getting an asd child up in the morning/to school without a meltdown?

[mandco]

School days are never great in our house but having to wake ds up is getting ridiculous.
He doesn't sleep well anyway is hard to get to bed in the first place and often wakes a couple of times a night meaning he is obviously tired come morning so waking him up is almost guaranteed to end in a meltdown add in the fact that he hates school and so we have another daily meltdown over him having to go I'm at the point where I dread having to get him up and I'm struggling with him behaviour so much I'm even considering home schooling him
we have routine charts and use timers I've tried waking him earlier to give him more time and later so he has less time to think about it but nothing seems to help
Anyone else have this problem? any suggestions on how to make mornings easier

[Sweetums]

If you find anything that helps please let everyone else know I think this is the million dollar question affecting our kids in general, fix something and something else breaks. We have removed screens 30 mins - 1 hour before bedtime. Used a colour changing lightbulb and set it to red (to simulate sunset). Everything works for a time, until it doesn’t. The past week I have had to remove flashlights, bulbs, books an iPad or iPhone he has sneaked up to bed with; just rolling in bed in the dark and coming downstairs as “he can’t sleep”. The Christmas anxiety has worn off, he appears happy about going to school (we got him into a special school as the demands at mainstream were just too great on him) despite being “higher functioning”. Just hang in there I’m hopeful it gets better. DS is 13 this week so hormones are going to be fun. Some things get better some things get worse, he seems to have “forgotten” basic stuff we thought he knew. Special school has helped mornings, but having to drop his brother at his old primary school doesn’t help.

[BevS97]

I work at school and I know we have had some success with giving children a before school job. Some children who didn’t want to come in would happily come in 5-10 minutes early and go and turn all the computers on in the ICT suite or collect the recycling.

Why this helps I have no idea but I’ve seen it work with a few pupils in recent years.

[nadya]

Sorry can't help but I feel your pain,ds13 is exactly the same,higher functioning but still struggles massively despite getting taken to his special school on the bus every morning.Getting him dressed is probably the biggest issue and washed as he hates the shower and will refuse but he's bigger than me now so that makes it hard!.totally sympathise and also agree with a previous poster any tips appreciated.We have tried giving him special jobs etc at school,it did help for a while but doesn't anymore,as did reward charts etc.

[Helen1512]

Hi
Really feel for you. I’ve been there and come out the other end as mine are now 20 and 21. The eldest still needs very little sleep but manages it himself now. Youngest was an awful sleeper and he was prescribed melatonin by our GP. It really did help him settle to sleep and helped a bit. Hang in there it does get better. Maybe a social story about why we need sleep?
Also talk to the school. They may be able to offer you a reasonable adjustment such as a slightly later start for him for a while? It may work if it helps him be calmer and more ready for school even though he’s starting a little later.

[mandco]

Originally Posted by Sweetums

Everything works for a time, until it doesn’t.

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this is so true every time you feel you've found a medium something changes it all goes pear shaped again and its back to square one trying to find something that works

mornings are by far the worst for me he's mostly not too bad if he's allowed to wake when he's ready but wake him up or mention school and all hell breaks loose

[mandco]

Originally Posted by BevS97

I work at school and I know we have had some success with giving children a before school job. Some children who didn’t want to come in would happily come in 5-10 minutes early and go and turn all the computers on in the ICT suite or collect the recycling.

Why this helps I have no idea but I’ve seen it work with a few pupils in recent years.

See more...

for some kids it helps them transition they are so focused on the task they are going to do they can block out all the other worries

Originally Posted by Helen1512

oes get better. Maybe a social story about why we need sleep?
Also talk to the school. They may be able to offer you a reasonable adjustment such as a slightly later start for him for a while? It may work if it helps him be calmer and more ready for school even though he’s starting a little later.

See more...

I have talked to the school but they are not that helpful before xmas we had a meeting and the said they were going to put some things into place for him as that had not actioned any of the recommendations they had for him and he's really been struggling but it still has not happened yet

[TC Devon]

Opposite problem here, she wakes so early. She seems to get by in a lot less sleep than my son/Other children. She wakes Stupidly early. She’s instantly awake and hyper. There’s no inbetween. Sneaks into our room, takes a charging iPad and sneaks back to her room. Then moves her duvet to the floor and watches it. I knew it was a bad habit so tried to hide iPads but she screamed becsuse she could nt have it. Threatens to wake her younger brother who needs his sleep or he is very grumpy. I ended up giving in. Totally wrong thing to do on my part. Luckily once we get up at a normal time she puts ipad down ok- except this morning when I got hit, pinched etc because she could nt finish her video. So tonight iPads are hidden. I’m expecting world war before 5am tomorrow.
We have issues most mornings. Normally about clothes, brushing hair, brushing teeth and why she can’t have two croissants. She’s got quite poor personal hygiene and does nt really care what she looks like so although I try so hard to brush her hair, get her to look neat she won’t have any of it. It’s a daily battle that I often lose. She prefers worn in battered clothes.

[Helen1512]

I have talked to the school but they are not that helpful before xmas we had a meeting and the said they were going to put some things into place for him as that had not actioned any of the recommendations they had for him and he's really been

struggling but it still has not happened yet [/QUOTE]

I would go back in and ask to talk to the senco or headteacher. They should help you to find a solution.

[Mallky555]

Our ds is also 13 next week has aspergers plus adhd I found removing options was really helpful. So no nonsense approach go in wake him up he will moan say he’s not getting up tell him he has 5 mins or I will get him dressed( obviously doesn’t want mum doing that at this age) 🙈 after being very strict for what felt like forever in reality two weeks he now does it he gets up washed and dressed admittedly one of us has to keep going back and reminding him how long he has and if he’s ready early he can have some time on the iPad before school 😀 so in effect we bribe him I guess 😂😂😂 he doesn’t alway have time for the iPad but 3/5 days he will.