kids with anxiety and fears

[renmew]

My 7 year old ds, who is a currently unmedicated Autism spectrum kid, has developed in the last few months some anxiety and fears. We are waiting to get him transferred into the psychology office to see someone.

 

In the meantime, I have a 7 year old who will not, refuses with screaming and tears, to go to the bedroom alone to get dressed. He will only use the front bathroom with the lights on and door open, and runs out without flushing, washing his hands, or turning off the light. (He goes to the kitchen to wash his hands.) If the girls are playing outside and I am the only one in the house besides him, he will follow me throughout the house while I'm cleaning or whatever. Then he gets mad at me that I won't sit with him so he can play video games or watch tv. He's mad at me now because I won't go with him to the bedroom so he can get dressed or bring his clothes out for him.

 

He won't talk about his fears, only to repeat he has daymares and nightmares, so of course he can't be alone. He just convinced a sister to go to the bedroom with him so he can get dressed. He locked the door so she can't leave too early like she did earlier. Now she's banging on the door, trying to get out, and I hear him trying to keep her interested by discussing which color underwear he should wear. His voice is shaking...

 

What the hell? Does anyone have experience with this? The anxiety and fears started when we took him off the meds, which we did because he was raging sooooo bad at the end of the day as the meds wore off.

Edited April 2, 2011 by renmew

[Misty]

This sounds serious.. What med did you take him off of? My 7yr old daughter is exactly the same way.. She has Asperger's and severe OCD and the most unbelievable irrational fears you can imagine. She would not go in bathrooms at all for a while unless I went in with her. She wouldn't go in her bedroom at all. There were so many things she was afraid of and they were all irrational (giant spiders in the toilet, etc.).

 

Anyway, Zoloft helped her immensely.. Just about all these fears went away after starting Zoloft.. I must also add that diet modification also helped her with everything she was dealing with (OCD, ADHD, chaotic mind, etc.)

 

Good luck!

[mathewsgang]

I've talked to one mom who had huge success with an autistic child through diet changes, but what a challenge to implement! To have a happy, functioning child it may be worth it though!

[girligirlmom]

Have you looked at the GAPS diet? That's the diet we are on and the one many talk about as helping heal many many ASD children. It's hard at first since many kids are very picky eaters but once you get through the initial change the kids prefer the good healing foods.

 

My kids had irrational fears and we started with homeopathy and now do both homeopathy and GAPS.

 

Food can trigger behavior and lack of certain nutrients can also affect behavior.

[renmew]

I took him off Concertante, which he'd been on for 18+ months without problems, until a month or to before he turned seven. Then the craziest rages started around four thirty. We tried packing more food for school, thinking he was just hungry, but that didn't work. Taking him off the Concerta helped the rages calm down noticeably, and they aren't as severe. But, then the anxiety showed up, and it is getting worse week by week.

 

I have tried limiting the regular culprits, like HFCS and dyes, but have not attempted the harder changes, like gluton. Where does one start? I am a newly single mom of three, ages seven and under, and I work full time. But I would totally give it a try to help this kid. Are there any online directions of sort?

 

Thank you for the responses. :)

[renmew]

Have you looked at the GAPS diet? That's the diet we are on and the one many talk about as helping heal many many ASD children. It's hard at first since many kids are very picky eaters but once you get through the initial change the kids prefer the good healing foods.

 

My kids had irrational fears and we started with homeopathy and now do both homeopathy and GAPS.

 

Food can trigger behavior and lack of certain nutrients can also affect behavior.

 

GAPS? No, I have not heard of that. I do know a mom at school who is trying homeopathy, though. I should talk to her.

[Terabith]

Your son sounds EXACTLY like my five year old daughter. She developed a huge fear of being alone in any way.....bedroom, bathroom, etc. She had always been an anxious kid, but it just got worse and worse. To be honest, we finally started her on celexa, and it has been a miracle. Not only have her fears largely disappeared, but her social skills have improved dramatically. She had been tested and they said she looked like she had Aspergers. A month on celexa and her social skills have improved dramatically. I didn't realize how far ranging her anxiety was. It's even improved her academic learning. She was so generally anxious that it was interfering with learning. I had no idea how far reaching her anxiety was, so in a way I am grateful that she developed those fears, because it led us to treat her. I really struggled with putting my five year old on a psych medicine, but I am so glad we did. Of course, it could have turned out very differently.

 

We went to a counselor, but that got dropped due to time and money issues, but honestly, her coping skills and such have improved so much, I don't really think she needs counseling.