Help w/ Scripting

[Guest guest]

My 5 year old son starting scripting about a year and half ago. It started gradually and at first it appeared he was playing and I actually encouraged it. It wasn't long before I realized it was a problem. We were told by his therapist and his doctor that it was a self stimulatory issue and it would decrease over time as his language increased. As time went by we found it only got worse. It had gotten so bad he was scripting even while sleeping. His neurologist suggested we try medication to help him focus. At first it worked like magic. I couldn't believe he stopped scripting immediately. I thought I had found the answer. A few months went by and the scripting came back. We increased the medication dosage and

it went away. We did this several times and we tried two different types of medications. It has been a approximately 1 year since he started taking the medication and it is no longer working. Since he is only 5 we do not want to keep medicating him especially if it means we have to keep increasing the dosage. We know there are immediate side affects to the medication like weight loss but have no idea what the long term affects will be.

We have stopped giving him medication for now and are trying to research other methods, medications etc to help him. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

[Guest guest]

To decrease scripting you can try creatine - small amount like 100 mg. You might have trouble finding that dosage because body builders take massive amounts. Try Kirkman labs. www.kirkmanlabs.com

My 5 year old son starting scripting about a year and half ago. It started gradually and at first it appeared he was playing and I actually encouraged it. It wasn't long before I realized it was a problem. We were told by his therapist and his doctor that it was a self stimulatory issue and it would decrease over time as his language increased. As time went by we found it only got worse. It had gotten so bad he was scripting even while sleeping. His neurologist suggested we try medication to help him focus. At first it worked like magic. I couldn't believe he stopped scripting immediately. I thought I had found the answer. A few months went by and the scripting came back. We increased the medication dosage and it went away. We did this several times and we tried two different types of medications. It has been a approximately 1 year since he started taking the medication and it is no longer working. Since he is only 5 we do not want to keep medicating him especially if it means we have to keep increasing the dosage. We know there are immediate side affects to the medication like weight loss but have no idea what the long term affects will be.

We have stopped giving him medication for now and are trying to research other methods, medications etc to help him. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

[Guest guest]

There may be several causes of scripting, some biomedical and others sensory. As an OT I cannot ignore the sensory piece of this. Research is now showing that 97% of children with ASD have sensory processing difficulties. Many children with ASD start out as a sensory under-responder. They have low muscle tone, are passive and are what we call sensory under-responders. That means it takes much more sensory input, more than other children, to register the sensory inputs around them and from their body. The child tends to be aloof. Because of this, if untreated, the child lacks the stimulation from their external environment and as the child grows up they often turn inward for the stimulation that they are lacking from their external environment. This is frequently seen in the form of scripting. It is enjoyable, exciting and pleasurable for children.

From a sensory perspective I recommend getting a good sensory OT. Get him involved in sensory integrative intervention, get a good sensory diet and after everything is in place look into a behavioral based program to help your child, along with OT, become more rewarded for interacting with his external environment.

It is much deeper than I am explaining... but I hope you get the general idea of the sensory impact on your child.

Carolyn

Carolyn Murray-Slutsky, MS OTRRehabilitation for Children4041 North 41 StreetHollywood, Fl 33021www.STARServices.TV

My 5 year old son starting scripting about a year and half ago. It started gradually and at first it appeared he was playing and I actually encouraged it. It wasn't long before I realized it was a problem. We were told by his therapist and his doctor that it was a self stimulatory issue and it would decrease over time as his language increased. As time went by we found it only got worse. It had gotten so bad he was scripting even while sleeping. His neurologist suggested we try medication to help him focus. At first it worked like magic. I couldn't believe he stopped scripting immediately. I thought I had found the answer. A few months went by and the scripting came back. We increased the medication dosage and it went away. We did this several times and we tried two different types of medications. It has been a approximately 1 year since he started taking the medication and it is no longer working. Since he is only 5 we do not want to keep medicating him especially if it means we have to keep increasing the dosage. We know there are immediate side affects to the medication like weight loss but have no idea what the long term affects will be.

We have stopped giving him medication for now and are trying to research other methods, medications etc to help him. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.