Rule Out a Health Issue

Lean in, my friends. This is one of the most important things I have learned on my journey as a mom to a son with autism.

When my typical son, Will, didn’t feel good, he could tell me.  He could express in detail that he felt nauseous; his throat was sore or he had a headache. Michael, my son with autism, can tell me ouch and he can point to where it hurts (I think, but I can’t be totally positive). Even with that ability (which I know is a blessing), there is so much he cannot explain. 

Think about questions you might get at the doctor’s office.  Things like:

• Is it a dull pain or a shooting pain?
• Does it hurt consistently or does the pain ebb and flow?
• How long has it been bothering you?

You get the idea…Mikey couldn’t answer any of those questions. And those are the questions the doctor needs to diagnose what may be wrong.

Acting Out

So, when you’re noticing a change in your child’s behavior, check in with the doctor to rule out a health issue before you start with behavior modification techniques. For example, check out this list of health issues that might cause aggression in individuals with autism.

Of course, this broader idea could relate to any behavior. I’ll give you an example from Mikey’s recent school life. He was struggling in the afternoons. He was showing more resistance, asking to pack up and go home and just generally having a more difficult time. He loves going to school, so I wasn’t overly concerned that this was a school-avoidance situation. I asked his doctor if his stomach might be bothering him a bit after lunch. He suggested trying Michael on a morning dose of Prilosec to see if it made any difference. We kept everything else the same and tried him on the medication to treat heartburn and acid reflux. Lo and behold, Mikey’s after lunch behavior improved. If it hadn’t, then we could have discontinued the medicine and looked for other causes and solutions.

The Big Takeaway

Behavior is communication.  When your child’s behavior changes, even if it is not as extreme as aggression, try to figure out what may be going on with them. Enlist your doctor’s help.