advice with asd child

[jules40]

Hi i'm new to the site and would like to tell you a little about my 5yr old daughter Sian. Sian was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago with ASD and shows a lot of autistic traits, although she is also at the high end of the autistic spectrum as she has come along in leaps and bounds with her speech. It has even been mentioned by a few people that Sian shows more Aspergers Syndrome traits than autistic traits, as she is really quite bright and has a very good memory for names, numbers, and is obsessed by very odd things, ie newsreaders, collecting and hoarding of all my creams, bottles anything where she can gather half a dozen of the same thing. She shows no interest in toys, only books, and puzzles, she loves listening to music.

 

SIan also started to have seizures in March and has had 10 up until now. SHe was diagnosed with left temporal lobe epilepsy in July of this year and had been on two different kinds of medication since.

 

So I was wondering whether there are any parents with children with Aspergers Syndrome who also have epilepsy, or is this more with autistic children.

 

Would be grateful for your advice.

 

Jules

[nikrix]

Hi Jules

My daughter who is nearly 9 was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 2, she has not had any seizure since the age of 5.

She was diagnosed with ASD at the age of 6, i dont know if the two are connected. I was told it was more likely with children on the Autistic spectrum.

I would be interested to know myself.

sorry forgot to say welcome.

Nikrix

Edited November 7, 2005 by nikrix

[bid]

Hi

 

I work with young adults with severe epilepsy, and many have a dx of Autism, too.

 

I don't know 'which came first', if you see what I mean!

 

Does the damage from the epileptic seizures cause Autism or Autistic-like behaviour, or does being Autistic predispose you to epilepsy??

 

Sorry I can't help more, but it's a very interesting subject.

 

Bid

[Jadensmum]

Hi Jules and Nikri,

 

Welcome to the forum Jules.

 

My son Jaden was diagnosed with Primary generalised Epilepsy when he was 1 and ASD when he was 2 - he is more to the lower end of the spectrum.

 

J has had 3 grand mal seizures since he was born (and thousands of petit mal ) He is currently on 3ml Epilim twice per day and hasn't had a seizure for nearly a year

 

I was told by the Paedatrician that ASD and Epilepsy often come hand in hand (although I don't know why) and it is unlikely that J will grow out of Epilepsy, as some kids do, because of ASD (but not impossible)

 

 

Denisex

[nikrix]

Hi all, Me again

As i said in my earlier thread, my daughter has had no seizures for a while. I have heard that sometime seizure come back when i child starts going through puberty does any one know if this is the case.

many thanks

Nikrix x

[Jadensmum]

Nikrix, I have heard that too.

 

Jaden didn't have any seizures until he was 5 or 6 months old. I think he was born with Autism but then we didn't notice anything different about him until he was about 9 months old !!!!

 

Denisex

[lisann]

Hi not heard of epilepsy being related to ASD AS but could be.Sure someone on the site will let you know there experiences if they too have ASD AS children with Epilepsy.

 

Welcome to the site tho' it's a good family to join

 

 

Lisa x

[jules40]

Hello again.

 

Has anybody had the same problem at school with their child swearing and shouting out to the extent where they are having to be removed from the class quite a bit.

 

My daughter Sian 5 yrs started mainstream school with a statement in Sept, she seems to have good days where there is hardly any swearing atall to days when she cant stop. This is getting to the stage where I dread picking her up from school. She has also been picked to play an angel in the Xmas play at school which i'm dreading to be honest, dont know how's shes going to be.

 

I must be honest and say that we do have the odd swear word said at home but not to the extent that Sian is using it. We have tried to ignore the swearing when she does it, this seems to help for a while then it starts again, they have tried this tactic at school by ignorning her also, seems to work for a while then will start again.

 

I was also wondering whether the bad language could have anything to do with her ASD, or the epilepsy. Just wondering how much more the school will take.

 

 

Jules

[oracle]

Do you think that she has any control over her swearing? I ask because it is possible for a child with a dx of ASD to also have Tourettes. I would ask to observe your daughter and see if you think she is having uncontroable outbursts or just swearing from sheer frustration.

 

We have had HUGE issues with swearing in our home as my 18 year old with AS uses bad language as a weapon. Sadly the 8 year old picked up all of his colourful words. I am pleased to say with Matthew it burnt itself out quite quickly.

 

I would certainly keep an eye on this and mention it to her consultant.

 

Carole

[Malika]

Hi Jules

 

WELCOME to the forum. <'>

 

My son was Dx with ASD at age 7 even if I was nearly sure about it since he was 5, he does not have epilepsy as such but when he was around 4 he fall on the floor straight on his side and his body was very tense, when he stand up I asked him what happen and he gave me that strange answer "I fall asleep" after another year he once became very rigid on his chair and nearly fall off it.

When I talk to the GP she said to keep watching him but that some children have small seizure but never really develope epilepsy, nothing like this has happen since, but he has long period of tics every day when he twist his face and contracte his hand, he even been told off at school because he was doing rude gesture, when ask he just said that he can't help it, this happens when he get very excited about something he likes.

 

I have always read an heard that children with autism are more likely to have epilepsy, definitly the swearing could be Tourette syndrome which is as well likely to developpe in children with autism, it seems that the 3 conditions are often found overlaping each other but I don't think Drs know why, and it is just based on statistics.

 

May be it would be a good idea to talk to your daughter pediatrician as some medecine for epilepsy may have to be reviewed if she has Tourette as well.

 

Hope this will help.

 

Malika.

[jules40]

Thanks for the replies, it seems over the last few days after trying to explain to Sian that swearing is bad and that we must try and not do this, she used two swear words at home and I told her she would have to go to the naughty room and stop there until she apologised and calmed down. Waited a minute when she came out she apologised and I had no swearing for rest of the day.

 

Hopefully this has done the trick, so should'nt have to put her in the naughty room again.

 

I was wondering whether anyone knew of any groups in the NW London area where mums with kids with ASD can get together for a chat and a coffee. AS this is all still pretty new to myself and my family, it still feels quite scary not knowing what the future will hold for my daughter.

 

Jules

[smiley]

Hiya Jules and Welcome,

 

My son has had absence seisures when he was younger.

 

He also has Tourettes - he doesn't swear (yet! ) but he does have invouluntry tics (twitching) and shouts out for no apparent reason - usually when he's stressed. Might be worth mentioning to his Consultant. xx

 

PARIS is a good site for all sorts of info ;

 

http://www.info.autism.org.uk/Pages/Index.aspx

 

Hope it helps xx

[Malika]

Hi Jules

 

Glad your little one can controle it, unlikely to be Tourette then, is your daughter suffering from tics and unexpected shouting?

 

I live in West London Ealing and we have 2 parents groups here for ASD, one is self run and in Ealing hospital [Windmill Lodge] suppose to have a meeting sometimes in December one is in Ealing Broadway near the station and is run by Contact a Family we have a meeting on the 15th of Decembre probably too far for you but if you wish, PM me and I'll send you more details about it, you may be abble as well to contact "Contact a Familly" they may have something closer to your home.

I have been to another group in Greenford but it is not very active at the moment there is another good one near Hayes but this one is too far for me.

Where are you in the NW london??

 

Take care.

 

Malika.

[jules40]

Thanks again for your replies.

 

I live in Hendon, and at the moment the only group i've become involved with is with MENCAP and they are only once a month. Mind you they are started up more after Xmas to cover other areas.

 

Sian does tend to have bursts of shouting out a lot in class and in assembly, as they keep a home/school book which I have to write in each day and so do the school. Looking back at this she seems to be doing this most days, then obviously she has to be removed from the room.

 

The school has a woman coming in from the LEA (for autism) been in once before to observe Sian, she is coming in to work with the Learning Support Assistant to try and show her ways of dealing with the behaviour etc. Id o hope they can work through all this with Sian and her support as Sian really does seem to enjoy going to school.

 

I have chatted to other parents about how well SIan seems to be doing in her school work, but she still seems to be having a few problems with putting pen to paper and anything to do with writing her name or letters. I have tried to work with her on this at home but she's the same with me, maybe she's still too young and with her gdd maybe it will take a while for her to get to grips with.

 

Bye for now

 

Jules