Comments on: Forty Autism Charities attend 10 Downing Street Summit

By: Tuff Stuff

Tuff Stuff — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:55:59 +0000

Thank you Seonaid,
I am sad to hear of another similar case involving sidestepping. I don’t blame the Dr’s persay I blame the lack of interest by medical professionals in general and lack of funding for scientific medical research into this particular condition.
Sadly unless more people become concerned about the growing numbers of cases then autistic people will continue to intentionally be misdiagnosed in an effort to “medicate” right wrong or otherwise. Our son’s cases are obviously both in the “wrong” category. Both of our son’s have suffered needlessly.
My son is not longer on medication and is doing much better than when he was on meds but he still suffers anxiety (severe depending on what is going on around him and how responds to it.) and sometimes depression.
I don’t have all the answers either. It’s been a tough road with many ups and downs.
When my son was in Kindergarten the school threatened me with legal action if I didn’t get my son on meds. My son’s Dr. (The one who changed his opinion to satisfy the need for the ADHD meds.) told me that he didn’t prescribe meds to patients at such a young age and it would be at least a year or two of observation during school for him to do any suchathing. When legal actions were threatened that changed everything. My son was put on Ritalin that year.

One very observant 3rd grade teacher that my son had who was trained at UC Davis knew exactly what was going on with my son from the first day of school. She too has a Child who has Asperger’s Syndrome. On the last day of school she was in tears, which in turn made me cry that she was so emotional. She said that she wished that she could follow my son through his school years as his teacher. He did really good that year. Really good. That year was the best year for my son as far as his grades went and he was happier that year than previous years and since.
The school brought here there after sending my son for state testing. My son did not qualify for Special Ed school but special ed in certain areas only so they qualified to have her there. One year of positive for my son and his education.
Why only one year and why only one teacher who knew how to reach my son with his condition in a positive way?
My son’s teacher that year had gone for special training because her own Child suffered through his school years with the same condition.
Is that what it is going to take to make people care?
The teachers are a powerful tool in all of this too!
In Southern California there is a Husband and Wife, both sheriff’s, who go around nationwide to train LE in how to deal with people with Aspergers.
It’s a huge start there too.
May God bless them.
Thank you for responding to my post.
It says to me that my Son and family are not alone. It’s a sad reality that I would wish on no one.

By: Seonaid

Seonaid — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:34:35 +0000

Well said Tuff Stuff. At last I find someone in agreement with me! I’m so glad you bring this up. My adult son unfortunately wasn’t diagnosed as having Asperger Syndrome until 3 years ago - twelve years after being prescribed his first psychotropic drug. People on the spectrum have problems metabolising these drugs and display all manner of psychiatric side effects which psychiatrists proceed to try and treat as an underlying condition. ” We must treat what we see” is their mantra - and if the treatment is causing the ‘illness’? What then? To the point of harassment I warn as many as I can about the dangers of giving drugs to ASD people, and will carry on doing so till someone listens. My son is still ‘trapped’ by medication. He has been on twelve different antipsychotics - all of them more than once. In one three year period he had 15 changes in antipsychotic medication. Then of course there were the benzodiazepines, SSRI antidepressants, sleeping pills, and the odd depot antipsychotic. It has been horrendous. So far he has been diagnosed as having Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Schizo-affective disorder and Schizo-phreniform!! The lack of knowledge in psychiatry about this issue is terrifying, and I wish I knew how to educate them and so prevent any other human being subjected to the suffering endured by my son.

By: Tuff Stuff

Tuff Stuff — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:26:14 +0000

One key issue that I think is often overlooked involves medicating Children who suffer from autism. There are no drugs available to treat autism. My son was diagnosed as having Aperger’s Syndrome ealry on and in my son’s case the Dr. decided to shift his opinion to include ADHD instead so that ritalin could be justifiably used to medicate my Child. It didn’t work for my son. He complained of severe headaches and fell asleep in class daily. Another ADHD medication was then used which caused my Child to become suicidal where my son was then diagnosed as bi-polar. Really? Some Dr’s. must believe that the end justifies the means but the sad reality is that they are completely side stepping and ignoring the real underlying condition, it’s possible cause and any real progress that could be made in advancing treating of Autism.