PersonalEnigma
New Member
As you may remember we have been trying difficult child on Strattera. So far things seemed to be going quite well. He's not really complained of side effects and his behaviour has definitely improved. On Saturday I raised the dosage a final time to what was supposed to be his final dosage. At home everything has been the same. At school though he's fallen apart.
Yesterday he constantly left the classroom to go to his quiet room (he chose to do so on his own, which is a step forward, but he didn't really get any work done at school because of constantly leaving class). He was melting down there quite a bit. By the end of the day he was yelling at his aid that he wanted to die and that she should kill him. When she wouldn't do anything to hurt him he ran away into the kitchen and tried to grab a knife that someone had left out (that is a separate issue the school is sealing with). He said "If you won't kill me I'll kill myself".
Today he had the worst meltdown he's ever had at school. He went into his quiet room and trashed it. He was screaming and yelling that the teachers/aids were "murders" and were going to kill him. It took three people to subdue him :frown: Of course this was one of the very few mornings I was not available to come pick him up... I got him around noon (when I found out about the troubles) and had a long chat with everyone at the school.
I don't know why difficult child has gotten so much more volatile. Do you think it could be a reaction to the medications? Would the higher dose already be affecting him? I am returning him to the lower dose and will be seeing the doctor ASAP. He has an appointment next week, so I don't know if I will get in sooner...
I will be meeting with someone (a specialist in autism/aspergers I think) on Thursday at the school to talk about difficult child and what we can do to help him. The school is being VERY supportive - they really like difficult child as he is a very sweet boy when he's not melting down.
It hurt so bad to see difficult child struggling this way :frown: He wants to do better, but he just doesn't seem to have control over himself sometimes.
I wonder if I should get more testing done on difficult child. We've not really had anything I would consider all that thorough. They did some psychiatric testing at school (I have the report) and have done the basic Connors forms. I've not taken him to a neuro doctor yet - I don't even know how that would work up here. I don't know if it would give us any more answers... I don't really feel that his diagnoses are correct, but they give us access to the services he needs. I also really think that he would benefit from seeing a play therapist. The pediatrician doesn't agree with me, but I think that I will try to push for it.
I don't think difficult child will actually hurt himself, at least not yet, but I have always worried that he would wind up being one of those kids to try to commit suicide at an early age :frown: His emotional maturity is definitely delayed and he just doens't know how to control his anger at all.
Any suggestions/support is welcome.
Yesterday he constantly left the classroom to go to his quiet room (he chose to do so on his own, which is a step forward, but he didn't really get any work done at school because of constantly leaving class). He was melting down there quite a bit. By the end of the day he was yelling at his aid that he wanted to die and that she should kill him. When she wouldn't do anything to hurt him he ran away into the kitchen and tried to grab a knife that someone had left out (that is a separate issue the school is sealing with). He said "If you won't kill me I'll kill myself".
Today he had the worst meltdown he's ever had at school. He went into his quiet room and trashed it. He was screaming and yelling that the teachers/aids were "murders" and were going to kill him. It took three people to subdue him :frown: Of course this was one of the very few mornings I was not available to come pick him up... I got him around noon (when I found out about the troubles) and had a long chat with everyone at the school.
I don't know why difficult child has gotten so much more volatile. Do you think it could be a reaction to the medications? Would the higher dose already be affecting him? I am returning him to the lower dose and will be seeing the doctor ASAP. He has an appointment next week, so I don't know if I will get in sooner...
I will be meeting with someone (a specialist in autism/aspergers I think) on Thursday at the school to talk about difficult child and what we can do to help him. The school is being VERY supportive - they really like difficult child as he is a very sweet boy when he's not melting down.
It hurt so bad to see difficult child struggling this way :frown: He wants to do better, but he just doesn't seem to have control over himself sometimes.
I wonder if I should get more testing done on difficult child. We've not really had anything I would consider all that thorough. They did some psychiatric testing at school (I have the report) and have done the basic Connors forms. I've not taken him to a neuro doctor yet - I don't even know how that would work up here. I don't know if it would give us any more answers... I don't really feel that his diagnoses are correct, but they give us access to the services he needs. I also really think that he would benefit from seeing a play therapist. The pediatrician doesn't agree with me, but I think that I will try to push for it.
I don't think difficult child will actually hurt himself, at least not yet, but I have always worried that he would wind up being one of those kids to try to commit suicide at an early age :frown: His emotional maturity is definitely delayed and he just doens't know how to control his anger at all.
Any suggestions/support is welcome.