Autism or Landau Kleffner syndrome?

When my 41/2 year old boy was 10 months old he had his first seizure.I had an EEg taken to make sure that he was'nt brain damaged,and the EEG showed normal with a possibility of Left Front Lobe activity.I have noticed when he was 13 mobths old that something was wrong.He Did'nt talk but he was walking.He had said his first word when he was 3 years old.I was from doctor to neurologist in 3 years with no luck.Some said it was ADHD other said autism but he was to young to be diagnosed.At present I am still not sure what he has.He has this terrible tantrums.he has food fads,I still have to feed him,he still wears nappies and still takes a pacifier,he is very unsocial,he rocks himself to sleep.He especially love music,and he has about 50 words in his vocabulary.What i want to know,what medication can be given to him for his agrresion,and his mood swings.I have read about mood stabilizers,but I would like to know what they are and the names of some of the mood stabilizers.The doctors have tried Ritalin,but to no avail.The Ritalin made him more angry and he was like a wild animal.At present he gets sodium valproate for the epilepsy with an anti depressant.Please help me.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Sonet,

It does sound like your child is displaying a condition on the spectrum of Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The medications he is taking (valproate and antidepressant) are appropriate for his symptoms. Valproate is one of a number of mood stabilizing drugs.