My son is targetting certain staff at his home

My son has begun to target certain staff at the residential home he lives in.

It might be useful to try and identify what it is about this person your son might not like. For example, does the staff member use perfume which your son does not like, or finds overwhelming? Is there something about the tone/pitch/strength of that staff member's voice he dislikes? The clothes they wear? Is that staff member always involved in an activity your son does not like, so he associates their face with that activity? If that is the case, is it possible to rotate the staff so it is not always the same person involved in that activity? How does the staff member respond to your son? If they are tense or anxious around your son because of his behaviour, a vicious cycle can be created. By going into a situation tense, the environment automatically becomes tense, which can lead to stress and upset. If your son targets that person to relieve his stress and anxiety, can they provide him with a cushion or punch bag on which to relieve his stress instead?

Obsessions and boundaries

Has your son perhaps developed an obsession with the staff member and doesn't like it when they work with other people? If so, can the home schedule some time in specifically for that staff member and your son, which can be shown on a timetable each day? Very strict boundaries need to be kept as to when this will happen and for how long. It may be useful to have a sand timer so that your son knows that the time is up when the sand runs out.

Distraction

If your son becomes aggressive every time he sees the staff member, other members of staff should try and redirect him to another activity or distract him in some way. For example, if they know the staff member will be passing his room at a certain time, could they distract him until the member of staff has gone past?

Personality clash?

Having checked out other possibilities for the behaviour, it is always worth considering whether or not there is simply a personality clash between your son and the staff member. We all meet people in life that we do not get on with, but we can choose not to be around these people. People with disabilities, especially in residential settings, do not always have this luxury and they cannot always choose who they will be around. If this may be the case, is it possible that this staff member could work with other people instead?