Autism and getting upset at the tv?

[kristyrich]

Hi everyone! My little boy is 2 and a half and in the process of getting a diagnosis for his developmental delay. He has his ADOS assesment on the 25th of novemember though we have already been told that we are definately looking at PDD ( most likely autism). He has very little eye contact (and when he does give it, he looks at you quite strangely almost like he is looking through you and he gets right in your face.) he has a lot of stims, jumping, hand flapping and rocking almost all day. He doesn't really listen when spoken to, doesn't have any speach just one constant sound, doesn't play with other children( even his sisters) in fact his 6 month old sister he doesn't even acknowledge. All these things I know are common traits of autism. What I don't understand is the fact that when watching tv he gets very very upset sometimes hysterical at shows he used to love. In particular the show " in the night garden" where iggle piggle falls over at one point he knows this is going to happen and cries. He also now cries at any point in any show and I can't work out why he is doing this? Does anyone have any ideas or a child that does a similar thing? TIA

 

[bluelilly72]

My daughter is the same she is 3 she can watch something over and over and next day you put it on and she crys and screams the house down and refuses to watch it her fav was mr tumble now she won't watch it she watches in night Arden peppa pig but I no there something wrong she got lot of tratits to say she's got autisum but I am fighting it as the speech therpy said coz she can point nothing wrong with her etc so now I am going though fighting for her it's annoying feels like a nightmare ad o one listening or trying to help her

 

[bluelilly72]

Oh and she can't talk xx

 

[kristyrich]

I'm so sorry that no one is listening. It's so hard when you know in your heart that there is something not quite right and they won't listen. After all she is your daughter and I believe mothers know best. That's for replying! At least I know Riley isn't the only one who does this. Do you think they cry because they just don't like it or it's overwhelming? Sometimes I think he just works himself up so much he can't control his feelings and has a bit of a meltdown. Riley can point but only because I taught him. It wasn't something he picked up himself. He would take my hand and make me point ( only started this at two) then I didn't let him anymore and said "no you point" and showed him and now he does it. So I know that just because they can point it doesn't mean they don't have an autism spectrum disorder. I hope you get your answers soon and you get the help you want for you and your beautiful daughter. The fight can be hard! oh, also does she have any stims or repetitive behaviour? I have a friend whose three yr old has high functioning autism but doesn't stim like my boy. Males me very concerned. xx

 

[bluelilly72]

She rocks when but her trolley people look at you like your weird

 

[sethsmummy]

my son either goes to two extremes while watching tv. he either gets really excited laughing and being extremely loud towards the tv. OR he cried and screams at what i put on even if the day before he loved the programme. Our education visitor told us that they can change their "obesession" like for a long time my son loooooved mickey mouse clubhouse (or toodles as he calls it) and would ask for toodles all day.. now he kicks off if i put it on as he wants to watch tom and jerry.

my son has some stims too like the hand flapping/spinning/ repetitive play (his cars.. they always have to be played with on our bed) x

 

[sun]

My son does better generally if the TV stays off. For him it really affects his behaviour and he is very prone to tantrums while it's on or after it's off. He's 4.

 

[sam2eb]

If there is something on with people arguing my son will go crazy!! He'll start running around yelling trying to smack things!

It's weird tho coz old slapstick comedy like laurel and Hardy he finds hilarious and that involves people hurting themselves!!

 

[kristyrich]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Its good to know its not just Riley that acts that way towards the tv. In all honesty we have tried going "TV" free a lot but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. He just continues to be hyper-active and very "stimmy" all day. Rocking, jumping, hand flapping, spinning and the newest ( much to my disgust, lol) is always taking the saliva out of his mouth.

 

[Tiff]

My daughter was diagnosed with moderate-severe Autistic disorder and 100% shows emotions about things. We get challenged on her diagnosis often because of that fact - there's a stereotype that all children with Autism are robots of sorts, with no feelings. Far from! In fact at times I think they have too many/intense feelings and just can't handle all of them at the same time.

For what its worth, my kiddo does that too. She is very much attached to characters on TV shows and gets quite upset. There's a movie called "Robots" (computer animated by Pixar or Dreamworks) and there's a part in it where the main character leaves his parents to go to a bigger city... Claire CANNOT handle this part and cries so hard when she watches the airship of sorts fly away with the main character in it and his parents are hugging each other and watching him go.

Its called a spectrum for a reason!

 

[aliss]

Children with autism take the world quite literally, it could just be too intense. Of course all toddlers don't really understand reality/fantasy but with autism it becomes quite magnified!!

 

[sethsmummy]

If there is something on with people arguing my son will go crazy!! He'll start running around yelling trying to smack things!

It's weird tho coz old slapstick comedy like laurel and Hardy he finds hilarious and that involves people hurting themselves!!

Glad ts not just my son that finds this kind of thing funny... he finds people getting hurt hillarious... loves tom and jerry for thst very reason! The only time he doesnt find it funny is if his brother hurts himself., hes very protective of his little brother x

oh and he does the saliva thing too kristyrich.. he puts his fingers in his mouth then wipes t all over his face xx

 

[lozzy21]

It could be that the TV is overstimulating him and putting him into sensory overload and could cause him physical pain or he could think that by falling over the character has hurt themselfs and has upset him