The famend autism professional Tony Atwood is keen on placing it this manner: “Autism is nervousness on the lookout for a goal.” Autism and nervousness go hand-in-hand. Autism impacts an individual’s capacity to speak with others or to know the world round him, and that is sure to trigger nervousness and panic generally.
Anxiety turns into even worse when there’s a change within the autistic kid’s routine. Even optimistic and “enjoyable” modifications, like a college area journey or a go to to the zoo, can improve nervousness and aggressive behaviors.
For folks, one of the best plan of action is to anticipate upcoming modifications and assist your youngster put together for them. Many dad and mom discover it useful to make use of tales and photos to arrange youngsters for impending disruptions. If it is a area journey to the zoo, for instance, use photos to indicate your youngster what he’ll see on the zoo, what the zoo shall be like, and what kind of issues to count on. Do that every day for 3 or 4 days previous to the journey. That approach, when the journey really occurs, the kid will not be completely out of his aspect, however will already perceive and respect some of what is going to be occurring.
Different modifications within the routine are much less pleasing however nonetheless crucial. Getting a brand new instructor may be traumatic, as can shifting to a brand new home. If in any respect doable, attempt to unfold out the most important modifications. Should you transfer to a brand new home, attempt to do it through the summer time, in order that your youngster will not need to take care of the added nervousness of getting a brand new college and new instructor mid-year.
You too can introduce your youngster to the idea of “change” in a optimistic approach by working towards with non-negative issues. For instance, only for follow, give him just a little further TV time as a substitute of homework time one night time, to indicate that modifications within the routine can usually be enjoyable and good. Then follow with a impartial change (homework after dinner as a substitute of earlier than dinner), then with a destructive one (altering play time into chore time). This course of may help your youngster develop accustomed to the concept of change and study to adapt with out changing into anxious.
For continuous, ongoing nervousness, many dad and mom have begun utilizing anti-anxiety drugs for his or her autistic youngsters. Normally, the drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and are additionally used for obsessive-compulsive dysfunction and despair. Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft and Anafranil are all frequent for nervousness in autistic youngsters.
For behavioral issues, antipsychotics reminiscent of Haldol, fluphenazine and chlorpromazine may be prescribed. These can cut back aggression in autistic youngsters, however generally additionally trigger sedation and muscle stiffness.
All sufferers are completely different. You and your physician ought to monitor your kid’s progress very carefully, utilizing the bottom dose of treatment doable, to see if what enhancements it makes and whether or not there are any antagonistic reactions. Remedy ought to be the final resort for autism, not the primary one. There are a variety of pure cures accessible if you happen to do not wish to go down the drug route. However strive behavioral and dietary modifications first, to see what enhancements may be made naturally.
