Need help with violence - Autism Spectrum Message Board

Joanne · 06-29-2003, 11:52 AM

I was hoping you guys could help me with a new issue we are having. My son, Ryan, has become very violent to his siblings. He is four and is PDD-NOS. He has started to put his hands around his younger brother's (Tyler, 19 months) neck and then squeezing. This is a new behavior for him. He has always been violent to me. I can handle it. I usually give him a guilt trip (yes, he feels guilt)or time out. Time out is not helping this issue. When I punish him for this behavior, he takes his punishment well but then he comes after Tyler or Emily(his 8 year old sister)with a vengance. He is starting to scare me. I am not sure what to do. Yesturday he had Tyler on the floor and was choking him hard enough that Tyler wasn't even crying. I try to be there all of the time, but sometimes I actually have to go to the bathroom or do laudry. I could use any advice you guys may have.

memehegan · 07-03-2003, 07:29 PM

Wow, Joanne, it sounds scary- My son was violent with my daughter and myself at times- my daughter was 4 years older and may never forgive him for all that he has done to her, the worst being screaching in her ears so bad it left ringing for three days- and throwing a broom stick at her back from his bedroom-also most recently she was irritating him and always speaks rudely to him and he lost his temper and smeared her finals homework with applesauce.(note he didnt touch her!) They both threatened to run away by the end of that day. He was so violent before he went on the gluten free/caisen free diet that DSS told me the next time he hurt my daughter they would place her in foster care - so I had better accept the schools offer to begin looking for residential placement for him. He was maybe seven. It was awful, he went back in a psychiatric hospital for 6 weeks before his 8 th birthday- I agreed for the school to begin looking, when he was released on christmas eve from the hospital the school refused to allow him to attend anymore, I was forced to homeschool for over 2 months until they found a day treatment trust program that had 6 children and 3 adult staff. He was restrained 33 times in that room because he had an unrecognized writting disability, however while I home schooled him I relized he was unable to even write the alphabet, I also read an article about the gfcf diet curing autism in the march 2000 Parents magazine and was so desparate that I tried it while he was homeschooled- if you search the web you will find an entire site devoted to it with a support group to help you understand it if you are curious about it, it saved our lives, by the time he entered that classroom he was so improved-made constant eye contact- became extremely verbal and cuddly- the staff thought I was one of those moms who makes up severe disorders about there kids, they refused to acknowledge that he was PDD with autistic like symptoms until they finally received two different doctor notes, latter I discovered there was a note already in his file from his previous doc- that he was actually diagnosis at age 6- she just never told me before she went out on medical leave, and the school never told me either, when I finally got them two new diagnosis' from two more docs they preceded to loose them three times! I had several copies and kept marching them in. Finally I was able to get the severe writing and reading diablity recognized, after being on the diet almost two years, my sons non verbal IQ went up 10 points to 118 and his verbal 10 points to 98! We were lucky enough to see results on the diet after 4 days! It is expensive and not an easy thing to do, I orignally planned to just try it for a week, but my son even appreiciated how different he felt! I have told the story several times here- if you'd like to hear more about it. I feel for you, the hardest thing I ever had to face was considering giving him up! -meme

Joanne · 07-07-2003, 09:46 AM

Thank you so much for replying. I really appriciate your input. Ryan was GFCF but he started losing weight. He dropped 7 pounds in a month. He only weighed 33 pounds at the start of this. The DAN doctor and myself thought it would be more beneficial to stop the diet for the time being. We are sending in a urine test to the Great Plains Laboratory for a Gluten Casein Peptide test to see if we need to re-implement the diet. We have removed artificial colors and preservatives. He is also on Super-Nu Thera with P5P, TMG with folic acid and B12, Zinc, Vitamin C, and Epsom salts baths. This has all just started. I am thinking the violence may be from the supplements. I am hoping it will stop soon. My DAN doctor said to give it a few weeks. I am just trying to find other solutions to the violence. On the up side, Ryan is speaking better. He is starting to get better. At least the hands around his brother's throat has stopped for now. I have read in one of your other posts that you are using enzymes. I can't find your story on that. I was wondering if that may help with the GFCF diet. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

memehegan · 07-07-2003, 11:22 AM

Hi Joanne, I am on my lunch break so I will reply quickly- yes the enzymes help break down the milk and wheat protiens so that they dont seep through the leaky digestive track and into the blood stream. Also most of Jay s meds have a milk substance in them so he takes them with meds. they help tredmendously- but I believe different docs have different oppions regarding them. I will tell you as bizzare as it is- it is the corn products-corn syrup, dextrose ect that make Jacob extremely violent and rude-mouthy, hyper, beligerant ect! -meme

Joanne · 07-17-2003, 07:40 PM

I was thinking more about what you said...what else is corn in? I am in the process of thrying to get rid of artificial colors and preservatives (what a nightmare)so while I am at it, I might as well get rid of that too. Also, if I am going to discuss digestive enzymes for Ryan, what should I be asking? Sorry to drill you, but it seems like you have a lot more experience with this than me.
Thanks,
Joanne