OoC thread

[DM Vitkyng]

I have 30 trainees who are taking calls for the first time today it's a 50/50 toss up I could trade you a screaming 2 year old for a 40 year old having a tantrum?

[Selina Parcellus]

A 40-year-old I can handle. I can't handle a toddler with speech/language issues shrieking at the top of his lungs every time he wants to convey a message.

[GM Marvel]

I think I might have you both beat.   I have an Autistic client who's about 40 years old that SCREAMS, "HEY!" "HEY!" "HEY!" at the top of his lungs, with an occasional, "STOP IT!" or "HUNGRY?!" or something else he's parroting from some point in his life.  He was given Lorazepam and Loxapine to help him relax and they might as well have been tic-taks.  Asking him to stop might give you a brief 10 seconds to 2 minute reprieve before he begins screaming again but he might just ignore you and keep yelling.  He's also fond of blowing raspberries as loud and as hard as he can, to the point that sometimes his lips have begun to bleed from being so badly chapped.  He also wears padded mitts to keep him from constantly poking himself in the left eye and hooking his right cheek with a finger and yanking on it until the skin thins and the right side of his face begins to sag.

Good times...

[Selina Parcellus]

Welp. You win. I've worked with Adolescents with Autism, but never a full-grown. I'm still not going to change that near-constant screaming is utter agony for me.

[GM Marvel]

I can feel your frustration.  There's a lot more to it than just the screaming.  With strangers you can usually tell them to F-off. But with family - especially family who depend on you It's a totally different ball game.  So while my 10 hour shift might be an utter nightmare, at least I get to go home at the end of the shift.  So I hope that as he matures he will learn a better way to communicate so you can find some peace!

[Selina Parcellus]

I can tell that he wants something...but the big question on everyone's lips is "WHAT??? WHAT??? WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANT???"

[Olaf Svenson]

whhat type of tools or strateies do you employ to assist them to comminicate better?

[Selina Parcellus]

Well he's very behind in speech and language. A big part of that is COVID preventing us from allowing him to interact with other kids his age. We both know he wants something, but when it's a mindless shriek, it's kind of hard to stay centered and calm. We have to keep working on vocab, but he should really be at the stage where he makes short, two-word sentences.

[DM Vitkyng]

My grandson is similar. He turns 3 in a few weeks and just isn't there yet. His older brother was the same, he is likely autistic but they keep refusing to test him (not his parents, the pediatricians)

[Selina Parcellus]

Took him to his ped yesterday.  First thing they had me fill out was an Autism checkup.  I'm fairly certain he's a "typical" 2-year-old, at least in that sense.  Does he need work on speech?  Absolutely.  But he's very smart and very friendly and loves interacting with people.