Explaining challenging behaviour / self-injurous behaviour.

Page 1 of 1 [ 4 posts ] 

SteelMaiden
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 19 Aug 2006
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,722
Location: London

05 Jan 2015, 12:50 pm

My parents don't really understand autism.

I have bruises and scratches on my body (including my arms and hands) from meltdowns. When I have a meltdown, I lash out at anything on or around me, punching things, tearing at myself and my clothes, attacking people, breaking things etc.

My mum and I are meeting up tomorrow and I asked her if we could just go for a walk in a park. I couldn't say "because I don't want to have challenging behaviour episodes in Wimbledon like last time". This is because she starts being pushy and overbearing, saying "we should meet up every day so I can help you desensitise", "you need someone like me 24 hours a day", "I will hold your hand next time" etc. And then are the two-faced confusing manipulations.

My dad just yells at me when I have meltdowns / challenging behaviour. A couple of months ago, during his last visit (he lives abroad so I only see him occasionally when he has business in Surrey) he threw my phone at me and nearly broke it, when I was having a meltdown.

My dad is visiting in two or three weeks time.

My mum and I are going out tomorrow.

How can I explain my autistic meltdowns / challenging behaviour / self-injurous behaviour to them?


_________________
I am a partially verbal classic autistic. I am a pharmacology student with full time support.


Eloa
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Jun 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,223

05 Jan 2015, 1:12 pm

To me the easiest would be to write it down.
That's how I do explain autism-related issues to people.
If I would try to do it verbally I'd probably would only communicate 1% of it, if I even would succeed in initating a conversation about it.
You can also search up official information about meltdowns and add it.
Or you could ask your psychiatrist or any other knowledgable person to write down an explanation about it.
You can also write down what your parents should avoid doing to trigger a meltdown and what they should avoid doing when you are in a meltdown.
Being yelled at during meltdown and getting a phone thrown to you is not helping.


_________________
English is not my native language, so I will very likely do mistakes in writing or understanding. My edits are due to corrections of mistakes, which I sometimes recognize just after submitting a text.


btbnnyr
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 May 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,359
Location: Lost Angleles Carmen Santiago

05 Jan 2015, 1:35 pm

You can write two lists for your parents with 1) what kinds of behavior of theirs cause you to meltdown and 2) what they should do when you meltdown.

You can write that you can't control your behaviors during a meltdown.

Regarding this issue of having violent meltdowns frequently, I suggest that you really try to work on this emotional dysregulation above all else, because it will be definite obstacle against you reaching your goals unless you figure out ways to manage your emotions and eliminate these behaviors.


_________________
Drain and plane and grain and blain your brain, and then again,
Propane and butane out of the gas main, your blain shall sustain!


SteelMaiden
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 19 Aug 2006
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,722
Location: London

05 Jan 2015, 1:48 pm

Thaks I'll do the written note.

I am due to see my psychiatrist about my dysregulation issues. She hasn't made an appointment yet.

My support workers are trying to work on it with me too.

I've taken up meditation as well but just started.


_________________
I am a partially verbal classic autistic. I am a pharmacology student with full time support.