5 Responses

1. Mermaid

   February 20th, 2010 at 8:23 am

   1

   Does your son speak at all or is it limited? As weird as it sounds just ask him calmly why he likes to sleep on the mattress, don’t mention the sheet. Some times the answer might surprise you. Does the mattress have a pattern or print on it? He may really enjoy the prints. Is it a silky feeling mattress? If so he may like a silky sheet.

   Does he have a favorite character, animal, color, item like cars? If so I would purchase one with something he likes. Lay it out on the floor and sit down on it. Depending on the age, if he likes a movie or t.v. show sit with him on it and watch it. Let him get use to feeling it. Then introduce it into his bedroom slowly…like just setting next to his bed and see how he reacts. Slowly introduce it to the bed by just laying it at the foot of it. Then eventually work to getting it on the bed.

   I would take it slow, my son has a favorite blanket that he must have when he goes to bed. Once he left it at his preschool, and sadly it was a Friday..lets just say the weekend was very eventful. So we worked on getting used to having other blankets in the bed also.

   As for the allergies in the meanwhile I would vacuum his mattress out every other day, and spray Febreeze. They make a allergy one I think its orange color bottle. Hopefully this was of some help, and good luck!

2. dlrowsihtniemtsuj

   February 20th, 2010 at 8:23 am

   2

   have you talked to his school about this..especailly the behaviorist and OT

   have you tried a reward system for him staying on the bed with the sheet on (you will have to stay with him at first)..this would be an ABA technique..

   how about putting a throw rug on top..maybe he would like that sensory experience–it would be easier to clean than a mattress

3. Luck of the Irish

   February 20th, 2010 at 8:23 am

   3

   Try a blow up mattress. Like the ones campers use.

4. Beth

   February 20th, 2010 at 8:23 am

   4

   Offer a tight fitting sleeping bag for your child to sleep in. The sleeping bag can be washed in hot water to limit dust mite concerns and the mummy style sleeping bag may calm him while limiting contact with the mattress.

5. Lisa

   February 20th, 2010 at 8:23 am

   5

   If he doesn’t like fitted sheets, that’s fine – just use 2 flat sheets. If you’re concerned about the dust mites, there’s special cotton fabric sheets that can be ordered. Or you could use a quilt for the fitted sheet and just the regular flat sheet over him. Sometimes autistic kids don’t make sense but this seems like an easy enough solution I think.