Expert: Celtica - 7/27/2008

Question
i have a list of questions because i cant seem to understand my son is autistic and has ADHD
1.why cant my son sit and concentrate on anything?
2.why do i have to tell him simple instructions over and over again?
3.why does my son find it hard to give regular eye contact?
4.why is he so violent/disruptive towards his peers/siblings?
5.why does he feel the need to constantly make funny noises?
6.is there any medication my son can take for ADHD?

Answer
Hi Shalayne,

1.) Often people with ADHD just have an urge to move or fidget and cannot concentrate on anything that isn't really captivating or highly motivating for them. Why this is so is difficult to say. One explanation are unusual dopamine levels in the brain, or the person's diet (high in sugars and additives/colorings, or even headinjuries. It's also possible that hyperactivity is related to having sleep issues in some cases (basically you fidget to stay awake). I also find that having sensory issues is contributing to my ADD.

2.) This might be part of his autism, or his ADHD. He might have great problems processing speech, so he might just get parts of what you say, or nothing at all, or he might have difficulties generalizing (if you tell him not to slam the doors he might have realized he shouldn't slam the living room door (because you were pointing at that door, or talking about that door at that time), but still slam every other door in the house). He might have great difficulties with memorizing things over the auditory channel (I don't remember verbal instructions very well either, my memory is entirely nonverbal) and even have problems sequencing (he might remember the steps, but not the order in which to take them). Giving him visual cues might help here. All of these things are very common in people with autism. However it's difficult to say when all you know about the person are a few lines of text.

3.)Usually, eye contact is difficult for people with autism. I usually simply forget that I'm supposed to make eye contact because it doesn't make sense to me (I can't "read" anything in another person's face or eyes, so there is simply no point for me in looking at another person's eyes). For other people with autism, making eye contact may be feel like an invasion into their personal space, and may scare them. Many people with autism also say that they have *more* difficulties to understand what people say when they look into their eyes, and can't even really think while they're doing it, as if the eye contact was eating up their ressources. I personally don't think eye contact should be forced.

4.) He might either not realize he's disruptive/violent - it's probably just his version of "play" - he just doesn't know how to interact with them properly. Another reason might be that he has sensory issues and he's just overwhelmed by his siblings' behaviour (their shouting and running about), so he's getting aggressive "to make them stop". Did you have him evaluated for sensory issues ? This might help a bit.

5.) It might be a stim (something he might enjoy), a tic (which is quite unvoluntary) or even part of his ADHD. Kids with ADHD often talk alot, probably this is his version of "talking" (you didn't say if he's verbal or not)

6.) Sure, there are lots of meds for ADHD out there. Please talk to your doctor about it.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention-deficit_hyperactivity_disorder_treatments
Removing sugar, additives, colorings, and probably even milk and glute from his diet might also help.

Hope this helps!
C.