This post is bound to be a little controversial - sorry.
Technically, there is no medication that helps aspergers in general however Ritalin can relieve some of the symptoms. In this post, I'll attempt to explain what Ritalin does, which symptoms it addresses and how it affects youinger children.
Our experience
We have a seven-year-old son on Ritalin. Sometimes, we forget to give it to him. When this happens, we almost always get a phone call or a note from the school asking if we have forgotten to give him the medication. I think they have only ever asked once when we have actually given him the medication. It is therefore obvious that Ritalin provides a positive benefit in his behaviour and ability to work in class.
Interestingly enough, these comments come from teachers who were initially very resistant to the introduction of Ritalin. Such a turnaround implies obvious benefit.
The Ritalin does not suppress all of the aspie traits but instead allows him to think before acting. This reduces his impulsive behaviour while also preventing him from being distracted by everything around him.
It allows for better concentration and reduces his tendency to irritate his friends. We have asked our son how he feels on the medication and he has told us that he feels better. At age 7, there is not really a lot of information he can give us but we'll continue asking in case the situation changes.
We haven't seen any of the reported side-effects.
Is it safe? and What about the Side-Effects?
This is the question everyone wants answered before they give drugs to their child. In our case, we deliberated for about 6 months before starting and spent quite a while looking up the side-effects etc. We also looked at dietary changes and tried some natural remedies, like fish oil.
Ritalin has been in use since the 1960's as a treatment for ADHD. There have been lots of studies of its use. The most commonly reported side effects lack of sleep and lack of appetite. There have also been reports of stomach ache. Strangely enough, our son already had a reduced need for sleep and lack of hunger. I've had the same thing for most of my life (I once had a nickname of "sparrow" because of my eating habits). I've "normalised" in the last few years.
I think that the eating and sleeping may be aspie traits, which means that the Ritalin research could be flawed.
So far, research does not seem to have found anything too disturbing about Ritalin. There is evidence that it has minor effects on growth (in the early years but apparently kids catch up in the teen years). There is also evidence to suggest that it positively supports brain development.
There were also a lot of claims made that Ritalin, because of a similarity to cocaine, could lead to drug abuse. These claims have since been discredited. You can read a lot more about Ritalin on wikipedia.
Some people also report sweaty palms and a racing heart. There's a whole list of possible side-effects. I guess the best advice is: "If you notice any side-effects in your child - stop them taking the medication and see your pediatrician".
The other side-effect to look out for is "dopeyness". This indicates that the child is on too high a dose. The medication needs to be reduced.
Why does the need for medication increase?
This was a question I asked myself about a year ago. It turns out that the required dosage of ritalin depends on body weight. As the child grows, so does the required dosage.
Which symptoms does Ritalin Affect?
Ritalin is a stimulant which has a "calming effect reducing impulsive behavior, and facilitates concentration on work and other tasks".
Ritalin and Statistics
There are a lot of statistics around about Ritalin and all sorts of side effects. In pretty much every case I have seen, the studies don't have appropriate control groups. This means that the data in their statistics is meaningless. This lets us right into the Anti-Ritalin groups.
Anti Ritalin groups
There are two major anti-ritalin camps to be aware of;
1. Parents against drugs in Children
2. Scientologists
In both cases, the objection isn't specifically against Ritalin, it's against almost every drug used with children. The suggestion being that dieting or meditation is a better option.
I know of some people who swear by dieting but I'm yet to see compelling evidence to support it. As far as meditation is concerned, I'm not going there... especially not with a 7 year old.
If you find an article in the paper or on the internet, or if you see a programme on TV that raises specific concerns about Ritalin, you should always check to see if one of these Anti-Ritalin groups are behind it. Otherwise, you may find yourself needlessly worrying about things.
Of course, when all is said and done... remember, it's your child and you have a responsibility for their wellbeing. If the medication affects them adversely or if they don't show immediate improvement (say within 2 weeks of use) then you should discontinue.
I'll do another post on Ritalin at a later date to cover things like the effects of coming off the drug, school holidays and weekends and the difference between morning and afternoon effects.
Technically, there is no medication that helps aspergers in general however Ritalin can relieve some of the symptoms. In this post, I'll attempt to explain what Ritalin does, which symptoms it addresses and how it affects youinger children.
Our experience
We have a seven-year-old son on Ritalin. Sometimes, we forget to give it to him. When this happens, we almost always get a phone call or a note from the school asking if we have forgotten to give him the medication. I think they have only ever asked once when we have actually given him the medication. It is therefore obvious that Ritalin provides a positive benefit in his behaviour and ability to work in class.
Interestingly enough, these comments come from teachers who were initially very resistant to the introduction of Ritalin. Such a turnaround implies obvious benefit.
The Ritalin does not suppress all of the aspie traits but instead allows him to think before acting. This reduces his impulsive behaviour while also preventing him from being distracted by everything around him.
It allows for better concentration and reduces his tendency to irritate his friends. We have asked our son how he feels on the medication and he has told us that he feels better. At age 7, there is not really a lot of information he can give us but we'll continue asking in case the situation changes.
We haven't seen any of the reported side-effects.
Is it safe? and What about the Side-Effects?
This is the question everyone wants answered before they give drugs to their child. In our case, we deliberated for about 6 months before starting and spent quite a while looking up the side-effects etc. We also looked at dietary changes and tried some natural remedies, like fish oil.
Ritalin has been in use since the 1960's as a treatment for ADHD. There have been lots of studies of its use. The most commonly reported side effects lack of sleep and lack of appetite. There have also been reports of stomach ache. Strangely enough, our son already had a reduced need for sleep and lack of hunger. I've had the same thing for most of my life (I once had a nickname of "sparrow" because of my eating habits). I've "normalised" in the last few years.
I think that the eating and sleeping may be aspie traits, which means that the Ritalin research could be flawed.
So far, research does not seem to have found anything too disturbing about Ritalin. There is evidence that it has minor effects on growth (in the early years but apparently kids catch up in the teen years). There is also evidence to suggest that it positively supports brain development.
There were also a lot of claims made that Ritalin, because of a similarity to cocaine, could lead to drug abuse. These claims have since been discredited. You can read a lot more about Ritalin on wikipedia.
Some people also report sweaty palms and a racing heart. There's a whole list of possible side-effects. I guess the best advice is: "If you notice any side-effects in your child - stop them taking the medication and see your pediatrician".
The other side-effect to look out for is "dopeyness". This indicates that the child is on too high a dose. The medication needs to be reduced.
Why does the need for medication increase?
This was a question I asked myself about a year ago. It turns out that the required dosage of ritalin depends on body weight. As the child grows, so does the required dosage.
Which symptoms does Ritalin Affect?
Ritalin is a stimulant which has a "calming effect reducing impulsive behavior, and facilitates concentration on work and other tasks".
Ritalin and Statistics
There are a lot of statistics around about Ritalin and all sorts of side effects. In pretty much every case I have seen, the studies don't have appropriate control groups. This means that the data in their statistics is meaningless. This lets us right into the Anti-Ritalin groups.
Anti Ritalin groups
There are two major anti-ritalin camps to be aware of;
1. Parents against drugs in Children
2. Scientologists
In both cases, the objection isn't specifically against Ritalin, it's against almost every drug used with children. The suggestion being that dieting or meditation is a better option.
I know of some people who swear by dieting but I'm yet to see compelling evidence to support it. As far as meditation is concerned, I'm not going there... especially not with a 7 year old.
If you find an article in the paper or on the internet, or if you see a programme on TV that raises specific concerns about Ritalin, you should always check to see if one of these Anti-Ritalin groups are behind it. Otherwise, you may find yourself needlessly worrying about things.
Of course, when all is said and done... remember, it's your child and you have a responsibility for their wellbeing. If the medication affects them adversely or if they don't show immediate improvement (say within 2 weeks of use) then you should discontinue.
I'll do another post on Ritalin at a later date to cover things like the effects of coming off the drug, school holidays and weekends and the difference between morning and afternoon effects.
Comments
I am on medication myself, an anti-depressent (zoloft). The thing that worries me the most about medication and children (or people in general) is not the fact that they take medication but the fact that medication in my oppinion is often not used properly.
It seems to me that a lot of Doctors use medication as a "band aid" for an infection, instead of trying to deal with the issue - they just kinda band-aid it with medications.
There has also been the thing (and I've had to deal with this myself) where doctor's want to drug up people to the point that there mind is non-functional to stop behaviors that are not acceptable.
I'm not against medicating at all - I just think it should be done very carefully.
My Website
However, my wife and I found it somewhat difficult to find many of the Feingold-accepted foods, so we created The Asperger's Store which lists all the Feingold-accepted foods which Amazon.com carries.
Hopefully, this list will be of some help to others.
Craig
This site has info about Zoloft too.
I look forward to the day when everyone realizes what these substances really do to people's lives.
And I prefer to meditate rather than taking some medicine.
I have a very positive opinion regarding meditation. In fact, I actually love it! I have been training Kendo 2005-2006(2 years) and it involved meditation in this sport.
I enjoyed Kendo very much and will hopefully be able to train again in the future, although at the present I'm focusing on my IT/Computer skills instead and using Kendo exercises(suburri) outside near a lake when the weather is good. Relaxes the body and I promise that it works!
Meditation is certainly one method which works for many people.
Unfortunately, my son is turning eight this weekend and he's not really old enough to understand mediation.
It's certainly a great idea for the future though.
Being a critic against greedy companies is a good thing, though, in my opinion.
There are bad medications and good ones.
I am 56 years old. I have taken Ritalin for 30 years. I have been diagnosed with a mild form of narcolepsy. I use 4 (10 MG ) pills per day. The drug ahs worked wonders and eliminated the drowsiness and sleep attacks. My concern now is the length of time I have been on it. When taking a "drug holiday" it seems like my symptoms are worse.
I have experienced some of these side effects-
rebound effect when dosage wears off.
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Lance Burnet
One of the big problems with Ritalin is that it enhances the performance of everyone, not just those with the ADHD Comorbid.
For this reason, there are some parents around who use it as a performance enhancing drug for their children.
Doctors and teachers are very wary of this trend and will generally deny Ritalin in cases where the parent or patient seems over-eager to obtain it.
If you feel certain that your son needs Ritalin (ie: that he has ADHD - because Ritalin is generally ineffective against normal Aspergers), then you should take him to a different psychiatrist.
The one you are seeing now has obviously made his mind up already.
All medications including Ritalin have side-effects. The site doesn't advocate using something in place of Ritalin, it is actually anti-drug.
There is valid scientific research that finds links between eating too much processed foods and depressing (in addition to other health problems of course). It makes complete sense to pay particular attention to diet and exercise. The trouble is, on one hand diet modification is more complicated than many people think, and on the other, some people make it more dogmatic than it needs to be.
I don't support the dogma that anti-pill people promote, but to dismiss the value of diet and lifestyle change is also a kind of dogma. I found out a lot about Ayurveda and it has helped me understand "natural" healing a lot more. If you're ever interested, I can share some resources with you.
I must say that I like the idea of meditation (we've tried diets, extreme diets, which didn't work), but not sure where to go for "child-friendly" classes.
He once had an Indian teacher who did some meditation exercises, and funnily enough he was the best in class, which made me think that there might be more to this...
I just hope that he is able to learn and enjoy friendships throughout his school life, and medication certainly ensures that he can make friends finally and enter social situations.
It's hard work, and weekends we try to keep "drug-free", which means that we're all exhausted by the end of the weekend, including his sister. I think a combination of meditation and medication would be wonderful, and something I'll be looking into.
I struggle...it's frustrating and such hard work, almost bordering on depression with most mornings ending in tears, and weekends tough. To be so in love with this little boy, and then be driven to a point where you could walk out the door and never come back...it's tough on the whole family.
My 9 yr old was diagnosed with ADHD, but I really feel he has Asperger's. Ritalin definitely works though.
As to how we're all coping...
Sometimes we cope well, sometimes we don't. Sometimes the depression gets to us - particularly when report cards come home or when we're talking to parents of "perfect children".
It's hard to watch my child interacting with other children because he tries so hard but it's so obvious why he's failing. He's really annoying.
The thing is that sometimes we have to step back and see through the eyes of our children. We think that we have it bad. How much worse do you think it is to BE them.
I'll post about that soon (it's planned to be somewhere in the next few posts).
Ritalin probably does have some positive effects on aspergers - it can have positive effects on almost anyone and it's often misused as a "performance enhancing drug".
What I meant was that Ritalin isn't going to;
- Modify your child's monontone speech
- Give your child the ability to read facial expressions
- Supress your child's special interests
It has no effect on the main parts of the aspergers condition.
This doesnt have to be a Ritalin side-effect!
For me Ritalin works...
I am a student and I have almost got my Bachelor grade. However I cope with the same problems as Anonymous described: being extremely sensitive to sound and movements around me (especially people). It is so frustrating that I tried medication like Ritalin and Oxazepam on recommending of my psychiatrist. I see no hope or possibility in effectively reducing my problems. How do you deal with these this?
Armstrong
These things, along with crystals, power bracelets, tonics, herbs, spices, sauces, and bones can cure things better than any ole medicine
ADD / Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder signs and symptoms in young children are always being researched and studied to develop appropriate therapy and treatment method.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a very wide topic, not only related to children. There's the medical and the holistic side of ADD. To learn and get more information regarding ADD or ADHD, including ODD presented in children. Also if you're interested in proper child behavior, refer to Oppositional Defiant Disorder and for a wider information regarding ADD symptoms, have a look in ADD Symptoms blog[img]http://www.addsymptomsinchildren.org/ref/d1.gif[/img]
Wonderful site . . Thankyou.
Can you direct me to where I can find studies on the long term use of Ritalin?
I can only find bad news . . Am looking for good news . .
Jill
There really aren't too many studies on the long term effects of Ritalin (or any drugs for that matter). Most "long term studies on Ritalin" seem to consider that "Long Term" means 12-24 months.
There are a lot of powerful groups out there who have issues with the use of ANY medications in children and these groups produce a lot of "studies" themselves but these are biased in the extreme, the data and methods are questionable and unfortunately, these studies tend to get pushed to the top of the search rankings due to deliberate manipulation.
There's a good summary of a few "long term" studies at Google Answers but most of these papers aren't publicly available.
Many of the studies contradict each other but there does seem to be a consensus that the major long-term side effect is loss of appetite.
You also have to be careful when reading these studies because many are about the long term abuse of stimulants rather than the long term effects of taking a sensible dose.
Ultimately though, if your child is on Ritalin, it's because they need it to learn (at school) or to help them control their behavior.
You should not plan for your child to be medicated for their entire life. They may need the medication in their formative years but should be able to reduce their need as they reach adulthood and are able to exercise more control over their own behaviour without assistance.
With this being said, I also have to include the negative. I am now 25 and that "motivated" feeling that carried me though high school faded over time. After several years of medication it suddenly stopped working and I found myself experimenting with other illicit substances. This medication is a wonder drug if used properly, no doubt. But the user MUST be prepared for a life without medication. Ritalin gave the the courage to LEARN to interact with people. It showed me how well I really can perform. It taught me a lot about myself and my personal role as a member of society. As long as you are willing to accept that one day you MUST stop taking the meds, take the lessons it teaches you with you through life, then you might want to consider it. If you're just looking you an escape button, or a crutch, this isn't what you're looking for.
Thanks to Ritalin I now have a life, can work, can focus, I don't let people push me around anymore, I have self worth and self esteem, I'm a better mother, fears and anxiety gone, has been an absolute life saver.
My son has been very difficult from the day he was born. He was very hard to settle as a baby, the moment he started walking he was running, and constantly on the go! I was told he's just a typical toddler, and all that sort of thing. His aggression and hyperactivity spiraled out of control at about 2 and a half, he was kicked out of 3 daycares and kindy. He's now almost 5 and was literally almost NOT functioning at all due to hyperactivity, aggression, anxiety, oppositional behaviours and rituals.
After seeing countless professionals for over 2 years he was diagnosed with Aspergers, ADHD, and severe anxiety disorder. He was at this stage only attending school for 2 hours a day, with one on one support, so the pead prescribed ritalin. It is only day 2 of him taking it and he's turned into a different little boy.
The rituals are still there, and the resistance to change is still quite immense, but the hyperactivity, aggression and oppositional behaviours have decreased drastically! Day 2 on the meds and he was at school for 4 hours and did more work than most of the other kids in his class!!!!!
I am worried about the side effects of the medication but he needs this to function!
He's also developed a facial twitch, which looks a bit like a tic, hoping this will go away as his body gets used to the medication!
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I was diagnosed many, many years ago, whilst I was still at school as High Functioning Autism. The diagnosis was changed about 10 years ago to be "textbook extreme aspergers with a very high IQ and extremely sophisticated coping strategies in place".
I've tried every diet, various medications, herbs, groups, discussions, psychologists, psychiatrists... the lot.
I have a plethora of coping strategies. They fake interaction pretty well. They serve almost well enough for my wife to genuinely believe that I adore her (most of the time) and can stand her touching me (which to be honest, I frankly cannot at all 99% of the time). (Oh, lets be honest, I love my wife I do... seriously aside, but just not with the kind of "feeling" which she experiences, because that kind of "feeling" doesn't compute).
Oh, I love my kids, and yes, the feeling of love I have for my kids and my wife is the same. It's a good love, just not a "grrr".
Anyway, all of the above aside, I've never told anyone this (not something one can really say now, is it), but for a couple of years, once a month or so, I've used a (seriously hardcore, and frankly worryingly potentially deadly / highly addictive white stimulant) illicit/ unlawful drug.
Why, because for the day that I've taken it, I'm as neurotypical as I can possibly be. I can actually talk to people "without" faking it, and "feel" whatever it is I'm supposed to feel.
Now, I'm just talking from my own position, and I could never recommend this as a course of action to anyone, however, in the grand scheme of things, I suppose that a little Ritalin may well be positive for some kids who suffer, the way that I have.
Hmmmm---Either we have a lot more sick and brain damaged kids now than we did in the recent past,or-----SOMEONE is making a LOT of money pushing these pills and "Medicating kids"----all with the blessing of these stressed out uptight parents who can't handle the job of dealing with a normal kid.
If you think the kind of food your child eats has no bearing on how they behave,you're a complete idiot and a bad parent who shouldn't have kids in the first place. Kids health has EVERYTHING to do with what they eat---and BY THE WAY----Kids are supposed to have a little "attention deficit" here and there.They're KIDS. That's what kids do I see a lot of people on this site that are criminalizing normal behavior and a lot of parents who are more tan happy to have their kids labeled and medicated so tHEY can have more time on their cell phones. You people are pathetic.
I’m agsint Ritalin. Ofcourse not every Aspie will have my experience but Ritalin is a powerful stimulant and should not be underestimated .
It makes me angry when people still joke that you can’t get addicted to Ritalin .
It's time to try an alternative... alternative medication or alternative behavioural therapy.