Friday, December 23, 2011

Happy Kid

I’m trying to get some work done and I can hear my son in the other room singing “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.”

Kai has been in a great mood all week during this first week of winter break. I’m guessing that most of it is due to being off from school, the approach of Christmas, and our Hanukkah celebration that we will have tonight.

While some kids with autism struggle with holidays that disrupt the usual routine, Kai looks forward to seeing his relatives and getting presents (of course).

Aside from the yuletide joy, I am wondering how much impact his new medication is having on his mood. Risperidone is supposed to reduce aggression and anger, so the happiness we are seeing may, in part, be aided by the medication. Though being home from school, he hasn’t exactly faced many stressful situations so it is hard to judge. He has, however, been less resistant to doing the extra computer work (on math, reading, and thinking skills) that we had scheduled for him this week.

One benefit of the drug that we are sure of is that Kai is sleeping much better these days. He falls asleep very quickly and usually does not get up until we wake him up. After being awaken in the middle of the night for years, I am enjoying the good nights of sleep. This week, we have all slept in on several occasions, something I rarely did even in my single days. I think I’m making up for the years of lost sleep.

With our Hanukkah celebration this evening followed by Christmas this weekend, it will be a whirlwind of a few days.

And though it won’t be a White Christmas, I’m enjoying the sunshine – both coming in from my office window, and from my son’s upbeat disposition.

6 comments:

  1. It sounds as if something is going right. Just getting better sleep improves everything for everyone. You ought to have a very nice holiday coming up. Perhaps the doctor had gotten on to something with this medication. What ever is working...I just hope it keeps working for you. Here is to wishing you and your family a great time this weekend.

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  2. How wonderful! When my boys are happy, it just makes me feel wonderful, too! Our boys have been on risperdal for years. It is by far one of the best medicines we tried and one of the few we've stayed with since they were 4 years old! We had to pair it with naltrexone for Alex's aggression, which works well for him.

    enjoy all of your celebrations! I hope the good mood continues! :)

    Merry Christmas!

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  3. Shiroi Tora-san, thanks for the well wishes! Best wishes for you and your family!

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  4. Betsy, it's great to know that you feel positively toward risperdal. The first hand feedback is most helpful. We've tried a lot of different medicines now, and hope that this is making the most positive impact.

    I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

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  5. Aaaaaaaawwwwwwwww - that's great to hear!
    I love when I can tell Norrin is in a good mood :)

    Enjoy all of your holiday celebrations!

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  6. Thanks, Lisa. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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