Re: Hello, I am new member of group

[Guest guest]

Hi Barry,

Welcome..I'm glad you've found our group! I have a 9yr old son,autistic,epilepsy

and at times has been self injurous..hitting himself with a closed fist on the

side of his head(temporal area)he's had some swelling/bruising.I've tried many

meds due to his lack of impulse control and aggression..he also had tendencies

to bite,especially pinch(to the point of bruising)and scratch (I still have

scars) and destructive,turning over furniture,tv's etc.He had pretty bad gastric

reflux which caused him to have projectile vomiting but is now under control

with Prilosec and slight change of diet.It sounds like you have a lot on your

plate so by all means feel free to ask questions,vent,etc.This is a really

supportive group and you'd be surprised how many others share the same

challenges.What state do you live in? I'm in southern california.

Stacey

From: gem5860 <GEM5860@...>

Date: Fri Jun 30 23:31:40 CDT 2006

autism

Subject: Hello, I am new member of group

Hello everyone,

I am new member and Dad of ten year old autistic boy with severe

behavior problems. He pinches and scratches us, especially my wife and

sometimes kicks us. He also has self injury behavior such as head

banging against walls and the floor. He punches his face with his

fists, specifically his nose, cheeks and forehead and chin. He wears a

special helmet sometimes and has worn elbow splints in the past to

prevent him from hitting his face. He has stomach inflammation and also

has a feeding tube in his stomach with a Nissan fundoplication which is

surgery to prevent him from vomiting which he had chronically before

his G (gastonomy)tube surgery. He has other issues as well but now I am

out of breath discussing him, so again this is just an introduction and

chance to say hello.

Barry

[Guest guest]

Hello, Barry, welcome. I am the grandmother of a 13 year old autistic boy. I have worked with him daily for 11 years. He is bigger than I am and sometimes has aggression, biting and pinching. Karac has functional speech. Is your son verbal? Karac doesn't have SIB, but some on this list do. I think you'll find us empathic even when we don't have answers. Pat K

[Guest guest]

Hi Barry,

I just thought about this.My son tends to hit himself when he is mad/agitated

etc.Does your son do this when he feels that way? Also ,my son will grab my

hand,arm and press his chin into it or want me to apply pressure to his chin,top

of his head,sides of his face/cheeks .He needs this type of deep pressure from

time to time not just when he's upset.It satisfies that " sensory " need for

proprioceptive input and helps regulate him.I was just wondering if your son has

sensory issues and perhaps this may contribute to some of the " behaviors "

because he's seeking some type of relief.

Just a thought..I relate to what you mean about the pinching,hitting,self

injurous behavior because my son does that as well,just started this past year

and I know he does that aggressive things when he's upset,frustrated etc. but

other times when he needs me to apply pressure to parts of his body/face he's

not upset he just needs me to do this or sometimes he'll seek out other ways to

satisfy this need using pillows or biting down on a book(yeah a book)which if

you think about it ..it's hard it gives resistance and so a lot of his books are

" chewed " up.Anyways,just thought I'd ask.

Stacey

From: gem5860 <GEM5860@...>

Date: Fri Jun 30 23:31:40 CDT 2006

autism

Subject: Hello, I am new member of group

Hello everyone,

I am new member and Dad of ten year old autistic boy with severe

behavior problems. He pinches and scratches us, especially my wife and

sometimes kicks us. He also has self injury behavior such as head

banging against walls and the floor. He punches his face with his

fists, specifically his nose, cheeks and forehead and chin. He wears a

special helmet sometimes and has worn elbow splints in the past to

prevent him from hitting his face. He has stomach inflammation and also

has a feeding tube in his stomach with a Nissan fundoplication which is

surgery to prevent him from vomiting which he had chronically before

his G (gastonomy)tube surgery. He has other issues as well but now I am

out of breath discussing him, so again this is just an introduction and

chance to say hello.

Barry

[Guest guest]

Barry,

Have you considered bio-medical treatment for your son? From the

medical concerns you mention, I would seek out a DAN (defeat autism

now)doctor for a complete assessment. Many children with autism have

severe digestive and immunity problems that create great stress for

them. I am a psychologist who specializes in treating behavior

challenges with children on the spectrum. It sounds like your son's

nervous system is very anxious and disorganized. The nervous system

of these children are very fragile and often weakened by sensory

issues, digestive problems, and co-exiting psychiatric conditions.

The first step in treatment should be to stablize the child's nervous

system so he can feel calm and organized. Than he can take advantage

of whatever treatment that you provide him.

Bill

>

> Hello everyone,

>

> I am new member and Dad of ten year old autistic boy with severe

> behavior problems. He pinches and scratches us, especially my wife

and

> sometimes kicks us. He also has self injury behavior such as head

> banging against walls and the floor. He punches his face with his

> fists, specifically his nose, cheeks and forehead and chin. He

wears a

> special helmet sometimes and has worn elbow splints in the past to

> prevent him from hitting his face. He has stomach inflammation and

also

> has a feeding tube in his stomach with a Nissan fundoplication

which is

> surgery to prevent him from vomiting which he had chronically

before

> his G (gastonomy)tube surgery. He has other issues as well but now

I am

> out of breath discussing him, so again this is just an introduction

and

> chance to say hello.

>

> Barry

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Barry and welcome to you and your family.It sounds like your son would benefit from a sensory diet. He may be underprocessing and does not realize that he is pinching hitting biting hard. Also the fact that he is biting tells me he needs some deep compression in the jaw area and is trying to get it by biting, and would also benefit from joint compresssion, lifting heavy objects, etc. My son is 15, used to do all of those things and has benefitted from sensory integration techniques. Deep compression and joint compression tends to be very calming for the child. I start with joint compression on all his fingers, working my way down his arms with every joint, I have even done his legs, feet toes and chest. Another good exercise would be JUMPING ...jumping provides deep compression for the legs and trunk areas. My son 's favorite was compression on the top of his head...affecting his vertabrae also.I urge you to check out sensory processing websites such

as www.sensoryprocessing.com and www.spdnetwork,org. Also a very good book is "The OUt of Sync Child" by Carol Stock Kranowitz Peace and HOPE! Lindy

[Guest guest]

Hi Barry and welcome to you and your family.It sounds like your son would benefit from a sensory diet. He may be underprocessing and does not realize that he is pinching hitting biting hard. Also the fact that he is biting tells me he needs some deep compression in the jaw area and is trying to get it by biting, and would also benefit from joint compresssion, lifting heavy objects, etc. My son is 15, used to do all of those things and has benefitted from sensory integration techniques. Deep compression and joint compression tends to be very calming for the child. I start with joint compression on all his fingers, working my way down his arms with every joint, I have even done his legs, feet toes and chest. Another good exercise would be JUMPING ...jumping provides deep compression for the legs and trunk areas. My son 's favorite was compression on the top of his head...affecting his vertabrae also.I urge you to check out sensory processing websites such

as www.sensoryprocessing.com and www.spdnetwork,org. Also a very good book is "The OUt of Sync Child" by Carol Stock Kranowitz Peace and HOPE! Lindy

[Guest guest]

Thanks Bill and hello,

The nearest DAN doctor that I am aware of is a four to five hour drive from our home. But I will have my wife ask friends of hers that have children on the autism spectrum about that. I did try vitamin B-6 with magnesium for our son but it appeared to have no effect.

Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Hi and thank you for the kind welcome.

We live in South Florida. Our son sounds quite a lot like your son with self injury behaviors, reflux and vomiting and being destructive to property in our home. is now on Zoloft and Klonopin for behaviors and Zantac for his stomach problems. He also is prescribed Atarax syrup which is an antihistamine that helps calm him down during his rampages and tantrums which he seems to have on a daily basis.

Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the kind welcome Pat. No, is non verbal , but we are trying to work with him using real photos placed on a communicator device which offers him a choice between two items to pick from. He also is learning to use the sign language for 'MORE" to ask for more food but that is about it.

Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the kind welcome Pat. No, is non verbal , but we are trying to work with him using real photos placed on a communicator device which offers him a choice between two items to pick from. He also is learning to use the sign language for 'MORE" to ask for more food but that is about it.

Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Yes , 's behaviors do worsen when he gets upset or agitated which almost always leads to him hurting himself in some way. But what the cause of the agitation is can sometimes be a mystery. Lately, I just think it is something physical like gas or cramping pains in his belly. He does swallow air too and started this odd behavior a couple of years ago which of course gives him more bloating in his belly. seems to require deep pressure as well. We just got a pressure vest today that I ordered so I will see if that helps with 's need for deep pressure.

Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Hi Barry, welcome to the group Aprilgem5860 <GEM5860@...> wrote: Hello everyone,I am new member and Dad of ten year old autistic boy with severe behavior problems. He pinches and scratches us, especially my wife and sometimes kicks us. He also has self injury behavior such as head banging against walls and the floor. He punches his face with his fists, specifically his nose, cheeks and forehead and chin. He wears a special helmet sometimes and has worn elbow splints in

the past to prevent him from hitting his face. He has stomach inflammation and also has a feeding tube in his stomach with a Nissan fundoplication which is surgery to prevent him from vomiting which he had chronically before his G (gastonomy)tube surgery. He has other issues as well but now I am out of breath discussing him, so again this is just an introduction and chance to say hello. Barry

[Guest guest]

What kind of communicating device does your son have? Pat K

[Guest guest]

Barry,

My son also gets self injurous once he's really agitated and also has

" mysterious " triggers for his behavior which is so frustrating.I'm sure you,like

me,try to avoid those triggers but when you don't even know what some of them

are it's just impossible,my son being limited verbally just compounds the

situation too. You said your son swallows air,I was just curious..does he make a

" gulping " sound when he does it?

My son had been diagnosed with Gastric Reflux and he used to make this gulping

sound..like swallowing air .Our kids tend to have very " atypical " sypmtoms when

something is ary medically/physically and that just adds to our frustration as

parents trying to figure what or where the pain or discomfort is coming from and

why.The pressure vest sounds like a good idea ..I hope that works for him.

Stacey

From: GEM5860@...

Date: Mon Jul 03 21:10:56 CDT 2006

autism

Subject: Re: Hello, I am new member of group

Yes , 's behaviors do worsen when he gets upset or agitated which

almost always leads to him hurting himself in some way. But what the cause of

the agitation is can sometimes be a mystery. Lately, I just think it is

something physical like gas or cramping pains in his belly. He does swallow air

too and started this odd behavior a couple of years ago which of course gives

him more bloating in his belly. seems to require deep pressure as well.

We just got a pressure vest today that I ordered so I will see if that helps

with 's need for deep pressure. Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Barry,

My son also gets self injurous once he's really agitated and also has

" mysterious " triggers for his behavior which is so frustrating.I'm sure you,like

me,try to avoid those triggers but when you don't even know what some of them

are it's just impossible,my son being limited verbally just compounds the

situation too. You said your son swallows air,I was just curious..does he make a

" gulping " sound when he does it?

My son had been diagnosed with Gastric Reflux and he used to make this gulping

sound..like swallowing air .Our kids tend to have very " atypical " sypmtoms when

something is ary medically/physically and that just adds to our frustration as

parents trying to figure what or where the pain or discomfort is coming from and

why.The pressure vest sounds like a good idea ..I hope that works for him.

Stacey

From: GEM5860@...

Date: Mon Jul 03 21:10:56 CDT 2006

autism

Subject: Re: Hello, I am new member of group

Yes , 's behaviors do worsen when he gets upset or agitated which

almost always leads to him hurting himself in some way. But what the cause of

the agitation is can sometimes be a mystery. Lately, I just think it is

something physical like gas or cramping pains in his belly. He does swallow air

too and started this odd behavior a couple of years ago which of course gives

him more bloating in his belly. seems to require deep pressure as well.

We just got a pressure vest today that I ordered so I will see if that helps

with 's need for deep pressure. Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Hi Barry,

I didn't read this post first so you'll have 2 responses from me!WOw,yeah our

boys sound like they have a whole lot in common. I know people try to understand

but unless you live it on a daily ..you have no idea.My son also has these

" rages " although they've calmed down since I started him on vitamins(Omega 3,6,9

,childrens multi-vitamin,and calcium magnesium) I still have him on Buspirone at

10mg.Prior to that we tried Metadate,Abilify,Adderal

ER,Seroquel,Risperdal.Risperdal caused weight gain which I believe

caused/agrivated the reflux(he'd have projectile vomiting)the others either

constipated him or eliminated his desire to eat.My son also has epilepsy (dx'd

at age 4)we then tried many meds before we got to the combination we've had for

several years which is Klonopin/depakote.When my son would have these " raging "

episodes it was so bad that I wished I had a valium to give him ..just so he

could calm down.Once he starts theres just no way to redirect him,comfort

him,calm him down.So I can understand your need for the Atarax.How does the

Zoloft work for him? Is this the first med you've tried for his aggressive

behaviors so far?

Stacey

From: GEM5860@...

Date: Mon Jul 03 20:58:56 CDT 2006

autism

Subject: Re: Hello, I am new member of group

Hi and thank you for the kind welcome. We live in South Florida. Our son

sounds quite a lot like your son with self injury behaviors, reflux and

vomiting and being destructive to property in our home. is now on

Zoloft and Klonopin for behaviors and Zantac for his stomach problems. He also

is prescribed Atarax syrup which is an antihistamine that helps calm him down

during his rampages and tantrums which he seems to have on a daily basis.

 Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Hi Barry,

I didn't read this post first so you'll have 2 responses from me!WOw,yeah our

boys sound like they have a whole lot in common. I know people try to understand

but unless you live it on a daily ..you have no idea.My son also has these

" rages " although they've calmed down since I started him on vitamins(Omega 3,6,9

,childrens multi-vitamin,and calcium magnesium) I still have him on Buspirone at

10mg.Prior to that we tried Metadate,Abilify,Adderal

ER,Seroquel,Risperdal.Risperdal caused weight gain which I believe

caused/agrivated the reflux(he'd have projectile vomiting)the others either

constipated him or eliminated his desire to eat.My son also has epilepsy (dx'd

at age 4)we then tried many meds before we got to the combination we've had for

several years which is Klonopin/depakote.When my son would have these " raging "

episodes it was so bad that I wished I had a valium to give him ..just so he

could calm down.Once he starts theres just no way to redirect him,comfort

him,calm him down.So I can understand your need for the Atarax.How does the

Zoloft work for him? Is this the first med you've tried for his aggressive

behaviors so far?

Stacey

From: GEM5860@...

Date: Mon Jul 03 20:58:56 CDT 2006

autism

Subject: Re: Hello, I am new member of group

Hi and thank you for the kind welcome. We live in South Florida. Our son

sounds quite a lot like your son with self injury behaviors, reflux and

vomiting and being destructive to property in our home. is now on

Zoloft and Klonopin for behaviors and Zantac for his stomach problems. He also

is prescribed Atarax syrup which is an antihistamine that helps calm him down

during his rampages and tantrums which he seems to have on a daily basis.

 Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

My 12 year old has had sudden dramatic increase in SIB - hand-biting, hitting his head, leg and chest. In the past most of his SIB was related to stomachahces and constipation. Now, it appears to be related to frustration, not pain. He is off school for a few weeks and is not tolerant of any demands.His hands are a mess and I've decided I need to get this under control.

As well, last night I gave him melatonin for the first time and he got a headache. Has anyone had this problem? I could actually see his temples were red and his ears were red. He often gets hot ears when he has pain.

Also, I am curious as to success with medications. I tried respiridol and it just made him fat. I still have him on it at night but it does nothing to reduce aggression and SIB.

Janet

Re: Hello, I am new member of group

Hi and thank you for the kind welcome.

We live in South Florida. Our son sounds quite a lot like your son with self injury behaviors, reflux and vomiting and being destructive to property in our home. is now on Zoloft and Klonopin for behaviors and Zantac for his stomach problems. He also is prescribed Atarax syrup which is an antihistamine that helps calm him down during his rampages and tantrums which he seems to have on a daily basis.

Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Hi Pat,

has what's called a rocking communicator that offers a choice between 2 things. The pads are colored blue and yellow and you can record 2 different massages on it. It is used in his school so we wished to keep the same consistent items to work with at home. You can find it on Enablingdevices.com , I will check to verify web site.

Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Yes, it is indeed frustrating. only form of communication is either crying, screaming or hitting himself. He also takes the heel of one of his feet and kicks his other knee. He really kicks and punches himself quite hard. Our home behaviorist bought us punch mitts to block his hitting. Punch mitts are what boxers use to practice with for throwing punches. Matt does gulp when swallowing air, but this only started a couple of years ago. His chronic vomiting and reflux began around his third birthday. The air swallowing may be his way of relieving his stomach discomfort. We just take everything one day at a time here. Thank goodness he is getting extra weeks of summer school and is in a special camp for children with behavior problems.

Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

,

has been on Clonidine, Risperdal, Seroquil, Zyprexa, Ativan, Naltrexone, Prozac,

Valium, Depakene, Trileptal, Abilify and many others I don't remember. Risperdal can aggravate seizures in those with a history of it, so it is a good thing your son is not on that still. The Zoloft which is an antidepressant seems to help the most for him. Prozac helped him too but gave him terrible diarrhea. Yes, a lot of these drugs as similar to your son's case, caused constipation which made 's behaviors worsen. Nobody dose understand unless you go thru it day to day. I hope you have the time and energy to find some local support groups in your area to meet folks with the same issues. Please feel free to e mail me with advice or needed support. Also, I was thinking of getting Matt started on Buspar. Any advice on this medicine in relation to how it helps or does not help your son. And also there is no reason why Valium can not be prescribed for your son. It is in the same category as Klonopin being an anti-anxiety medicine.

Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Thank you April

Barry

[Guest guest]

Hi Janet,

My son tried Risperdal as well and had the same result..weight gain.No control

over aggression and impulsiveness,destructiveness.I have all but given up on

meds being able to give some relief.We've also tried Adderal

ER,Metadate,Seroquel,Abilify and now we're on Buspirone(buspar)he's on 10mg in

the a.m. and I'm also supplementing with vitamins (Omega 3,6,9 a childrens

multi-vitamin,and Calcium magnesium)which is the only thing thus far that has

helped at least with the explosive rage and SIB I'm looking for a liquid B12 to

add.

I've seen immediate response with the addition of the vitamins.I know that his

aggression is tied to frustration and like Barry was saying ,it's the triggers

that you're unaware of that are even worse.I was thinking that there was some

physical discomfort perhaps,so I've taken him to a dentist that put him to sleep

so they could get xrays,they found nothing other than he needed to do a sealant

on a few teeth because there's no enamel(he grinds his teeth)I've tried to rule

out any digestive issues,he had an endoscopy last august(he had really bad

Reflux) that's under control.

I've also had some testing done as far as stool sample(for blood,parasitic

growth)and food allergy tests and celiac screen.It's difficult when your child

cannot tell you what hurts or bothers them(my son is limited verbally)Oh,and the

Melatonin..I've not had that experience with my son getting a headache.Is there

any other ingredients in it?Anyway,these are just some of the things we've done

so far I hope this was helpful.

Stacey

From: Janet Shaughnessy <jshaughnessy4@...>

Date: Wed Jul 05 14:49:45 CDT 2006

autism

Subject: Re: Hello, I am new member of group

My 12 year old has had sudden dramatic increase in SIB - hand-biting, hitting

his head, leg and chest. In the past most of his SIB was related to stomachahces

and constipation. Now, it appears to be related to frustration, not pain. He is

off school for a few weeks and is not tolerant of any demands.His hands are a

mess and I've decided I need to get this under control.As well, last night I

gave him melatonin for the first time and he got a headache. Has anyone had this

problem? I could actually see his temples were red and his ears were red. He

often gets hot ears when he has pain.Also, I am curious as to success with

medications. I tried respiridol and it just made him fat. I still have him on it

at night but it does nothing to reduce aggression and SIB. Janet ----- Original

Message ----- From: GEM5860@... To:

autism Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 9:58 PM

Subject: Re: Hello, I am new member of group

Hi and thank you for the kind welcome.   We live in South Florida. Our

son sounds quite a lot like your son with self injury behaviors,

reflux and vomiting and being destructive to property in our home. is

now on Zoloft and Klonopin for behaviors and Zantac for his stomach problems.

He also is prescribed Atarax syrup which is an antihistamine that helps calm

him down during his rampages and tantrums which he seems to have on a daily

basis.   Regards, Barry

[Guest guest]

Janet,

Just the fact that your son is off school for a few weeks could be a cause of his behaviors. Our son's behaviors always worsen when his daily routine is changed or interrupted. Matt's behaviors also worsen when he is in physical pain or discomfort. If the Risperdal is not effective, then why not take him off it. This is a heavy duty anti-psychotic drug that is prescribed for schizophrenia. Sometimes I wonder if my son is better off being on no medications at all.

Take care, Robin

[Guest guest]

Most agitated behavior (self abuse, hitting, kicking, throwing

things, head banging, etc.) provides very strong proprioceptive

stimulation (resistance to joints and muscles). This tends to

release stress chemicals from the nervous system, helping it rebound

and organize. For many children, once the stress chemicals

accumulate to the point of melt down, they seek out behavior that

will help release the stress chemicals. It is very important that

children on the spectrum are given frequent up and moving, push/pull,

lift/carry, any gross motor activity, throughout the day.

This helps to release stress chemicals before they accumulated to

boiling point.

It is also very important to observe what communicative function the

behavior serves. What is the child trying to communicate. Once you

understand that, than we need to provide an alternative way to

communicate. However, that is easier said than done.

Good Luck,

Bill

>

> Barry,

> My son also gets self injurous once he's really agitated and also

has " mysterious " triggers for his behavior which is so

frustrating.I'm sure you,like me,try to avoid those triggers but when

you don't even know what some of them are it's just impossible,my son

being limited verbally just compounds the situation too. You said

your son swallows air,I was just curious..does he make

a " gulping " sound when he does it?

>

> My son had been diagnosed with Gastric Reflux and he used to make

this gulping sound..like swallowing air .Our kids tend to have

very " atypical " sypmtoms when something is ary medically/physically

and that just adds to our frustration as parents trying to figure

what or where the pain or discomfort is coming from and why.The

pressure vest sounds like a good idea ..I hope that works for him.

>

> Stacey

>

>

> From: GEM5860@...

> Date: Mon Jul 03 21:10:56 CDT 2006

> autism

> Subject: Re: Hello, I am new member of group

>

>

> Yes , 's behaviors do worsen when he gets upset or

agitated which almost always leads to him hurting himself in some

way. But what the cause of the agitation is can sometimes be a

mystery. Lately, I just think it is something physical like gas or

cramping pains in his belly. He does swallow air too and started this

odd behavior a couple of years ago which of course gives him more

bloating in his belly. seems to require deep pressure as

well. We just got a pressure vest today that I ordered so I will see

if that helps with 's need for deep pressure. Regards, Barry

>