I have very strong views about drugging children, or more specifically autistic children. First and foremost, drug therapy does not cure autism. At best, if you can find a good match for your child, it may help reduce the impact of specific, narrowly defined symptoms that impact a child’s life. Often these symptoms are co-morbid with autism. Co-morbid? This means something that is often part and parcel of autism such as a short attention span or obsessive compulsions.

On the whole, I definitely prefer a cognitive behavioural approach, where you work with how a particular child thinks and functions, their strengths and abilies are enhanced and their weaknesses can be bolstered. A small example would be Carol Grey’s Social Stories, or our home made versions of them. They have proved to be a useful and positive force for change. Both my boys were hyperlexic, which means that they could read above their chronological age. My older son lost this ability at around the age of three but still responded well to the social stories based upon icons and pictures. These can be narrowly tailored to a child’s specific motivations and themed to dinosaurs or Thomas the Tank Engine or whatever else they grow into.

My boys enjoy a high level of support to get them through the average day, both at school and at home. This is often called scaffolding. Scaffolding means different things to different children such as a PEC book, [Picture Exchange Communication], timers, visual aides, the ‘Incredible Five Point Scale,’ the list could go on forever. However, for some children, some medication may also help. For me, it was when I read one [of the many] Temple Grandin books, that I began to appreciate how drugs may, in some circumstances, make life more tolerable. Maybe drugs are one small part of the overall scaffolding for us to consider when trying to give our children the best chance in life?

"Cheers dears"