This morning Curtis saw this picture and said "There's no numbers on my brain is there? I don't have a number 8 in my body, do I?"

Is there a medication that will counter-act this comical, genuine, and bizarre reaction to this picture from an 8 year old? Not that I'm aware of. His brain is wired how it's wired. Medication geared at these children is generally to treat behavior, like bolting, but can also help kids on the spectrum to develop socially and focus on direction. I have seen Curtis make strides while on medication and feel there is nothing wrong with following whichever program enables your child to succeed.

A study released last month in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry has been making the rounds on various blogs with findings that suggest medication and parental training is the way to go in treating autism-related behavioral problems. Interestingly, the study divides the children into two groups. One has medication and parental training while the other group, just meds. No room for non-medicated children with autism in this study. Of course, there are various reasons and agendas for supporting the use of medication but I thought this would be a good opportunity to shares some observations on Curtis as we've tackled the medication dilemma.

Curtis was on stimulant medication for most of kindergarten and first grade. At the end of first grade we took him off the medication to see how he would respond. After a  successful summer, we decided to start 2nd grade without the medication and it has worked out so far. When Curtis was a couple years younger he was a human tornado. What I noticed when Curtis was on medication was that he was under control but more subdued in general.  He had less of an appetite, but was more focused and willing to go to school and learn. There were pros and cons. These days he's off medication and doing fine but it's been a success and necessary for him in the past.

Greg, Dad

I think its important to note the difference in attitude of the parents and caregivers who give the child meds.  There is a common mindset that the meds will keep the children "under control" rather than using the meds to help the child find success.  We began using meds with the mindset that curtis could learn a certain set of skills if he could just get a little help calming his body down, and that's exactly what happened.  Meds helped him hold up his end of the deal (learning) and we held up our end (teaching) and now he has internalized all of the things he learned while on meds, so he doesn't need them at this time.  If we ever need to use meds again, it will be because he is struggling to learn a set of skills that will help him be successful in his lifetime, not because we are trying to "control" him.  He is as much a part of this team as we are.

Laura, Mom

I agree 100% with Laura - there are different attitudes about the use of medication among children from a cultural, generational and moral stand point. And more often than not the child gets lost in the mix. However, I have noticed since working with you two that where Curtis is, what he is going through and what his support looks like has remained the central component in your decision and as a result of listening to him (verbal and non verbal) - he has grown both on and off the meds.

From a school perspective, his peers are more receptive to him and he is more receptive to his peers off of meds. From day one I have been using Relational Therapy in my time with Curtis - this means that Curtis learns and grows most from the impact his relationships have on him - the relationship being the most important learning tool he has right now. Being off of the meds has created a learning platform that is raw, unfiltered and true to who he is and what he needs in this moment of his life. This "rawness" has created moments of sadness, frustration, joy and happiness - all of which are learning opportunities we tackle every day.

Caron, 1:1 School Support

When Curtis was on meds I think we were able to help him slow down enough to see some things he was passing by without a thought.  For example, we were able to show him that there are cars in the street that will hit him if he runs into the street. There are kids that can be fun companions if you slow down enough to interact with them.  While it was positive to be able to show Curtis these things, he lost of lot of his flare while on meds.  Curt was pretty quiet, anxious and sometimes hyper-focused on his trains or roads.  I'm glad to see that since he has come off meds his full personality has returned and he has retained what he learned during that time period.

Jamie, 1:1 Home Support