sons behavior

[cinnie12]

Dear Dr. Kennedy,
My teenage son , who has high functioning autism, has much better control over his hyper, inappropriate social behavior  when he takes ritalin. Over the past 10 years, we have tried all types of stimulants, including long lasting, but recently made a full circle back to regular ritalin--  two 20mg doses a day. The problem is that after the second dose wears off, more doesn't work--it just causes anxiety.  What could we use after 4:00pm to keep him calm without dulling him?  His psychiatrist acts like we just have to deal with this, but its hard not to ever plan anything at night.  Is this a common problem?
Thank you
Cindi Smith

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Depending on what time he goes to bed, a limited (e.g., 10 mg) short-acting stimulant dose might be a reasonable option. But there are limits to what can be done - it's a less than perfect world in that regard.

[cinnie12]

Thank you for your response
Cindi Smith