mbrown

Hello Elaine. Our boy's school tried to use earplugs and headphones(like ear defenders not phones as such), to see if that woul dhelp his concentration in school. Unfortunately this didn't work as he said he couldn't hear the classroom noise any more but he could 'hear' his own body really loud. They were than going to try using proper headphones playing music or sounds but they haven't gotten around to trying it yet. I really wanted to post a message regarding my son's use of risperidone. after only two weeks I have noticed a huge difference. His teacher has been calling everyday to let us know how good he has been behaving and how well he is managing with his work. He isn't 'zombified' as I had feared before. He seems very happy and more relaxed at home. In fact the whole house seems more relaxed and calm. So it's a case of so far so good with it just now. I'll keep you posted about any developments. Mike

I thought that it was a bit odd when th emessage board says last message posted was yesterday but the dates on th e2 messages contained in the post are dated january?? Maybe some replies have gone astray. What I wanted to say was that I have been giving my son risperidone for a couple of weeks and there has been a marked change in him. He was becoming very aggressive in school with a real danger of him being excluded and he was almost in a constant state of being stressed out if he was spoken to or interrupted while doing anything. I was extremely reluctant to go down the medication route but thanks to one or two very positive replies I received on this site(for the life of me I cant find them anywhere), helped me and my wife to make up our minds. As in most cases when being with someone 24 hours a day you don't always notice changes immediately. One thing I did realise after the first week how few arguments had occurred in the house. There is a more relaxed atmosphere throughout the home both in th emorning and in the evening. There hasn't been any ill side effects showing at all. He was taking melatonin to help him sleep(still is), although it doesn't appear to be quite as effective. The school have said nothing but positive things about our lad's behaviour and work since starting the medication. So personally I am happy the way things are progressing at the moment. Our boy is much happier and there is less stress in the house all round. My plan is to keep him on it until just after christmas and see if he is more relaxed without it than he was before. Good luck Mike

Thank you Elanor for your reply. You have certainly resolved a few worries that I had been stressing over. I had dwelt too much on all the negative aspects of the information supplied with the medicine. I may have read topo much between the lines also. There is nothing quite as good as getting someones first-hand experiences to make things clearer. I understand what you say about it being no substitute for positive parenting and the correct intervention at school etc. While these strategies do work to a good degree, it is clear that my lad needs a little more help with his stress and anxiety in order that he can achieve his full potential either academically o rsocially. Thanks again for your help. I'll let you know how things progress with us. Mike

Hello All, I was wondering if I could jump on to this post to ask some advice. My 10 year old boy with Asperger's and probably OCD has just been prescribed Respiridone. We can't get him to take the pill form at all so the doctor is sending out the liquid form. I was hoping to avoid using 'tranquilising' drugs, but have always maintained the view that if it is in his best interests, (not ours), then we would try them. His aggression doesn't seem to be on the same scale as mentioned by others in this post. He doesn't trash the house or break things. He is becoming more aggressive in his nature and speech. This year he has been in a lot of trouble with hitting and fighting at school. I was hoping that the doctor would take a more psychological approach but he immediately recommended Risperidone. The bottom line is I'm terrified that I 'lose' my lad. I don't want him to become a zombie. I don't want to change him into someone else. I want him to be happy in himself. He is in mainstream school and I don't want his academic abilities adversely affected. I know that the final decision is down to his mum and me but I would value any advice and anyones experience of it's use. Thanks Mike

Hello Sophie, I have a 10 year old boy with Asperger's syndrome and we have been trying a GF only diet for a few months. I will make no bones about it , a diet like this is hard to enforce and enforce isn't too strong a word. It is hard. Personally, I found a difference in my boy very quickly. He became more talkative and it is sometimes difficult to get him to stop!! For the first part of this year, his teacher said that he had improved in class, which was good buit since then his behaviour deteriorated so the GF diet is not a 'cure all' If you can stick to it(100%) give it a go. There are no ill side effects from using such a diet. After 4 or 5 months I am still determining if the diet is actually of benefit. We started the diet by ourselves because it is very difficult to get a doctor to prescribe such a diet. Recently we have found out that our GP will indeed fund or prescribe a GF diet for 3 months as a trial to see if there are any 'continued' benefits to be had from following it. Good luck mike

Hello Everyone, I like most of you dread the thought of having to give drugs such as ritalin to our son, and up until now we have not needed to, BUT! Now don't come down on me like a ton of bricks here but i feel that any medication I may have to give to my son in the future would wholly be for his benefit, not to make life easier for us, his school or anyone else but himself I know that there is a lot of stigma attached to using drugs to correct what most people see as just bad behaviour At the moment we are pursuing a dietry approach, gluten free, with a little success. While the worst behaviours are bearable at least we shall continue this way. If our boy was to develop violent tendencies to others and himself i would have to reconsider I think. There are alternatives to Ritalin of course but you have to be wary as most sites regarding them are the manufacturers own and they are bound to paint a good picture of them. I might be ablke to visit a couple of sites of certainly Asperger sufferers(i hate using that word) to see if any of them have needed to try any of these treatments. Now as I said don't start throwing things at me it's only my opinion <'> MIKE

Hello all, My wife has just completed such a will. In it we have named two aunts as trustees for our son should we both die before he is 18. any competent solicitor would be able to word it so that the childs interests are best taken care of. I do not have time at present to detail how it is written but will try later to put up something. As for price. �500 ?? shop around! As well as the will we had some house problems that had to be dealt with and the total bill was �572. I would have thought that the 'Will' portion of the bill should not have been more than half of that. BFN Mike

Hello Everyone, I too have taken amitryptyline in the past. the longest period was for about a year. The good thing about that particular drug is that it is non-addictive which avoids more problems when trying to stop taking it. I have always thought of such medication for an AS child to be a sort of last resort but I would not let my prejuduices prevent my boy getting such treatment if it was completely in his own best interests. I am a believer in trying to take a positive mental approach to anxiety and depression. There are many good sites online that cater for this. I heard on the radio today of a drug free program of help for anxiety and depression. It is basically a computer programme that provides cognitive therapy and offers advice and strategies on self help. It sounded really good. Unfortunately i didn't catch it all but it was on radio 4. It might be possible to learn about it from the BBC web site. Hang on in there whether it's you or a loved one needing the treatment. Take care Mike

Hi Nikki, we have had our 9 year old boy on a GF diet for around 2 or 3 months. I thought at first that there was an almost immediate difference in his behaviour. He was more talkative and seem to take in what was being said a little better. A llittle later Iwasn't quite so sure, as both denying him food he really wanted and trying to introduce certain GF foods that he considered to be 'poison', often resulted in screams and tantrums. However, a recent talk with his teacher has revealed that in the last month his behaviour in class has been very good, his concentration is up, and he has been less physical when trying to get other childrens attention. He will talk to them intstead of poking, or a very irritating tap, tap, tap, tap....... on the shoulder. I am hoping deep down that this improvement is down to the GF diet, because it has been really hard. Our boy had a limited diet to begin with so taking his favourite foods off the menu was very difficult. His mother and I decided at the beginning that we had to give it , 'a good go', nomatter how hard. At home our we have tried to keep any forbidden food out of sight,(lock up the biscuits), and our boy is getting more used to things. we still have problems at the shops when he sees something he really likes and is then told he can't have it. The more you learn the more foods can be introduced to the diet. remeber almost everything that contains gluten has a GF equivalent, albeit some rotten tasting ones. There are also many foods that are naturally gluten free. It takes a long time for the gluten to get out of the system so don't expect very quick results. There is lots of info out there. You will become a master at reading food labels. Our lad reads the labels too. All of the big stores will, on request send a list of all products that they sell which are gluten free, dairy free, etc. Be warned though, these lists are not all 100% accurate, you still need to read labels. e.g. Asda says there own corn flakes and rice krispies are GF but included in the ingredients is maltodextrin (from barley I believe) and therefore has gluten. I'm sure other people can give you tips. If you have any Q's please feel free to ask. Good luck with your plans. Mike

Hello Guys, Thanks for the replies, but, please call me Mike

I have a file which has dummy pages for DLA forms and has examples of answers to put down. I wasn't sure about posting it on this board as it is rather long. The colour and appearance is changed during posting too. If anyone would like me to e-mail the original send me a PM if you like. P.S. I didn't create it. MIKE Red Questions are the main questions Blue Questions are the sub Questions Q~ About the Child A~ Fill in this section ! child ref No you will find on the letter you received with this form. Tick all boxes ! except blind/partially sighted.....has hearing problems.......has physical disabilities unless these apply. Q~ Walking Outdoors A~ Tick Yes ! In the box write something like this ...........My child tires very quickly & is clumsy therefore he trips & falls often. We use a Major Stroller to contain & restrain him/her as they are prone to running away & also find crowds distressing which cause him/her to be Hyper & panic. My child is also prone to attacking anyone who gets too close. The buggy helps in restraining & controlling him/her it also helps him/her feel safer & secure. Q~ How many days a week ? A~ Every day Q~ How far can the child walk A~ 50 Metre's Q~How long does it take them to walk this far ? A~15-20 minutes Q~If the child needs someone with them when they are outdoors ? A~Tick Yes ! In the box write something like this:- My son/daughter needs someone with them at all times outdoors as they are Severely Mentally Impaired , he/she has behavioural problems & severe learning difficulties , he/she has no sense of fear & will therefore bolt & run into the road , putting himself/herself in danger & endangering other people , he/she needs constant encourage to stay calm , needs almost constant soothing . He/she would wander off & get lost & would then be unable to ask for help , he/she would walk away with any person who approached them . He/she tends to violence when upset & would attack anyone coming too close. He/she is unable to ask/find a toilet & use it unaided & needs prompting & encouraging to use it , he/she would be unable to to procure food/drink & unable to feed/drink them selves & he/she needs promting & encouraging to feed/drink . He / she is incontinent & still in nappies .(if this applies). Q~Someone to keep an eye on the child A~Tick yes !Write something like this for during the day;- My son/daughter needs someone with them at all times as they are Severely Mentally Impaired , he/she has behavioural problems & severe learning difficulties , he/she has no sense of fear , & does not recognise danger signs , putting himself/herself in danger & endangering other people , he/she needs constant encourage to stay calm , needs almost constant soothing . He/she tends to violence when upset & often attack . He/she is unable to ask for a toilet & use it unaided & needs prompting & encouraging to use it , he/she needs promting & encouraging to feed/drink . He/she is incontinent & still in nappies .(if this applies). He/she is unable to take medication unaided . Q~How Many Days A Week ? A~7 days a week Q~How much of the day do they need some with them ? A~Work out the time the child normally gets up in the mornings & the time it normally goes to bed in the evenings ! the answer to the Q is the hours in between . Q~ Roughly how long do they need someone with them each time during the day ? A~15minutes-2hours Q~Why the child needs someone with them during the night ? A~Write something like this:- My son/daughter is incontinent & wets the bed every night , he/she soils during the night & requires changing , including the bedding ! he/she will require washing if she/he soils . He/she becomes very upset at needing changing & having wet/soiled & it is difficult to change him/her taking a great deal of coaxing & calming ! It is then difficult to re-dress him/her again require lots of coaxing & calming . It then takes a long time to settle him/her back down for the rest of the night , may even require further sleeping medication . Q~How many nights a week ? A~ 7 days a week Q~How much of the night does someone have to be awake ? A~Minimum of 2hrs Q~How long do they need someone awake with them each time ? A~Minimum of 2 hours Q~About your childs developement ? A~Tick Yes ! write something like this :- He/she has difficulties cutting up food , speech is echolic , or non verbal (which ever applies) walking is tiring for him/her , He/she has an aversion to hot/cold food , He/she cannot eat normal food , He/she has an aversion to noise/hypersensitive hearing ! certain sounds alarm Him/her . He/she has temper tantrums. Q~How many times a day does the child need help ? A~15-30 times a day Q~How long does it take each time ? A~20minutes -2hrs Q~Does the child have a delay in their developement of learning skills ? A~Tick Yes ! write something like this :- My son/daughter lives in a world of his/her own , he/she is often not even aware of people around him/her . He/she cannot follow simple instructions , he/she has to be coaxed/encouraged/assisted to do even simple things , at times he/she will simple refuse to follow instructions & has to be coaxed/encouraged/assisted to follow the instructions. Certain sounds especially loud sounds scare & upset him/her & he/she will require calming & soothing . Q~How many times a day does the child need help ? A~15-30 times a day Q~how long does it take each time ? A~20 minutes to 2 hours Q~ Does the child have a delay in their development of social skills ? A~Tick Yes Write something like this . My son/daughter has a communication problem , there is little or no eye contact , he/she lives in a world of their own , only plays on their terms , plays on their own in a crowd , does not approach other children/adults to play . Q~ Roughly how many times a day does the child need help ? A~ 20-30 times a day Q~ Roughly how long does it take each time ? A~1-20 minutes Q~Does someone need to help the child develop through play ? A~Yes write something like this . Play is repetitive , we have to monitor the toys he/she plays with & rotate them , he/she does not play appropiately , has little or no imagination , left unattended he/she would simply line up toys . Needs encouragement to take turns , Q~Roughly how many times a day does the child need help ? A~5-10 times a day Q~Roughly how long does it take each time ? A~5-30minutes Q~Waking , getting up & going to bed ? A~Tick Yes ! Q~Does some have to wake the child or encourage them to get up or go to bed ? A~Tick Yes ! write something like this :- My son/daughter sleeps very badly & it is a struggle every night to get them into bed & to keep them there. My son/daughter will refuse to go to bed & falls asleep eventually where ever they happen to be ! & then he/she will need to be carried to bed . My son/daughter will eventually go to bed but will not remain there & has to be encouraged & put back into bed numerous times until eventually he/she falls asleep . Q~How many days a week does the child need this help ? A~7 days a week Q~How many times a day does the child need this help ? A~once a day (twice if a younger child who needs a mid-day nap) Q~How long does it take the child to get out or into bed ? A~10mins-3hours Q~Washing & bathing ? A~Tick Yes ! Q~ does someone have to tell or encourage the child to wash or bath or shower ? A~Tick Yes ! write something like this :- My son/daughter will not bath or wash without encouragement & assistance , sometimes even not then ! At times I have to bodily lift him/her into the bath/shower , he/she needs to be encouraged to actually wash , or I have to wash him/her myself . My son/daughter hates having his/her hair washed & I have to do it myself . My son/daughter has very sensitive gums & refuses to clean his/her teeth & needs encouragement & assistance to perform this task. My son/daughter has no sense of fear so has to be watched whilst in the bath/shower as he/she is likely to empty bottles etc & to play with the taps , possibly causing himself/herself an injury . Q~How many times a day does the child need this help ? A~twice a day Q~How many times a day does the child need help with washing or bath/shower ? A~ twice Q~How long does it take to have a bath or shower ? A~45minutes to 90minutes Q~Getting dressed or undressed ? A~Tick Yes ! Q~Does someone have to encourage the child to get dressed/undressed ? A~Tick Yes ! write something like this :- My son/daughter is unable to dress/undress him/herself , he/she has no idea what clothes are appropriate , & his cor-ordination makes it difficult for him/her to cope with things like briefs & socks . He/she hates getting dressed/undressed & it is a struggle to do it. Q~how many times a day does the child need this help? A~7 days a week Q~How many times a day does the child need this help ? A~3-6 times a day Q~How long does it take the child to get dressed/undressed each time ? A~10minutes - 45minutes Q~Help with toilet needs ? A~Tick Yes ! Q~Does someone have to encourage the child to see to their toilet needs ? A~Tick Yes ! Q~during the day ? A~write something like this :- My son/daughter needs constant encouragement to see to his/her toilet needs & also needs assistance/encouragement with clothing . My son/daughter wears Nappies/pull ups . Q~During the night ? A~write something like this :- My son/daughter wears nappies/pull ups at night but needs changing during the night due to wetting/soiling . My son/daughter has to be lifted during the night & encouraged to use the toilet . Q~How many days a week ? A~7 days a week Q~How many times does the child need this help ? A~during the day ! 6-8 times........during the night ! 1-3 times Q~How long does it take each time ? A~10-20 minutes Q~Communicating with other people A~ YES write something like this . My son/daughter cannot understand or follow simple instructions . These may need to be explained numerous times what is required of him/she , we use PEC cards to show him/her what he/she needs to be doing . We use Makaton to gain his/her attention . At times we have to touch him/her or turn his/her head toward us to gain his/her attention . Q~How many times a day do they need someone to help them understand other people ? A~ 20-30times Q~Roughly how long does it take each time ? A~5-15mins each time Q~Does the child need help being understood by other people ? A~Yes write something like this . My son/daughter has a speech & language disorder , he/she has finds communicating very difficult , he/she has no speech & uses PECS or Makaton , noises or gestures . Speech is often Echolic & Inappropiate . Which ever applies !!!! Q~How many times a day do they need help to make themselves understood by other people ? A~10-20 times Q~Roughly how long does it take each time ? A~5-15 minutes each time Q~Is the child unwilling to communicate with other people ? A~Yes write something like this . My son/daughter has a communication disorder & lives in a world of their own , he/she is often distressed , he/she is often withdrawn or very difficult to handle or hyper . Q~Tellus about the encouragement the child needs to help them communicate with other people A~write something like this . He/she needs to be encouraged to look at people when speaking or being spoken to . He/she will often not listen at all & the more you try to communicate with him/her the more distressed he/she becomes . He/she uses Makaton or/and PECS and/or noises or gestures to communicate . He/she can speak but speech is echolic & inappropiate . Q~How many times a day do they need help to communicate with other people ? A~5-20 times a day Q~ Roughly how long does it takes each time ? A~5-15 minutes each time Q~Eating and drinking Q~Does the child have difficulties eating or drinking ? A~Yes Q~Does the child need to be encouraged to eat or drink ? A~Yes Q~Tell us about the help or encouragement the child needs during the day A~write something like this . Cannot cope with cutlery , uses fingers , cannot cut up food , will not eat food hot/cold . Will only eat certain foods . Will only eat soft food like baby food . Is a very messy eater often has to be fed .Will not remain at the table constantly runs off . Food cannot touch each other on the plate .Uses special childrens cutlery/ High chair / restraints . Will only eat from certain plate , drink for certain cup .whichever applies ! Q~Tell us about the help or encouragement the child needs during the night A~If he/she wakes during the night , he/she may need feeding he/she will need to be encouraged to eat or drink Q~How many days/nights does the child need this help ? A~7 days/nights a week Q~How many times a day/night does the child need this help ? A~ Day = 4-7 times a day Night = 1-3 times a night Q~How long does it take each time ? A~5-20 minutes each time Q~Help with medication ? A~Tick Yes ! For during the day write something like this :- My son/daughter will not co-operate with taking any medication at all , it is always a terrible struggle , sometimes we do not even succeed in getting hi/her to take it . He/she cannot manage his/her inhaler without coaxing & assistance . He /she will not permit creams / plasters to be applied either . A~For at night write something like this :- My son/daughter needs to take further sleep inducing medication , which is again a terrible struggle . Q~How many times a week/night do they need this help ? A~7 days a week ----7 nights a week Q~How many times a day/night do they need this help ? A~4 times a day -------once a night Q~How long does it take each time ? A~10-45 mins Q~Help with Therapy ? A~Tick Yes ! for during the day write something like this :- My son/daughter needs help with therapy , he/she needs coaxing / encouraging /soothing & directing during speech Therapy & play therapy . A~For the night write NONE Q~How many days a week/nights a week does the child need this help ? A~2/3 days a week for during the day--------None at night Q~How many times a day/night does the child need this help? A~1or 2 a day-------None at night Q~How long does it take each time? A~30-60 minutes during the day--------None at night. Q~Help with medical equipment ? A~tick No ! unless this applies Q~Blackouts , fits , seizures or something like this ! A~Tick No ! unless it applies ! if it does write exactly what happens before , after & during a fit . Q~The childs mental Health A~Tick Yes ! Write something like this :- My son/daughter gets anxious & suffers panic attacks & becomes Hyper in crowded places & cannot cope at all . He/she gets very frustrated when unable to complete a task . During these outburst he/she becomes violent towards others & is prone to attacking . he/she also becomes verbally aggressive & will throw objects or try to destroy them . The smallest change to his/her routine can tigger this behaviour , even being told "no" . Q~How often does this happen & how long does the child need help ? A~write something like this :- This outburst , panic attacks etc happen on a daily basis , & numerous times in one day often with in minustes of each other . 10-20 such outbursts a day , 10-45 mins to calm him/her down each time . Q~ Movement & co-ordination A~Tick No ! unless it applies Q~Moving about in doors A~Tick Yes ! Q~Does someone have to tell or encourage the child to move about in doors ? A~Tick YES! write something like this :- My son/daughter often refuses to leave the house & if coaxing fails he/she has to bodily lifted into his/her stroller , we use stair gates around the house to contain him/her to rooms where it is safe for him/her to be . He/she frequently requires bodily lifting into the bath/shower . Q~When the child is in bed at night A~Tick YES! write something like this :- My son/daughter has nightmares & disturbed sleep he/she often needs reassuring/comforting during the night . he/she is a very restless sleeper & often throws the covers off & cannot retrieve them , he/she frequently wets the bed which then requires resheeting , he/she will not remain in bed once awake & has to be given sleep inducing medication to settle them back to sleep , the medication takes an hour to work , during that time I will have to put him/her back to bed several times . Q~How many nights does the child need help ? A~7 nights a week Q~How many times a night does the child need help ? A~1-3 times a night Q~How long each time ? A~10-120 mins Q~Help the child needs when they go out during the day or in the evening Daytime/Evening 1 Swimming :-Taking him/her there , undressing , supervising , drying , redressing , toiletting , refreshments , communicating , taking him/her home again . 2 days a week-------once a day 2 hours 2 Dr's/Hospital; Appointments :- Taking him/her there , refreshments , toiletting , supervising , coaxing , soothing , communicating , taking him/her home. once /twice a week 1-2 hours 3 Hairdressers:-Taking him/her there , refreshments , toiletting , supervising , coaxing , soothing , communicating , taking him/her home. once a month 60-90 minutes . At Home 1 Have family/friends to visit :-Refreshments , toiletting , supervising , coaxing , soothing , communicating 2 days a week-------2 hours each day 2 Play outside:-Refreshments , toiletting , supervising , coaxing , soothing , communicating . 7 days a week---------1 hour each time . 3 Painting/colouring/working on the computor:-Refreshments , toiletting , supervising , coaxing , soothing , communicating , instructing . 5 days a week---------1hour each time. Q Anything else about the way the child is affected by their illnesses or disabilities Here you can write about his/her schooling , problems at school , about their Educational statement . Special Nursery school , special play groups , ARC units , etc anything else you feel the need to say ! Q~ About the childs condition A~write the approx date you first noticed your child had probelms . Q~Do you think the child will still have the problems in 6 months ? A~Tick YES ! then write beside it ! FOR LIFE ! DECLARATION Sign & date Ask someone to fill this section in ! your Health Visitor is usually a good person to do this.

Hello All, We receive DLA for our 9 year old asperger's boy. We were refused 2 or 3 times the first time we applied but won on appeal. After 2 years we had to reapply - something we cant figure out as he should get it for life (until 16 years old when he has to apply as an adult) We had no problems with the second application. First time we got middle component personal care and lower mobility. This time we get higher personal care and lower mobility. On the subject of DLA and tax credits if applicable. When I applied for tax credits a couple of years ago I was asked with a disabled child did we receive higher rate DLA. At the time we didn't and it didn't seem to affect our tax credit. When we began to receive higher component personal care we were a little reluctant to tell the tax credit office immediately thinking that it would reduce our amount. On the contrary because we are in receipt of the higher rate we are entitiled to more tax credit of �890 per year! Always appeal against a refusal and try to get some professionals to back up your claim. Always quote worst case scenarios for your childs behaviour. Good luck Mike

Hello again, I meant to mention in my last post. No matter how effective these diets may be they are not cures. If successful they only work while they are being followed. The benefits are worth it if it means improved performance at school leading to less frustration for our children. Just thought I would add that in case you thought I was pushing a 'miracle cure' (I wish) BFN Mike

Hi Helen, Thanks for the pat on the back. I think that it is our duty to try anything that migth try to normalise our kids behaviour or just iron out soem of the rough spots. I don't know what to expect by following the diet, not a huge change but enough to justify it I hope. We will carry on for another few months and see what happens. Friends of mine with Autistic children (David has Asperger's), have mentioned huge, changes in behaviour and motor skills. I have to say that they are also doing the dairy free diet at the same time, (my sanity ciouldn't manage that as well at the moment) Good luck to anybody trying out any diet with their kids. You will get to learn a lot about what we put in ourselves, and you will ask yourself often, "What the heck do they put that in there for???" Bye for now Mike

Hello Furby1 and All, On the subject of food intolerances I have a lot of friends who swear by a gluten free and casein free diet, to improve the behaviour of their children. I am trying a gluten Free diet with my son who is 9 and has Asperger's. There is a definite change but it has thrown up some strange side effects. He answers questions more promptly and to a degree does things at first request. He has definitely become more talkative and strikes up conversations although some of his speech is more aggressive, in tone , not content. I have not gone down a dairy free path yet. The GF diet is very difficult at first. How do you explaing that all the favourite foods are no longer on the menu? David had a limited diet as it was. The GF bread tastes vile he doesn't like any of the biscuits on offer. No more MacDonalds, fish and chips, chicken nuggets, certain soups, toast the list is endless All of the major stores will give you a list on request of all GF foods they sell although these are not 100% accurate. Some stores say that rice crispies and corn flakes are GF but they contain malt extract which contains gluten. We have been on the diet for a month now and we are all gettin ga bit used to it now. He still asks for food he can't have which upsets him a bit. We have managed to find 3 breakfast cereals so far, GF corn flakes, chocolate stars and a corn golden nugget type. 100% beef burgers are usually GF but most burgers are not. We have a butcher that will make up GF sausages, We can get GF fish fingers. We can dress fish in GF breadcrumbs, polenta, batter made from gram flour, Thank goodness he likes potatoes as much as chips. some crisps are ok. Heinz Tomato soup, and ketchup is ok. Other ketchups are not. he is eating more fruit. We haven't found a bread or roll that tastes good at all but we got a GF pizza base and made our own pizza. That tasted really good. If you choose to introduce a special diet, be prepared for a lot of hard work. It is hard but I think worth persevering with. BFN Mike

Hi Kris, Nellie and Trace, Thanks for the warm welcome. I look forward to many good chats with you all. That's it I'm afraid. Have to dash off to work. Mike

Hello Krism & Everyone else in the Forum, I already posted a couple of messages before I discovered this Introduction post. My name is Mike I'm married to Margaret(who doesn't come near the computer), and we have a 9 year old boy who has Asperger's. We come from Glenrothes in Fife and found this site via a link on a local ASD and Autism site. I like very much what I've seen so far. It is great to be able to exchange views, advice and concerns with people who know exactly how we feel. David has been diagnosed for almost 5 years now and it is as devastating now as it was at the time. He is in mainstream school, who could do better, although his last two teachers that taught him for 2 years each were probably the most clued up in the school. I'm beginning to wonder why we did it, but we are trying david on a Gluten Free diet just now. I wouldn't want to put anyone off doing one so I won't go into details here. I'll save it for an appropriate post. Anyway , that's enough for now. I look forward to exchanging thoughts and ideas with all of you in the days and weeks to come. Mike

Hello Simon and Everyone. I have been giving Melatonin to my 9 year old boy, David, who has asperger's. Like you I was concerned about his inability to get to sleep. Once asleep he will sleep soundly through the night but it was a major problem getting him to drop off. We were also concerned that being tired the following day would have an adverse effect on his behaviour. David would lie awake, singing, talking, writing lists(his favourite pastime), of CD's bands, movies in fact anything really. Knowing he is lying awake although quite safe meant we could never really switch off and relax. David's paediatrician recommended melatonin and I can honestly say we hav enever looked back. Like many parents, we were very apprehensive about giving our boy any medication, but after discussing it with the doctor agreed to give it a try. The thing that swayed me was that it was non addictive, had no side-effects and is a naturally occuring substance in the human brain. The dosage may seem high but that is because it has to work through the body unlike the natural substance which is already in the brain. We give the melatonin to David around 30mins before bedtime. We have to disguise it in hot chocolate, yoghurts milk etc. It comes in capsule form which we empty into whatever we are using as a disguise. The first time we tried it I couldn't believe it. Within 10 mins he was siiting on the couch almost asleep, eyes rolling in his head. I thought 'Oh no, what have I done to my kid?' It's never been like that again. He stays up for another half hour or so and goes to bed and is usually asleep within 10 mins. Out of the 200+ nights he has been taking melatonin I would say that he has had problems dropping off no more than 10 times. His behaviour at school did seem to show a little improvement. I would still carry on using it without an improvement in behaviour under the grounds that the more sleep he gets the better. Children can develop an immunity towards it and the effects are not the same with everyone. I would recommend anyone to try it if their children are having difficulty getting to sleep. I hope that this has been of some help to you. Mike