Moody???

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Registered: 03-27-2003
Moody???
2
Sat, 03-11-2006 - 7:04pm
My 6yo is dx bipolar, HFA and anxiety. I am wondering if the bipolar dx will stay with him. Are ASD kids "moody"? Do they cycle? My son has definite cycles and mood swings. The ASD dx is new--the past year we kind of said--yeh, but let's wait. This past Dec---we said---yeh---he has it. I've mainly always been on bipolar boards and not ASD boards. I really don't know much about ASD. So---do your kids "cycle"?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: hollym4k
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 1:42am

Yeah, in fact BP has been mentioned for Mike on more than one occasion but with further evaluation he really doesn't have it. His moods and cycles are more related to ASD and sensory problems than true BP.

For instance, one BIG influence on Mike's bad "cycles" is any kind of change. If I add a new activity or something in his schedule he will most definitely go through a tough phase. Same with school breaks. For quite some times Mike would do well on the school break and for a week or 2 after and then would go through a few tough weeks before settling in again.

Caits cycles are more seasonal. Since she was small she would do well through late spring and summer, and even pretty well throughout the fall. Once the end of October hit all the way through her birthday she would be like a completely different kid. Still is. Once the holidays and overstimulation hit, if you mix that with winter and all that sensory stuff, seh goes down hill until her birthday in may and then settles in until the next halloween.

I was also recently learning about the role of executive functions in ASD. Somehow the thought and such don't get from the back of the brain to the frontal cortex. Impulse control and such become that much harder. As a result moodiness and impulsivity can be part and parcel of ASD.

HTH

Renee

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Registered: 03-28-2003
In reply to: hollym4k
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 11:01am

de3ete




Edited 2/19/2008 9:25 pm ET by littleroses