Have You Dealt with "Refusal Behaviors" - Autism Spectrum

If he's really high functioning on the spectrum, just tell him. See if you can get a copy of the schedule, the parent's handbook, and also spend a day there with him.

High functioning kids are usually STICKLERS for The Rules. So tell him what the rules are and let him know (with plenty of dramatic words) that he can't break those rules. If he gets those rules ingrained in his noggin, he'll be less inclined to exhibit refusal behaviors. :o)

Only with age. I am not sure at what point he became able to play the game but he does now, he is twelve.

My family, and myself, are on the spectrum though we are ADD Andy is the only one who is on the Autism side. Play the game is what we call doing things we really don't want to do but must to get along in life.

My 8 yo grandson is also in a special school. He started out in a special ed class in a regular school. After 3 years of seeing very little improvement in his ability to co-operate the school district moved him to a special school who deals in defiant type behaviors. He's very much improved. After a year they are now able to focus more on academics than on behavior. They have an entire program that I can't effectively describe here. I suggest you ask if the district has a school for the more difficult child.

I'll try for a description. Don't know if anger is a part of your son's refusal to co-operate. In this school the focus seems to be on helping him learn about his feelings and how to redirect his anger. His classroom has 6 children, a teacher, and 2 aides. When a child is misbehaving they get one on one attention. They give a lot of praise but no stickers or charts. (they didn't work in the special ed classroom.) When he's refusing to co-operate he's removed from the classroom. He's taught how to recognize when his feelings are getting away from him and allowed to do something to calm himself down. He loves to run laps. They also have an exercycle and a quiet room. He benefits from chewing on or squeezing something which helps him to focus. Gum and a squishy ball are part of his school experience.

My son is high on the spectrum as well. Although he just started the Pre-k Program.

I say if it is something he is having trouble learning or understanding, maybe keeping him in the special ed class is not so bad. With the IEP protection they get and they more attention to detail learning they get, it maybe better for him to stay with it.

I have decided my kiddo will stick with the IEP as long as the district will allow. They seem to think he maybe able to be a typical function teen and adult but it is hard to say at this point. He also has ODD and can be very violent. So sticking with it is our only option.

Do not rush him, just on account of wanting to have ''normal''. I know how bad you want to have ''normal'', it will come to him when it is suppose to. Just practice the good behavior stuff at home as much as you can and eventually it will transfer.

Hang in there momma:) It will come:)

He has the right to be included in a regular classroom for as much time as he can handle. Federal law says that children must be educated in the least restrictive environment, and since he is high functioning he should be in a regular classroom for most of the day possibly only pulled if he needs extra content instruction. When you have your ARD meeting make sure you get what you want for your son as far as how many minutes he is in a general education classroom. You can even stipulate that you want an aide for your son for so many minutes of his inclusion time, want him included in grade level parties, field trips or class programs. You are your child's best advocate so speak up for him! And don't worry if there is something you have forgotten and want to add to his IEP...just ask for another ARD to ammend his IEP! You can do this at anytime!! If you feel that the school administation is not listening to you, call in a professional advocate to help represent you. You want to make sure you are working with the school professionals, but you have to speak up to make sure he gets the services he needs.

It sounds like transitional issues to me. And not for nothing, but if he's in a special preschool designed for special needs children including those on the Autism Spectrum then they ought to know you can't rush a child like this. "Quick cooperation" is not in our vocabulary.

Have them set up a schedule board for him. I suspect he's in the process of learning to read so they can do this with a series of clocks and images of the activities that will occur that day. They can also include the words used to describe the activity. Prior to the change in events and when they need him to perform certain tasks they will need to give him warnings that it's going to occur.

9:00 Sign In and Put Coats Away
9:05 Wash hands
9:10 - 9:50 Circle time
9:50 - 10:00 Bathroom break
10:00 - 10:30 Free play
10:30 - 11:10 Arts and Crafts
11:10-11:20 Clean-up
11:20-11:30 Bathroom break
11:30- 12:15 Recess
12:15-12:25 Bathroom break and Wash hands
12:25-1:00 Lunch
and so on and so forth

It's not "quick and easy" but it will be time efficient when push comes to shove. This will also serve a few purposes... help him learn to read by associating images with the words and help him learn to tell time. He'll also become invested in the schedule and the routine. If he likes routines as many other kids with Autism do, then this will be right up his alley and he'll enjoy knowing what to expect next and when to expect it. It will give him a sense of control and stability as well as continuity. He won't be surprised.

And this will be a great tool for the teachers because if there's a short day of school they can create a separate schedule board for days like that and if there's a day where the schedule is going to be different then they can adjust it by superimposing the appropriate images and words over the existing scheduled activities if they attach everything with velcro and laminate everything.

I don't knwo where to start. My son was in PIPP program preschool. For OT and Speech. He has ADD,ODD,SensoryIntergration- SID,Fine Motor delay,Speech . At Three had a was not talking. I had Misdignose for Austim PDD.Nos but went to mind inst a few months ago and found out he dos not have that. he has SID,learning disablity congintive.. We treid medcaiton for attention and behaviors. It didnt work. I did put him on diets for austim. find gold help. I used L-theanine behaviors did a 1 -80 It liek green tea.. Big change. I think your son will do well with a structor enviorment. He need lot of bounary's. My son is in 3rd grade now. But Kindgraden was nightmare for us. 1grade was great because he had a teacher that cared. 2nd grade we ended switchign teachers because she refussed to teach him. the 2nd teacher did well because she had him doing something every 20 mintues or no recess. 3rd grade have a really mean teacher that means business. I have to hear one bad thing. Im not beign called to the school at all. he get his wrok done. when thing go wrong at school. There chores at home. he cna't get away with things. I hava chore bucket. he will have chores for his behaviors. My doctor gave us 1-2-3 magic for special needs children worked great... oh yes, all of his teacher have him on behavior plan as your teacher about it. I would get card home if he didnt behave. he'd lose something at home or chore bucket. make sure he can do the chores. If he is in preschool he can do little things. wipe down toiet seat,baseboard,clean up living room, bed room, strighten shoes,trash ot of bathroom, anything you knwo he can do. Take stuff away you klnow he likes. ect.

yes, I have. i wuld get reports in his notebook every day of all the bad behaviors he did. Not to scare you but my son had a lot of bad behaviors all the way till he got to middle school and he is much happier. I didn't care for his teacher in elementary school. In the last year of elementary school, he had a desk in the hall way by himself with a 3 drawer cart. Each drawer had a number 1-3 and he would start with 1 and when he completed that task, he would take the number to the teacher and then start task 2. When all 3 drawers were complete, he would get reward: it could have been food, sharpening pencils in the office, putting pencils in the pencil machine, sorting change, helping the principal setup for an assembly or taking a folder with nothing in it to another teacher. He didn't know the folder was empty. All the teachers were made aware of this and so were the students He loves helping and pleasing people. I mentioned this to the school and they some how came up with it all by themselves a year later. My son goes to a regular school district with multi-disabilities classrooms in it. He wold go to typical classes when he could.
Maybe your son has trouble transitioning from one task to another. Maybe they need a center station for him. How old are the other kids in the preschool? It could be that they are a lot younger and hes bored and would better with kids about his age. My son skipped 5th grade because all the kids in his class would have been between the ages of 3 and 5 and he would be 11. Since hes in middle school with his typical aged peers, but in a multi-disabilities classroom and he is doing much better.

Are you sure it is a cooperation issue and not a transitional issue? Sometimes if I get my son a heads up that in 5 minutes, we will be doing whatever, then he will transition better than being told suddenly that we are now going to do it. My son is now 19, but I have been through a lot of the same things you are now going through. Does the school have a routine where you could make a picture chart - or a social story- to help him understand what is expected. Playing games that involve turn-taking may help too. It is not easy! Good luck!

Have they tried a reward chart? Reward him with a sticker when he DOES what they ask, promptly.......

Or..... like I've done with a student (middle school, on the spectrum).... he gets one reminder.... for example, if he refuses, you remind him of the sticker.... if he does it then, he gets the sticker. Eventually, you wean him off the second chance......