aspergers

[maddy]

my 16 year old brother may go to a residential treatment center. He has Aspergers and is pretty scared to go. He is not attending school and is staying up at night and sleeping all day and no longer will take his meds(risperdone). Any advice out there? We live in Canada.

[maddy]

anyone?

[For The Love Of Cloth]

I don't know anything about aspergers but I wanted to give

Hope it all works out ok.

[cricketsmomma]

well, I don't know much about Canada but I'm a teacher and I've worked with some high schoolers with Aspergers...
for some of the kids I've met, residential treatment centers are a real blessing. Even though most of them are not thrilled with the structure, sometimes having predictable surroundings and consistent medication makes a ton of difference. As long as you (the family in general, too) are able to be in close contact I bet everything will be fine. You will be able to tell if the facility is responsible and safe if you visit often. If he's having problems as serious as they sound, a center could be a really great option and might let the family get a little break and gather some strength for when he returns home.

[allycat]

No advice here, but just wanted to say that I was thinking about you and your son and I hope that he can get some help through the treatment center

[keegans_mommy]

I don't know what to tell you except I understand the frustrations with kids with Asperger Syndrome as my ODD has it too.

[alnink]

I agree with pp who said the treatment center, if run correctly, will be a great place for him. My aunt is almost 60 and has Asperger's. She's living by herself in an appt building for low income people, mostly seniors. We've had to fight to get aids to come in to help with bathing, cleaning, etc. because she will not or cannot do them herself. There are only two or three people in our family that will help if needed. It's kind of sad actually. What if she, or anyone with Asperger's, didn't have family? It's scary to see where they would end up. We've been trying for years to get her into an assisted living facility but with a horrible social worker and all kinds of red tape it has been an uphill battle.

I really feel a structured facility with routines is key to anyone with Asperger's. All you and your family can do is just be there for him A LOT!

Take care and good luck!

[BugSara]

I'm confused.
Why do they take medication for Asperger's?
My 18 yo has Asperger's, no one has ever mentioned meds.
He is going to college soon. I'm trying to figure that out.

[jjaelovesenglish]

Meds can be disaster and might make symptoms of autism worse.

[keegans_mommy]

Originally Posted by BugSara I'm confused. Why do they take medication for Asperger's? My 18 yo has Asperger's, no one has ever mentioned meds. He is going to college soon. I'm trying to figure that out.

Because a lot of Aspie kids/adults also have symptoms of ADD/ADHD, OCD and other sensory and behavioral issues. My ODD was on it for ADHD symptoms but has the sensory and OCD issues as well. She is no longer on the meds after Chelation and homeschooling. It's different for everybody