Comments on: Metamorphosis Can Really Tire You Out

By: Autism Vox 2008 in Review: August-December

Autism Vox 2008 in Review: August-December — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:03:43 +0000

[...] the same time, Denis Leary did a Michael Savage, Charlie seemed to grow taller every week, and David Kirby exonerated thimerosal, and as quickly said he [...]

By: Leslie

Leslie — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:39:41 +0000

Next thing you know he’ll be checking out the girls!

By: Adolescence: Not easy, but no need to end it

Adolescence: Not easy, but no need to end it — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:30:19 +0000

[...] Jim’s been using the electric shaver on Charlie’s upper lip and, as noted before, the hormonal thing has hit big time. We had dinner last night with friends whose baby isn’t even 6 months old: [...]

By: The Search for Certainty (or, why we’re going to the dentist at 3.15pm)

The Search for Certainty (or, why we’re going to the dentist at 3.15pm) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:16:02 +0000

[...] about the general angst of adolescence which has at least (so far, for Charlie) proved to be a very tiring experience in which one day he wakes up and not a single pair of pants fits. But if I know that it [...]

By: B. Martin, MD

B. Martin, MD — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:50:32 +0000

Just a clarification. There are 2 studies that I could find in the literature concerning testosterone levels in children with autism*: One by Tdorjman et al (1995) in 72 pre- or postpubertal children (which included 2 control groups) and one by Geier and Geier in 16 children with ASD (no control group). Tdorjman et al didn’t find increased levels of testosterone or DHEA in their children with ASD. Geier and Geier concluded that levels of testosterone and DHEA were increased and that levels of FSH were decreased in their subjects, despite the fact that values were within normal, published ranges in every case. (Seems to be a tendency of the Geiers to conclude abnormality, despite the fact that lab values are within normal ranges.)

There is also a case report by Tordjman et al (1997), in which 3 particularly aggressive, pubertal children with atypical ASD showed high testosterone levels (although, in 2 cases, values were within normal, published ranges). Geier and Geier have cited this case series to support their contention of “too much maleness” in ASD, but appear to serially neglect the negative study by Tordjman study from 1995.

*Excluding fetal testosterone articles.

P.S. Good luck with your pubertal children.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:21:23 +0000

I was short a long time ago! 6′ 7″…….. If I note that we go to the grocery store a lot, it’s because food doesn’t last too long once bought!

@bonnie, all of this sleeping is relatively recent—-really just this school year, with an earlier wake-up time due to school starting earlier. So you never know…….

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:52:22 +0000

Ah poor guy,

Let him sleep as much as he wants and keep shoveling food in whenever possible ; )

My guy will be sixteen in November. He is 6′ 2″ (and dr’s predict he might be as tall as 6′7″ when fully grown). Between middle school and now he has grown at least five inches! But due to food sensory issues his weight was a concern. I keep offering him snacks at every opportunity and last week after school he demolished 20 bagel bites in one sitting – yikes!

I have also noticed that I am now officially “short.”

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:33:09 +0000

A pediatrician once told me “It is called growing pains for a reason, it is painful!”

A regular part of the transition into adolescence; your son is fortunate to have parents who understand.

By: Donna Cooper

Donna Cooper — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:57:48 +0000

Giving away a free AUTISM AWARENESS T-Shirt on my blog. Would love you to come enter!
http://www.HIsGraceAmazesMe.blogspot.com.

Donna

By: bonnie

bonnie — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:56:45 +0000

Kristina , Charlie and my Casey sound so very similar. It seems each morning that he wakes up, he is a just a little bit visibly taller. It’s scary. He started getting a little “B.O” about a year ago, forcing us into the deodorant habit (thanks goodness for Tom’s Of Maine) and the doc said he has a few signs of puberty when you look at his chest and stomach but no other obvious ones if you know what I mean, yet. He is only just 10 and is around 5′4 and I can’t imagine how big he’ll be at his largest point. I wish though that like Charlie, some tiredness from all this growing would manifest itself into sleep, but it doens’t. He’s awake till 11:00 at night, wakes up in the middles of the night for who knows how long, and yet never seems tired! Ah, the mysteries of Autism.