One of Bub’s therapists — as she should have — made a referral for behavioral therapy because of the bite marks, bruises, and wounds that he leaves on me as a result of meltdowns. A few days ago, during one such meltdown, he managed to score a direct hit on me headbutting me, and he did this so hard that I briefly lost consciousness. As a result, his initial behavioral therapy will be crisis management until things can be gotten under control, and then we are looking at therapy meant to help him better learn to cope with overwhelming feelings (or, in whatever communicative way works best for him, inform an adult that he can not do this so that the help he needs can be gotten for him), as well as to recognize when he is beginning to melt down so that he can take measures such as isolating himself when he does not want or can not safely have comfort.
I did the first part of the intake for the crisis management therapy yesterday over the phone, and I will finish what should be the last part of it today. Obviously I am completely amenable to all of this because I want Bub to be safe, and I want to be safe while providing him care. I am continuing to wait on his developmental pediatrician to increase the dose of the Risperdal that he is on, although that should happen in the coming days without complaint. The Risperdal has been helping out… he just needs a slightly stronger dose of it.