Re: picking behavior/stool

[Guest guest]

Thanks, people, for responding. Sorry it took a while to write back...I have started my daughter back up on the stool softener/herbal stuff...so she isn't constipated. It seems that she mostly does digging just before bedtime now. I've tried a few things...1) put undergarments on under her pjs (she's still able to go slip her hand down to her knees and back up again, so maybe I should get a longer gym suit?) 2) rest with her until she goes to sleep/monitoring her hands out of the blanket 3) try to get her to put ointment on her bottom, and sometimes that helps, 4) explain verbally that her poop helps to get rid of germs (she listens and seems to like me talking about it), 5) I started putting a feminine napkin on her panties...which cut down on digging during the daytime and 6) I try to monitor every time she goes to the potty to make sure her hands are "up" on her lap. She's obsessed with the fact that we "gave the Dr. the poop" (sent a stool sample to a lab). As far as the "reward" she gets for this behavior, besides any physical comfort she might be getting, she loves any negative attention she gets...I.e when she wiped poop on her sister's pillow last night, her sis went a bit crazed. Tammy just giggled. I quickly removed her from the bedroom and made her sleep downstairs in her sleeping bag...which she was not happy with. She just loves watching extreme emotions from anyone. As far as the "social story" idea, it's worth trying. I just wonder if it might make her obsess more...however, she does love to have things written down for her...then she traces everything with markers.

We're giving her Kirman lab SNT, and DMJ...plus calcium. I can't figure that she would have a mineral deficiency. Though I've not heard of pica. Is there a place I could learn more about this?

Good idea about getting a second functional behavior assessment.,

This child seems to have to be monitored so much...almost constantly. Wish we could do something more with "impulse control". Well, here at 12:50 in the morning, she is still not sleeping. Gotta go.

bj

[Guest guest]

hi bj

i think i have the male version of your daughter living at my house. our brady is 13 and has always enjoyed the extreme emotions of others. he loves to hurt us or aggress at others or even animals to see reaction. it is the most frustrating thing to us. some things you cannot put on the extinction list. he doesn't do the poop thing, but it sounds like that for your daughter it is a new behavior. like your girl, brady has to be watched constantly. the only thing he enjoys doing for any length of time is TV and sometimes we use it for a baby sitter just so he won't wander around the house all the time and getting into trouble. sigh!

i know there are people on this list that will be able to help you with this issue. just thought i would let you know you are not alone. where are you from? i am from the land of Oz. Kansas.

Hugs - Christiane Mom to:

ph (24) add, bi-polar - serving our country , stationed in Germany.Brady (13) pdd-nos, adhd, Bi-Polar,very aggressive. residing for 6 months at a treatment centerLibby (8) adhd. now a 3rd grader. wanna be teen. YIKES.

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[Guest guest]

Hi BJ,

I would try not to talk about the " poop " too much, what I meant I

would try to emphasize is where bathroom things are appropriate to

discuss and do is in the bathroom or with a Dr. in their office. What

you want to emphasize is it's okay to talk about, but not everywhere

with everyone. I would ignore her talking about it and try to distract

her onto another topic of something she likes or have her do something

else.

Some kids are very tactile and she might enjoy something else she

could do with her hands...have you tried playing with shaving cream on

a bare table top? She could smush it around and enjoy the texture.

Sometimes something like that gives the sensory input they enjoy, but

some kids obsess on then trying to smear other things. Since she is

already doing that, you have little to lose by trying shaving cream or

playdoh play. I would also do overcorrection, where you have her clean

up her mess, and then any surrounding area/things that are or even

aren't messy so that it isn't fun to make the mess(with the poop). In

other words, you have her take the pillowcase off and put it in the

washer and then have her change for a new one(putting your hands over

her hands if necessary). Then have her remake the bed, whatever. My

son went through a time he didn't care about making messes till he

found out every time I would have him clean it up!(He hated that and

still does:) It really worked for me. Good luck, and ask your Dr. what

to do about pica, probably a multi-vitamin would work, but some kids

seem to need zinc. Regards, Sally(just a mom-not a professional, but I

went through some of this too:)

[Guest guest]

Hi Harlen,

I am just wondering if you have tried medications for the aggression?

I have heard of very good success for some kids with Risperadol, and

some do well on other meds. My own son once he turned 12 became mildly

aggressive and it was threatening his school placement. We went into a

drug trial of Strattera heavily monitored by a team of professionals

and taking behavior data to make sure of the effect. It made a huge

difference in his attention and the aggression stopped(it was

relatively mild, but scary anyway as he might have gotten removed from

school, it doesn't take much with public schools to get an alternative

placement, etc.) I have even heard a medication formerly used for

blood pressure(sorry I can't remember the name of it)has helped some kids.

Sometimes it's our brain chemicals that need balanced a bit:)

Good luck, it was just an idea I had.

Sally

[Guest guest]

Sally, how much Straterra are you giving your son, and what time of day do you give it to him? Karac is 11 and we give him 40mg's in the morning along with Geodon. We give him Geodon at night with .1mg's of Clonidine. That has finally gotten him sleeping through the night. I worry about the Geodon because of possible side efffect of heart damage. I wish we could get him on just the Straterra. That is great that the Straterra is helping your son and controlling the aggression. Pat K

[Guest guest]

Hi Christiane,

We're here in Southern CA. Tammy's only thing that she does by herself is water/bubble play, and sidewalk chalk. If she does this too much she gets more aggressive, so I try to limit these activities. Left to herself inside, she will play in the water in the sink...will continue to (I'm trying to get her to do dishes instead). She also likes to write, but can only write letters in her own name independently. She won't watch TV unless someone sits with her, won't do computer, games, or other independent activities. I think she just really is dependent on being around people...she has an aide in school, and does better when she is either out in the public (she has some community training with an aide, and I take her out quite often). I think that part of our problem is that we have such a segregated family...only 2 older sisters and mom and dad that interface with her. No cousins.

She is included in many things despite her disability, including 7th grade middle school, YMCA swim team, and girlscouts, but not without a lot of assistance. I struggle to find a way to help her be more independent. The poop issue is troubling because it is a sure way to get herself kicked out of inclusion.

I don't think that she understands sometimes the social rules that people have. I don't think she is purposely being "bad", but just is starting to learn to connect with people. She has pets too, and the worse thing she's done is stick the cats in her pants. She might be enjoying the reactions. could be!

bj

[Guest guest]

Hi Christiane,

We're here in Southern CA. Tammy's only thing that she does by herself is water/bubble play, and sidewalk chalk. If she does this too much she gets more aggressive, so I try to limit these activities. Left to herself inside, she will play in the water in the sink...will continue to (I'm trying to get her to do dishes instead). She also likes to write, but can only write letters in her own name independently. She won't watch TV unless someone sits with her, won't do computer, games, or other independent activities. I think she just really is dependent on being around people...she has an aide in school, and does better when she is either out in the public (she has some community training with an aide, and I take her out quite often). I think that part of our problem is that we have such a segregated family...only 2 older sisters and mom and dad that interface with her. No cousins.

She is included in many things despite her disability, including 7th grade middle school, YMCA swim team, and girlscouts, but not without a lot of assistance. I struggle to find a way to help her be more independent. The poop issue is troubling because it is a sure way to get herself kicked out of inclusion.

I don't think that she understands sometimes the social rules that people have. I don't think she is purposely being "bad", but just is starting to learn to connect with people. She has pets too, and the worse thing she's done is stick the cats in her pants. She might be enjoying the reactions. could be!

bj