my first post - seeking advice/support | Autism PDD

Ladies, thank you for your input. I hope to hear even more from other members. I plan to read a lot here and elsewhere, so if anyone has any other links, please do not hesitate to post them.

The reason I came here first was because when I "GOOGLED" the words Abilify and child(ren), a few links came up which mentioned use of the medication as a treatment for autism. I only knew of autism as a condition wherein (amongst many other symptoms, of course) a child is very "withdrawn" from others, and my grandboys are not. They are way beyond outgoing. I was confused by this.

I am here to learn. Please educate me.

Blessings upon each and every one of you.

- JR and JJ's Grandma

I have a nephew who has PDD, he has had some of the behaviors you
describe. He went through a phase of lighting fires and harming animals
etc. I know his mum still has to restrain him sometimes, I think ASD is one
possibility. I also think there are an endless list of psychological problems
that could be causing the problems. These boys need a full and extensive
Evaluation by a Pediatrician, psychologist, possibly a neurologist and maybe
even others.

Please keep us updated and take careAllegra39279.9078935185Not all children on the Autism Spectrum are withdrawn, go to the search button at the top of the page and Search for cyteria (spelling) for Autism spectrum disorders. This might help, There are children with Asperger's syndrome who are not withdrawn. There is also a lot of children who are on the spectrum who have Adhd too, a duel DX. Keep researching and talk to the Doctors about all posibilities, your grandchildren can be helped. BUMP

I'm a 51 year olf grandma. My (adopted) 30 year old daughter has identical twin boys who turned 5 in June. My husband and I took her in when she got pregnant and was being abused. I was in the delivery room when the boys were born, and we helped her raise them until they were about 3 years of age. She now lives alone with them in upstate New York. She moved there to be near her friends.

She has been diagnosed as OCD, bi-polar in her 20s. The boys always seemed normal/fine, if perhaps a little bit "overactive." That is, until lately.

She called me last week in hysterics. They had killed a kitten and hidden its poor body in the litter box. She had already called her social worker, etc., and demanded that someone help her. (She is disabled due to a motor vehicle accident in October 2006 and is receiving social services. She is frustrated from the inability to work; she had been a health aide for the severely disabled.)

The boys are now in an "institution" and she visits them every day. Some days they refuse to see her. This is hard as she has to make special arrangements to get to Westchester from Catskill. The doctor told her today they were going to begin a medication called ABILIFY. We have no diagnosis, etc. Once they settled in (and stopped being the cute charming little boys they can be when they are being "watched"), the doctor told her that now they are seeing some behaviors: banging their heads on walls, biting, screaming, absolute refusal to listen. They have had to be restrained at least once.

She told them this was what she has seen over the last two years in increasing frequency, and has tried to handle it with time-outs, removal of privileges, etc. She had been told perhaps she needed a "parenting class" when in fact she was worried that this might be beyond her to handle alone.

What could be going on here? I am open to any possibility. I need to be there for her, as her eyes and ears. She has no computer and I promised I would research all issues for her.

Comments please?

- JR and JJ's Grandma

I'm so sorry your family is going through this. I honestly don't have any insight as to what is going on with your grandsons. Ablify is supposed to help reduce aggression. Here are some past threads that you may find helpful:

http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6001& ;KW=ablify

http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10875&am p;KW=ablify

http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15331&am p;KW=ablify

Best wishes to you and your family.