Advice needed, severe hyperactivity.

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Hi all, I'm new here and have an issue with my ASD daughter, turned 4yo in Feb, that we've been struggling with for several months now. I'd love the input from anyone who has maybe had a similar situation with their young one.

Before age 3.5 yrs, we had very little in the way of behaviors, except for some OCD type patterning with toys, and some degree of mild hyperactivity. Our big issues had and still are very limited expressive and receptive language function. She had been making progress and was enrolled in ABA for 20hrs per week when we noticed these spells she would enter. They consist of severe (like off the charts) hyperactivity with a sharp decline in all executive functioning. This would include direction following, ability to produce and understand speech, and becoming more irritable. I wouldn't be concerned with the hyperactivity except that it accompanies such a sharp decline in speech/language function and receptive language function. Sometimes the episodes last for days and days, then she comes out of it and is able to use words more and follow directions again.

We've looked for all the causes we can think of, stress, food/allergies, sensory overload (she never displays sensory sensitivity), seizures (eeg was normal) and countless others. However, she just wakes up this way certain days and there is little to nothing we can do about it. It's hampered her progress and caused full out regression at times. We took her out of ABA in Nov, concerned that it was worsening they situation and her progress had halted.

Anyone have a similar experience or suggestions they can share? I would be very greatful to get input on this, as her doctors and therapists kind of look at me like I have a third eye when I talk about it.

Thank you for the information. I'll have to look at it more from, can't see the videos from work. We have been working with her on speech for over 2 years now at home

I just wanted to add that we had tried a few medications for her that were prescribed by her neurologist. The first was Paxil, and she reacted to it by becoming completely manic with a level of hyperactivity that was off the planet. Then tried intuniv just for hyperactivity. Helped calm her down, but then she became extremely irritable. Last was risperdal, which we tried to stick out for several weeks, but stopped because it seemed to make her very irritable and didn't help the hyeractivity or anxiety if that is what it is.

If this is anxiety, I'm just not sure how to understand that when some days she is absolutely fine and other days she wakes up in another realm before ever interacting with a single sole, or leaving her bed.

Thanks again, and I'm sorry if this is posted in the wrong part of the forums.

It's interesting that you describe it as episodes that last for days. How specialized is the neurologist (eg just general or child/developmental)? Has a pediatric psychiatrist been consulted to rule out bipolar?