Today we’d like to share Ben’s story with you. Ben is a creative and loving boy, who has autism. We recently spoke with his parents about the challenges they’ve faced with Ben’s struggles with emotional regulation, sensory overstimulation and building connections with others. He began practicing mindfulness using the Stix remotes at the beginning of 2024 and has seen a huge improvement in his wellbeing. We'll discus how the remotes have left him better able to deal with the challenges he faces.
Understanding Autism
Being autistic doesn’t mean that your child has an illness or disease. It just means that their brain works in a different way from other people. They see the world, hear the world, taste the world in a completely different light to others. Like everyone, autistic children have some things they are good at and other things they struggle with. Autism is a spectrum and can be different for everyone, with some people needing little or no support and others needing help from a parent or carer every day.
Early signs: How did Ben’s parents first notice symptoms?
Ben’s parents began noticing that his ‘behaviours weren’t typical to the other children’ when Ben was three. Unlike other children his age, he preferred to play alone and had often didn’t respond to his name when called. They also noticed repetitive behaviours, such as lining up his toys in a particular order and choosing the same clothes to wear every day. When they ‘took him to new places, such as other children’s birthday parties he became distressed’. This continued whenever they introduced him to new environments. They also noticed that communicating with other children was an issue for Ben and teachers said he was often withdrawn from the class, sitting alone in the corner of the room.
These observations led to them seeking help with the NHS. Eventually Ben had an autism assessment with the NHS’ autism specialists and was diagnosed with autism at the age of four.
How does Stix support Ben’s family?
As he approached the start of his school years, his parents searched of ways to improve Ben’s mental wellbeing, social skills and help him find ways to control his emotions. They discovered the benefits of mindfulness for autistic children.
They came across Stix Mindfulness after Ben gained access to a set at school. His teachers suggested they try them at home, as they saw he was quickly adapting to them in the sensory room.
Managing meltdowns
Ben often finds situations like attending friend’s birthday parties or exploring a new area overwhelming, sometimes triggering meltdowns. Through Stix, Ben has learned to use breathing to calm himself. Now, his parents say that if they ‘see that he is getting worked up, we say breathe! He has now linked the Stix practice at home with when we tell him to breathe!’. Often this will distract Ben from the intense feelings of anger or anxiety when he is overwhelmed. Many meltdowns have been avoided as a result and at this moment they are much less frequent.
His sensory differences
Ben’s parents are aware that he struggles to process his senses as he often becomes overwhelmed when hearing the loud sound of a hoover or a plane flying overhead. The planes were a real trigger, as they lived under a flightpath in West London. These noises often caused him stress and anxiety, causing meltdowns and distressed behaviour. His parents introduced him to our activity, Senses, which helped to teach him about each of the 5 senses. Ben's Mum said "Noticing how sounds make him feel has helped him a lot when the noisy planes fly by!". He now often comments on the birds sounds in the garden and whilst he still struggles with sensory overload, he has become more resilient to these triggers by practicing.
His emotions
Ben’s parents told us that he is often overwhelmed by his emotions when faced with unexpected changes or challenges. For instance, ‘recently the t-shirt he was planning to wear was in the wash which led to worry, which then led to frustration and sadness’. They say that they believe he didn’t know how to process this worry, which then led to frustration.
Since using the Stix remotes, they say they have noticed a significant improvement in Ben’s ability to recognise emotions when they ask what emotion he is feeling at the time.
Creativity and calm in colour
Ben’s favourite activity is definitely the Rainbow Painting activity, which allows children to paint the colours onto a black and white rainbow. His parents said he really enjoyed the physical movement behind painting the rainbow into the sky and seeing the lights change colour - ‘he has always enjoyed looking at colours and seems calm doing it, especially colours like blue, green and yellow that are comforting and relaxing’. This activity also allows Ben to think about how the colours make him feel - which is a great way to teach him about his emotions.
What additional support is available?
Having an autistic child can be challenging. Here is some support you can access to create a balance with mindfulness practice.
Ben’s parents completed a course for parents of autistic children. The National Autistic Society offers these courses such as the EarlyBird course. This course teaches parents how to use structures to support their child in a range of settings and situations, to understand their child’s behaviour and help their child develop basic play and social skills.
Listen to other parents’ stories that can give you advice on how to handle certain situations- there are many blogs, videos and books online. They can be found on charity forums.
Ask your local council for a carer’s assessment that may allow you to get extra support and financial benefits.
Collaborate with other parents who have experienced similar situations with their own children.
Other charities like www.autism.org.uk, www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk and www.autismcentral.org.uk offer further support and information.
Photos have been changed for anonymity purposes.
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