dd is cranky ALL the time!

[inky leeuhhh]

i am going nuts! dd is almost always crabby and irritable. she tantrums easily. her dx is autism (she is on the milder end of the spectrum). part of me is just plain tired, and part of me feels awful for her because she seems unhappy much of the time. i am looking into changing her diet to see if that helps her at all. otherwise i don't know what to do. should we see the ped? a psychiatrist? i know she has sensory issues that contribute to this as well. i'm having a hard time dealing with the attitude though. she tells me all the time that she's trying tp speak nicely and she just "can't make it work", so i think she is putting some effort into making it better. anyone have any ideas on how to deal with this? i'm always trying to demonstrate a polite tone of voice, correct wording, but it can be hard when she can be so darn rude! dd is 7 btw. this is beyond the typical 7 yo girlie sassyness- it's having an effect on her day - to - day life because it can be harder for her to relate to people. on top of all this my younger dd (who so far seems to be typically developing) has hit toddlerhood full force and is throwing huge tantrums as well. dh is not so helpful (something he is "working on" @@), and does not understand autism at all, so i feel like i'm dealing with this alone on most levels. anyone have any btdt advice? what do i do with her/ tell her when she is acting like this? argh!

[Emmeline II]

There have been a couple of studies that showed half of autistic children studied demonstrated behavioral improvement with a combination of magnisium and B6.

If you search this forum for "diet" you should find some threads on that topic.

Ds' diagnosis is: ADHD; Adjustment disorder w/mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct, but we suspect Asperger's as well. Ds sees a psychiatrist and a cognitive behavioral therapist that are co-located, which is handy as they can consult easily.

How did she receive her diagnosis? Perhaps there is something else going on as well. When ds started medication for ADHD it drastically reduced the number and severity of his tantrums (the hour long having to "sit" on him to control his flailing limbs kind) and resulted in him being capable of being redirected. There appear to be several types of ADD, including "hyperactive" and "inattentive."

I would consult a psychologist (which some prefer as they cannot prescribe) or a psychiatrist and a cognitive behavioral therapist that can help with social skills and behavioral issues.

Edited by Emmeline II - 1/3/11 at 10:36am

[inky leeuhhh]

thanks for the reply. i have calmed down a little since i wrote my op, lol. i think we will need to take her in to see someone. she does have problems with staying focused on things like school (one of the major reasons we are homeschooling this year), but i never considered add/adhd or that something else could be going on in addition to the original dx. hmm.

[Emmeline II]

I came across this book when I googles "Autism and ADHD":

The ADHD-Autism Connection: A Step Toward More Accurate Diagnosis and Effective Treatment.

http://www.childrentoday.com/articles/special-needs/adhd-and-autism-641/3/

Kids in the Syndrome Mix of ADHD, LD, Asperger's ...

Edited by Emmeline II - 1/3/11 at 12:05pm

[Village Mama]

For us, cutting out dairy helped our youngest immensely( soy too... and we were gluten free before). I finally got to see his beautiful smile more regularly. It helped with lots of the sensory difficulties that were often the direct cause for tantrums for him. He hated babies before and would freak whenever he saw them up to 6 1/2 years old or so. He told me that they were " too beautiful"... he would run into 4 lane traffic to avoid them. Now a half a year off dairy and he loves them and plays with them to try and make them smile. Dietary changes have huge potential for some families.