help with hyperactivity/emotional outbursts

[Guest guest]

My 6 y/o high functioning PDD-NOS child does not always handle outside activities very well. He seems very good at home, most of the time, so I wonder if it is a sensory overload issue when we go out. Today was a disaster trying to get my three boys pictures taken at the studio. I have a 6 year old (the autistic), 3 y/o, and 7 m/o. My 6 year old was bouncing off the walls and could not sit still...did not listen to my husband and I at all and it was out of control. Whenever we tried to confine him to an area to settle him down, he had an emotional outburst and very noncompliant and we could not get him to listen. My 3 year old is starting to act this way too because he is learning it from my 6 y/o and copies everything. It's like having twin 3 year olds, really. It's hard to go out and do anything because of

this poor behavior in my autistic child. We have tried many things to calm him, GABA one of them, and nothing seems to be working. We are trying tryptophan right now but no improvement yet...we may need to give it more time. We tried Focalin and are wondering if we should try another stimulant. We hate to go that route but it may be the only thing to get him to think clearly. We are GFCF as well. We just want him to calm down enough to think things through...to think out stressful situations and not control the sensory overload in public or even in other people's homes. We are always walking on eggshells when we go out wondering when the next outburst will be or what poor behavior will happen next. Help...any ideas???