Expert: Valerie Herskowitz - 5/28/2009

Question
my son can be a sweet boy, but when he's not he is out of control, he doesn't listen, he'll push furniture, punch himself in the head, talks to himself and then answers the questions or replys to himself. He will hit himself and then cry and tell on himself. He has always had a very short fuse but he hits himself more and talks to himself more and he is 9 years old. Besides being autistic could he have something else like schizophrenia or teretts syndrome I don't know what else to do. He tries to get in trouble. Could it be bipolar.

Answer
Hi Heather

Unfortunately, the behaviors that you are seeing are very common in autism. Part of autism can be a chemical imbalance which cause our kids to lose control very quickly. They often don't seem to have the ability to self-regulate. They usually diagnose this as a mood disorder rather than using the term, bipolar, however it is similar. Have you considered medication? I know that no one wants to put their child on medication, but it could really help him to lead a more enriched life.
My son suffers from the same issues, but on a much more severe level. Believe me, I hate giving him the medication, but it has helped him a great deal.

As far as the talking to himself, again, it is probably a symptom of the autism. But you should mention this to a doctor that specializes in autism like a psychiatrist. The same medications that are used to treat the mood disorder can help him on this issue as well.

I don't want to sound like all you should do is give him medication. I also advocate occupational therapy (sensory integration) which helps with self-regulation as well as behavioral interventions. Do you have a behaviorist? I think they could help a lot with the problem of him trying to get into trouble on purpose.

Let me know what you think. We can talk about it some more. Give me your feedback.

Valerie Herskowitz, MA CCC-SLP
Author: Autism and Computers: Maximizing Independence Through Technology
www.valerieherskowitz.com