So who’s curious how I did on this Asperger’s quiz? Well, take it yourself and let me know how you did in the comments and I’ll post my results. [Via Scalzi]
And for those of you who score particularly high, enjoy this list of Seven topics to avoid if you don’t want to risk being a bore. [Via Kottke]
This past weekend I got a runny nose. I mean, constantly runny – as in my face became a faucet. As an allergy-sufferer, I’m used to this sort of thing and have strategically placed Kleenex boxes by my tv-watching chair, next to my computer, in my office and in my car. Before going into a store, I usually stuff a wad of tissues into my jacket pocket just in case.
So when my nose started acting up Saturday morning, I just took some Claritin and went on with my day. Right? Wrong.
After two hours I found myself in Target and running out of tissues. I went to the pharmacy area and grabbed a plen-t-pak of Dayquil and Nyquil, a bottle of Coke (caffeine seems to help my allergies), and a three-pak of Kleenex. At the register, the cashier wanted my birthdate. This confused him more than it confused me – he actually asked me why they would want to know how old I was.
I explained to him that Nyquil has chemicals in it that people use to make crystal meth, and that apparently Target wanted to make sure that I was old enough to handle my high. Or something. At this point, my head felt all cloudy and all I could do was head outside and pop some pills.
Two hours later, I’m still a mess. My nose is rapidly reddening to match my cheeks, my head feels like I’m storing cheese where my brain is supposed to be, and I’m running out of tissues again. I head home and grab some Benadryl. In my house, we consider Benadryl to be the nuclear option: you annihilate your nasal problems, but it takes out your brain at the same time. I headed back out to the mall.
After an hour of leading two small children through Xmas mall traffic with my head still throbbing and pulsing, I give up and head home. I’ve thrown everything I can at this nose problem and all I have to show for it is a waist-deep pile of used tissues and a 10-point drop in my IQ.
And now, four days later, I find out that Vicks has changed the formula for Nyquil and Dayquil so that it no longer contains pseudoephedrine. Great. Just great. I guess this means that in order to stop my next cold, I’ll have to smoke crystal meth.
Thanks a lot, Vicks. I’m adding you to the list along with Wyeth, the makers of Robitussin. I don’t care if kids are running around with green teeth blowing up their houses: I want cold medicine that works.
I’ve been reading a blog about the child of a friend of mine lately, and realized that I wish that I’d been capturing more of the stuff that Kellie and I have gone through raising Jared on my blog. I get a lot of search engine traffic here, and it’d be nice if some of it could be helpful to the parents of other autistic children.
After his fifth birthday last January, Jared had his semi-annual visit with his neurologist. His teachers at school were suggesting that we find something to help him manage his impulses. Jared was learning at a great rate, but every time he got the idea in his head to pour water on the floor or knock over a table full of crayons, he couldn’t help himself.
So we asked the good doctor what to do, and he suggested we try a stimulant like Ritalin. He said that the best thing about starting out with Ritalin was that it’s been around long enough that there’s a good understanding of how to prescribe it and when it is and isn’t working.
When Jared started flipping out the first week and screaming that his eyes were missing, we figured that maybe we should try something else. Ritalin was clearly not what Jared needed.
His doctor prescribed him Clonidine - half of a 0.1mg tablet, three times a day. The effects were immediate: Jared fell right to sleep, and stayed that way. Every dose we gave him had him knocked out for a few hours. This also didn’t seem right.
But after a few weeks, he started adjusting to the medicine, and now he just gets a little drowsy after taking his pills. If he didn’t sleep well the night before, he sometimes catches a nap in the morning, and if not, might get one between school and dinner.
The change in Jared has been dramatic. By being able to sit still and pay attention longer, he’s learning faster than ever. We’ve even taken down the two top gates that were keeping him out of the kitchen, and he hasn’t climbed over the bottom gate once.
I’m not a doctor, and I can’t give any kind of medical advice, but Clonidine has worked well for my son. I’d encourage the parents of any high-energy autistic-spectrum child to ask their doctor about it.