Anyone else have a VERY clingy child?

Post Reply New Topic

My 5 year old has always been extremely clingy with me. He is practically attached to my leg all day. He wants to talk to me all the time and even sits outside the bathroom when I'm in there. His whole day is ruined if he can't see me in the morning before school. He makes it impossible for me to spend time with my other 2 kids. The worst thing is if I'm home, he wants me to help him do everything. He has no trouble dressing himself, but he will insist that I get him dressed and will refuse to do it by his self. I wonder if this is common in children with AS?

My son with AS was very clingy and eventually grew out of it. It used to be so pronounced that people would tell me it bothered them.

My son was like that. He mostly grew out of it, although he still has his needy moments. I've come to consider it a combination of sensory seeking behavior, and the need for an emotional anchor. Over time I noticed that the more he was able to feel in control of other elements of his life, the less he had a need to cling.

I was exactly like this at that age. It's true that I was clinging to my emotional anchor. Everything else was just too chaotic and scary.

I am so glad to hear this!! ! Validation..... my (AS) son is ULTRA-clingy! He is 8 and when he's at home he follows me around, even to the bathroom. He cannot be more than 4 feet away from me, or he starts to get "nervous and scared." It's driving me crazy, and for the most part I try to be understanding about it because I don't believe in letting kids (whether on the spectrum or not) cry it out and be traumatized.

I do think he will grow out of it, as it seems to wax and wane - but it sure is hard on mom! I feel your pain....

My daughter is also very, very clingy. She also follows me around and calls for me when I am out of her sight. I am hoping this does get better with time because it is really hard on me.

Have you tried rewarding him with physical affection before and/or after he succeeds in doing some things by himself? Or just setting aside some snuggle time then letting him know when that time is over he must do some things independently. I sometimes tell my little guy that I will snuggle with him for 5 minutes in the rocking chair then he must go get dressed by himself or if he will get dressed then he can "wrestle" with Dad (one of his favorite sensory seeking outlets) on the bed. Getting dressed has been a HUGE issue for us but the other day, DS actually went into his room, picked (perfectly appropriate) clothes out of his drawers and got dressed all by himself! I almost cried!

I think it is just me. People say I baby him, but he is my youngest. If he is with my significant other, he will get dressed just fine. He does follow him around a bit, and constantly talk to him, but not like he does with me. He seems to always need affection from me, and is constantly finding ways to say he loves me. I like that he loves me so much, but it is definitly overkill. He even told me I am his "true love" today, when we were watching Shrek the final chapter. I've had to explain to him numerous times why he can't marry his mother.