Just drawing your attention to a lengthy article on www.myaspergerschild.com about medicating children with aspergers.
Medical Treatment for Aspergers
The article is pro-medication and it initially had me quite worried because there's really no proven medication which is effective against aspergers - only against the symptoms.
Eventually after a lot of waffle - important waffle - the article suggests that;
"focusing on target symptoms provides a crucial framework for care. Knowing manifestations of symptoms and characterizing their distribution and behavior in that patient is most important."
In other words medicate according to the symptoms rather than the label. This is mostly common sense.
It's the final paragraph that seems to me to be a little "bittersweet";
Pharmacotherapy is not the ultimate treatment for ASPERGERS but it has a definite place. Medication can be a critical element in a comprehensive treatment plan. There is a wider range of medications with more specific biologic effects than ever before. For individuals with ASPERGERS these newer agents are safer and less disruptive. When paired with therapists who are becoming more skilled at recognizing and managing symptoms, individuals have a greater opportunity to reach their potential and lead pleasurable lives.
Essentially it's saying that medicating isn't the answer but that it definitely has a place. I'd agree with that. Some individuals benefit from medication while others really don't need it. It depends very much on their symptoms (co-conditions).
What does concern me however is the way that it goes on to generalize that newer medications are "safer and less disruptive". That's sort of like saying, "new versions of Windows don't crash as much". They still crash, they still lose data - and, medications are still dangerous.
The article also leaves me with the feeling that the author thinks that unmedicated individuals don't lead fulfilling lives. You can't rule that out! Medication isn't the answer to everything.
On a related note, my wife dropped a bomb during our discussions last night. She said that she's accepted the fact that our son will never go to university but hopes that he might do.....". Whoa! I stopped her there. I haven't accepted that he won't go to university. Heck, I haven't accepted that he won't be "king of the world" someday. He's just turning 10. You can't limit his life.
I've accepted that my son will do his best and be whatever he will be. It's a clean slate and I'll support him in pretty much anything he wants to do (so long as it's legal).
Medicated or not, Aspies are perfectly capable of some pretty amazing achievements. Let's not go around putting limits on them.
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