Q.

[Anonymous]

Did you post last year as well OP about trouble waking up at college? Just curious if this is the same guy. It is CLEAR to me that this is medication induced sleep problems. My mother is and has been on psych meds for years that knock her out. My suggestion is to get him home and do a complete medication overhaul and avoid meds that may make your son so sleepy. Less is more! Make sure he gets regular aerobic exercise. Also get a therapist or coach to work on life skills. He can get back to finishing college but physiologically it sounds impossible at this point and that may make him feel like a failure. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Side effects of cymbalta is drowsiness. Side effect of by vanes is sleep difficulty which could mean he isn't getting proper deep sleep and hence needing to sleep more. Also sertraline is generic Zoloft not Prozac. Similar. It's very important to understand the drug profiles and not completely trust the psychiatrist. You and he will have to self-advocate and continue to hunt for better meds. The shrink sounds like he's not been effective. Time for a new one. Good luck addressing the sleep issue. Once that's better things will look up. Maybe he won't need as high a dose of antidepressant if he can function better with fewer side effects interfering. My heart goes out to all of you but my guess is that there is hope with a medication overhaul.

[Anonymous]

Be vanes=vyvanse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP back. I'm not happy with the shrink, either. He came highly recommended as someone who helps "older" kids/adults with Aspergers. He's $400 an hour, unresponsive to calls, and has poor office service. Anyone have a recommendation for an almost 21 year old Aspie? NoVa, Fairfax, Herndon or Bethesda area is fine. DC if we must.

OP, I think the meds are only part of the problem. You say the pattern was essentially the same b/f he left for college. Does this mean, he was not able to dress properly, bathe, etc. independently? Did someone assist him with this while he lived at home? If this is the case, he needs to get a handle on the basics b/f he does another program away from home unless the program specifically addresses these issues. Otherwise you are going to repeat the unsuccessful cycle over and over.

He's not an aspie expert, but I've been happy with Dr. Putnam in Bethesda. And the check-in appointment on meds are short and less expensive.

[Anonymous]

OP - I hope you will read the article in the Washington Post today to see how much of the profile your son seems to mirror in many ways the woman the article is about. BUT WITHOUT having her serious psychiatric conditions. You want to get your son the appropriate sleep diagnosis, the appropriate therapist and the appropriate medications so that he can get get treatment for the physical and/or mental health conditions he does have. BUT ALSO so that he not perceived to have other far worse conditions and treated so my society in the future.

Time really has run out on trying to do any sort of care plan for your son from afar. If he is a real pain to be around for siblings, try and see if you can find a way to set up a bedroom area for him in a separate are of the house, even if you have to convert a den or office for a time to "his space." Wish you the best in finding care for your son. This is not an overnight process as without academic issues at all involved, it took a good decade for our daughter to finally find the right combo of meds that helped her balance out her anxiety. The last decade there have been minor blips, but she has a great full-time government job in her field, married, had two healthy children and balances out very well in strengths with her spouse. To see her today, it was worth the journey and the family turmoil.

[Anonymous]

I was on a drug from 10 to 25 yrs old that made me very sleepy. Did not even realize that it was the drug until I stopped taking the drug at 25. Like I woKe up from a fog. My parents trusted my doctor explicitly and since I took it so long, they thought it was me acting this way.

In my case, the drug was for a physical condition and there weren't alternatives until science found a new class of drugs that treat the condition better. Your son, OP, has alternatives now. Find them.

This is a problem when kids need to take drugs. Since they are not adults, it's hard for them to know what is "normal". Please monitor your kids. Sleeping 20+ hrs a day is NOT normal.

[Anonymous]

I agree. No need for a sleep study until the meds are overhauled. SSRIs need a fairly long period to taper down or there can be discontinuation syndrome.

[Anonymous]

DS needs to withdraw from college this semester to come home to start with a new internal medicine practice that deals with young adults for a full physical and then to get a full evaluation probably by a top psychiatrist/psychologist team if possible if both are in same medical group or who work closely together. It would take time to reduce the medications DS is on, if not take him of of some, too, before even attempting to get on others. In fact, from our experience, "six weeks" would be a very appropriate window if everything went smoothly just for that aspect.

DS also has the related issue of "learned behaviors" if this has been his general state of existence for a few years. One in some ways can have "learned limitations." OP and DW are very understandably not thrilled about bring DS back into the family environment, and I would not unless the new medical team is in place and the dates set up for the appropriate evaluations. DS is also going to have to be in agreement with this plan and sign off on sharing of information etc.

In our area I am going to a meeting today among service providers which is specifically about developing Checklists for Students/Families with disabilities as there are many differing needs for various groups to consider. So far another parent (who is also a professional) and I have:

Students who will not receive a regular high school diploma are those most in need of learning about adult services:


A - Checklist for Students with an Intellectual Disability

- This group of students has very similar skills sets and needs much less information in many way, though often a lot of support.

- Here the services are in place and at least we can direct families where to go.

- Today, in fact, we are getting information from several agencies.


B- Checklist for Students with a Developmental Disability

- This group of students spans a much broader base of intellectual functioning and may have very varied needs.

- Here until there is Waiver redesign in Virginia, there is no one place to direct a family to for basic information.

- There is a need for a much wider range of information on services for this group that the iD group as some may finish high school credential and consider college and a higher level of employment training.


C - Checklist for Students with a Mental Health Disability

- This is a smaller subgroup which has varying, but often intensive needs for support.

- Here there is a range of services, but information is not well communicated.


Students who will receive a regular high school diploma and who will need support services of varying degrees whether seeking employment or going onto college

D - Checklist for Students who will finish high school AND wish to find a job in the local community.

- Many may still only find part-time employment.

- Many may need to know of services if they fall within the category of "working poor."

- Many may not realize that they could qualify for services nor know how to access the services due to mild disability


E- Checklist for students who will finish high school and want to go onto college at a community college or four year institution


- Need to know about accommodations right from the start on taking college GREs or ACTs

- Need to know about differences between IEPs and college accommodations and what documentation is needed - no one set list of criteria

- What to look for on a college campus in terms of specific sub groups such as those with: Autism, chronic health conditions, mental health conditions

Any added input would be welcome. As this thread highlights, just because a student with a disability goes to college does not mean that there is not a need to have some information ahead of time to assess what the supports are at college and/or in the community closeby to make them successful.

[Anonymous]

OP you might want to take a look at some colleges with more supportive disability services. One that I've heard of is U of a West Virginia. I heard of a student with ADHD going from Fs at his former college to As at U of WV due to the supports there. Also Montgomery College here is supposed to have good services in case that's close by. Perhaps if your son comes home he could take a class or two so as not to be home all the time.