Last week, I had the opportunity to hear Temple Grandin speak at Arizona State University. Dr. Grandin with autism as a child, and still considers herself a person with an autism spectrum disorder. She is a pioneer in the cattle industry, inventing a corral that would decrease stress in animals led to slaughter. She is a professor at Colorado State University and a bestselling author. Dr. Grandin speaks worldwide on the experience of being a person with autism.
Dr. Grandin expressed some of her concerns regarding the treatment of children with ASD in recent years. One of her chief concerns is what she considers the over-medication of children on the autistic spectrum, particularly SSRI medications. She says she has seen children as young as five and six years of age being prescribed medications such as Seroquel for mild issues such as sleep disturbance. These are heavy medications, and we need to be extremely cautious in prescribing them to children with limited verbal skills.
She explained that in her opinion, it is very simple and obvious as to what treatments, including biomedical treatments, should be utilized for any particular child. If the treatment seems to be helping, continue using it. If a doctor has prescribed a particular supplement, treatment, etc. and you have seen little change in using it, discontinue it. To Dr. Grandin, treatment is quite obvious.
A particularly interesting comment Dr. Grandin made was regarding self-stimulatory behaviors. Dr. Grandin was asked how much a child should be allowed to engage in stimming behaviors, and she emphatically agreed that children, especially young children, should be allowed to engage in these behaviors very little. Some stimming is ok, because it can be relaxing and a mental "escape" for the child. However, the more time a child is allowed to engage in that behavior, the more difficult it will be to decrease. Stimming can become like a drug of sorts, and the more you engage in it, the more you need it.
Seeing Dr. Grandin speak was a highlight of my career, and an experience I will not soon forget. There were more than a few wet eyes that night, and we all left with a new energy and excitement for the work we do with our students.
