Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi
Im new to this group and would love some advise and other peoples stories
My son is 8 and has non verbal autism - he does not really understand language or communication
He is a very happy boy who loves to play with figures and watch cartoons on his i pad
He however never stays still and is constantly running and moving and rarely sits down - he also makes a lot of noise copying noises and rythyms he hears on his i pad and re enacts scenes that he has watched over and over again for hours
when he is in bed he makes the noises continually sometimes until 2 in the morning and seems to get stuck in a loop which appears painful to him and he sometimes crys out of frustration as he does not seem to be able to stop this loop.
My question is is this part of his autism or could it be adhd ?
Thanks so much for reading and any advise would be appreciated
Monotropism is one well-thought through theory which is one of the "fundamental values" I believe ADHD and Autism share. There appear to be a few, including hyper-sensory awareness or a different salience network and more right-brain inclinations which affect how we perceive time (as eternal/momentary rather than linear). This is what I hear you describing with him. https://monotropism.org/
A new paper which came out in 2020 has shown both ADHD and Au have less GABA, which is the gut-brain axis. This "inhibition squad" in our biology is responsible for shutting down brain waves accelerating out of control, the same which create excitement and can quickly turn into anxiety. I've found I can gain better control and have a little more focus with a nootropics blend, which are said to boost GABA.
But if I can't sleep and am on deadline, I do take .25 the recommended dose of anti-anxiety meds which promote GABA. I'll have a melody stuck looping in my head and won't be able to shut it down with out this. I'm now 50 and it's only the medication which helps for these moments. I wouldn't take this all the time. But I do think, working in sound, making music, working with music - is something which we might have an inclination toward. Successful musicians and producers need to be able to work with a sound or melody on repeat, and still catch the nuance of difference. Music is a language itself and it's incredibly helpful and expressive for those of us who experience difficulty with access to vocal words. I have had my own difficulties in life and have had to work extraordinarily hard to learn how to articulate with dialogue. And it's really only around mid 30's / 40's I had a better command of the spoken language.
I have a feeling Monotropism is linked, but I think of the monotropic brain for its potential while understanding my chemistry has certain limits to be mindful of. If anything, the mushroom compound helps.
my guess is it could be both, but what are doctors saying?
Have a look into echolalia. I think this may be what you’re describing?