60% of people with bipolar are misdiagnosed and wrongly medicated for depression... implications for the autism field....

Rapid Cycling Childhood Bipolar in infants can mean bipolar extremes every few weeks, days, even up to every 45 minutes.

This can mean major fluctuations in rage, distress, elation for no clearly identifiable reason.

Whilst such things may be aggravated by food allergies, food intolerances, toxicity issues and certain nutrient deficiencies and imbalances

Even sorting all of these things may not be enough to level out a child on the autistic spectrum who also has co-morbid Rapid Cycling Childhood Bipolar...

a condition that is often inherited where family members have adults with bipolar and which, in children, can have an onset as young as 18 months of age.

Onset in infants often means no communication skills to express their condition so it is not surprising many are not formally diagnosed with co-morbid mood disorders till many, damaging years later, with obvious impact on the child's development, learning, the family and relationships.

One of the medications used to treat Rapid Cycling Bipolar is Risperdal, another is Seroquel. Both are currently being used in very small doses in the autistic population but should never be used based on a label of Autism for what's being treated is a co-morbid mood disorder and its, sometimes life-threatening- behavioural fall-out.

15-20% of people with unmedicated bipolar commit suicide. This is clearly no place for militants WITHOUT co-morbid mood disorders to dictate a mandate of 'no medication'. The impact on gut-immune function of leaving a developing child unmedicated with severe Rapid Cycling Bipolar and/or anxiety disorders should also be considered in weighing up potential side-effects. Long term impact of chronic stress on gut-immune function, blood health and nutrient transportation will do little to help someone with information processing challenges who also has these co-morbid disorders.

What's shocking about the article below, is the statistic that 60% of adults with bipolar are misdiagnosed with and wrongly medicated for depression. The medication for depression can exaccerbate the agitation and impulsiveness of manic states in Bipolar.

It is currently believed that at least 30% of people on the autistic spectrum may have co-morbid Bipolar and in children this is usually the Rapid Cycling form which cycles far more often than in adults. If a significant percentage people on the spectrum diagnosed with depression are actually misdiagnosed people with co-morbid bipolar then this figure may be significantly higher.

Please feel free to view the articles below.

Diagnosis overlooking manic phase of illness can delay treatment, psychiatrists say

Frequently Asked Questions About Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder