Medication for Autistic/ADHD teens

[Evergreen505]

My son is Autistic,( intelligent )has ADHD and many tics are noticeable to me. I cannot tell what is voluntary and involuntary any more when things are shouted out. This is stressful as things shouted out are problematic.

The situation is very complex. Son is in mainstream, it's falling apart. Continual sanctions, all day isolations. It's just not going to do anything to change behaviour giving sanctions like this - I have zero doubt now.

No EHCP, school are starting the process with our input. There is nowhere else son can go. Every specialist setting requires EHCP and the ones nearby don't sound suitably either. There's no right place in this situation tbh.

Home situation is awful. Son is mainly with father as I'm battling significant health challenges. I don't blame his dad for struggling to manage the situation. His dad struggles with the constant school sanctions and probably feels powerless tbh.

Emotional regulation is a problem. Managing impulsivity is a problem. Dealing with being in an unsuitable school is a problem. I sought a private psychiatrist a year ago who recommended fluoxetine. I'm in support. Because life's so hard. I can't change the things that make life hard at all in my position ( school, relationships, home etc). There feel like no options left but to try this. Dad however was very anti and encouraged my son to say no in alignment with his own concerns about meds.

Can those with ND teens who are trialling medication like this let me know their experience. I'm so eager to encourage sons dad to be open minded about this.

Even without an EHCP, the school should be making reasonable adjustments. Daily sanctions and isolations is a clear indication that the school is not meeting his needs.

you can out in a parental request for an EHCP if school are being slow about it. The IPSEA has standard letters to help you do this.

Thankyou. The situation is difficult because I am very much struggling each day with overwhelming health challenges. So I can't singlehandedly manage the EHCP process. I need school to drive it.

In the interim, I'm challenging continually, saying please don't put a kid in all day isolation where they have to sit there in silence for the whole day ; having ADHD, Tourettes like tics and Autism. I don't know what power I have right now in this interim period to force them to stop. I don't know what else to suggest they do.

The situation is quite desperate hence the medication question. My son is continually threatening to run away.

Does he have some kind of learning plan/provision map?

With a diagnosis, and the obvious challenges he is facing, he should have something which details his strengths, challenges, areas for development, strategies to use, and approaches to avoid .

I would suggest contacting your local SENDIASS organisation. Every Local Authority has one. They are independent of schools and Local Authorities, and are there to offer support and guidance to parents.

They will be able to talk you through whether the repeated isolations and sanctions are discriminatory as a result of his disabilities.

I’ve got two kids (15 and 12) with asd and adhd. Both have been medicated since 6 and 4. Medication really helps them as they’re both extremely hyperactive. Maybe suggest to your child’s father and your son to give meds a try. Although some are long lasting, they do leave your system. Sometimes it’s a bit trial and error finding the right meds and dose but I notice a huge difference when my kids meds are out of their system.

Does your son take any ADHD meds? These help some teens but agree school should be making more adjustments.
You could get some support from either your local SENDIAS service or Parent carer forum. If you Google Local Offer for SEND for your area, you should be able to get details.
SenDIAS can help with EHCP applications and also advise in what school should be doing. They can provide advocacy in some situations.
Good luck

ADHD meds work (in most cases) and are life changing.

Not a teen but my Aut/ADHD 12 year ols started medication in y6 and I can honestly say its been live changing... she is now thriving at a mainstream secondary school after a very wobbly y5.

@Littlefish thankyou. I'm going to try them again ( SENDias). I'm absolutely broken with fighting and am trying to get through each day myself. It's a nightmare.

Yes, they told us there's a plan. I've been out of action with illness and advised ex how to pursue this. He doesn't get it. It's impossible to make him understand the school situation and how impossible it actually is for someone like our son in this environment. I see now that I am the only person who can try fight this and I feel absolute defeated. All this has sent me into hospital multiple times with never Ending flare ups.

I'm now ranting. Thankyou. I know I have to get back into battle again with school.

They do make adjustments. They are simply inconsistent and ad hoc.

Is it ADHD medication or anti anxiety/ SSRI type meds may I ask?

It sounds like a great outcome in your case. Great news school life is better for her. It's so difficult for these kids.

Is the fluoxetine for you or for your child?

school won’t drive an EHCP.

at his age adhd meds would be his choice. They can have a big effect on appetite and other side effects.

they were very good for my dd but not all teens get on with them.

Adhd meds (methylphenidate) x

@YourJoyousDenimExpert no he takes nothing. I would be trying anything if I could. I paid a huge amount to see a psychiatrist with my ex involved and my ex was blanket NO to any suggestion. It has been painful beyond words to get anywhere here with my ex as main carer. I have to convince him to agree then go try again to find a professional who will help and prescribe something - anything.

I need more than fluoxetine personally right now 😭.

In all seriousness, no, the psychiatrist was a child psych who felt fluoxetine was best here for my son. In her view, being Autistic and the struggle of that was driving alot of the problems for him. Even though it appears it's ADHD, which he does have. This made complete sense to me.

My ex said no.

We are another year down the line and I'm re visiting this again ( this post for example is my starting point to help bolster my own strength to fight for this again) with a view to being much more insistent on why he must have a chance to try something. To try talk ex round and get on board here more insistently than last time. Things are so bad now I am hoping sons father will see some sense.

@Buslane thankyou for the information from your situation. It sounds like you're talking about ADHD meds.

The problem with these is they can intensify tics if one has Tourettes ( it does look like my son has this). The psych felt fluoxetine was best in his situation - and it's a scary concept - knowing these meds can be hard to take and adjust to. I felt after weighing up everything - it's worth trying this and taking that risk, knowing we just stop them if side effects are too much.

I have to convince someone who is blanket against anything medication wise.

Fluoxetine is serious meds.

my DS was on them as a teen.

if your child doesn’t want them and dad says no I’m not sure you are going to get anywhere.

they need monitoring as in some under 18s it can intensify suicidal feelings and the risk of suicide is increased.

Thanks for your experience. I tried them myself years ago and it was horrible. Ex won't consider anything, including ADHD meds and is instead getting enraged by son getting sanctions. It has become a cycle so horrible that something is going to blow soon.

So I'm desperate to try do something.

This thread has helped me see that I have to be on the school quite firmly again to look at challening use of sanctions and again asking for more alternatives to these isolations. I understand the school will drag their heels EHCP wise. I am absolutely on my knees trying to get through with such awful health needs here.

My son lives with two people who are not physically unwell yet aren't doing anything at all to try address the SEN issues. I can't understand it. I have fought for years and ended up in hospital fighting for my life. And still i can't get them on board to deal with the school SEN stuff.

I'm using this space to rant so apologies to digress. 🤷🙏

Im sorry to hear this & you might get additional advice on adhd meds on the link below.

I can only speak for tics, but my child's tics improved on stimulant adhd meds. I guess it depends on what causes/exacerbates them? In his case, it was anxiety and stress. The meds removed some of that stress (the academic side anyway) and the tics really improved. We were very surprised. I don't know if tourettes would be different. But I wouldn't rule them out. Like pp have said it can take a while to find the right combination, maybe get onto cahms for meds if he already has a diagnosis?x

www.mumsnet.com/talk/special_needs/5057892-starting-adhd-medication-and-staying-on-it-ongoing-support-thread-for-newbies-and-experts-including-medikinet-equasym-concerta-strattera-and-others?page=34&reply=148462788

@Knittingknees thanks so much. I have appointment with GP next week. I will push for referral on to discuss all this. Stress does worsen in our case.

My Autistic/ADHD who was also very impulsive and emotionally dysregulated, constant social fall outs, getting into trouble on SM, started on methylphenidate just after diagnosis at 16 however it didn't help much with the these issues and once she hit 18 she became worse and very difficult to live with.

However in the summer at 19 she started on Sertraline and I am amazed and relieved at the difference in her! It has helped massively with these things, she started a job which she has managed to keep and is so much more pleasant to live with. Sertraline for Autism: Benefits and Risks also articles on fluoxetine found here
ADHD and Medication Management Archives - NeuroLaunch.com

@duvet thanks so much for this. I don't understand why when every part of ones life is falling apart, school, relationships, home - that one does not think - this is worth trying.

I'm trying to get to see someone again who understands all the challenges and advise. Ex totally blocked it last time. And convinced teenage son. I know son will agree to what he's advised is in his best interests when he contemplates the difficulty of his life.

The psych I paid almost £1000 for felt in all her experience that something anxiety medication related would help improve his life. It was completely trampled over by child's father.

I hope you get somewhere, have you been to GP with your son?

I have a telephone appointment next week and am going to ask them to see him in person.

My son is desperate to hide things imo. I hope that it's pretty obvious if we are in front of a GP. 🙏

Can I ask how you got this prescribed/ who guided her care? Being over 18 I understand it will be different than our case.

I don't understand why they are suggesting fluoxetine but not stimulants for the ADHD. It seems to me it would make sense to try this first. I'm not a doctor, but that's the question I would be asking. I understand that ADHD is thought to be one of the most treatable conditions ie the response to medication is better than it is for most other things.

When you treat ADHD the anxiety often lowers because a lot of times with ADHD anxiety is a response to the difficulty in staying on top of responsibilities expected of people your age. If it doesn't, I understand they can be combined.

Ok sorry, I had not read all posts. Sounds like a difficult situation, I hope you can get the right advice and support. Perhaps worth seeking legal advice about whether DS can have a say in his own medical treatment depending on age.