I met with C who is a parent of four children. C’s eldest child has a diagnosis of autism. Behaviour at home from C’s daughter is escalating beyond control and having a negative impact on family life. C’s daughter’s school are reporting no behavioural problems. C felt that the school were not supportive and she struggled to communicate with them. I suggested C contact S.N.A.P. Cymru for support and guidance with this issue.
C’s daughter’s behaviours have included shouting and using very abusive language towards C and C’s younger children. C’s daughter also has sensory issues which have made washing difficult leading to poor hygiene and a general neglect of her self-care. C shared with me that she feels she cannot cope anymore and is receiving support from a doctor for depression. C said that she sometimes feels she cannot be in the same room as her daughter and that her family relationships are at breaking point. C is unsure who to turn to or where to access support.
I talked C through some support options and gave C the details of S.P.O.A. (Single Point of Access) I explained that as the family are on the verge of crisis, S.P.O.A. would be able to offer specialist support to the family. I suggested that C may request a carers assessment and/or a social worker assessment. I directed C to contact her family GP to support this.
I also discussed strategies that C could use to support her daughter’s sensory difficulties. I explained the sensory washing strategies provided by the integrated autism support service.
I also suggested using the Autism Wales ABC chart to monitor behaviours and to observe any behavioural patterns occurring. C is going to set up a communication book just for herself and her daughter to promote communications between the two of them. I also suggested that C could use a reward jar with her daughter to promote positive behaviours.
