Medication, meltdowns, and mayhem

Meltdowns:

We've experienced more than our fair share of meltdowns.....some have been mild, where as others have been pretty severe. Some people can't seem to understand that when an Autistic child is in meltdown mode -- they can't always control their words and/or actions. I swear I'd love to slap the folks who say "if you discipline them more, they wouldn't do stuff like that!" More than once I've responded with....."Really moron? You really think that you can spank the Autism out of them?" -- seriously.....what idiots those people are! During a meltdown, the child isn't able to "think" -- they just react.....similar to when a wild animal is trapped into a corner. They react to whatever the trigger is that is causing them to feel anxiety, etc and they can't always just "flip a switch" to calm themselves.....at the time, all they want is to flee/escape by whatever means possible.

They may lash out at someone, usually whomever is the closest at the time.....it's nothing personal really, it's just the "luck of the draw".....if you're the person closest to them at the time a meltdown occurs, then you may become the target of their aggression. I've been the target on more than one occasion. If you've never witnessed a meltdown, consider yourself lucky......if you have, then you understand how scary they can be at times. Over the years I've been able to determine what some of the "triggers" are -- things that will automatically trigger a change and/or meltdown......once you discover what these triggers are, you can do your best to avoid them and/or help your child through desensitization. Desensitization is a process which can help to reduce the level of meltdown that will occur......sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Some automatic triggers are:  change in routine, weather/season changes, time changes (you know that "spring ahead" & "fall back" time change stuff), a full moon, and growth spurts......oh yeah, we're learning just how much growth spurts and puberty can trigger issues.  Other triggers can be minor things like a fly buzzing around the room or certain smells.....especially for children who have hypersensitive senses (smell, hearing, touch, etc).....little things that we might not notice can cause them extreme anxiety and issues.

Mayhem:

When dealing with Autism, you always have to expect the unexpected. Just when you think you've got it all figured out.....life throws you a curve ball! Never assume you know everything --- and always be alert. Just because things appear to be going well at the moment, that doesn't always mean that something won't happen.....it's like the calm before the storm. It could be a tiny trigger like the wind blowing the wrong direction or something more obvious.....but it will happen when you least expect it and then "WHAM!".....chaos occurs! Thus most parents and caregivers always seem like they are never 100% relaxed, usually sleep deprived and always on edge....just sitting there waiting.....because they know that mayhem can strike at any moment.

There have been times during a meltdown when I've wished that the nearby gawkers would have jumped in to help out......like for example, the day of my mother's funeral when our son had a meltdown and ran from the funeral home. Of course if the gawkers have no clue what they are dealing with, then they can make a bad situation much worse. Although even just a tad bit of compassion and/or understanding can mean the world to the parent of a child with Autism. It's a shame that more people can't seem to "get it".....a simple outing to the grocery store can be a major production for the parent of a special needs child.

Medication:

I've briefly commented before about medication. Personally, I'm not a fan of medication....although I know it has helped some AI kids tremendously.....after what we went through, I have vowed to never put our son on medication again. Our son has been off of medication for 5 years now and will never go back to using it! Shortly after diagnosis our son was placed on medication....over the coarse of several years, doctors had tried a variety of different medications. Some caused him to become very aggressive, changed his appetite (he wouldn't eat), he wouldn't sleep, had numerous severe meltdowns daily, etc. and other medications resulted in him walking around like a zombie -- so lethargic, etc. almost like he was walking around in a fog.

The last medication caused problems with his heart.....it would make his heart race during "slow" times, like when he was sleeping or doing a calm quiet activity (like reading a book or watching TV) and then other times when he was active (like during P.E. class and recess) the medication would cause his heart to slow way down. It was at that point in time that my husband & I decided we were through with medications. We'd rather deal with whatever meltdowns and behavior issues that might occur vs putting his health at risk by continuing with medication. So we said goodbye to medication....

The difference was like night and day! The day our son stopped taking medications, it was as if someone flipped a switch in his brain......he started eating better, was sleeping through the night, his behavior improved (no more daily meltdowns), and most of all -- he was paying attention more in school and thriving academically. His first year of middle school, he had wonderful grades and was the only AI student in his grade level to make the Honor Roll for the year!

Things aren't perfect....there are still some issues and triggers that result in a mini meltdowns from time to time, but there have been so many improvements -- we feel like we're on the right track at this point. Now we're entering the unknown.....the age of puberty......