Aspergers/ASD support thread

Snaggles

Fallen angel (and anyone else with experience of melatonin) - does the melatonin make her sleep more heavily, or just fall asleep more easily?

I'm asking because another of DS's difficulties is bedwetting, which we have an appointment with the enuresis clinic in a couple of weeks for, and I'm worried that the melatonin would make the bedwetting even more difficult to tackle (which isn't really a problem, because we don't NEED to tackle them both at once, but I know DS would rather get the bedwetting sorted than the sleeping, as he's nearly 8 now and getting to the stage where he might want to sleep over at someone's house).

mspig

Hi, sorry to go off subject but does anyones child have a problem with putting on taking off tops over their head, as my son whos autisitc has started fretting, and paddying every morning and night about his clothes and has developed some kind of fear of putting things over his head, hes getting that bad that i'm struggling to dress him. Hes 5

fallen_angel_69

the melatonin seems to help her to fall asleep more easily she takes 10mg at night to start with she would be asleep within a hour or so but now she's been taking it for 12mths or so it seems to take longer it doesnt make her sleep heavier the least slightest noise still wakes her up it doesnt work all night it was 4.45 this morning as my headache and tiredness will testify being woken up by the wii if she awake then its time for her to play and everyone else should be up to i wondered if i was doing right putting her on it but now she is getting sleep from 9ish till 4.30 ish so she is less shattered for school and not falling asleep in class which she had done even the teacher asked me why she got up so early if she was so tired i dont know why she does it but every 3 mths or so she still has one night where she will go to bed at 6 and not get up till 8 so i think sleep with her is something i make her do and it interrupts her fun
dd2 nearly 10 and has been taking lyrinel 10mg for aprrox 2 years it really helped her stop wetting the bed she is dry 95% of the day now as well she seems to have trouble with certain dinnerladies at school or supply teachers so i still have to go in occasionally at school and remind them she needs to go loo as soon as she asks them not be told to wait as she can't do this 3 weeks ago they tried reducing the lyrinel and she started wetting the bed again and her clothes i rang them up as we had discussed at the appointment and they said she is not ready to reduce them just yet we will try again in oct so hopefully then she might be able to reduce them .she stopped over at a friends house at easter and i spoke to the parent about her being on medicine and how it was working but so she was aware and she was great about her stopping and gave her her tablet in the morning and her daughter never even asked why she was taking one i'm just hoping in 12mths time she doesn't have any bouts of wetting herself as she will be at secondary school where kids behave differently and also the teachers arent as accomadating about them going to loo and stuff (she is in yr 5 now) i don't want her bullied for something she cant help the school she is at at the moment only has one class per year so to go to a school where there is 10 forms per year is going to be a shock enough without the problems of teachers not letting her go to the loo

Snaggles

I used to have a similar problem with DS, although he has grown out of it now.

I found that the only way I could get things over his head was to make sure his tops had fairly wide necks, or buttons/poppers so you can open them a bit more. Then I would put them on in a way that meant his face was never covered up....not sure if I can explain but I'll have a go!

I would hold the t-shirt (etc) with the neck open as wide as possible, with the rest of the material bunched up in my hands (in the same way you would bunch up a pair of tights to pull them on, if that makes sense). Then I would hold the t-shirt between his face and mine, so he could see my face (and more importantly, daylight) through the neck hole. Then move it towards him, so that his face went through first, not the top of his head.

Being able to see the whole time seemed to freak him out less, but you do need clothing with a wider neck to do it, because otherwise you get their face through and then can't pull it over their head!

Sarahsaver

It is a natural response to be nervous when putting things over your head, because you are vulnerable if you cannot see whats around you.
my son is under referral to an eneuresis specialist at hospital.
if he had a sleepover i would send him with pull ups, but at home he has a waterproof bed cover. he is not dry in the day either.
he's had a scan, we are awaiting results. it may be an organisational thing rather than physical.

Snaggles

Thanks very much for that fallen angel - I really didn't want Ryan to be on medication for things, but as time is going on, I'm starting to see that if it gives him a better quality of life, and doesn't have a negative impact on his health, we should utilise everything that science has to offer!

My DS sounds to have very similar toilet issues as your daughter - he also can't wait to go to the loo, as he doesn't feel the signals that the rest of us feel that tell him to go to the loo until he is absolutely desperate. His teachers hopefully all know now that he has to go immediately, because he had a couple of wetting incidents when he was told he had to wait a few minutes (luckily he had these when he was very young, so he didn't get teased).

Snaggles

Sarahsaver wrote: »

he's had a scan, we are awaiting results. it may be an organisational thing rather than physical.

I could be completely wrong, but I think it's a sensory processing issue (or it is with Ryan at least). He just doesn't feel the signals until he is literally bursting to go. Through the day that's not a major problem as long as he always knows where the loo is, but at night, when he's asleep, the signals just don't wake him up quickly enough.

duchy

I've always felt it is in part a processing thing and the knowing you need the loo just gets shovelled further back in the queue until it's imediate. DS is 16 and still dashes from time to time.

samf1971

Not really toilet training as such but does anyone have any recommendations on nappies, DS is 2 1/2 and is in huggies size 6 but they are beginning to leave red marks on his hip & as far as I know they don't go up any bigger in Huggies (at least I can't find any in the shops if they do)

We've got his complex communication team assessment on 17th and a home visit on 11th, I've felt really emotional about it and I'm sure I'll breakdown, although I'll do my best not to as it's not as though it's going to be any surprise, think it's all the build up although I'm glad that we've not waited as long as some people seem to have, just 6 months since the initial paed appointment.

Sarahsaver

Washables!
Ask around on freecycle or you CAN even make your own...

These assessments and tests are stressful but at least you may have answers after them. It is a weird feeling kind of over the moon one minute that X, Y, or Z condition has been confirmed, then sadness at the reality.

My DS's consultant praised me for seeing the positive side. There are always positives. Keep them in sight;)