Medication Adjustment....

For the last week we've been trying the "adjust" "correct" the boys' medications. The ever-so favorite and fun part of having non-verbal autistic kiddos (NOT). I feel so bad that my babes need to have medication for their ailments on a daily basis just to function in an acceptable way. Talking to the doctor at Daniel's ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) follow-up appointment made me wonder "what does Daniel think about all this". I wonder what he's feeling, what he's thinking about, are we right about our observations and interpretations about what he's going through?

When a kiddo has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) and ADHD - it's hard to figure out which medication is going to work best. Since everyone is an individual with a different make-up, there is no one medication that works best for everyone. Having identical twins with the same disorders, they currently take the same medications, but we're finding out that even they have different medication needs. It doesn't help that they're non-verbal and can't tell us what's happening on the inside.

We took a long time to decide to medicate, like many parents with special needs kiddos. Once we decided to try any medications, we started with the most "extreme" behaviors first. For both boys it was "autism aggression" that first needed attention. Just out of the blue, he would lash out uncontrollably. Hitting, scratching, slapping, pinching - to the point that it had to be addressed for him to be in school. We also knew that it wasn't Daniel. The next thing to be addressed was sadness, the first medicine worked great - except, the side effect was like depression. Once that was addressed and taken care of Daniel was like our little boy again - so to speak. He seemed to be in balance and happy.

Daniel and Anthony both have ADHD, and aside from being driven by a motor that doesn't seem to stop, we hoped they'd "settle down" a bit when they went to school longer. (Oh how silly we were.) For those who don't already know, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD are treated with stimulants. I still wasn't fully convinced how they'd work, but the first one we tried - did. We always try new medications on the weekend, so we can watch how they are reacting to it. About 25 minutes after we gave the boys the stimulant, they were out cold - they slept for about 2 hours and seemed more rested than they'd been in a while. I couldn't believe it.

In the same way that the stimulant worked from day 1, it quit working about 6 months later. We've tried no medication, a new medication that didn't work, and are in the process on trying a new medication now. Anthony is going through the same thing too, and next week is his turn with the doctor. We are hoping and praying for the right medication that will help both of them to be able to absorb all they can in order to help them communicate with us.

From a mother's heart - I keep reminding myself that when I'm dealing with my babes, it's all about them. Not what I may or may not want, but what they need.
God Bless