HELP -- personality/behavior change after starting EI services

DS's EI services started a couple of weeks ago and ever since he has been like a different child completely. The first couple of sessions he went along with it and had fun...now it is a nightmare. He so far has 2 speech and 2 spec. inst. a week and will be starting 1 OT next week. The past few times the therapist have come he gets extremely angry, cries, throws tantrums, throws his toys, takes the toys from the therapist and throws their toys, he gets so worked up he gets bright red and shakes and sometimes this can go on for the full 45 min. session. He has done this with both therapist so far.

In addition, he started doing this even when the therapist aren't there. He isn't sleeping the same...he is waking up during the night, waking up at 5:30-6:00 in the morning instead of his usual 7:30. He just is NOT the same child. He is generally so calm, laid back and happy. Of course had a tantrum here and there but NOTHING like this. It is upsetting DH and my parents who watch him as well b/c they have seen the change.

I am at a loss. I dont know what to do and it is so upsetting. He HATES it. He does not want these people coming into his house telling what to do, what toys to play with, how to play with them, etc.

If everyone has ever seen posts of mine in the past I always said what a non-aggressive child DS is and how I wish he was more aggressive...this is not like him at all. It has only been a few weeks so I am hoping it is just him adjusting but I feel like I am torturing him by making him do something he doesnt want to do...it's not like he's 8 and understands. He's 2. He doesnt understand why these people are coming in, KWIM?

Did anyone else have this problem? Any advice?

Re: HELP -- personality/behavior change after starting EI services

we have one speech a week and it knocks josh out.

last week I made the mistake of meeting friends at the pool after his session. he was moody, tired, clingy...so not himself.

Re: HELP -- personality/behavior change after starting EI services

It could be he just hates the demands being placed on him. These kids are smart, they know they are being asked to do things, they would rather not do, feel are hard to do or just not into.

I would give it some more time, I bet it will lessen.

Re: HELP -- personality/behavior change after starting EI services

BUMP...anyone have this issue?

Re: HELP -- personality/behavior change after starting EI services

Jack had this issue for the first few months. It was only when the therapist was here though.

A few things that worked for us recently - taking him out of the highchair for his sessions and putting him at his little table. When they are there - where do they work with him?

Also - I was running errands before she got here - somedays we would come back and she would be walking in with us, I don't think that gave him enough transition time. I stopped running errands and that also made a huge difference.

These are two things that seem really silly, and it honestly took me months to figure out how to make it work. The last month was really the most receptive he's been to the therapist.

You need to give it time though, eventually he will adjust. No kids like being told what to do.

They want to do what they want, when they want. The sooner that he learns he has to work for things, the easier it will be. Also, be sure to keep up with the things they teach him. I found that if I didn't make him say "Give me" and "More" - he wouldn't do it for her.

Oh - and one other thing - his sessions got better when I left the room. Not sure why - I think I was a distraction and he kept looking for me to bail him out.

OOH - one more thing - in the very beginning we let him roam free - that was a nightmare - then we moved him to the highchair and it was better.

Re: HELP -- personality/behavior change after starting EI services

It took a good couple of months for DS to adapt to all his therapies AND therapists.

He still whines when he does not want to work. But he can work though it. He just tries to see their limit. He does not want to be challenged sometimes.

It's normal! Just monitor him and see how it goes.

Re: HELP -- personality/behavior change after starting EI services

josh thinks therapy is fun play time. he loves his therapists and working with them. they are fun and upbeat and praise him all the time so he does great.
he loves the attention too.

for some kids it takes time.

i used to teach spec. ed. pre-k and had 2-5 year olds who had total melt downs when we asked them o do anything in the beginning of the year. after a while, they got used to us, the routine, what we wanted, etc. and they were happy and worked well.

try to keep things happy and fun, if your therapists have to do stuff he wants t do for a few sessions so that he likes them more then do that.

it'll get better. he's also 2 and they change a lot with their temperment too.