We have to get Elliott of to school as usual. Shortly after that Gavin has his 11 year appointment at the pediatrician. The kicker is that he’s getting shots, at least 2, and possibly 4. This is NOT going to go over well. One shot….mayber but more then that is going to cause Gavin to go over the edge. It will take many people to accomplish this. When he was younger it would sometimes take up to 6 or 8 people to hold him still long enough to get this done. I have having to do that but the vaccines are to important not to.
This will be much more challenging because he’s already disorganized and so he will less control over himself. He’s also much stronger now. The problem with be the anticipation of each additional shot. This is what will cause the panic and subsequent meltdown. Many times having to do this whille he’s begging for help makes me cry. He doesn’t understand that I’m doing this because I love him and want to keep him safe for diseases we CAN actually prevent. This will set the tone for the rest of the week and it will take him days to recover. The hallucinations will likely become worse at least for a while due to the anxiety.
After that we have to get Emmett to school and then pick Elliott up and then back to get Emmett. We are meeting with Elliott’s teacher tonight and then Lizze has an appointment.
Herbal anxiety remedies are worth looking into. These teas, for example: http://www.yogiproducts.com/products/details/calm… http://www.yogiproducts.com/products/details/kava…
They do help me a bit. And if you assure him it will help, the placebo effect should make it even better.
I hated injections when I was a child. I cried and carried on. Thinking back, I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the idea of one's skin being punctured–technically an injury, and although there's only a small pain, the emotional response associated with pain in humans is fear. It's easy to imagine that that response is simply magnified in children who dread injections, as their apprehension is given hours, days, or weeks to build up. For an autistic child, there must be some additional sensory issue… I just can't remember what it was in my case… Surely the environment has something to do with it:
Doctor's office has so much off-white. Plaster on walls and fiberglass on the insensitive lights above, trite sentiments scrawled on posters, utterly boring paintings–the room is visually an ugly cacophony. The smell can be odd; sounds can leak in through the closed door, yet being shut in a small room with people whose sensory emissions correspond to "familiarity breeds contempt" can also be an issue.
I think a doctor's office with mauve walls, warm adjustable lighting, interesting abstract art, an openable window, and an ambient music system that the patient can put their own CD in would be great. I wonder if that exists.
Maybe telling him that enduring pain builds character and makes him tougher will lend the ordeal a sort of appeal.
Rob, I'm the mother of a girl on the spectrum and a boy that may be- he at least has sensory integration dysfunction.
Have you thought about St. John's Wort to help with anxiety? Maybe something else that will be very calming before your visit? You can ask for something to numb where they're giving shots, though not all peds will.
I understand that it is the anticipation that causes the panic for your son, plus the wait time. My girl goes through that. Acting out parts, such as letting your son give you a 'shot' before going might help a little.
My daughter has went to MY doc appointments, just to see that even grown ups have to deal with things that make them uncomfortable.
Not saying these are answers for you, but maybe options. If you and your wife ever need someone to talk to that understands, you have my email here in the comment form.