Autism Anxiety Overload

[Lawrence Sheen]

The renowned autism expert Tony Atwood is fond of putting it this way:
"Autism is anxiety looking for a target." Autism and anxiety go hand-
in-hand. Autism affects a person's ability to communicate with others
or to understand the world around him, and that's bound to cause
anxiety and panic sometimes.
Anxiety becomes even worse when there is a change in the autistic
child's routine. Even positive and "fun" changes, like a school field
trip or a visit to the zoo, can increase anxiety and aggressive
behaviors.
For parents, the best course of action is to anticipate upcoming
changes and help your child prepare for them. Many parents find it
helpful to use stories and pictures to prepare children for impending
disruptions. If it's a field trip to the zoo, for example, use
pictures to show your child what he'll see at the zoo, what the zoo
will be like, and what sort of things to expect. Do this each day for
three or four days prior to the trip. That way, when the trip actually
happens, the child won't be entirely out of his element, but will
already understand and appreciate some of what will be happening.
Other changes in the routine are less enjoyable but still necessary.
Getting a new teacher can be traumatic, as can moving to a new house.
If at all possible, try to spread out the major changes. If you move
to a new house, try to do it during the summer, so that your child
won't have to deal with the added anxiety of getting a new school and
new teacher mid-year.
You can also introduce your child to the concept of "change" in a
positive way by practicing with non-negative things. For example, just
for practice, give him a little extra TV time instead of homework time
one night, to show that changes in the routine can often be fun and
good. Then practice with a neutral change (homework after dinner
instead of before dinner), then with a negative one (changing play
time into chore time). This process can help your child grow
accustomed to the idea of change and learn to adapt without becoming
anxious.
For continual, ongoing anxiety, many parents have begun using anti-
anxiety medications for their autistic children. Usually, the
medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and
are also used for obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.
Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft and Anafranil are all common for anxiety in
autistic children.
For behavioral problems, antipsychotics such as Haldol, fluphenazine
and chlorpromazine can be prescribed. These can reduce aggression in
autistic kids, but sometimes also cause sedation and muscle stiffness.
All patients are different. You and your doctor should monitor your
child's progress very closely, using the lowest dose of medication
possible, to see if what improvements it makes and whether there are
any adverse reactions. Medication should be the last resort for
autism, not the first one. There are a number of natural remedies
available if you don't want to go down the drug route. But try
behavioral and dietary modifications first, to see what improvements
can be made naturally.