In need of ideas for ASD child with headaches

[poohnpigletCA]

I am in need of ideas on where I can find some good (not costing an arm and a leg) child sunglasses and any other helpful suggestions you would like to share.

Short background of my lovely dd6. She had some difficulty at birth and spent 2 weeks in the NICU. Upon being released her Dr. mentioned that she was not tracking and might have vision problems. After many tests to determine that she was not blind we were then told that her problems were neurological.

Her first 3 years of life were spent in early intervention. She received an ASD diagnosis. She has had many years of OT, PT, speech and ABA.

Happily, she is now in a typical first grade class with no support staff. We took a deep breath and relaxed. Then I realized that her intense headaches are getting worse. I am ashamed to admit that I thought she was just stuck on the sentence "I have a headache." Then I realized the physical pain she was experiencing with her headaches.

After seeing her pediatrician who is running lab tests and sending dd back to the ophthalmologist once again.

So does anyone have any suggestions that would help a 6 yo with headaches?

If you made it this far thank you and if you have any helpful ideas a bigger thank you.

 

[bookwormde]

Finding the source(s) is the best place to start. This is the age where the social and EF challenges really begin to build so stress and anxiety which may play a part.

bookwormde

 

[Tiggerish]

My young niece has found that using a thing called a Well Patch is helpful. I have to order them from Amazon because none of the stores here carry them but basically a cooling patch with an extremely mild, soothing lavender scent.

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

I would look at her diet. Salicylates give my dd horrible headaches. ASD kids are prone to food and chemical sensitivity. There is a good book called Eating For Autism that helped me. Elimination diets can help you find out if a certain food is the culprit.

 

[MonkeyManMichael]

Hello, I was reading your post. Hope all is well. My son is going to be 3 next month and he was getting alot of headace and would always hold his head and say mommy it hurts and scream. After going to a lot of different doctors we went an had an MRI done of the brain and the spin and that's how we found out he had Arnold Chiari. My son they thought at birth had hearing issues but thank god he is ok with his hearing. My son also for the passed 2 years has been spent in early intervention which they are great and we love it, they are helping him so much. He receives OT, PT, speech and feeding and goes to a 3 hour program in school 5 days a week. Sorry I'm going on and on I hope all is well and god bless you. I hope the headaces are all better.

 

[LMC]

I recently took DS15 with ASD, SID, scoliosis, etc to a chiropractor for his headaches and it helped. He was checked for chiari I and thank goodness does not have it. Due to all of his issues the chiropractor would not touch him until he had a cat scan.
It could be foods, it could be migraines. Maybe you should see a neurologist. I am not sure if they put children on migraine prevention meds but I am on them and can't live without them!

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Thank you all for the help.

We did a headache log for several weeks to see if there was any pattern. She gets headaches on weekdays and weekends basically all over the place. The only constant was the car and after doing homework.

We started with the Optometrist and she did need reading glasses. Her eyes are also not transitioning from near to far fluidly.

She now has her reading glasses but is still having headaches so it looks like the next step is the MRI.

 

[brat]

one of the foster kids that lived with us last year had headaches related to eye issues.We talked to the eye Dr. and bought a box of those cheap roll-up disposable eyeglasses they give you after you have your eyes dialated.They are light enough to not cause weight on face issues with the headache.

When headaches happened we used frozen water bottles and hot water bottles to switch back a forth, quite time in a bathtub with only the nightlight on (with an adult in there keeping a close eye to make sure kid is okay).

We tried diets, which might have worked but since kid was allowed to eat on visits with family and they did not feel trying a diet would help they feed off diet every visit.

Kid went back to family but did not stay with them.Happy ending older sister adopted and has grandma living next door.Kid is thriving and happy.BTW eye surgery stopped the headaches.