Autism Therapy: Is It Time for Meds? Drug Therapy

Parents of a child with autism face very difficult decisions.  What type of autism therapy do I pursue?  Is this behavior correctable through therapy, medicine, or is this just part of his or her make up?  Will this behavior eventually go away?

I remember when our son Chase was having troubles.  At first, we had trouble just getting him diagnosed properly.  Then, when I was told he had autism and no meds would help?  I was devastated!  Surely there was SOMETHING that could help my baby function normally!  Some magic pill!  Some drug therapy…  Please….Come on, now…. 

There are many types of meds that might help our children “deal” with some of the offshooting symptoms of autism.  The rage attacks, the ADD-ADHD, the OCD, ODD, anxiety, toe walking, self injurious behaviors, and the like.  And I will list a few of them and their benefits.  HOWEVER, with benefit, there are risks.  Make sure that you discuss all drug therapy with your child’s doctors!!!  In a growing body and brain, there is the risk of side effects.  You, as his/her parent have to decide risk/reward. 

             *Risperdal-helps with children and adults with autism spectrum disorder.  Has been prescribed regularly for aggression, temper tantrums, mood swings, and self-injurious behaviors (boy, do I remember those days!!!).

             *SSRI’s-If your child has anxiety or depression problems, the selective seretonin reuptake inhibitors are the drug therapy most prescribed by a child psychiatrist. Prozac, Zoloft, and the like fall in this category.  Your doctor will most likely start your child at the lowest level possible.  This is usually used for repetitive behaviors and anxiety issues.

             *Melatonin-It isn’t a “drug”, but it is used as drug therapy for anyone who has difficulty sleeping. Including children with autism.  Melatonin (according to Wikipedia) is a “naturally occurring hormone found in most animals, including humans, and some other living organisms, including algae.  Circulating levels vary in a daily cycle, and melatonin is important in the regulation of the biological rhythms and functions.   Many biological effects of melatonin are produced through activation of melatonin receptors, while others are due to its role as a pervasive and powerful antioxidant^] with a particular role in the protection of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.”

WIKI…good stuff! 

By the way, the Dockery Family uses melatonin regularly! 

And there are many other meds that are used as drug therapies.  SSRI’s, Risperdal and melatonin are the top 3.  Feel free to add your own and comment on their effectiveness  (or not).  I’m not the end all with drug therapy.  Just hitting the biggies. 

As I said above, there are many types of meds.  You have to decide if drug therapy is right for your child or not.  If you choose drug therapy,  there are many wonderful meds making a great difference in the lives of children and families affected by autism.  However….THERE IS NO CURE FOR AUTISM!!!  Drug therapy only helps the severe symptoms that go along with autism.  You should use drug therapy with the advise of a qualified physician that you trust. 

We made a choice (and it was VERY difficult) NOT to use drug therapy on our son Chase (with the exception of melatonin).  He didn’t have self-injurious behaviors (thank God!).  He didn’t have anxiety.  Although now, we’re dealing with the teen years so it is peer pressure and a bit of depression.  So, we are watching him. 

No, early on it was rage and repetitiveness.  It was as if he was the Tazmanian Devil.  He would get so wound up, he didn’t know how to “come down”.  So, he would have there “rage fits”.  Usually directed at mom.  Oh well.  We moms are tough, right  

After he would come down from these attacks, he would feel so bad (and sometimes, not even remembering what happened), I knew we couldn’t medicate him.  We had to understand what was the cause…what was leading up to these attacks.  WE finally figured out…it was his lack of ability to communicate.  Or ours to understand him.  Or he was completely overwhelmed and just lost it.  So, we needed to be a bit more patient with him.  And come at it from a different angle.  Patience.  Some days, it takes more than others….lol! 

But again…that’s our angle.  We are blessed that Chase is high functioning and is highly communicative. 

Oh, Chase still melts down every now and then.  But we understand where the meltdown is coming from.  We communicate better with our son.  Even his younger brother has made strides with him!  That is one autism therapy we know works….peer pressure! 

Tags: autismtherapy, autism education, autism information, drug therapy