Do your doctors recommend medication for your children with Asperger's? Why have you (or haven't you) chosen to use medication for treatment within your family?

There is no one medication for Aspergers I was told because it varies from individual to individual. One may respond to a stimulant for the inattentive portion, yet another may not. Someone may need medication for OCD symptoms or thought disorders with schizoid features. Many can benefit from some anti-anxiety medication from time to time since fear and anxiety is so prevalent. Aggression and Oppositional Defiance may be so strong in a few that medication is recommended for that. Inevitably, depression may also surface when the person has seen much ridicule or failure in life -- or they may also have clinical depression as a comorbid condition. Since Aspergers are most often highly verbal many symptoms can be controlled through therapy and other interventions, too.

Karin- have you seen this article from the Huffington Post?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/autism-research-discovery_b_794967.html

My son has tried several stimulants and antidepressants. We've tried the suggestions of Neurologists, Psychiatrists and a Developmental Pediatrician. We've finally settled on Ritalin and Wellbutrin on the suggestion of the Dev. Ped. Hers was the least amount of medicine, and seemed to work just as well if not better than the previous meds.

I noticed a couple of these posts are a few years old... I would be interested to read how your kids are doing now being on meds for a few years. I was also told (like one of the other moms posted) that there is no meds for Asbergers. Before my son was diagnosed his teacher insisted he was ADD... After trying one medication (Adderall; which had horrible side-effects on him) and many tests later he was finally diagnosed. He is 12-years-old (6th grade) now and was diagnosed in 2nd grade. He is now doing extremely well in school and is a pretty well adjusted kid. The things that have helped him the most are far from medications. In school he has a small resource class along with some individual time to help with school work. His teachers have all been very adaptable (such as having him do every other problem on assignments when they can tell he's frustrated). At home I and his brother know his triggers and have adapted to then. I did have to have a talk with extended family about his triggers because they really didn't understand him and I think many times they just thought he was being a brat. He is very easy going except for a few specific things which we know sets him off. The biggest thing, and I think this is true with most Asbergers, is change. If I know anything in advance or plan on changing ANYTHING I talk to him him well ahead of time. I agree also with the other mom who said that there really is no medication unless it is to treat other things such as ADD, OCD, or Depression/Anxiety.

I noticed a couple of these posts are a few years old... I would be interested to read how your kids are doing now being on meds for a few years. I was also told (like one of the other moms posted) that there is no meds for Asbergers. Before my son was diagnosed his teacher insisted he was ADD... After trying one medication (Adderall; which had horrible side-effects on him) and many tests later he was finally diagnosed. He is 12-years-old (6th grade) now and was diagnosed in 2nd grade. He is now doing extremely well in school and is a pretty well adjusted kid. The things that have helped him the most are far from medications. In school he has a small resource class along with some individual time to help with school work. His teachers have all been very adaptable (such as having him do every other problem on assignments when they can tell he's frustrated). At home I and his brother know his triggers and have adapted to then. I did have to have a talk with extended family about his triggers because they really didn't understand him and I think many times they just thought he was being a brat. He is very easy going except for a few specific things which we know sets him off. The biggest thing, and I think this is true with most Asbergers, is change. If I know anything in advance or plan on changing ANYTHING I talk to him him well ahead of time. I agree also with the other mom who said that there really is no medication unless it is to treat other things such as ADD, OCD, or Depression/Anxiety.

I noticed a couple of these posts are a few years old... I would be interested to read how your kids are doing now being on meds for a few years. I was also told (like one of the other moms posted) that there is no meds for Asbergers. Before my son was diagnosed his teacher insisted he was ADD... After trying one medication (Adderall; which had horrible side-effects on him) and many tests later he was finally diagnosed. He is 12-years-old (6th grade) now and was diagnosed in 2nd grade. He is now doing extremely well in school and is a pretty well adjusted kid. The things that have helped him the most are far from medications. In school he has a small resource class along with some individual time to help with school work. His teachers have all been very adaptable (such as having him do every other problem on assignments when they can tell he's frustrated). At home I and his brother know his triggers and have adapted to then. I did have to have a talk with extended family about his triggers because they really didn't understand him and I think many times they just thought he was being a brat. He is very easy going except for a few specific things which we know sets him off. The biggest thing, and I think this is true with most Asbergers, is change. If I know anything in advance or plan on changing ANYTHING I talk to him him well ahead of time. I agree also with the other mom who said that there really is no medication unless it is to treat other things such as ADD, OCD, or Depression/Anxiety.