Tenex- side effects

[KatieSLP]

I am an SLP with a 3yr old on my case load with severe autism and seemingly adhd..
HE has no means of communication other than eye contact, body language, sign "more". He was put on "tenex" to try to slow him down enough to concentrate for learning. HE is involved in an ABA program, DIR and Teacch programs. Tenex seemed to slow him down a little and then 1/2 pill was added to see if it would make a difference. Within a short amount of time, this little guy began showing signs of aggressive behaviour...which were "new" to his personality. He also started chewing on everything( holes in his shirts,etd) and has developed pica behaviours. He always put things in his mouth but now it is in a whole new dimension. Extra tenex was reduced although his behaviour remain same and seem to be escalating. He is jumping on furniture and damaging items around the home. Any ideas? Could the tenex have caused this change in behaviour? He was always active but not coupled with aggressiveness and desire to chew on everything.

[Jennroberto]

I am an Occupational Therapy Assistant and my first question would be if OT is involved because it seems to me that he is starting to seek a lot of sensory input in various areas.  There are techniques that can calm a child down such as sensory brushing and joint compressions along with many more, but it is so different with every child and what they will tolerate along with what input they are seeking.  I just started working with a lot of autistic children and so many things can affect these kids.  

[master55]

my son was on tenex  ,we taken him off because of  very bad aggression now his in the courts system.my other just stared tenex and showing the same both boys is autistic spectrum disorder

[Sally44]

I forgot to mention, the professional who should be able to advice regarding sensory integration disorders is an Occupational therapist, but you need to find one that has experience of Sensory Integration Disorders and who is also knowledgable about autistic spectrum disorders as well (a history in child development would also be useful).
If it is suspected that the child has visual perceptual problems then they should be assessed by irlen Syndrome.  Alot of people on the spectrum have this difficulty which can be helped enviromously by wearing glasses with Irlen lenses.  There are also coloured overlays that can be used to help with visual distortions in print.  Donna Williams, a well known autistic woman, said her glasses literally made it possible for her to see things whole for the first time.  Previously she had always had fragmented vision and could never perceive anything whole only pieces of it.  Her website is www. donnawilliams. net  (take out the spaces).

[Sally44]

I do not know about this medication, or the possible side effects of it.  I too am very wary of medications, especially if you consider that they say the brains of those on the spectrum are wired up differently.  Also within my close family I have a number of people who react severely to medications and they are not even on the spectrum.
As alot of the behaviour you are mentioning is sensory based I would recommend you read an article in Autism Today by a woman called Olga Bogdashina.  She is a reputable professional from the Ukraine, she has a son who is autistic and a daughter who is Aspergers.  She has published a number of books.  The one about sensory issues is called Sensory and Perceptual Differences in Autism and Aspergers.  At the back of this book there is a caregives questionnaire that you can complete to get a sensory profile of the child.  That can help all professionals by knowing which senses are most effected, and therefore more ineffective from a sensory processing point of view.  This can help decide through which sensory channels you want to 'teach'.
As his sensory issues appear to be escalating, an explanation of that may be (a) increased stress from demands or his environment eg. too noisy/not noisy enough, too bright/not bright enouch etc; (b) if he has perceptual problems through some of his senses he will have to use other senses to 'confirm' sensory information that cannot be understood through his other senses.  So, in the same way that a blind child may tap his surroundings or taste them to get an idea of what his environment is like; the same behaviour may be seen in an autistic person who has problems with their visual perception.  If he is seeking all kinds of movement it could be that his proprioceptive sense or vestibular sense are hypo-sensitive and he is not getting enough feedback into his own body and therefore has to increase movement to receive feedback that we would get from sitting, walking etc.
(c) there is also the possibility that although the medication slowed him down it bit, it may have added to the difficulties he has in processing or expressing himself, which would logically lead to more frustration that has to be vented somehow and aggression is one of those ways.
(d) there is also the possibility that some food intolerance is involved, especially if he seems to crave certain types of foods.
But I assume the medication has been reduced again.
So I would read the article by Olga (her questionnaire is used by our autism department and she has been invited to our city a number of times to give talks to both professionals and parents.  She is achieving remarkable things with autistic people and her son (who didn't speak until he was 9 (I think), is now bilingual).  Her book gives you an understanding of what they are experiencing and why, and once you see that it will be a real eye opener to how certain things maybe actually harming or hurting them from an environmental point of view.

[MJIthewriter]

I don't know about that particular med. Some meds do cause perminant, long term damages. That's why I tend to be somewhat adverse to young children especially under 5 being put on certain meds that may be just barely safe for adults. It does help to do some research before leaping. I read that

Here's something that lists side effects, etc:
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/guanfacine_ad.htm
http://www.depression-guide.com/tenex.htm
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/tenex.html

I don't see much that would describe your son's behavior here, but if he's taking other meds on top of this one, there could be a reaction.