My son was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) autism a little over a year ago. The nerologist gave us some risperdone and some papers and sent us out the door. Just a month ago they started him on a blood pressure medicine to help him sleep. Well now he aggressing backwards. We tried to get him into the other neurologist but they don't take our insurance. There is only one devel. pediatrician and it takes a year and a half to get in. What I am having problems with is, is that they have never taken any blood work. So how do they know if anything is working? If I demand blood work what should I be looking for? He is getting very aggressive to where he is hurting himself and eloping again. He was doing great and then all of sudden everything went backwards. I am really frustrated right now because I feel like I can't help my son. He has so much he wants to get out and he can't because he is angry all the time. Any suggestion would be very much appreciated!!!!
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- Thread starter steph3306
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BusynMember
Well-Known Member
There is no blood tests for Risperdal or the blood pressure medications. What I"m wondering is why they didn't tell you to get him into Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) interventions. medications can sometimes take the edge off, but Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)/autistic kids NEED early intervention. Does he get any services? I am guessing your son is very frustrated and can't express himself. I would call Early Intervention and get him in.
He has been in an early intervention preschool for two years now. He is smart enough they are sending him to KIND. next year. He is just lacking in verbal communication. He is just so angry all the time. He yells and screams all the time, he hits, bites, pinches, bites things that make him mad(toys etc..) today he tried to pick up a table at school and throw it. He runs off from us. He is just very defiant and angry. A few months back though he was doing pretty good and then all of a sudden he just started acting out again. I think he has anxiety issues. If they don't have blood work for the medicines then how do they know they are working? Thank you for responding so quickly I feel like I am going crazy.
Yes I called last week with no response and I have called again today with no response. This is why I am getting irritated. What do you think all the aggression could be about? He was hitting his head so hard it was knocking him into a daze but that has lessened thank goodness.
Welcome. My difficult child was diagnosis'd originally with-bipolar and ADHD and none of the medications worked for him. He was trialed on Risperdal and the blood pressure medication clonodine and a host of others I won't even list - even ones he needed blood work done to monitor. Recently though we had him reevaluated by 2 other psychiatrists and he was diagnosis'd with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) Aspergers (which is what we thought). A lot of the behaviors you describe match my difficult child's. One thing has been the anxiety issue too. He is currently on Seroquel to help with mood, but the one thing we started 6 weeks ago was 10mg of Prozac. What a difference it has made. We have been able to enjoy our child for the first time in about 4 years. He also has in home therapy 2x a week and attends a therapeutic school as mainstream couldn't provide the supports. The difference with the little bit of Prozac has made a HUGE difference. Not saying this is the answer for your child, just another medication road we traveled that we have found measurable success on. Good luck to you.
SRL
Active Member
If he's regressing and the doctor increased the dosage then you will want to monitor him very closely. medication reactions can begin immediately with the start of a medication or they can come on gradually so the medications could be causing more problems. You should know pretty quickly if the doctor increased the dose. I'd suggest keeping a log so you have something concrete to show the doctor.
Unfortunately there's some trial and error involved in prescribing medications. Sometimes the doctor lands on the right medication or combo pretty quickly and sometimes it takes a while to get it right.
Unfortunately there's some trial and error involved in prescribing medications. Sometimes the doctor lands on the right medication or combo pretty quickly and sometimes it takes a while to get it right.
knock on wood, but he seems to be doing better. No head banging anyways. He still is a little defiant. He seems to be talking alot more. I heard that sometimes an autistic child can regress when they are getting ready to gain a skill. Any truth to this? He is only four but he is exceptionaly smart. They are going to send him to Kind. next year because the teachers say he can't learn anymore in preschool. Most of his problems are his behavior which we think has a lot to do with his lack of verbal skills. It just seems like in the last week though he is talking a lot more. The teachers think he maybe someone who is just going to do better in a small classroom and more one on one. Should I bring up anxiety issues with the neurologist? I don't want him over medicated but he can learn so I want him to be able to learn and the behaviors are getting in the way. This kid is a genious with a computer. Over Christmas he got my credit card out and was trying to buy a game on the computer. His teachers say they can not believe how smart he is , and they don't even know the extent to it because his behaviors get in the way of testing. I just sometimes feel like we aren't strict enough with him, when it comes to the behaviors. It is hard to say ok is there something bothering him(lights, sounds, people) or is he just being 4. I know he does have a big problem with people. Well thanks for listening.
Yesterday there was a little girl over here playing and when she was leaving she went to give my difficult child a hug and he started screaming!! I have never seen him do this before. He hugs us all the time. At school they say he has to initiate it or he will get mad and he hugs backwards to them. When he hugs them he pushes his back against them. Now is this a part of the Autism or could this be anxiety? I am really leaning towards he has an anxiety problem. His next apt. is in a couple of weeks. Thanks
SRL
Active Member
Especially when they are little it's hard to sort out exactly the root of their problem. It could be that his mind is stuck in an inflexible mode where he thinks he's the only that can initiate. It could be that a hug is a sensory assault and he can handle it when he initiates because he knows it's coming but when someone else does it he's not prepared for the sensory shock. The end behavior--the meltdown--could be anxiety based on having bad experiences in the past due to the reasons I just mentioned. It's been years since I've been pregnant and would heave at the smell of a few foods, but my radar still registers when I meet up with those now and I'm a grown, rational adult. Think how much more loudly the alarm would be if you're young and were constantly met with what must seem like attacks.
difficult child has been on the new dosage of blood pressure medicine for over a week now and he is still aggressive. He isn't banging his head as much, thank goodness but he is still screaming, biting, pinching and now he is punching people. we sit him in time out and the whole time he is hitting, pinching and trying to bite us. BUT if he wants to do somthing he wants like get on the computer then he is real nice and sweet. So is he just spoiled or is there a problem. He has so much information in his brain and is very verbal for being autistic but he doesn't know how to use the information and the words right. He does a lot of Echoli. It is just to the point where we are all just miserable. His behavior is the same at school. He tried to throw a table the other day because he was mad at school. I just don't know what to do because the doctor has given us no information, what we have learned has been through his school. I feel like I don't know what questions I should be asking the neurologist or what info I should tell them so they know what to do. I am just frustrated because I can't help my child and I know he wants to be good but he just can't. He goes to the neurologist in two weeks. I have no choice but to keep this neurologist because the other one doesn't take his insurance. I just don't feel like I am doing enough for him.
