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I’m not ready to give him drugs

As most of you know, Alec has asperger’s. He had another appointment this week with the Dr. and she thinks there is also underlying ADD. He had a TOVA ADD test last year, both auditory and visual that he did not score as ADD. But the person who did the test and now the psychologist say that it is because Alec’s IQ is high, it has skewed the results of the test. I know it’s fairly typical for items like ADD and Asperger’s to go hand in hand. And certainly from the time Alec was a baby, EVERYONE said, oh my god, that kid has got to have ADHD. He never stopped, was always on the go, always fidgeting and his brain and body never stopping. She has suggested medication for his ADD. That helping to control his impulsiveness will reduce some of the Asperger behaviours. That’s where I cringed. I’m not ready to take that step yet. Alec is doing great in school. Yes, he’s slower to finish things, but he does complete them eventually. Yes, he is distracted at times and he does have quite a bit of problems with impulsiveness. But I want to work on the Asperger items with the occupational therapy and see where that takes us before I think about medicating. The Dr. asked me if Alec had diabetes, would I hesitate to give him insulin. I said no. And put in that context, it does give me cause to think carefully. But I’m not there yet. I know it’s helped a lot of kids and I’ve also read the horror stories too. I think there’s truth on both sides. But Alec isn’t failing at school. He’s not struggling on all levels. So I’m not going to be medicating him at this point.

I’d appreciate any input from those who have had to make this decision, on both sides.

Posted by By: lisa | 2006/10/27 | Life - kids - asperger's syndrome | Trackback | Comments [RSS 2.0]

8 Responses to I’m not ready to give him drugs »»


Comments

  1. Harold Doherty
    Comment by Harold Doherty | 2006/10/27 at 19:48:52

    Hi Lisa,

    This is a tough call for any parent of a child with Autism/Asperger’s. If you don’t mind I will try and direct some people to this site for comment?

    Harold Doherty

  2. lilabarry
    Comment by lilabarry | 2006/10/27 at 20:45:37

    Hi Lisa,

    I understand where your coming from. I too have a son with asperger. As I read your story, I was reflecting this was my own story 3 years ago. E-mail me privately and I would be happy to share my experience.

    Lila Barry

  3. Barbara J Gill
    Comment by Barbara J Gill | 2006/10/28 at 06:17:19

    I did put my son on Ritalin for ADHD when he was fourteen. With a RN background I did this with a lot of thought. He was also on a short term use of antidepressant. It was a very very difficult time for him - the depression was a result of his impulsivity … repeated offenses at school and final expulsion. The school system like every system today is taxed. It also had an impact on me personally. Divorces, I could barely cope and ended up having to take a year off work. So we both stayed home and my son had home schooling. It was tough financially.

    My son took himself off the Ritalin as he said it made him feel “not like who he really is”. To help himself calm down he used marijuana at the time (he later told me - I didn’t know and I am not recommending it as it can damage the lungs and unregulated marijuana is a crap shoot). He is now 25 and a non drug user, very creative and succeeding quite well - capitalizing on his creativity.

    This is a tough call Lisa. Very. My son was having difficulties socializing, then wrong crowd and I mean WAY wrong. Be mindful of the social aspect as much as school work etc. Socialization has a lot to do with childhood development and self esteem. And without self esteem and feeling that “fit” with peers … life can be so tough for a child. I saw it with my son. My own busy schedule and lack of routine did not really help him - when I look back. I think routine is very important. My son tells me that himself, now.

    We do our best. Love you lots. I put faith in healers if I have a good relationship /feel for them. Barbara

  4. Lisa R
    Comment by Lisa R | 2006/10/28 at 10:41:34

    Thank you for sharing your experience Barb. I think you showed well how each situation is unique and needs to be evaluated for each child. And you did what worked for your family and that’s what we all need to do:) So far, Alec is improving every year socially. Every year he has more friendships with good kids, experiences less teasing and bullying at school. Yes, it’s still at a level that it shouldn’t be, but it improves every year. And his impulsivity, at least at this point, is not getting him in trouble at school. All the teachers say he is a great kid, that he’s funny and a joy to talk with. And he is, he’s bright, articulate and enjoys being part of the group and helping. Where he struggles, is with social pragmatics (conversation and interaction). He’s come a long way over the last several years as we’ve worked very hard. He has trouble with determining body space, certain tastes, touch and sound bother him. And he often perseverates (never lets go of something in his head). And like your son, Alec also does better with routines.

    I guess that’s why I’m not ready for medication is because I see improvement every year. He’s not at a crossroads where he could fall into the rabbit hole without the medication. I’m going to continue to keep an open mind about it, but I just don’t think he needs it yet.

  5. Katrina
    Comment by Katrina | 2006/10/28 at 11:58:09

    Hey Lisa–sorry for the tough time. Remember that SPD (sensory processing disorder) can ‘look’ like ADD as well. Many kids with SPD are misdiagnosed as having ADD. It is my understanding that kids with ADD are like that ALL of the time. Kids with SPD are like that in different situations. In school with the noise, touch and smell distractions. But when at home can be calm. Have you started any sensory diet activities yet? It would be interesting to see if there was a difference.
    Also, as Barbara mentioned, routine is so important.

    Katrina

  6. Barbara J Gill
    Comment by Barbara J Gill | 2006/10/28 at 16:43:19

    I just heard from my son - I refer to him as Younger Son in my book. He had an old truck done over and painted it a cherry red. He is so proud of that vehicle.

    Never despair. “Younger Son” told me that the thing that got him through it all - and believe me it was a LOT - is the fact he knew his parents loved him.

    xo Barbara

  7. Tedebearnb
    Comment by Tedebearnb | 2006/10/31 at 14:47:25

    Lisa, I think the Dr used an inappropriate analogy regarding the insulin/diabetes. Diabetes gone untreated can cause severe physical problems and potentially death. That is not the situation with Alec. I am not saying you should or shouldnt give him drugs, just that you should not take the Drs analogy too much to heart.
    Some wonderfull comments from the others.

  8. mike
    Comment by mike | 2006/11/05 at 23:33:56

    I would never consider using drugs for Aspergers. Ever see the article in “The Onion” where the headline reads “Future Picasso cured by Ritalin”. Social ‘disorders’ are recently being showcased by way too many psychology and sociology graduates and the drug lobby and overworked, but sometimes just lazy and ignorant teachers. The most important question should be: “how happy are you?” I would say most kids feel isolated at many stages, and I can tell you from experience that socializing is as much pure chance as anything else. At times I was a loner, sometimes that made me act out in seemingly ‘peculiar’ ways. Usually it was simply an interest that I simply couldn’t describe, just as Immanuel Kant couldn’t explain why he took a walk every night at exactly the same time. He turned out to be one of the greatest geniuses but a look at many of his behaviours closely would have him on drugs.

    As a biochemist I can tell you that Ritalin does FAR more damage than pot does on the lungs. Not to get into too dangerous territory but lung damage comes primarily from tars and additives. The reality is that marijuana is a far more effective medication, however, it is illegal so is not recommended. There are also various exercises and foods which will encourage the brain to release endorphins and related chemicals (marijuana and other drugs effect chemicals that are already in the brain, most people don’t realize that). Different muscle groups can simulate drug effects, in fact any change in the bodys environment will provoke chemical changes, the trick is to experiment on the exercises, etc., that work for the individual. For example the repetition of a musical tone can provoke a psycho somatic response in some people, and visual stimuli can do the same in others. The point here is to provide as various an amount of stimuli to a child as possible-believe me, they’ll let you know when you’ve hit on one. Go take a look at Charles website to see proof of this, he can’t sit still in a courtroom, but when it comes to photography, he can’t be stopped.

    It’s our sad little world that is increasingly ‘boxed in’ and refused to tolerate individuality. If a child is ‘dangerous’ to animals, or people, or themselves, that’s one thing, but think VERY carefully before turning to pharmaceuticals. You’ve pretty much lost the ‘drug war’ because children aren’t stupid, they aren’t going to see any difference in drugs just because governments distinguish.


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