Autism Medication

I don't know much about Autism,but I do have a child with special needs. I know how hard it can be to get doctors to listen to you. If you feel that your child needs to at least try meds and your doc wont I suggest either insisting or try a new doc. You know whats best for your child... :)

Hi

You may want to approach it with your DH by proposing it as a temporary tool to allow your family to regain control of the situation, giving you both time to figure out a more appropriate long term solution while avoiding a potential crisis. Sometimes its more difficult to work these things out while in the midst of the battle- your DH might understand that you just need some time to strategize with out your pre-teen in danger of harming himself or someone else.

I have a 13 year old with autism spectrum Disorder (PDDNOS)Mood disorder and Anxiety. WHen he was in second grade my son beat the living day lights out of me. How> some of you may say? well as you know now since youve been through it a couple of times,they get to a point of no control and the stregnth is like way beyond anything I ever thaught this little boy of mine could EVER have mustered. Not to mention the things that came out of his mouth too. The next day I took him back to his pshychiatrist and he was started on Risperidal. What a wonder drug it was for my son. Sure we had many ups and downs, but it was the first time he was put on medication for his behavioral issues. Fast foward to the present, His is still on meds( not the risperidal due to hi prolactin level... remember this for boys)He has tried alot of diff meds these past years and he is on 2 now. You will know what works for him. Its not a cure all by all means, but if it helps him get a handle on issues hes having a hard time mastering on his own then its all worth it.Im a single mom raising my son since he was 5. He was diagnosed at 5 with Asbergers but its changed to PDD since he has gotten worse as he grew oder. This past year was hard for my son even with medications he had to be hospitalised for severe outburts. I can only imagine what he would be like without them. You have a preeteen whos body is changing, hormones changing and thats rough on a normal typical child, add a disorder to the mix and you know what I mean. If his doctor is strongly suggesting it, then I would give it a try. Remember its only a try if it doesnt work out you can stop. But your pshychiatrist and you are the best advocates for your son right now.
Good luck

sounds like your DH is a little prejudice on the subject being the fact that they has many similar qualities/behaviors at that point in their life. not to sound nasty, but i say you're the one that carried this child through the pregnancy, gave birth, AND all the dr's seem to be agreeing with you so...screw the DH and in-laws for the moment, just do it! if YOU and the dr's (especially the child's dr) ALL agree that meds would work, GO FOR IT! i feel puttin ur kid on meds (that COULD help) over having to keep calling 911 when you feel things are completely out of control is MUCH better! after all, if the meds don't work, you just stop them. just make sure to keep a close eye on any progress or problems that happen while on the meds. I pray for things to work out for the better for you! GOOD LUCK!

F D,

My son is only three, and was only diagnosed 2 weeks ago, though we have known he has autism for some time. You are a long way further down this road than I am.

I am not pro-medication. I firmly believe that autism is not caused by a child's deficiency in ritalin or Adderall. There are any number of treatments, from behavioral interventions to therapy to vitamins to dietary alterations that can make huge improvements in an autistic child's behaviors and capabilities.

HOWEVER, there are extremes where medication is necessary. If your child suffers from such severe anxiety that they cannot focus in a classroom, or if the social isolation of autism causes such extreme depression that it affects a child's ability to function, then medication is called for. It sounds like your son has a problem with anger management and self-regulation. If you have tried all of the other means of helping him to control his behavior, and his team of doctors and therapists recommend medication, then it is worth trying.

I cringe at the thought of drugging a child. I think it is overdone in general, and reached for as a solution too early. BUT, that doesn't mean it doesn't have its place. You can't have a child that large who is violent. A 13 year old boy is more than capable of causing severe physical damage. What happens if the next time it's not you he hits? You can't have him provoked at school into this behavior, they'll arrest him. You have to make sure your other children aren't at risk of being hurt.

This is such a hard call for a parent to make, but it is not reversible. Try a medication recommended by his doctor for a little while. If it doesn't help, or there are side effects that are a problem, you can always take him off.

Best of luck making this decision, and coming to an agreement with your husband. It's one of the hardest ones we have to make.

J.

Giving medication is a hard decision...one I hope I never have to make. My DH also feels that he doesn't want out son on meds. I think that be pre-teen is also experiencing lots of biological changes. If you are not really sure about doing meds...there are LOTS of suppliments/vitamins you try. The thing you won't know until you try. Maybe you can tell your DH...that you respect how he feels but YOU would like him to do the same for you. Maybe you can agree on a period of say 6 months of meds...then you can reevaluate. What about your son...does he want to try the meds? MAybe he too is tried of being out of control. This is a hard call. I think you might get your DH to try the suppliemnts first...I hope that helps. Ultimately...you ALL want what's best for your son. Know that you are NOT alone! {{HUGS}} to you.