Risperdal 2

[Guest guest]

:

I don't think anyone's saying it won't *help*, I think we're saying don't

expect miracles from it. The first week Andy was on Risperdal, I was

disappointed b/c he slept horribly!! Up at 3 and 4am...seemed almost

" wired " after he took it. It took us a week or so to get out of that mode.

Then we had to play around with the timing of the Risperdal with the Buspar

he takes. I think now, about 5 weeks in, we have figured out all the timing

and are consistent, so we can see what is going on.

Beth suggested a journal and I highly support that. I kept (and still

am keeping) a journal of what I'm seeing (good and bad) so I can weigh out

how things are going.

Andy *is* more aware of things. He notices things he would have missed

otherwise

As a result, he is also more emotional at times. HIs anxiety level remains

under control, probalby because we kept the Buspar, but his happy is

happier and his sad is more sad and more frequent. For instance, during

this last 3 day trip away, he was very upset with the change. (I need to

prepare him better) He got upset at school, chose " angry, Sheryl, Klarice "

(his sped teacher and EA) and then chose " sad, Mom, Dad " from his pictures.

He wanted to go home! He never asks to go home!

He still stims, but it's easy to interrupt it. It was impossible before

buspar, and it's even easier now. He wants to play rather than be alone.

What I was told about Risperdal is that it, like Buspar, may help increase

his *availability* for learning. And being " available " to learn from me or

at school, is worth a lot. I think that " availability " is the " awareness " I

see.

Just remember, the drugs won't magically take the stim stuff away, but make

him more available to redirection and then over time, the stim behaviors

decrease in frequency...and definitely in intensity. But I think our kids

will always have some of these behaviors regardless. We all do.

Be Patient (hard hard hard to do!). Give ti time to work.

j