My Son Has Bad Behavior Problems

Hi L., while it's challenging to give specific advice without observing and knowing specific behavior difficulties, Autism Spectrum Disorders, which includes Aspergers, are essentially communication disorders. Some children with this disorder have behavioral difficulties b/c of communication breakdowns. You may be familiar with the terms Verbal Behavior & Applied Behavioral Analysis which provide a unique way of looking at and working with children with communication difficulties. I worked with an eight yr old using this technique and he showed tremendous improvement in his level of understanding typical tasks that he was asked to complete or engage in, etc.

As for the ADHD part, I would again consider behavior modification as a primary intervention even if you still want to consider medication. Many children with ADHD can be taught to self-monitor their own behavior to determine when they are off-task, daydreaming, etc. and can use things like frequent breaks, and even be taught how to focus, & organizational skills to address attention and hyperactivity issues.

Hope this helps.

Dear L.,

Yes, there are alot of us moms with autistic children on this site, welcome. You don't mention any specifics, so there really isn't anything we can help you with on this one, other than to say "throw it out there and we will help you if we can". I would like to mention it will probably be more helpful when you do ask a specific question if you mention the autism, as sometimes it makes a big difference in how a child learns or reacts to certain things. My first three children were neurotypical other than one having ADHD, then along came my fourth child with autism. Kudos to you for reaching out, you are not alone.

Hi L.,
My name is T. and my son has autism. He attends a very good school for children with autism in Bradenton and we also have him enrolled in various therapies--speech, OT, ABA. One thing I've learned is not everything works for every child with autism. You have to try different things and see how your child responds. One thing you may want to consider if you haven't already is getting in touch with a behavioral therapist and see what help they can give you.
T. F.

L.,

My son is 13 and also an Aspie, I totally understand how challenging this can be as it seems most of my time has been spend trying to help his teachers, friends(which are few and far between as no-one understands his behavior patterns) and other parents of his classmates and friends understand what Aspergers is. There is light at the end of the tunnel because our children are pure genius.

As of now, my son is not on any medications,but my best friend's son(also 7) I believe is. Send me a message back and I will find out some info from her and let you know...It helps to bring these ideas up and discuss them with the Dr.

If you are in the Orlando area I can recommend a great family Dr. who will guide you and not give meds unless absolutely necessary.

I hope this helps,stay in touch :o)

Hi L.,

My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and when I detoxed my home, the doctor removed the diagnosis. My best friend in Maryland has an Autistic child and when she detoxed her home, his symptoms lessened and he is now in public school and his behavior is under control. I'm not saying this is a quick fix, but it does remove stimuli that can exacerbate behavior. Not only did the ADHD diagnosis go away with my daughter, but her grades went up as well. There are other things you can do that have been mentioned here and I think they are all good but detoxing was quick and inexpensive and gave me a better picture of where my little girl really was.

If you'd like more info or have any questions, feel free to get back to me.

God bless,

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

My name is J. and I too have a son diagnosed with Autism. Without knowing where your son is on the spectrum, I would say that if you are in the Orlando area and have not registered with CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disorders) to do so immediately. They can help guide you into therapies that will help and help with school and IEP's (education plans), and all of the things that we, as parents, are faced with. Also, ASGO (Autism Society of Greater Orlando). Find a good doctor whom you trust to help as well. You don't necessarily have to have a specialist. I am dealing with our pediatrician who is great with my child and knows him the best. If I can be of more help, let me know. I am sure that you will get plenty of the same kind of response. E-mail if you would like. ____@____.com Good luck!

I,too have an autistic son with behavioral issues as well as fine motor delays. I am also looking for resources to help with our journey. Please feel free to contact me. Good luck to you.

Here are some things that may help:
1. changing his diet. These foods tend to exacerbate the problem: white wheat flour, refined sugars, dyes, preservatives, dairy foods.
2. Homeopathy is a gentle form of medicine without side effects. I have read in mothering magazine and elsewhere that homeopathic medicine helps with autism symptoms. Actually, go on Mothering Magazine's website and look for links to various kinds of support for you. Dr. Jensen is the local homeopathic doctor in Tallahassee who is spoken highly of
3. look into craniosacral therapy. This is a light form of massage work that helps loosen pressure on the brain and spinal cord which might be making his behavior worse.
Good luck.

Hi L.,
You need to look into alternative/holistic approaches to autism, including "biomedical" intervention to detox him and repair his digestive and nervous systems. Most physicians are clueless about autism recovery and will just give kids drugs that ultimately cause additional problems. His behaviors are likely related to his neurological impairment and deep anxiety, feeling overwhelmed with stimuli from his surroundings.

Best wishes,
J.

1st remember this diagnosis may or may not be correst.
Next go to Fiengold diet, get a book fr the library- Dr. Fiengold was brilliant, and his program has amazing results- you may find that day to day things you can do will reverse this so called diagnosis. Often you can find Fiengold support groups,
Start with getting white flour, and white sugar OUT of his diet. Also get rid of preservatives, and food dyes.
All of these make esp kids act in a way to be diagnosed as your son has. Little bodies which need alot of good basics to be able to grow, act awful w/o those basics.
Wouldn't it be silly to do alot of things to handle "bad" behavior if in fact it is because of a lack of what is necessary for the body to grow.
Let me know if you need more.
best, k