Hunter is now 9 years of age. His parents, with the
assistance of a local child psychiatrist, placed him on medications two years
ago.
* What medications was Hunter likely prescribed given his
diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder? Have the medications you indicate been
approved for use in children by the FDA?
* Write a narrative “interview” in which you communicate
with Hunter in an effort to get to know him.
* Write a narrative “interview” in which you talk with
Hunter’s parents about him.
* Who is Hunter? What kind of child is he? What might
someone expect upon meeting Hunter for the first time? Base Hunter’s imagined personality
on what you know about he and his family so far.
In 2009, The FDA approved ABILIFY for treatment of irritability associated with Autistic Disorder. Symptoms that this medicine helps with are: aggression toward others, deliberate self-injuriousness, temper tantrums and mood changes. We also found that many drugs that are used to help treat Autism are medicines that will help with their aggression and tantrums. According to NIMH, On October 6, 2006 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved risperidone (generic name) or Risperdal (brand name) for the symptomatic treatment of irritability in autistic children and adolescents ages 5 to 16.
ReplyDeleteA few medicines that have not been approved by the FDA, but are still prescribed to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder include; Olanzapine, and antipsychotic medicines which help to treat aggression and behavioral disturbances. The NIMH also indicated that many individuals with Autism experience many seizures, the medicine that would be prescribed to these patients is also not approved by the FDA, but include; Tegretol, Lamictal, Topamazx and Depakote, these are know as anticonvulsants.
The National Institute of Mental Health. (July 2009). Treatment Options. retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/autism/treatment-options.shtml
ReplyDeleteOtsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (2011). Irritability Associated with Autistic Disorder. Retrived from http://www.abilify.com/autism/autistic-disorder.aspx?tc=89340&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic_search&utm_term=abilify&sa=t&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CD4QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abilify.com%2F&rct=j&q=abilify&ei=tgWbTvijBMLw0gHXotjiBA&usg=AFQjCNEmuZnhqoRv2cM0IGq_-bFnCG8QJw&sig2=YzWJLLWr6jOaS7XumcoV3g#
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (2009). Autism Press Release. Retrieved from http://www.abilify.com/pdf/IAD-Autism-PressRelease.aspx
Me: Hello Hunter, I just wanted to ask you a few questions about yourself. For starters, how old are you and what grade level are you in?
ReplyDeleteHunter: I am nine years old and in forth grade.
Me: Oh excellent, are you enjoying school? Do you have a lot of friends?
Hunter: I do not like school.
Me: Why is that Hunter? What don’t you like about it?
Hunter: I don’t know, I like to play alone and we have to work in groups a lot.
Me: Do you not like the other children in your class?
Hunter: They are fine.
Me: Okay Hunter, what kind of activities are you interested outside of school?
Hunter: I play video games every day after school.
Me: Oh yes! Video games are fun! What else do you enjoy?
Hunter: I don’t know.
Me: Okay Hunter, what does your daily routine look like on the days you have school?
Hunter: Mom wakes me up at 7 and makes me breakfast. I sit in my special chair and Jake sits in his special chair at the table. Then we pack our backpacks after we get dressed and walk to the bus together at 8:00. First I go to math and then reading, then we have lunch. At lunch I sit in the table at the back with Max. After lunch I go to recess. I play with my special car. After that I have science, history and then free time. At free time I play with my car again. Then we pack our backpacks and I go to the bus. When I get home I play my video games for 1 hour and eat a snack. After that mom helps me with homework and makes dinner. We eat dinner and then I play in my room with all my trucks and cars. Then I get ready for bed.
ReplyDeleteMe: Wow! That sounds like a busy day! Do you ever play with any other toys, or sit with anyone else at lunch?
Hunter: No
Me: Okay Hunter! Well it was great getting to know you, thanks so much for talking with me! Have a great rest of your day!
Hunter: Okay.
Observations: Throughout this interaction Hunter was fidgeting and moving his hands back and forth on his legs. He made eye contact with me one time, and it was very brief. It was very difficult to get Hunter to answer the questions with more than one word. He seemed very adamant about his daily routine as well. He seemed very uncomfortable and acted as though he did not want to be there at all.
ReplyDeleteMe: Hello Mr. and Mrs. Arias! How are you doing this evening?
ReplyDeleteSandy and Rick: We are doing well thank you.
Me: How is everything going at home with Hunter?
Sandy: Everything is stressful, but I feel as though we are handling it the best way we can right now. We just placed hunter on medication and it seems to be helping a little bit.
Me: Okay that is excellent, what are your main concerns at this point in time in Hunters development?
Rick: We are mainly concerned with his lack of social skills such as eye contact and engaging in conversations with other people.
Me: Yes, I noticed that as well when I spoke with Hunter, he seemed very distant in our conversation and rarely made eye contact.
Sandy: Yes, and he is very set in his daily routine and he tends to act out if it has to change for some reason.
Me: What kinds of things does he do if his routine were to change?
Rick: At school the teachers said that he refused to participate in activities if they were not the “usual” activities of the day. At home he throws a tantrum and has to be calmed down for several minutes and we have to explain to him the reasons for this change of plans. We also have to make sure he is able to play his video games for one hour because it is a way to calm him down. We are hoping that he will start to play outside with the neighbors with Jake soon.
Me: Yes, I feel that social interaction with other peers would be good for him. Is Jake good at dealing with these tantrums?
ReplyDeleteSandy: Yes, Jake has gotten used to these actions and it doesn’t really faze him anymore. However, you can tell he gets frustrated at the amount of attention we are required to give him when this happens. I think it upsets Jake because we have been late to several of his soccer games because we are dealing with Hunter. Hunter does not enjoy going to Jake’s games and we basically have to drag him there, and make sure we bring his cars and trucks for him to play with. It can be very draining.
Me: I see how that can be exhausting. All of these “symptoms” are common among children with autism. I am hoping that over time the medication will improve these conditions. Thank you so much for meeting with me and I will continue to track Hunter’s behavior and his response to the medication. I hope everything gets better soon, and please call me with any questions!
Sandy and Rick: Thank you so much for meeting with us, we will call you if anything new occurs as a response to his medication.
Mayo clinic (2011). Autism. Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348/DSECTION=symptoms
Hunter is now a 9 year old with autism. He was adopted as a baby by Sand and Rick Arias, and has a older brother Jake, who is the Arias’ biological son. Upon meeting Hunter for the first time you would expect to see him as a quite a handful. He may seem like he is not paying any attention to you as you talk to him or try to ask him a question, but he is consistent for a child with autism. He may seem dazed and a little off, but it is because of his disorder not his personality. So far Hunter seems to really grasp and love the routines in his everyday life, and can be engaged at times through an activity. He has had tantrums at school in the past, but the medication he is on seems to decrease them. He has certain toys he is quite favorable of and likes to keep to himself mostly. His relationship with his parents and brother are quite different than with a stranger. He is familiar with his family, so he shows a complete different side to them; he's comfortable. With strangers he is much, much more reserved and fidgety.
ReplyDelete