Hyperactivity and Autism

'Is your child Hyperactive ? Sit for a moment and think of how you define "Hyperactive " or "Hyperkinesis". What are the specific behavior that make you use these words ? Now when your doctor asks, "Is your child restless?" How do you know what they have in mind for a definition ? Every person has an individual concept of what is an acceptable level of activity of their child , based on their ideas of how children should behave. Some parents encourage their children to be very active, while some parents expect their children to behave like miniature adults.Giving medications designed for hyperactivity will do nothing to decrease what might be better called fidgeting or restlessness .....you may get a heavily sedated , near zombie-like child, but he may still open and shut the cabinet for hours at a time.

A certain amount of energy is natural and to be expected in children.How much is your child's problem due to your awareness that he is autistic versus he is normal ? Often ,an autistic child will be termed hyperactive and given heavy sedative , Yet his non autistic brother will be permitted to run and jump all around , and will be praised for his athleticism and energy . Is the reason you believe he is hyperactive because he has certain behavior , or is it because he doesn't respond to you when you tell him to stop ?

what are the ways your autistic child has to releasing his energy? How many time does he have to play or even walk outside compared to your normal child or your neighbors child ? Autistic children just as all children , should be given ample time to exercise , which is an acceptable and healthy way to release energy . Physical activity can enormously improve a child's behavior inside the home. Some parents say "I want to take my child outside to play, but I'm Terrified he'll run off ,The second I let go of his hand ,He just runs and what if he runs into the street ?" This is legitimate concern , but what is the result of this fear ? The child doesn't go out at all , no doubt doubling the energy he has to move through the house,tipping things over and reinforcing the conviction that he cannot be taken out,

There are ways of managing the behavior that don't involve medication . For the health of your child and your own well being , these should be thoroughly and exhaustively tried before restoring to medication . Remember your doctor is prescribing medication for your child to make the situation easier for you.. He or she is not the person who will deal with your child , and if you learn effective ways of managing challenging behaviors , there is no reason to sedate your child unnecessarily..