So I posted this message on various autism facebook pages and forums, I thought I would post the replies here for anyone else who might be needing this info.
BEDROOM SAFETY!!
I am posting this plea for help on every autism page I know, I apologize for those of you who see it more than once.
My boy William is a non-verbal non-compliant non-whatever_else_he_can_come_up_with autistic child. He's cute as a button, and quirky, but can be challenging to keep safe sometimes. Especially at night, His room was devoid of everything but a mattress on the floor, and the heavy duty step 2 toybox with some favorite toys. He has always been a little crazy at night, we hear him running into the walls, and jumping, and sometimes laying on his back and kicking the wall, he likes the way it sounds or feels or something, he just giggles and kicks. I dread the day he figures out how to open the child locks on the door knob. We find one dangerous thing he does, problem solve and another crops up, its never-ending. His newest thing is the baseboard heating. He starting ripping the metal off. I sliced my finger pretty badly cleaning it one day, so I am petrified of him doing the same. So we moved a dresser into his room, kept it empty, but used it to block the baseboard. He still removed the metal except he just bent the parts he could reach around the dresser!!
I researched safety beds, but the only affordable option (nickel bed tent) appears to no longer be made. The next cheapest option is 3000 dollars!
So talk to me oh wise autism parents.... How do you address bedroom/nighttime safety in your house? I HAVE to sleep sometime.........
Here are the most helpful replies I got!
Christy - I'm
not an autism parent (I have high-functioning autism, myself), but I'm
pretty sure there's foam stuff you can stick to the wall that also
sound-proofs things. It also might help to have something to distract
him from these dangerous habits. I used to
scratch myself all the time whenever I felt uneasy, to the point where
my skin would be bleeding all over the place, but then I started
carrying a notebook or sketchbook with me, and I draw whenever I'm
nervous. Maybe William is a little nervous or antsy at bed-time.
Something that used to help me was one of those constellation projector
things. I'd get so lost in looking at my own little version of the sky
on my ceiling that I forgot about scratching myself.
Bonnie - I
had these same kinds of issues when my son was younger, and I know
another child who is similar. Her mother put up a pair of the clear
plastic baby gates one over the other in her daughter's doorway and
discovered that the child (2) was able to squeeze
herself through the gap that allowed the doorknob to poke through so
the door could shut. She fell hard the first time she did it and her mom
thought she would refrain from doing it again. Instead, this clever
clever child emptied her tub of stuffed animals through the opening to
cushion her fall when she squeezed out again. This had the added effect
of muffling the fall so her parents couldn't hear her escape. My point
is, kids who don't observe boundaries and are also nimble and bright are
wicked hard to stay one step ahead of! So BREATHE, first. Then think
about the real problem. Does your son really need to have a bed frame or
would a mattress on top of a box spring with no frame be a safer
option? Can your base rays be shielded with supplies from the hardware
store or the edges blunted with duct tape so if he does tear them off he
at least won't be injured? Can you put one of those magnetic alarms at
the top of his door and windows in case he does figure out the child
locks? My son slept on a mattress on his bedroom floor for years. I used
duct tape to secure my vent covers to the floor after he realized he
could pick them up and throw them at me during a meltdown. And those
magnetic locks were super helpful when he decided he was going to leave
the house while I was in the bathroom.
Lisa - We
stripped his room of all furniture but a mattress. (He was flipping
over dressers, bookshelves, and storage trunks.) Is there any way to
cover his heater? I know they make covers for certain baseboard heaters.
Maybe go talk to someone at a local home improvement store.
Wendy - I
used a tent and put his bed in it it worked well for a yr then he
unzipped it then I just started laying with him at night until he fell a
sleep
Karen - Consider
consulting with a behavioral specialist on this. It sounds like he is
looking for any type of stimulation he can get while suffering insomnia.
When we had nighttime safety issues, we kept our son in our room at
night.
Sian - Loneliness
is a big issue. is he like this if you take him into your bed.. Iam
lucky in one respect I have 2 Autistic boys they share the same room the
only time we all get a good nights sleep.. We did though, when they
where much younger, a week of Phernergan
( Heavy duty antihistamine that makes people drowsy) to promote a good
pattern in sleep..My youngest when he was 3 was also a self harmer break
everything smash everything get into everything. had grommetts done
changed his diet and all settled down.. still have moments when his is
like this mainly when he is sick.
Caroline - I
know this is very old school, but does he have a teddy or anything he
snuggles up too? My son is 18 and still goes to bed with his cuddly
dog..... It might not just be loneliness maybe try a night light with
stars or something if he hasn't already got one, but yes Karen's idea of
consulting a behaviour specialist is an excellent idea too! There is
nothing worse than disturbed sleep x
Joy - I'm so sorry frown emoticon
I know how hard this can be, and trying to do anything on sleep
deprivation is even harder. Have you talked to your OT, PT, or
pediatrician? My daughter's bed like this was paid for through her
insurance. I've also seen families post one on GoFundMe if insurance is
going to be too slow or deny the request. Some families find that
placing the mattress inside a tent that zips from the outside is enough
to ensure safety and they make some special for this.
Both
of my kiddos take medication to help them sleep because they struggle
without it and are so much happier with a good night sleep, and so that
is something that can be discussed with your pediatrician as well. We
also saw a sleep neurologist who helped brainstorm other things that
could impact their sleep hygiene.
I
would also see if your therapists or school team can help you
brainstorm ways to address supporting independent play and
communication. Our kiddos are not really "nons" -- they are just "not
yets" that need help to find the right path for them, I think. Behavior
expresses a need, and building communication means they can help us cut
down on some of the trial-and-error that seems to take so so so long.
I
hopes something in there was helpful. My heart goes out to you and your
family... Worrying about your kiddo's safety is not a place any mama
wants to be. Hugs.
Robbie's mom - Robbie
jumped on his bed all the time and broke many box spring mattresses. We
bought a big, red car bed and piled a couple mattresses on it. It was
pretty much indestructible.
I would have put a dresser in front of the vent too. Maybe you can
replace the vent with something else more like plastic, non metal?
Rain - An
indoor trampoline comes to mind to keep his legs busy. The ones with
the nets around them. I would have that in his room along with his
mattress. He can sleep where he crashes. As far as the baseboards..is
there a way to replace, seal so they can't be tampered with? I have
baseboards & ours are very heavy, thick metal. I do see one end that
can come off for access & am assuming that's where your problem
started?
There were also many messages that recommended starting Melatonin with him, I think it would be redundant to post them all, but many swore by it.
