pharmacological therapy is a real help?

Thank you so much for the link to the annafreud website. I will examine it carefully.

And thanks a lot for the compliments to my son: he was very happy to know that someone in England has seen and appreciated his work and his commitment to the defense of the wolves and the environment. Thank you very much

I think they can be helpful, but it depends on the problems and it depends on the drugs and whether the benefits outweigh any possible side-effects.  Most drug therapies are very person dependent, especially psycho-active drugs.  So I would start with have a clear shared understanding of what the problems are with the professionals, and an understanding of what the perceived benefits of the drugs are in relation to the problem.  You probably also want to have eyes-open in terms of any possible side-effects and what might need to be done to manage those.

if it seems reasonable that the drawbacks might be outweighed by the benefits then by all means try the drugs in a controlled experiment to see if they help or not.  I'd suggest keeping the potential side-effects from the person concerned, because they may be something the person might not notice or may be able to cope with.  But if people know the potential side-effects then they tend to look for them and then may therefore miss the benefit because they are obsessing on side effects.  It's probably also worth knowing what the withdrawal plan, if needed, is ahead of time because some of these things may be addictive in different ways and you probably don't want to just stop them if that's the case.

Sleep is so important to wellbeing and it is frequently a problem for autistic people. I am very glad that here in the UK research funding has been granted to look at this issue. 

Regarding coping strategies I was interested to see that the Anna Freud website has 85 self care strategies for young people, suggested by young people.

Although not specifically designed for autistic young people some of these coping strategies look like they might be helpful (I am going to try some myself): https://www.annafreud.org/selfcare/

Your son's art is wonderful! I followed the link on your profile and saw some of his work. He has a real talent. I hope you will post some of his work on this forum, if he agrees, so that other people can enjoy it. 

I was a social worker in a specialist mental health and learning disability service some years ago. Many of the adults I worked with were autistic - mostly undiagnosed. Properly prescribed medication can sometimes be of therapeutic value, particularly when used as part of a multi-dimensional strategy. There is no medication for autism itself of course, drugs are prescribed for associated conditions like anxiety, depression or epilepsy. 

It is always worth doing your own research about side effects of prescribed medication - in my experience this information is rarely discussed in sufficient detail for an informed decision to be made. Due to possible sensitivity to medication and atypical reactions prescribing for autistic people needs to be cautious, with frequent medical checks, especially in the early stages. How does your son feel about medication? It is important that he makes an informed choice about this. 

I developed extreme anxiety last year after my much loved dog died and I was bullied at work. The psychologist who diagnosed me autistic (in Nov 2018) encouraged me to try medication alongside other interventions. I took Propanalol (a Beta-blocker) to switch off unpleasant symptoms of anxiety while I did psychological therapy and sorted out work related problems. I found it very helpful for a few weeks. I don't take it all the time now, just when I feel particularly anxious or stressed. 

Unfortunately medication has sometimes been used to suppress behaviours that autistic people find helpful, like stimmimg, because other people feel uncomfortable about them. Stimmimg (echolalia is a verbal form) can be an effective way of reducing anxiety. It is worth encouraging your son to understand and reduce the causes of stress in his life if this appears to be an issue for him. Although medication might be part of the answer, at least in the short term, it is important to consider causal factors, and lifestyle issues, not just treat symptoms. 

I can't comment on rates of young autistic people taking medication but there may be recent research which contains relevant information. I am sure other parents on the forum will offer insights too.

Very best wishes to you and your son. 

I think drug therapy has a place. It might not be for everyone but drugs have played a huge part in my life and I can’t and won’t deny that. I’m currently waiting on a prescription for Ritalin, to help with the adhd. 

I’m not planning on taking the drug long term, but as an aid to get me back into twice daily meditation, daily physical exercise and yoga, breathing exercises, walking and back into a waking and sleep routine. If drugs are used intelligently along with other methods, for example, diet, exercise, mindfulness etc, they can be very helpful.

I’m a metaphysician, vipassana meditator, raw vegan and so I’m all into the natural. But who said drugs aren’t natural? I don’t see drugs in the same way as most people and because they’ve played a huge part in my life, for so long, from a young age, I have no negative connotations with drugs and I do have a tendency to turn to them, because they have helped when no other human could, but I am working towards a completely drug free life. In fact I’m working towards not only a drug free life but a food and water free life as well ~ breatharianism ~ I’m an extremist but I’m actually at my best with no food or water in me, so, why not! Lol!

What I’m saying is, some people will see a contradiction between how I live etc and my relationship with drugs, but I don’t see a contradiction. My new approach to life can be summed up in 3 words ~ does it work? I apply that to everything I do; if it works, I’ll carry on, if it doesn’t, I’ll stop. 

If you know what you want to achieve, you can be open minded and try things out and if they work, great, and if they don’t, great, you’ve found another method that doesn’t work and you can learn from that. I’m also not against people not wanting to try drugs and just the food we eat, how we eat, when we eat and physical exercise etc can be just as powerful, if not more powerful than any drugs. And of course, mind set is everything. 

Having said all that, as a parent, your mind will play out all sorts of scenarios because of course there is our emotional attachment as parents towards our children, which we must honour and respect, but we mustn’t let it get in the way of good judgement. 

There is so much information available today and so many great therapies and approaches to situations etc, that drugs are becoming obsolete for a lot of people. Although it might not appear so, but drugs are on their way out as more and more people turn to food, exercise and lifestyle choices/changes etc, to solve their problems. But drugs do have a time and place still for many of us. You know your son best and what other resources you have available etc and the psychiatrist will be honest with you about side effects etc, so they will help you make an informed choice. So I guess it’s about collecting as much data/information as you can and when we do that, the evidence tends to speak for itself and makes the decision for us. 

when I talk about drug therapy I mean medication

I totally agree. Of course I was talking about drug therapies prescribed by neuropsychiatrists or other specialists

I'd say unless its prescribed by somebody professional your son should avoid it. People with AS can have quite a strong reaction to drugs, particularly recreational drugs I'd say avoid at all costs unless advised otherwise by a specialist in ASD

psychoactive drugs. often the most recommended one is the sodium valproate

What sort of drugs are you talking about?