help ds has just been diagnosed with asd and moderate learning difficulties (problems with sleep

[alinjosh]

Hi my ds is 4 and was diagnosed with asd and moderate learning difficulties last week i am having problems at bedtime i put him to bed at 7.30pm but he just keeps getting out of bed and running around the bedrooms till midnight then up at 7am next morning (gets up in night as well,not sleeping through),does anyone else have this problem and what do you do

Hi, and hope you are OK after the diagnosis. I have similar problems with DS but have't really cracked it. Am considering getting stairgates. It sounds like your DS doesn't really need the sleep, so if you could get him to stay in his room by himself that might be the answer?

similar probs re:sleep btw - DS doesn't have a diagnosis, definitely has very delayed speech though.

Lots of children with asd take melatonin. Speak to your gp/local camhs about it. Works wonders

thanks for your replys

mummytosteven- we are shocked as new he had learning difficulties language etc, he was referred to ryegate in february 07 for a 2 day assesment by the education and speech therapist and had his assessment 18/19 june and diagnosis 19 june so all happened quite quickly ( i know people who have been waiting months/years for diagnosis)he also has unstable shoulders and plasitility hips (floppy)when they said he had asd i could have cried.

i will ask docs about melatonin or cahms (who are these)

camhs = child and adolescent health service. poor you, bad enough having these appointments, but to get a diagnosis that comes as a shock to you, how awful. I would contact the National Autistic Society, to see what sort of support may be available locally.

You may be under a paed at the child development centre, or just a named paed rather than Cahms. GP's can't prescribe melatonin very easily, but paeds can.

What is the meltonin for? What effect does it have?