JoMarie888 Report post Posted January 12, 2015 Hi I'm new to this site but I thought someone might be able to offer some advice. My son is nearly 16 years old, but was only diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum in April 2013. He was 14 years 3 months then. He had trouble at school from age 8, trouble integrating and dealing with everything going on. He saw an ed psych for the next few years with no ASD diagnosis, just acute anxiety, social communication and social integration problems I was told. Things deteriorated when he was 13 and he became more withdrawn at school but ok at home. He stopped speaking to teachers then his peers, stopped going into the lunch room, disassociating himself from everything. Things got worse 2 years ago when he withdrew from normal life. From January 2013 he stopped going to school, stopped speaking to anybody, even his family and took to his bed. This is the situation I am still in. My son still doesn't speak, lies in bed or on the sofa, can't tolerate light, noise,, smells, has balance problems, headaches, muscle pain and doesn't't like to be touched. My son's teenage years are passing him by and nobody seems to be able to help him. Can anybody help or advise how to help my son? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Waterboatman Report post Posted January 12, 2015 Your son sounds like he has some other type of condition and should see a neurologist, this condition maybe something that can be confused with ASD, and so may have been a misdiagnoses. Otherwise he needs to be seen by a doctor who understands this type of deterioration. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mihaela Report post Posted January 13, 2015 JoMarie, I'm so sorry to hear about your son's decline.He's clearly depressed, and it sounds very much as if he's developed catatonia, which is a recognised later complication of AS and often starts during adolescence. I suspect his experience of school may have initiated this. He may have understated how bad his school experience had been for him - just like I did with my own parents. I've also suffered short catatonic periods lasting from a few days to month - an effect of combining post-traumatic stress with my extreme AS sensitivities. http://www.depression-guide.com/aspergers/catatonia.htm Lorna Wing did some research on this: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/176/4/357.full.pdf+html How does he spend his time? What are are his special interests? It's a shame his diagnosis came so late, for his school life would have improved if he'd received suitable support at school. At least he got it decades before I did.You really must seek professional help for him as soon as you can. The good news is that it can easily be treated - usually within a few days. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoMarie888 Report post Posted January 13, 2015 Hi thanks to both of you who replied, He is on antidepressants which don't seem to be doing much to bring him out of himself. We have also been seen by a clinical psychologist, consultant psychiatrist, paediatrician, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and is now currently under a consultant neuropsychiatrist who says she doesn't know what to do to help him because he won't communicate with her. They talked about taking him into an adolescent mental health unit but decided it would be too traumatic for him, so I think they are now at a loss about what to do next. I get the same answer all the time from the physio and occ therapist, they can't move forward unless he communicates. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Waterboatman Report post Posted January 13, 2015 Have you tried using a animal such as a dog or cat. Something different, the smell texture, I do not know anything about ASD even though I have a diagnoses for it in two days time. All I can think off is to use a stimulation that has a life of its own, even using a young child to talk to him. Sometimes you have to ignore something the individual does not like, anything is worth a try if you get a response that differs. Or I am talking complete unhelpful rubbish? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoMarie888 Report post Posted January 13, 2015 Hi, no of course you're not talking rubbish and i'm really grateful for your interest. I can't have pets unfortunately i am extremely allergic, and he shows no interest in anything really. If anybody speaks to him, even a child, he acts like they're not there and they usually give up after a while. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Waterboatman Report post Posted January 13, 2015 Is there a half way, between him staying where he is and the "adolescent mental health unit", your parents, your siblings, people he has known, a change of surroundings and people, is that possible? Something has to change, to trigger some sort of wake-up, could someone read to him, are you doing that already? His dislikes have to be utilised, somehow he needs to "wake-up" from his depressed state. Depression is hard to escape, its a strange state, I have been there, something very different to the normal, is the only way to break the depressive cycle. I would like to be of help, I have no more ideas, and these are most likely of little use, its frustrating for all. All I can do is wish you better luck in the future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally44 Report post Posted January 28, 2015 How verbal was he before? Was he going to a mainstream or special school? Does he have any interests or hobbies? How long has he been on medication for depression? Is he better or worse on it? You can always work with the psychiatrist and slowly reduce his medication until he is not on anything to see if that makes any difference. My son has high Anxiety and OCD. He was on sertraline for a couple of years, and that actually made him depressed and he almost stopped talking. So we weaned him off it completely and now we are trying something else. The only other thing I would add is to stop doing things for him unless he communicates that he wants it. You can start with pictures to begin with eg. what would you like for dinner [two pictures or words], and he chooses what he wants [unless choice was something he also struggled with alot]. He also sounds like he has a severe sensory integration disorder, which was probably made much worse by experiences in school. Will or can your son leave the house for you to drive him somewhere? Or can the OT give you some OT equipment for him to use at home and do some sensory integration work with him at home? When he was talking did he give you any ideas of clues as to what he was struggling with? How long has he been like this at home? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
