on the internet geared toward helping improve frustration tolerance, recognising how emotions feel inside/physically in order to reduce meltdowns as well as day to day tips to reduce anxiety in those who are neurodiverse. I don't have details of any specific sites though sorry, I usually just spend a few hours googling what I need at the time and making notes of relevant info.

Sorry if I've told you loads of stuff you already know! Just wanted to let you know your not alone. I've had really helpful and advice and support from people on here so there's always someone to talk to.

 

[under the ivy]

Thanks for your words of support. His referral is taking a back seat at the moment as he was diagnosed with lymphoma on Friday

He has some medicine to take to help due to some localised lymph node swelling but he’s refusing to take it due to the texture/taste. We’ve tried all sorts as a family (mixing it with juice/yoghurt, doing it in a positive environment e.g when he’s playing his Xbox) but nothing is working. It’s causing obvious stress as it’s important he takes it before a procedure later next week. I know it’s possibly a sensory issue but I feel helpless.

 

[TwooTwooTwitTwitTwoo]

Thanks for your words of support. His referral is taking a back seat at the moment as he was diagnosed with lymphoma on Friday

He has some medicine to take to help due to some localised lymph node swelling but he’s refusing to take it due to the texture/taste. We’ve tried all sorts as a family (mixing it with juice/yoghurt, doing it in a positive environment e.g when he’s playing his Xbox) but nothing is working. It’s causing obvious stress as it’s important he takes it before a procedure later next week. I know it’s possibly a sensory issue but I feel helpless.

Oh gosh, how awful . I wish I had some helpful advice but you're already trying all the things I'd suggest. I'm trying to think if there's anything else...a smoothy maybe or a milkshake? Something quite thick that would hide the texture and strong flavoured enough to hide the taste. I realise he might not like those things anyway though due to the texture.
I'm currently having this same issue with my son and his adhd medication. It must be considerably more stressful for your family given what's at stake.
I hope you find something that works and that his procedure goes well next week.