Child psychology catches up to reality?

[sistawendy]

I've written much here about how my son has Asperger's syndrome, and how hard it's made life for all three of us. Anybody who spends more than five minutes with him when he isn't on meds is going to notice that he has an awful lot in common with people who have ADHD. It's often observed in Aspies.

He & Nibs went to Dr. Kidshrink this afternoon as they do more or less fortnightly. Dr. Kidshrink asked m'boy which of a list of ADHD symptoms he felt applied to him. He said yes to about half of them, and true to form, said no to about a quarter with which Dr. Kidshrink disagrees. 'Nuther words, the Wendling is likely an official ADHDer.

Surprising as sunrise, you say, but the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-IV, says Asperger's & ADHD are mutually exclusive. The DSM-5, due to be published in two years, lets you have your self-stimulating cake and forget to eat it, too, because look! Shiny!

Punch line: none of this makes any difference to the way my son gets treated now. It might have earlier, but I don't know that for sure. He still needs ritalin, and since he's growing, his dose is once again too low, which was the reason for all the questions. (This time, though, my son was the first to notice that something was amiss. Yay, I think.) He's tried Adderall and loathes it. It messes with his sleep & appetite worse than the ritalin, which is bad enough, and sheer torture to a Jewish mother like Nibs. I wonder if it'll be time to try Adderall again before too long.

Comments

[ladyallyn.livejournal.com]

Ask KidShink about Ritalin CR. For many it apparently doesn't do the sleep evils as much as Adderall. (highly favored by myShrink)

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

My son is taking Concerta, which is a time-release formulation of ritalin. I wonder how similar it is to Ritalin CR.

[gwywnnydd.livejournal.com]

*facepalm*
My Bug is mildly autistic, and your posts about your Boy have given me some important insights over the years for dealing with him.
Do you know if Adderall effects are expected to change over the patient's lifespan? Like, is it expected that it wont work (well) for kids, but it'll work well for adults?

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

Do you know if Adderall effects are expected to change over the patient's lifespan?

Assuming constant weight? I don't know. It's quite possible that variation in response over time is dwarfed by variation between people.

[fizzgig-bites.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression that ADHD and Asperger's were on the same spectrum. I have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and mild Asperger's. I was put on Ritalin and hated it but it got me through my last year of UF before the upstairs party-all-night neighbors did me in. I came off immediately when I could because it killed my creative brain. My diagnoses was from 1996-1997 so maybe it's dated but everything I read today says they are not exclusive to each other. I'm not reading the DSM but papers. DSM is boring compared to the papers being published.

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression that ADHD and Asperger's were on the same spectrum.

Any shrink (and lots of parents!) will tell you they have a lot in common, but no, they're not considered to be on the same spectrum.

The DSM may be boring, but it's important: it's the Bible for shrinks.

[fizzgig-bites.livejournal.com]

It may be the Bible for shrinks (and yes I know that all too well) but it is also dated. It is also a consensus that many do not agree with but is the official stance. I recommend reading the peer review papers that you might be able to get access through your college library. Sometimes alumni can get access through the college library and not have to pay for subscriptions that go into the thousands per year. If you want a starting point, look into ADHD, ADD, and shades of autism brain scans.