Worried Lurker,,,,help!
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Worried Lurker,,,,help!
| Sun, 07-03-2005 - 1:05am |
I usually lurk around but when I read most of your posts on this site ,,,,I started to cry. My youngest 8 yr old. dd with I am in a visition battle over has been diagnosed with AP,,, and I also have a 10 yr old ds that I have told people that he is over sensitive and highly emotional. But I was unaware that it had a name or if I was alone or maybe my youngest was misdiagnosed. He has an amazing reading level for his age and is an organzation freak,,, everything has to have a place. For instance, if he watches a movie he rewinds it and puts it up then if he finds one not rewound when he chooses to watch it he flips. His temper seems to be almost out of hand. He is a good kid for me but in a large group or if has to many things told for him to do he snaps as if he doesnt process it all. I also agree ,,, he also complains if the tv, radio, or anything gets too loud he complains of head aches. What can I do ,,,, what triggers this and this is too much to handle with him. He was born with CMT Type 1-A,,, a mild form of muscular dystrophy. What else can he have to deal with now,,, I am scared for my son. I hope someone can help a confused mom,,,,thanks.

Welcome.
First, what is AP? I haven't heard of that before. Next, it is possible your kids could have AS. I don't know from the internet naturally, but it would be a good idea to get and evaluation and begin to get supports for them.
Your on the right path. You already know what triggers your son. What you need to do is help him recognize his triggers too and come up with some good strategies to help him in these situations. For instance, my son hates noisey environments too. One thing he will do if feeling stressed is bring his head phones with him. So in stores you will often see my large 9yo boy sitting in the cart listening to headphones. But it really helps him. Or he is holding my hand.
We also just work around it. We know that busy places are hard so typically we won't ask him to do more than 1 or 2 store trips in a day and we prepare for them. Have a list in hand, make it quick. We also try to go when it is less crowded.
If going to a fun place like legoland, zoo or a party, we plan the entire thing out. Get there when it isn't crowded. Plan only a couple hours and an escape plane. We get to parties early before loads of other guests so he has time to adjust before they arrive. It is a matter of being proactive and flexible as much as possible. We also have strategies for when meltdowns begin for both kids.
We plan fun things around what is fun for them and what they can do. Not what typical families do. We aren't a typical family. I have 3 on the spectrum out of 4 kids.
Most of the time this stuff works, and well, red wine is great on those days it doesn't.
Renee
Well, I can't say much not having observed your child in person. I am a psychologist (PHD), however, although I stay at home with my son these days and treat only him. I would encourage you to take your DS to a child psychiatrist for a diagnosis and get you on the right track for treatment. He does sound like he has ASD characteristics, but he also may have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). There are some great meds on the market now that you can use to treat OCD or OCD symptoms that occur in an ASD child. My son is on such meds now, and they have done wonders for his social interaction capabilities and obsessive behaviors.
There are also some good behavioral therapies out there for kids with ASD's. I would recommend you look into RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) because your child is older. The creator of this approach, Steve Gutstein, PHD, has a very good book called, Solving the Relationship Puzzle. He also wrote 2 activities books for children and adolescents on the spectrum. You can find these books on the following website, www.connectionscenter.com. The free online newsletter is also good to subscribe to. RDI consultation can be expensive, but you can also learn a lot from reading the books and checking out online resources. Several people on this board are using the approach and having some success. I know quite a few families, who are successfully moving their kids up the spectrum with RDI. We have used some of it in conjunction with floortime and other methods and have seen good results with our son.
Good luck.
Suzi