So, My Son That Is Supposedly Not Bipolar

[Janna]

is having manic episodes :hammer:

"Mommy, I just can't fall asleep this week" :nonono:

Talking like some kind of animal on speed. Woke up in the middle of the night last night to a soaking wet bed (I dunno why they wanted to wean him off the DDAVP, told em not to), 3 AM, and had to take a shower (don't ask me why they can't use a mattress cover, take off the sheets, replace, and get his shower when he gets up...but whatever). So, in the middle of his 3 AM shower he decides he's not getting out.

He spent an HOUR in the shower :smile:

What do I do with that?

Needing constant redirection. Inability to sit still. On Saturday, he had SIX time outs for inappropriate behaviors like tapping his rear end...silly singing....being, well, silly.

But the week prior, fine.

No changes on the Luvox, still at 25 mg. We're going into week 3 with that.

I'm having big issues with the current Residential Treatment Facility (RTF). I'm thinking about removing him. The school issues, he's being set up to fail. Not only are they not helping him, but they are accomodating him in ways the regular schools never will, which to me, is disasterous.

The majority of his issues occur in the residence, where there is no therapist. His therapist is never there - she's in her office in another building, somewhere else, Monday to Friday, 9-5. So, when the major issues happen, he is in his residence with a bunch of staff who are, well, just staff. No training, no certifications, no anything. Me, you, the lady next door, working for $12 an hour....

I feel like my kid is at the babysitters. The psychiatrist is just not fulfilling my son's needs. 10 minutes in a chair asking him how he is, it's just not doing it.

Geez, I just don't know where to go from here (YES, MWM, I TOOK OFF NEXT MONDAY TO GO TO THE DEPT OF EDUCATION! LOL) as far as psychiatric care for him.

Not to mention, he still needs to see an ENT, a gastroenterologist an allergist.

Oh, plus I need to get him a 1:1 aide, which means taking my tail to the Dept of Education, because nobody will give him one, and he has to have it.

Plus, trying to find Autism help in an area that is dead...because I live in the boonies.

And the kid can't get a medication to work on him to save his life.

And I hate that Residential Treatment Facility (RTF).

Gah.

 

[klmno]

Just wanted to let you know that I feel for you- I have no answers to this as we have issues along this line, too.

{{HUG}}

 

[TerryJ2]

Gosh, I am so sorry. It does sound like babysitting from what you say. Is he safe? Does it give you a break? That would be the only reason to keep him there.
The rapid speech could be bipolar, as the no-sleeping episodes ...but then if he's autistic and has other DXs it could be other things... This is Dylan, right?

So sorry. Poor guy.

 

[crazymama30]

Janna, I am sorry the Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) is not giving you any answers. I wish I had advice for you. Hang in there, and follow your instincts.

 

[SRL]

My difficult child who does not have BiPolar (BP) started to look BiPolar (BP) when his anxiety went over the top (and with it every other issue he'd ever had. When he was stabilized, the manic type behaviors ceased. That's why when new parents come here with a child diagnosed with BiPolar (BP) but having no luck with medications, we try to mention that an unstable child with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often looks BiPolar (BP) just so they can explore that if needed.

 

[witzend]

So, in the middle of his 3 AM shower he decides he's not getting out. He spent an HOUR in the shower

What do I do with that?

You do what I do with the Japanese kids that visit. You go to the hot water heater and turn off the hot water.

 

[gcvmom]

:rofl:

Witzend -- that's EXACTLY what I've done to difficult child 1, who has a penchant for very long, hot showers (hmmmm, I think it's a pubertal guy thing)... :wink:

I allow him 10 minutes, then he gets a warning, and if he's not out in two more minutes, I tiptoe to the garage and shut off the hot water. He has no clue what I'm up to, but I do think he's finally getting the hang of finishing before he thinks the hot water runs out!

Janna, hang in there {{{{{hugs}}}}}! You've got so many balls in the air I think I'd be dizzy by now trying to keep track of it all. One day at a time, one hour at a time if you have to.

 

[Hound dog]

Janna

Sending some major (((hugs))).

I dunno about this current behavior being necessarily bipolar. Travis used to have periods like that when he was a child. (drove me bonkers) Has them once in a great while even now, although not quite as severe.

So while it might be, it also might be part of the autism or something else.

Doesn't sound like their doing a whole lot, does it?

Don't blame you for feeling frustrated.

 

[Marguerite]

Janna, keep an open mind. Autistic kids can do this too. difficult child 3 is currently driving us crazy every evening, with non-stop talking, apparently free association stuff, totally pointless for us and it's as if he HAS to tell us.

difficult child 3 is a really good sleeper, WHEN he sleeps. It's like everything he does, he does THOROUGHLY. When he's awake, you know about it. You hear him talking, constantly, even if there's nobody else around. medications quiet it down, but when they wear off... and when he's asleep, he seems unrousable. BUT - he will rouse through the night, walk to the bathroom for a drink of water, get it for himself, take himself to the toilet, maybe ask if he can get something to eat - all while (we now realise) still sound asleep. If he wakes - we have an apparently manic night. In the mornings - he gets up early, he's manic until the medications kick in.

The toilet training/wet bed issues - that would have woken difficult child 3. Maybe. But once awake with a wet bed, he would have been very difficult to get back to sleep.

We finally got the bladder training done by putting him in underpants instead of Pull-Ups but we did it in summer, when there are fewer layers (clothing or bedding) to deal with. We also put a vinyl sheet under his sheet. We bought the vinyl ourselves and cut it to size, so it would wrap around his mattress and not slip, so any spill would not soak into the mattress. We used vinyl because plastic moves, and it also makes a horrible crinkly noise which the kids hated and really complained about. Vinyl is discreet - we could put it under an incontinent elderly relative's bedding and they would never know!

Hugs, honey. Just keep making notes of anything like this, then show your diary entries to the psychiatrists on a regular basis.

Marg

 

[LittleDudesMom]

Janna,

I don't have any words directly relating to Dylan's behaviors or diagnosis. I do however offer you hugs and let you know I am here to support you. Follow your gut.....

Sharon

 

[BusynMember]

Janna, even 25 mgs. of Luvox can do that. I'd want him off of that yesterday and then see how he is. Lucas is defintely not BiPolar (BP) but he was manicky acting on Prozac. by the way, autistic kids tend to do repetitive annoying behavior, but it's not bipolar. They shouldn't be punished for it either. Lucas bounces up and down and fiddles nonstop with his blinds. He's not manic. He's autistic.
On the other hand you can have Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) and bipolar. It's so tricky to diagnose these kids. But look at those medications. (((Hugs)))

 

[busywend]

I would not turn off the hot water if he is unstable. Perhaps it was soothing to him? Has he ever had any Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) issues? The sleeping trouble is new? Just suddenly? Has anything changed? New medications, new foods, perhaps lots of Xmas treats, started drinking pop, etc.?

What accomidations are they providing that regular schools will not? Are they helping him? Sometimes what works best for these kids is not traditional and we have to be flexible. As you know that can and will change every year with these kids. The schools need to be flexible, too. That is what Special Education is all about. Figuring out what is best for the child in need. What is the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) doing that a regular school will not?

Janna, I know you are worried. You come here avery few months wanting to pull Dylan out. I know your heart is fractured just by having him there. What is the plan at Residential Treatment Center (RTC)? What is the plan and what are they not following in that plan? I am trying to get you to think through what it is you need to specifically tell the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) about what they are doing that is not meeting the needs.

 

[Shari]

Hugs! Many of them.

I apologize, I don't recall all of the details of the "middle" of Dylan's story, but I do recall when you first came here that mood stabilizing medications made a world of difference for Dylan. If I recall correctly, it was the side effects that eventually took them away.

I have never been sure that my difficult child 1's diagnosis of BiPolar (BP) is correct, however, even tho he denies adamantly that there's anything "wrong" with him, he will readily admit that mood stabilizers made him feel a WHOLE lot better - less distracted, better memory, less depression, etc (his descriptions, not mine). I've questioned several docs, and they all say the same thing - if there wasn't something to "correct", the drugs wouldn't "help" him.

So I guess I'd be looking down that road again.

 

[Wiped Out]

Janna,
Sending gentle hugs your way-I'm sorry I can't imagine how hard this must be.

 

[flutterbee]

I could easily pull off an hour in the shower. It's relaxing and quiet in there. And the water feels nice. Sometimes I would sit down in the shower and just let the water hit me.

But, I'm not bouncing off the walls either.

So, I really have nothing to offer other than hugs.