Need tantrum advice.

Oy - these are getting worse and worse.

DS has always been a 'tantrumer' - but recently there are strange things that trigger them. It's impossible to divert him out of it once it's starting. The can last upwards of an hour sometimes and we're usually both sobbing at one point or another.

DS has an OBSESSION with electronic devices. Namely cell phones. Anywhere we go, if he sees someone on a phone, he goes into a panic shreaking "wa, wa, fo-wen" (Want the phone). It's impossible to avoid cell phones as they are a part of everyone's daily lives, but it's at the point where I can't ever accept a phone call in his presence. I can't even have my phone ring because he immediately wants it and will go into a panic if I get on the phone in front of him. I have tried putting it on vibrate in my pocket but if I answer a call around him, he goes crazy.

Does anyone have a shred of hope in this matter? Am I going to have to just modify every daily activity around what he might see when we're out? Being strict with the phones hasn't helped. He just gets more upset if I don't eventually give in and give him my phone.

UGH - sorry for the long post. Thanks if you've made it this far.

Re: Need tantrum advice.

phones were my arch nemesis for many many months. Not just cell phones, land lines as well. Cordless phones too. Anytime he saw one in public he would throw a fit if he couldn't have it.

Then we went through a phase with microwaves because he became fixated on the timer.

But the phones were by far longer lasting.

Hmmm, as far as what we did. It seemed like nothing helped. Eventually he sort of moved on. One thing that helped was giving him his own phone....charge up an old phone and let him play with it and it be his.

Once he starts EI make sure they know about this and have them work with him on it. What one of his therapists did was have his session right hear a phone...and everytime he went to go for it she would redirect, reinforce that it would be ok for him to not touch the phone and generally try and diffuse the obsession.

Hang in there...you'll one day be able to use your phone again

Re: Need tantrum advice.

Do you have an old cell phone without battery that you can give him?

He needs to feel like he has some kind of control. You just need to redirect his needs in appropriate ways.

You could say "no, those phones are not ours, but here you can have that phone. It's your own cell phone". And make it a big deal like thats' HIS phone.

Re: Need tantrum advice.

Message edited 1/11/2011 8:58:07 AM.

Re: Need tantrum advice.

AJ went through this also at about 2 years old and what we did was got him an iTouch. his own, so he had it whenever he needed it.

at a little over 3 he doesnt depend on it as much but we still carry it with us at all times when he is with us.

we put a lot of ABA/flashcard/learning games on it, so when he saw a phone he would ask for AJs Phone, and he would play the games