tiredofdoingthis3
New Member
Hi everyone,
I have been lurking and now ready to ask my question. We have a 16 year old son (diagnosis with atypical high functioning autism and I think oppositional disorder). He is a twin and a younger brother. Both of which want nothing to do with him. We have problems since he was three with temper tantums. Some that would last for hours. We didn't get a proper diagnosis until he was 11 years. So a lot of time was lost with doctors telling us he was depressed or bipolar and he wasn't in control of himself. Anyway, speed forward to today. One big thing is that he has NO interests other than his "friends" and money. He doesn't care about anything - school, cell phone, xbox - just his friends. He gets $10 at the end of the week if he completes his homework and gets to school on time. $2 a day. But the big thing is that he won't do pretty much anything we ask. No cleaning room, no showering. We aren't asking him to clean the whole house or anything big. Just regular things that we all have to do. And when you speak to him about anything (How was your day?) He yells at you and won't carry on any type of civilized conversation. Everything is a fight. If we try and use his friends as a "reward" for better behavior he just walks out of the house to them. We have called the police several times - makes NO impact on him at all. He took himself off all medications and wont even take vitamins now. My husband's psychiatric said we just have to wait it out until he is 18 and then tell him get a job, shape up or you're suitcase is on the front porch. I am not sure we will make it until then. We are so sad and angry about the way things have turned out. Also, we have been psychiatric for YEARS and have read tons of books. Every morning I wake up and say today will be better and it never is. Any ideas on how to just make it livable?
I have been lurking and now ready to ask my question. We have a 16 year old son (diagnosis with atypical high functioning autism and I think oppositional disorder). He is a twin and a younger brother. Both of which want nothing to do with him. We have problems since he was three with temper tantums. Some that would last for hours. We didn't get a proper diagnosis until he was 11 years. So a lot of time was lost with doctors telling us he was depressed or bipolar and he wasn't in control of himself. Anyway, speed forward to today. One big thing is that he has NO interests other than his "friends" and money. He doesn't care about anything - school, cell phone, xbox - just his friends. He gets $10 at the end of the week if he completes his homework and gets to school on time. $2 a day. But the big thing is that he won't do pretty much anything we ask. No cleaning room, no showering. We aren't asking him to clean the whole house or anything big. Just regular things that we all have to do. And when you speak to him about anything (How was your day?) He yells at you and won't carry on any type of civilized conversation. Everything is a fight. If we try and use his friends as a "reward" for better behavior he just walks out of the house to them. We have called the police several times - makes NO impact on him at all. He took himself off all medications and wont even take vitamins now. My husband's psychiatric said we just have to wait it out until he is 18 and then tell him get a job, shape up or you're suitcase is on the front porch. I am not sure we will make it until then. We are so sad and angry about the way things have turned out. Also, we have been psychiatric for YEARS and have read tons of books. Every morning I wake up and say today will be better and it never is. Any ideas on how to just make it livable?