Anybody else’s child have seasonal affective disorder?

[L00k4m3x]

Hi everyone. My son has ASD and is almost 5 years old. We have noticed a pattern that by November time my son suddenly changes. These changes are:

• He becomes OBSESSED with his tablet again, it’s all he wants to do.
• He hates leaving the house, cries when getting ready for school. Usually a lover of soft plays, parks etc but he will cry and have meltdowns if we take him anywhere.
• He eats less.
• He appears more tired, he’s harder to wake in the mornings, even after a full nights rest. He usually sleeps at least 10-11 hours a night.
• His autistic traits become more obvious. Vocally starts to stim more, pacing the house whilst on his tablet, running in circles/up and down the house.
• His speech seems to regress and it’s like he forgets how to speak.
• Me and my partner almost talk about how during spring/summer he can appear somewhat NT and nobody would suspect he has autism. But in the winter it is completely the opposite and his autism is very, very obvious.

Come April/May he is like a different child. Wants to go to the park, soft plays, days out. Enjoys going to see family and playing in their gardens. He eats normally again, doesn’t bother with his tablet and goes back to all of his toys and plays with everything again. Starts reading his books again. Gets us involved in his play, wants us around him all the time and his speech will go back to normal and improve some.

Each year I am in despair over it and I really feel like I ‘lose’ him a little, I have to remind myself that he comes out of it but it’s hard in the moment to think logically and I start panicking that this will be the way he is forever.

I have only just made the connection with SAD and I’m wondering if this is what he has been suffering with each winter? I have ordered some vitamin D drops and a SAD lamp. I just want to help him.

Is there anybody else out there who can relate?

OP I could have written this myself word for word. This is EXACTLY DD. By summer is she practically NT. It also feels like it comes on really quickly too.

I posted not too long ago asking why the behaviour felt worse over winter and had some really helpful replies that for a lot of kids and adults with ASD, winter is a sensory overload. The thick coats, the wet and noisy rain, the increased noise because its more indoor activities, the Christmas decorations, the increased excitement of other kids, the changes in routine etc can all result in the changes in behaviour because it is completely unregulates and overwhelms the system.

That being said, I think we are going to try and increase her vitamin D. We have also noticed some positive changes with an iron supplement too.

Solidarity, its so hard. Its like the world closes off to us until Spring. Leaving the house since Christmas has been SUCH a battle.

I definitely notice this and it gets more obvious every year, I've been wondering if it is vitamin D related!

My ds has no obvious sensory issues with winter related things but he does like being outside which we obviously can't do as much. Interested to hear if anyone else has anything useful they have found to help.

Same, nothing obvious for DD.
The best thing we have found is letting her have a proper break. For us, she is allowed to just watch TV if she wants when she gets home from a full day of nursery. We don't overcommit to lots of activities at the weekend either so again she gets a full day at home normally on Saturday. Don't take her to the shops if we dont need to. Basically, she gets a sensory diet so she can properly relax and not get overwhelmed.

@MumofV Yes this is exactly what we do. We don’t limit his screen time as currently it is the only thing that brings him joy. I have only connected the dots this year but last year I remember trying to keep him off his tablet and he was broken hearted, he didn’t understand why he couldn’t when it was all he wanted.

Apparently at school he is quiet and this morning had to be carried by his teacher in to his classroom, it’s horrible. Just like you said it seems to come on so suddenly out of nowhere. Last year it didn’t really hit until January time but this time around it was maybe 2/3 weeks before Christmas so even earlier.

Does your daughter stop playing with her toys? This is what always shocks and worries me the most. He absolutely has always LOVED playing, it’s why we have a house completely full to the brim of every toy imaginable. So when they don’t get touched for 4-5 months it’s really upsetting! 😩 I really couldn’t wait for Christmas as I felt I got it so spot on with his presents in hope
it wouldn’t happen again and yet they have barely been touched, it breaks my heart.

I think OP that buying the SAD lamp is a good idea - used with caution.
I had terrible SAD symptoms in my twenties and a SAD lamp helped a lot.
They need to be used early in day to avoid disrupting sleep.
Vitamin D can't hurt either

@L00k4m3x @MumofV

I also could have written your post. Although with my son it seems to start a lot earlier, mid October. I think maybe he picks up a bit around now but by April he will be a different child.

I had always thought it was screen addiction (he hardly has any screen time in the Spring/summer because unfortunately he does have a tendency to become addicted). However, this year it dawned on me it might actually be SAD. As it came on at exactly the same time as last year and at that point his screen time wasn't excessive.

Have either of you found any helpful resources? We've got the lamp but he's not keen (and neither am I) and I've been giving him vitamin D.

He's not been assessed for autism but I do wonder sometimes. No obvious sensory overwhelm with clothing etc. But it coming on seems to coincide with the fair coming to town. He also struggles with busy, crowded places and gets very anxious.

He looks ill - pale with big dark bags under his eyes. Do your children have this too?