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780647 tn?1304020942

autisim

hi my son is five he is autistic mild to moderate he is constanly on the go all the time 24/7 he cant sit easy for a second he also makes loud noises to himself all the time even when he is in bed is there anything i can give him to help him calm down
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325405 tn?1262290178
One thing that  helps ADD symptoms is swimming.  Michael Phelps, the guy who won all those olympic gold medals for swimming in last year's olympics.... he has ADHD.  I was diagnosed with ADD back in college many years back.  I never really did much about it because I hated the way medication made me feel.  Also if you have a smaller child, you don't want to overmedicate a kid when you can use other techniques.  Swimming is supposed to help ADHD and ADD.  I didn't know that until my daughter's therapist told me that.  She has worked with adults in the past.  I started swimming a couple times per week, and I seriously noticed a huge difference in my mental levels.  I don't get hyperactive physically, but my brain is all over the place.

ADD behavior can be part of autism and I am told doesn't get a separate diagnosis if you have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or PDD (in my daughter's case).  

Sensory integration therapy really helps my daughter.  There are things like joint compression excercises to do.  I also learned that how fast you do them can affect if they get "up" or "down" in activity level.  You'd want to do them slow and with good firm pressure for a more relaxed purpose.  There's also a brushing technique we occasionally use with our daughter.  You really need a trained physical therapist to show you these things if you think it would help your son.  Sometimes there are times when kids need to get that energy out of them.  I try to get my daughter exercising not near nap time or bedtime.  Trampolines are wonderful tools to use.  She jumps on our bed since she's still young and light enough to, but we are looking in to purchasing a trampoline now that she's getting bigger.  Jumping and running about are "compression" activities.  Sometimes people have sensory aversions and sometimes they have sensory cravings.  Sensory cravings probably would include running, jumping and going about.  I notice that if my daughter satisfies these cravings and then we wind her down afterwards, she is calmer and more able to focus her mind on things.

At night we do things like massages.  We also limit any TV, videos, electronics several hours before bed.  It really revs her mind up.  Hey, it revs my mind up too.  I also have problems goign to sleep at night.  Music is another tool we use to calm her down at night.  Also we watch the types of food she eats at nighttime as well.  No sugary stuff and that sort of thing too close to bed.  

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470168 tn?1237471245
Regarding the constant movement.  Does he do any sports like swimming, trampolining etc?  Anything involving team games such as football is usually no good because they find it hard to 'work as a team' and may have not be able to forward plan or react as fast as their peers which just makes them frustrated.  But anything he is interested in that is one to one or small group is going to be good.  For example you can find special needs trampoline classes.  And the sessions will help him learn alot of things eg. waiting his turn, listening to instructions, sequencing body movements, social interaction with other children etc.  You may also find that it helps you identify what some of his difficulties maybe.  For example, my son had quite alot of difficulty getting his body into the correct positions, especially for 3-4 movement sequences.  This demonstrated that he had motor planning issues which explained alot of his difficulties in the classroom with writing and drawing etc as it is the same skill.  He has recently joined a foil fencing class and is really doing well.
For in the house you could invest in a small exercise trampette and let him bounce on that.  I also have one of those big physiotherapy balls, and a boxing punch bag that can have a go on.  My son's OT explained that alot of children on the spectrum need the physical movement to get them into a position where they are ready to do something.  For some they get quite hyper.  Your son might be hyper for another reason, as my son is generally inactive and passive.  He would happily sit on the floor making lego models all day.  But he uses the physical equipment to pep him up.  But, it would still save your furniture from being destroyed.  You could also apply to the charity the Family Fund (if that is available in Ireland), google it to see.  You can ask for funding for a number of different things for your child eg. outdoor trampoline, computer, special needs trike (if they cannot ride a two wheeled bike), holidays etc.
Regarding the making noise all the time.  My son used to repeat TV and DVD dialogue all the time.  It might be something similar.  Try to work out the reason he does it.  If it is helping him in some way there is no point trying to stop it.  If it is a reaction to stress or anxiety, then again if you try to stop it you will find that it is replaced by another anxiety based behaviour.  One thing that worked with my son, that was really simple and I didn't believe it would even work - was the Educational Psychologist taught me a sign for 'quieter'.  He said, as above, that there was no point in trying to make him stop because he 'needed it' for some purpose unknown to us.  However he could be taught to do it quieter.  I taught my son the sign and it worked straight away.  And over time (he is now 8) he doesn't do it so much.  He repeats TV/DVD dialogue because he can literally replay a film in his head and see everything and hear all the words.  So he does it because he likes it.  He does it when he is bored, or when he doesn't understand what he should be doing, or when there is nothing else for him to do.  So, in the playground, the teaching assistants have been taught some ways to help and prompt him to see if he wants to play.  Usually he does but he doesn't know how to do it.  So they prompt him so that he is able to go up to the child he wants to play with and start a game.  When he is supported like this he doesn't choose to stay in the playground repeating TV dialogue to himself.  So, I would look at how your son uses these noises.  If there was more structure or more support at certain times might it help reduce his need to use this as a coping strategy (if that is what it is).
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780647 tn?1304020942
hi sally he has had every assements done 1yr ago he is now due for a follow up he wasnt able to speak a word a yr ago and now he is chatting away he gets speech therapy he is also in a school an ot part he is realing learning well there
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470168 tn?1237471245
You mentioned he bumps into things etc.  I presume he's had his eyes tested?  They found that my son did not have binocular vision (he is also very clumsy).  Without correct binocular vision you cannot judge distances well, which may account for misjudging distances and appearing clumsy, or even attempting things too high.  You could also look into Irlen Syndrome.  This is a visual perceptual problem that many people with dyslexia and autism have.  Again it has various effects on different people.  Donna Williams, a well known adult autistic said that prior to wearing the lenses she only saw fragments and never the whole item or background.  Some have problems with print moving, depth perception, seeing things that aren't there eg. patterns, rainbows etc.  Some children cannot walk on patterned floor surfaces or struggle with a change of foor surface eg. grass to concrete.  It is easy to assess for, and it is remedied just by wearing the tinted lenses.  NHS hospitals can screen for Irlen Syndrome now, but I think the child has to be over 7, and they can only prescribe the coloured overlays (to help with school work), and not the tinted lenses (which obviously help with visual perception all the time).
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776559 tn?1235672963
You must be exhausted.  Please talk to your pediatrician about this constant activity.  Especially if he is doing this 24/7 because lack of rest can actually make his behavior worse.  My pediatrician had me give my son Benedryl to make him sleep at night.  If he is constantly busy he may have ADD or ADHD as well.  There seems more going on than just autism.  Seems like he has some hyperactivity going on and he is constantly changing direction....this is not just autism alone.  The noises can be because when he is made to try and sit still, or lay down...he keeps his mouth going so he can deal with the hyperactivity he is feeling on the inside.  If you have a pediatric neurologist it is worth a call to him, if you don't have a pediatric neurolgist....it is time to get one.

Good luck,  hope you get some sleep...I have been there and it can lead to depression so don't forget to take care of yourself too.  Call your local Department of Human Services and see if you can get some services (Personal Care  or Respite) so you can have some quiet time for yourself.  Very important.
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470168 tn?1237471245
Has he been assessed for Sensory Integration Disorder?  This is when the senses are either hypo or hyper or can fluctuate between the two and it varies day to day and even throughout the day.
His constant movement and making loud noises could be sensory seeking behaviour.  
Google the name Olga Bogdashina and read an article by her in Autism Today.  If that sounds like a possible reason for your son, I would recommend her book Sensory and Perceptual Differences with Autism and Aspergers.  This book also has a caregivers questionnaire at the back of it that you can complete to get a sensory profile of your child.  Our Autism Outreach Department uses this questionnaire, so I know it is reputable.
The other possibility is that he is also ADHD as a co-morbid disorder.  But I would look into the Sensory issues first to rule them in or out, especially as he is making the loud noises as well.
Does he ever appear deaf?  What is he like with touch - does he overreact to gentle touch like he has been hurt, or under react ie. he can really hurt himself but appear not to feel any pain.  What is his sense of smell and taste like.  Does he eat anything, or is he very fussy about his food.  What is his balance and co-ordination like.
If his balance and co-ordination is good, and some of his other senses are hypo (ie. he's not getting information in through them), he will need some techniques shown you by an Occupational Therapist to help with sensory input.  And I would also recommend he tries some physical sport such as trampoline classes - you can find classes for special needs children.  We bought a small exercise trampette for in the house (to save the furniture), and you could have a bigger one outside.
You could also look into some of the listening therapies as they have clinical evidence of improvements in all areas.  Our Occupational Therapist is just beginning a course of Listening With the Whole Body for our son and it is being supplied by the NHS.
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