Since my son first received his diagnosis I have resisted using any medication of any kind, his mother had read that a lactose free diet might relieve the symptoms of autism I was willing to try that, but to no avail. As it was, his diet did not consist of more than a glass of milk a day, so hardly the cause of his autism. Many parents I am sure agonize over whether or not their child should be on some kind of medication .I think personally that a child has a lot of developing to do psychically and emotionally and drugs will only stunt that development there are ways to stimulate a child with autism, to calm them , give them focus , and channel their frustrations in a different direction. I would rather my son spent two hours playing computer games than being subdued by some drug .
I have read about squeeze boxes, where the child can be squeezed for want of a better word. The pressure put on their bodies has a very calming affect and this effect can last some hours after the pressure has been taken away. Off course anything that fascinates your child or distracts their attention away from disruptive behaviour can only be a good thing, and just as effective as any drug. A good method is too create a place where the lighting is low and there are no distractions except perhaps soothing music or sounds. It is difficult but not impossible to get inside the mind of your autistic child . Their hypersensitivity magnifies every experience so it would follow that removing any kind of stimulus from their immediate vicinity would have a calming effect. Surprising as it may seem autistic children can be reasoned with, if you can find the right reasons for them not to behave disruptively they can and will see sense. They do after all have a very linear way of thinking.
I think it is important to note that the drugs are being administered primarily to control behaviour. Not to cure a physical ailment. These drugs do not eradicate autism , and I think I owe it to my child to at least allow him the chance to learn to live with his autism on his own terms. I also feel that it is important not only to research the drugs but also the person administering the drugs.(what are their reasons ,why have they come to their conclusions).
When all said and done, medication can and does help, some very mild antidepressants for example have shown to enhance the lives of autistic people. However I personally will continue to resist the use of them unless I can see no other course .
