I had the flu when I found out I was pregnant with "Ed" my 7y/o. I was given antibiotics to help with the kidney infection that I had as well. My pregnancy went great no morning sickness at all. Everything was going well, then later on in my pregnancy, I found out that he had choroid plexus cysts. I was almost terrified to learn they wanted to do a down's syndrome test on the amniotic fluid. I didn't however... who would? There has been questions raised on this type of cyst, and autism, but there isn't much relivant information on it. When he was born, he had jaundice pretty bad. This caused him to sleep most of the time during the first week. After he had gotten better, sleep would almost never happen. I could hold him and rock him to sleep, but once I put him down, he immediately woke up. We'd be up all night trying to get him to go to sleep...everything from 2:00 a.m. car rides to sleeping without putting him down. Here I was trying to sleep as well with a baby having to be held to sleep. He continued this until he was 18 months old and "Dev" was born. I was trying to get him to sleep the morning I went to have "Dev". Once "Ed" was 6 months old he was already becoming a vilolent child. Kicking me to change diapers, and standing up in his crib falling face forward into the crib mattress, just to name a few. By the time he was one, he began to throw huge toys at me just for fun. He was still not talking by this time. I would sit in front of his high chair and say "mom" over and over again, but wouldn't get a response. I started crying wondering why my child wouldn't talk. I had no idea what autism was, and never seen the movie, "The Rainman". I was stuck and didn't know a thing about what was going on. It wasn't until a nurse from the health department came to check on "Dev" was had just been born that I learned that "Ed" needed to be evaluated. This took a couple of months as well. He was evaluated by a rehab center and was in need of a specialist for his toe walking. The specialist basically told me that he should come out of it once he grows, then he gave me the options if he didn't. I didn't like those options, and glad that he did out grow it. He was put into therapy for his speach for about 2 years. It wasn't until time for preschool that I didn't get a diagnosis of autism for him. We had an appointment with the special education director of the local school system that he got to see a psychologist and had tested him for autism. From the school, I received a diagnosis for him. He went to preschool and started showing bad behavior. The schools over looked it leaving me to find other help for him. By the time he was in kindergarten, his behavior grew worse. His regular teacher had said that if he doesn't get his behavior under control, she would have to take him out of her room and keep him in special ed. all day. I felt bad for him, and still I had no where to turn. Then he went to 1st grade, and I found out that the local mental health agency had a therapist that went to schools was available to him. I signed him up, and now he is doing better. I did put him on medication, because if I didn't the behavior would not have ended. He is currently on Vyvanse and Clonidine which works well for him. He has previously been on Adderall-XR and Focalin. The Adderall-XR made him loose his appitite, and the Focalin made him unfocused and not understand what was going on around him. He is doing very well on the Vyvanse, and doing much better with his behavior. He is continuing his good grades in school making mostly A's. He has come a long way and I'm very proud of him.
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