Adderall to treat Autism???

Question

My son is going to be 4 in May. He has Autism. He literally bounces off the walls (from one wall to another and another), climbs like crazy, has run out of our apartment time and time again, he is non verbal but does understand some words...

I swore never to give him medication, but it's occured to me that if physically he can't stop moving, it might be affecting the way his brain is able to focus on words such as no and stop.

Adderall is supposed to help with hyperactive, impalsiveness, and focus. It can also be sprinkled on food, which is important since he cannot swallow pills.

What are your experiences with Adderall?

Answer 1

You need to talk to your doctor because Adderall may not be the best medication for your son.

That said, my child said Adderall worked "sometimes", but he still had to focus and concentrate because it didn't work all the time. Still I noticed a 50% change in his behavior when he took it.

Answer 2

i dont thinks its a good idea for someone that young  i have aspergers syndrome and take adderal but i am 18.  maybe you can look into something like strattera which is a similar drug except that it is a non stimulant

oh just as a tip of advice you may get more answer from people who know about this kinda stuff if you asked this in the special education category.

Answer 3

You child can have both autism AND ADHD.  It sounds like your doctor recognized the behaviors that you describe as ADHD and is treating him for it.  The Adderall is not for autism but for ADHD

I have raised a child with ADHD and now have a 4 year old grandson who is already diagnosed.  He has even been kicked out of daycare.  No one wants to put their child on medicine but you have to weigh the pros and cons.  His behaviors can be dangerous to himself and he could hurt himself because of the impulsiveness.  

We tried everything we could with different discipline ideas, and very strict diet but nothing fixed the problem.

Some things that helped were vitamins, fish oil, cutting sugar, wheat, and yeast out of her diet.  It helped a little but didn't fix it.  It was also hard to follow.   I had serious reservations of putting my child on medication and even more reservations for my grandson since he is so young but they both had to be able to function in life and we did what we had to do.  

My daughter is 28, happily married, and a good mother.  She occasionally has to go on the medicine but mostly she is doing well.  They can learn to be less impulsive and make good choices when they are on the medicine that can carry over when they are not on medicine.

Answer 4

Adderall may help him focus, but I must warn you that medications work differently on different people.  For people with autism ( such as myself ) the chances the medication won't work properly, are higher because our brains are wired weird.

Even over the counter medications such as benedryl and tylenol don't work correctly for me.

Also caffeine.  Keep an eye on caffeine.  If I drink half a cup of coffee, I'll be awake for more than 24 hours.