My son has been impossible and I called his doctor today about his sleep disorder because the last time my husband and I were at our wits end we realized he had a sleep pattern that was disturbed and after spending 5-7 days with nights waking up several times and not hitting deep sleep patterns we started him on Melatonin. I have noticed he would cycle this one disturbed week every 5 weeks during the Winter and this Summer it has been 1.5 mg of Melatonin up to 3 mg which worked for 1 week...now we need the doctors help, he was up 15 times last night screaming a demanding sound, etc. Check her sleep patterns. Check if it relates to over stimulation with a busy day. Biting: have "chewies" available to her all the time, hand them to her, if biting offer it to her mouth....our son is chewing and biting on everything this summer, started out with hands, shoulders and with chews (P's and Q's but we use the rubber T that looks like a pipe and cheapest satisfying chewie is clear plastic/rubber tubing purchased at Home Depot for $5, cut in to 6" lengths so she doesn't stuff in her mouth and choke. Hitting and kicking I give pressure, a pillow or blanket or I wrap around and gently apply a little body pressure...just enough to calm for a minute, if still kicking and hitting I give him space to have his meltdown until I can approach him again. Good luck because I walk in your shoes, this is the biggest challenge of our lives, God Bless You and your Granddaughter.

I dont know the age of your grandchild but my daughter got verry irritable and violent when she was loosing her baby teeth recently, they were her first they were painfull and she was scared. now that the 2nd and last of the current loose ones are out she is much calmer and has yet to hurt anyone since I pulled it out. If I couldnt tell what the issues was (change, weather ect) I would go to a Dr. and see if they could find a medical source of pain even if just to rule it out.

I really need to update this. My husband and I were both strongly against the use of Prozac with children. Our son was 5, almost 6. We turned down our son's doctor who wanted to start him on it for behaviors, not through the nights, his appetite shrunk way down. For a year we took care of him but were worn to the point that our marriage was now becoming tense, we both didn't feel we had the energy to continue giving him the care he needed and were concerned we would lose our temper with his behaviors hitting, kicking, banging things against his forehead.

We put it off for a year and instead of trying the Prozac we turned to a County Caseworker and were willing to put him in a group home facility or foster care if we could find a place that we could be with him for part of the time and have 24/7 accredited care for the other days. We couldn't give our once very happy little boy any quality of life and we had lost our own.

We decided when asked if he was on any medications by the Caseworker to try that last straw. It was like a Miracle!!! The Pediatrician started out at something like 5 mg and went to 10 mg and that brought back the behaviors, too quickly the amount was increased from 5 mg to 10 mg without any steps in between. So we took him to a child Psychiatrist and he started him on a lower dose and then went up small increments so he adjusted, but he was a whole different child in every good way imaginable. It's been amazing that he started eating, still on Melatonin to sleep but at least he was sleeping 11 hours per night and not just 4 hours. His behaviors were gone, he no longer did stemming, or repeating things at all. He started reading, he started talking in more than a word or two, he is saying sentences and YES!!! He is ASKING QUESTIONS...We are overjoyed, he is our 8th child and only one with Autism, but he has been doing so many things that regular kids do that we can not believe it.

If you or anyone you know has a child with Autism or other disorders with "behaviors", having the parents contact a child psychiatrist, if referred by a medical doctor in your insurance providers, it should be covered. It will also open doors to other services such as Waivers for being DD Developmentally Delayed. The point is, a child you know who is entangled in behaviors can get help through Prozac and WE HAVE NOT FOUND ANY SIDE EFFECTS from April, 2013 to Today, October 28, 2013. I remember asking on here under FAQ's people's opinions on Prozac with children. Some were negative some positive. My husband asked me this weekend if I reported anything on here for other parents to know that it was a 100% success story. I hadn't, but now I am. Many Blessings to your child and to all of you who are caregivers for these extraordinary angels that touch our lives.

The Pediatrician increased his Melatonin and he falls asleep, stays asleep ALL night, like a baby, no longer restless especially no screaming. If your child has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, talk to your child's Pediatrician and at least ask about the natural remedy of Melatonin. Try the recommended dosage for your child , then feel comfortable giving it to them. No groggy mornings either. :)

We face the lack of sleep issues too. Its so draining.