Children’s GI problems appear less likely to respond to autism treatment and therefore GI symptoms may need to be considered and treated when creating a treatment plan for a child with autism.
The purpose of this study was to study the GI problems in a large sample of children with autism. The authors studied 172 children who entered two large-scale autism drug therapy trials. The groups (GI problems and no GI problems) were the same with regards to sex, race, special education placement, and family background. It seemed that those children who had more GI problems also had more behavioral problems. Children with autism and GI problems also had more social problems than children without GI problems.
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PDD-NOS Repetitive Behavior
Aug 28, 2011 by Claudia CellaI'm looking for guidance. In case of a child with PDD-NOS that shows repetitive behaviours - such as playing the very same scene of a movie over and over - is it advisable to make him stop by using a distractor or negotiation or whatever works with him, or is it better to just let him watch the movie the way he likes?
The boy I have in mind is 7. He has been working with a neurologist, a psychopedagogist and a neurologist since he was diagnosed at 2 and has developed good social skills. He attends school, has friends, is a very calm, loving boy. He´s a happy kid. He usually has some repetitive behaviours but there are days that for no reason at all - at least to my knowledge - the intensity of the repetitive behaviours increases. Instead of playing with his brothers like he usually does, he may spend a whole afternoon watching the same 10 seconds of a movie, normally a funny part that makes him laugh.
So, is it ok to let him do that or should I find the way to make him stop?
College Living for Students with Learning Disabilities, Executive functioning Deficits, Autism Spectrum Disorders (including Autism, Aspergers, and PDD-NOS)
Sep 30, 2010 by AnonymousCollege Living for Students with Learning Disabilities, Executive functioning Deficits, Autism Spectrum Disorders (including Autism, Aspergers, and PDD-NOS)
For students with special needs, life after high school is full of possibilities, including college.
Finding the right college program for students with autism spectrum disorders, Asperger’s, nonverbal learning disorder, ADD/ADHD and other learning disabilities is vital for a college student’s transition into independent adulthood. The right program should provide support for each student’s unique needs and goals.
With the help of New Directions, young adults with learning disabilities are experiencing independence for the first time in their lives. Some of our clients pursue collegiate endeavors and some pursue vocational training/tracks. New Directions helps students attend universities, community colleges, and technical and vocational schools.
For more information, go to http://www.newdirectionsfya.com/ or call 954-571-5102 to contact Dr. Drew Rubin, Ph.D.
Citalopram: No Effect in Autism
Dec 3, 2009 by AnonymousDoes citalopram help children with autism? A Citalopram (Cilexa®) study made a big splash in the autism community this month. Citalopram is an antidepressant that has been prescribed off-label for children with autism. Doctors thought it might reduce repetitive behaviors (rocking, hand flapping, etc.) in children with autism. A new study suggests that it probably won’t make a difference.
Citalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which is a class of drugs that are FDA-approved for depression. SSRIs are said to be widely prescribed off-label for children with autism, but hard numbers are not known because of the off-label use. They are prescribed off-label for other conditions, including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in children.
King et al (2009) reported results of a large randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of citalopram with 149 children (5-17 years old). The children had autism, Asperger syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). All of the children had moderate to severe compulsive or repetitive behaviors. They received citalopram therapy (10-20 mg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks.
Citalopram therapy did not reduce repetitive behaviors or improve any other behaviors that they measured more than placebo. The authors tested more than 11 behaviors and skills using 3 different standard clinical tests.
Why is this important? For one thing, citalopram may be commonly prescribed for children with autism, though it is tough to know just how often. Pair that tidbit with the solid design study. The design is quite solid for this kind of study. They had 149 children in the study, placebo controls, double-blinded design, 12 weeks of drug therapy, and 3 standardized tests for 11 different behaviors. And they found no effect.
The second reason it is important is that this study also showed a noticeable “placebo effect.” The placebo effect is when people who take placebo in the study report having a response (either better or worse). In this study, 34% of children taking placebo showed improvement in the behavioral test scores. The patients and the researchers didn’t know which they were receiving (hence the term “double-blind”). So about 1/3 of the patients showed improvements, whether they took the placebo or the drug.
Pediatric neurologist
Mar 17, 2008 by AnonymousMy son was diagnosed with ADHD 3 years ago. Recently, he was re-evaluated and diagnosed with ADHD, PDD-NOS, and reading and writing deficits. His psychologist feels he has acquired TBI from birth. Does anyone know of a pediatric neurologist that may be knowledgable in this area?
Lorin