Expert: Catherine Ridenour - 3/19/2008

Question
my daughter is 14, she has been dx. with everything from adhd, bipolar, ocd, and two dr's now suggest she has aspergers, severe mood swings, temper tantrums, poor social skills, very emotional, impulsive. however she has a high IQ, she has now hit puberty and were all going crazy trying to be a stable force, the dr wants to try risperdol? we tryed abilfy last yr and there was no change other than a 25 pound weight gain in 8 weeks. any advise on this drug?

Answer
Hi KC,

I have no direct experience with Risperdol. It has the same side effect of weight gain. I doubt that gaining weight will help her social standing or her mood. A short term trial may be called for. Only you can decide.

I suspect you do have a child with Asperger's. It is often misdiagnosed as all the things you mentioned, especially in girls. Puberty is very difficult for these kids. The hormones are often overwhelming. Hang in there, it does get better but it takes time and patience. Do explain to her what the autistic spectrum is and help her find books to read about it. She needs to know that this does not mean she cannot have a successful life.

I could explain the effects to you but I would rather let you read some of the many sources on the Internet and concentrate on some practical things.

The emotional delay is usually about 3-4 years. She is acting younger than her 14 years because she is on the inside. The good news is that she will continue to grow up as she gets older. It is my observation that HFA and AS adults are pretty much caught up by the time they are 25 or so. Help her learn by requiring her to take personal responsibility for her actions even though she is not good at predicting the outcomes.

Support her in using that high IQ to learn as much as she can in school. Get a copy of this book: "Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism" by Temple Grandin, Kate Duffy, and Tony Attwood. It will help you to assist her in finding her passion.

Get a firm diagnosis document and then get the school IEP team together to create a supportive environment for her. She needs a place to retreat when overwhelmed, like a resource room where she can drop in and chill out. She needs the staff to understand that immaturity and poor social skills are no reason not to teach her at a level in keeping with her intellect.

One medication I would consider is an anti-depressant, if she has symptoms. Most A.S. teens know they are different and on the outside. They can get really down from the day to day struggle to survive the social rigors of middle and high school.

It is not unrealistic for her to aim for college. She will find many more people like herself there.

Do a search at Amazon, or your favorite book site, for books about Asperger's and high-functioning autism especially those written by individuals who have a spectrum disorder. Both you and your daughter need to hear from some parents and teens who have been there and made it to the other side.

Here are some web sites to explore:

http://www.neurodiversity.com/main.html (many links to books, articles and resources)

http://www.patientcenters.com/autism/news/resources.html (books and resources)

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/asperger/asperger.htm (the definitions and
government links)

http://www.autism.org/ (many links to information)

http://www.aspergers.com/Adolesc.htm (adolescence and puberty issues)

After you have had some time to explore the topic, write back and we can talk about some specific issues.

Best wishes,
Catherine