My ASD Child

Question My 14 y.o. daughter was prescribed Paxil for anxiety prior to receiving an Aspergers diagnosis. She has taking the meds for about 6 months and the dosage has been increased from 20 to 30 mg. She has become increasingly verbally abusive outside the home to authority figures and was hospitalized for suicidal ideas recently. The doctor at the hospital suggested we change her medication, however her outpatient doctor has "no problem" with Paxil, should I get a second opinion? Answer I would definitely get a second opinion (preferably from a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with experience in working specifically with Aspergers individuals). Paxil is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Now that your daughter has the diagnosis of Aspergers, other treatment methods should come into play, for example, cognitive-behavioral therapy, parent education and training,

Aspergers (AS) is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction, and restricted and unusual patterns of interest and behavior.  This post is an attempt to summarize a series of concrete proposals for treatment and intervention, with a view to provide moms and dads and care providers with specific suggestions that may be helpful in devising educational and treatment programs for kids and adolescents affected by this form of social learning disability. Every treatment and intervention program starts with a thorough assessment of the youngster’s deficit and assets in the context of a trans-disciplinary evaluation including assessments of behavioral (or psychiatric) history and current presentation, neuropsychological functioning, communication patterns (particularly the use of language for the purpose of social interaction, or Pragmatics), and adaptive functioning (the person’s ability to translate potential into competence in meeting the demands of

The Aspergers CAST Test for kids is a test that will enable moms and dads to have a better sense of what the criteria for Aspergers looks like. For some of you, it will settle your nerves, for others, you will now have a better sense of what's going on with your youngster, enabling you to make appropriate choices with a better idea of where her/his challenges lay. Read the following questions carefully, and choose the appropriate answer: 1. Does he/she join in playing games with others easily? Y N 2. Does he/she come up to you spontaneously for a chat? Y N 3. Was he/she speaking by 2 years old? Y N 4. Does he/she enjoy sports? Y N 5. Is it important for him/her to fit in with a peer group? Y N 6. Does he/she appear to notice unusual details that others miss? Y N 7. Does he/she tend to take things literally? Y N 8. When he/she was 3 years old, did he/she spend a lot of time pretending (e.g., play-acting being a super