Boxes?

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My son is 8 and has high functioning autism. For the past 2 monthes he has been having really bad meltdowns, and I'm very worried about him. He wants a box - he knows exactly what it should be like: 1x1x1 m2, with a hinged lid and air holes, so small he will just fit into it. I thought if it helps him, he should have one, but is it too aparte? Do any of you guys like sitting in boxes?

I know that a lot of kids like playing with boxes. Why does he want one exactly?

Thats a natural thing to do is to hide when your upset. There maybe little advantages to confronting problems for a person with social cognitive problems
when their upset. Best to calm down and relax and then face the problems.

Other ideas are a tree house or club house. That would not seem as strange to the
outside world.

He wants it for comfort, when he is having one of his really bad meltdowns. I suggested a cubby under his bed, but he wanted a smaller box to sit in.

You know what may help and still seem a little more "socially acceptable?" A bed tent. I loved mine, even when I was "too old" for one (I don't think I took it off until I was 12).

http://www.tinkertots.com/bedtents.html

I mean the kind farther down on the page, the kind that enclose the whole bed, not the first few on the page.

I cover my entire body with a blanket to form a hiding place all the time.

Play tents are a little bit smaller. Target has tons of them.

http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/re ... =16&page=1

This particular one is neat because you can decorate it yourself. It also roughly meets his size requirements...

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/re ... B0007Z5NGO

I can understand that he'd want to hide in it when he is upset, so I would stay away from the more open ones. That's just my opinion, though.

The tents are really sweet, and I'd go for them (anyday)- As I said, I suggested a cosy cubby, but he seems to be wanting the "squashed" feeling. (Lock on the inside or lock on the outside?! ).
I can't work out what is setting him off, and why he needs a box - you say a retreat to have time to calm down? Why is a blanket comforting?

Hmmm.... I'm sitting here wrapped in a blanket, and now you've got me thinking about why it's comforting.
I don't know. I like the warmth and pressure. I guess for me it's the equivalent of a hug but with complete control on my part.

katrine,

I have no reference as to how old I was. That IS odd, as I usually do. I DO know that I LOVED them at one time. THOSE were boxes that were probably 3-4 times the size I was though. And I guess that tells you I was pretty yound at the time.

It apparantly IS common! I have even seen commercials showing kids in boxes. It is almost like cats in those fancy scratch posts, etc.... I can't tell you WHY, but I know I liked it.

HECK, I and a few friends even once made an underground shelter, as kind of a clubhouse! I guess I was about 6 or 8 at the time. It lasted FINE until this REALLY big girl got angry at us and jumped on the roof a dozen times or so. I put thick plywood on top of a corner beam, so it held a LOT of wieght.

Steve

Lots of kids, not just ASpies, need a comfy place to retreat from the world. Get him a one of those tents, and he'll love it. Wish they had those when I was a kid ....

When I was very young, I would climb up into the top press of my wardrobe to what I associated with being quiet and relaxing. I would sit there for hours, until my parents would call me for dinner. I had a tent which was great, but you need something comfortable to sit on. I also liked to get under my mattress to feel pressure, it was relaxing. I know have a separate part of my room with a bean bag for meditating and chilling out, when I feel stressed.

He may need the box for pressure reasons and not just to hide. Has he seen anyone about sensory issues.

I'd prefer to give him a hug!
Funny about the matress thing - he pulls his matress off the bed at night a sleeps on the floor with it on top of him.
He also squashes into a cupboard. Once he actually sat on top of a tool box and needed stiches .
What kind of sensory issues - who should I see, what can I do at home to help him?

I have had a few hiding boxes. I also formed big tents using sheets and a heater vent.