More of Something Extra

I wouldn’t give Alex just anything that dissolved in water, despite how Jill chose to put it. But soon after we (mostly Jill) broke the glass ceiling of Alex drinking medicine from a little metal cup a few years ago, I began to wonder what supplements he might take.

The trend started with melatonin and continued with his Topamax. He takes also nothing that I don’t take, and not much of that. (The exception is folic acid and multivitamins, which I heard from Dr. Internet were bad for men older than 45.)

Image: Nassaulibrary.org

Alex’s schedule includes one tablespoon of liquid Vitamin Shoppe children’s multivitamin every morning. Then I give him stuff alphabetically, the only way I can keep it straight, two a day, starting with one teaspoon of children’s acidophilus and one teaspoon Benefiber, both dissolved in water. (Benefiber since he stopped drinking V8 juice months back).

The next day: one B12 capsule and one cinnamon capsule, both dissolved in separate metal cups of water. Day three: one folic acid tablet and one ginseng capsule, both in water. Day four: one selenium tablet and one potassium tablet, in water. Next day: schedule starts again.

Alex’s health regimen is much like mine: Not enough of anything to harm, and delivered because somebody said it helped. The recommendation for acidophilus from the head of a local autism support group; B12’s from an autism dad and AutismOne radio host, who said that in moderate amounts it improved speech; and selenium from Jill, who told me it was good for preventing cancer. I figure his diet is so crappy, the odds of him getting too much of any nutrient are pretty long.

I’d love to add fish oil and magnesium, (heard good things), but they don’t dissolve in water.

More on supplements and autism.

Author Paul Collins (Not Even Wrong) has a great piece in the recent Cookie magazine. Collins, whose son is autistic, advises prospective hosts (parents of the typically developing, most likely) on what to expect and now to prepare if someone’s bring an autistic kid to their house. Interesting perspective and smart piece.