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This is another issue...Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)...co-existing with autism.
He is compelled to do this and his internal drive to do this will supersede requests from you, other teachers, annoyance of the students, tape, or any other "tricks" that you will try. If you watch him carefully, you will probably notice some other OCD traits (lining up his pencils in size order, stepping on every other tile in the building, touching all of the door knobs on the way to the bathroom, or whatever).
You will need to provide him with a "replacement behavior" through the FBA/BIP route.
For the FBA/BIP access all 3 sections for help:
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2croo...
http://cecp.air.org/fba/problembehavior2...
http://cecp.air.org/fba/problembehavior3...
Document everything (what you have tried and what you have observed)! You can NOT "guide" parents to consider medication until you have exhausted all possibilities.
For the autistic & OCD students that I have had, the majority have been greatly assisted by using SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) medication such as Prozac, Paxil, Lurox, Zoloft, Celexa in combination with continued behavioral support.
Lastly, OCD behaviors are greatly exacerbated when students feel anxious or overwhelmed. Be sure that you are providing this student with plenty of reminders and advance warnings of what will be happening throughout the day. Keep everything as consistent as possible. The one thing that he has as a constant is his ability to practice his ritual...this is safe and "known."
You can probably request that the maintenance dept. replace the switches with keyed switches. They do have them made for lights.They probably have them in the hallways in your school so that other students can't turn them off.
Depending on what the school will let you do, you can change the light switch itself or provide an alternate means of him to do this ritual.
To reproduce this stimulus you may want to get a lamp, set it on a table near his workstation. Then show him how to turn it on and off. However I'm assuming a problem with this will be the light wont change in his vicinity enough (it wont become dark then light again), from here maybe an umbrella above his area may keep enough light from the other sources out.
If there are multiple switches for the same light in the room, you may be able to make that switch not work, however this may upset your student.
I had to get a cover for our heat pump controls because my son liked to take the front off and destroy it. The electrician had a locking cover with a key and it worked great. You may have seen them in some businesses where the boss doesn't want the employees to move the temperature control. You could install one of these over the light switch. It will have a key so it will be a little irritating but he will not be able to get to the switch. Check with an electrician or a heating and air conditioning person.
Possible. Please check the sites of light professionals like Osram, Philips, Bosch, Bosch & Laumb, Sony etc. If you don't find any suitable lights in any of these sites, please try to use a light sensor switch which can be installed in a secret place. That will switch on the lights when ever it is dark, also you can adjust the sensor in order to enable the switch to decide when it should switch on or switch off. Next alternative is just disconnect the current panel and keep just one light attached to it where that light is not necessary that much. Then all the other controls has to move some where up or in a hidden place. Or just send the kid to his type of class. Pls try.
I did a simple Yahoo! search for "remote control light switches".
Before anything, however, you might want to conduct a functional behavior assessment. This doesn't mean a 20 page essay, but simply find out possibilities as to why he could be doing it.
1. Take notes/data. You never know. It could only be 3 times a day, but because it's so distracting, it feels like 7 or 8. It could be 10 times on Monday, and gradually reduces to 4 on Friday, or vice versa.
2. Look for possible causes. We might assume it's for attention or stimulation. But maybe they do it at home! Maybe there's a toy that does something similar. Don't assume the obvious.
3. Before you try to reduce this behavior to zero, look for alternatives to fade this distracting behavior.
--You could bring the puzzle piece close to the light switch.
--You could have a simple desk lamp next to the door and he would switch that off instead.
I took a look online too - nothing, based on my choice of search terms.
I'm wondering if you could use one of those "boxy" outlet covers but find a way to rig up some kind of string or yarn so that it would loop around the switch and could then be left hanging out from behind the outlet cover (and maybe tucked up on top of it) for pulling the switch up and down. (I have no idea if this would work with this child. Its a thought.)
Or, what about just fastening up the outlet cover with the lights on, and telling the school authorities the light has to stay on because of this child?
I don't know whether a light switch extender (generally used so little kids or people in wheelchairs can use the light switch) could be used upside down, or whether anyone who sells them (and if you search you'll find lots of distributors) may sell something else you could use with it.
What about something like asking the school to install a dimmer switch or install a new light switch higher up? What about asking the school to cut the power to the room while he's there?
Any chance you could ask to have his mother come in and work with him on stopping the behavior?
Is there any chance it would bother him if you did something like put a glob of sticky tape or some other unpleasant feeling thing on the switch, so when he used it his hand would get "yukky"? (You could switch the light with a tissue or a baggie on your hand and remove whatever you put on the switch at the end of the day.)
Try letting him be the one to turn the lights on and off for the day. Any other times that he tries to do that, a timeout would be given and a reminder that he must wait till the class ends before switching off the lights again.
I would suggest having the behavior specialist work with you on this one.Putting a lock on the switch, without a plan, will only cause more problems.This ritual serves some purpose for the child and needs to be dealt with carefully.If he just shows up one day,and the switch has a lock on it,watch out!
Perhaps giving him his own light switch might help. Either mounted on the way beside the "real" one or on a piece of padded wood that he can have at his desk. His could activate a light that is enclosed in his switch holder.
Maybe by substituting an acceptable activity it might help.
I know - much easier said than done.
Good luck.
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