huh, My son has ADHD ( which was pretty obvious by the age of 2 ), but he always has has an anger management issue.. which is getting better with age. 3 years ago we added Tourrettes to the diagnosis. Which breaks my heart.
I had no idea, in all of my reading, that anger problems were part of Tourettes.
I highly recommend reading the book "The Explosive Child", a recommendation I got from the CD boards. It has some great insights on how to think about emotional explosions and deal with them. Its methods seem like a good stopgap until you can get an evaluation from a psychiatrist.
my daughter too! and she has mild aspergers...i have posted too about many anger & homework struggles...Ellen, welcome! I'm not sure what kind of doctor diagnosed your son, but there is a good chance you're looking at more than ADHD. This kind of anger goes beyond ADHD. I'm glad you're having him evaluated by a psychiatrist (and I hope he/she is a board-certified child psychiatrist) who can rule in or out mood issues (anxiety, depression, mood disorder). You might also want to locate a neuropsychologist, who can assess for many neurological disorders, including but not limited to ADHD. The facial twitch is most likely a tic; tics accompany many neurological conditions and can be fueled by anxiety. My 12-year-old son, BTW, has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, ADHD, anxiety and tic disorder so what you are describing sounds very much like what goes on in our house. With the right diagnosis and the right meds, things can improve. Good luck.
I have found the conduct disorder site a help as well because my son has what appears to be multiple issues as well and can be ver angry too. Definitely get a psychiatrist atleast to evaluate.
ADHD is there from birth. Has this child ever seen a NeuroPsych? Since he has no problems with school, I'd question an ADHD dx. I personally feel he sounds more like Aspergers, a very high functioning form of autism. The kids can be brilliant, but can NOT transition well, have sensory issues and, more glaringly, have social problems--appear not to understand social cues. Autisic kids, undiagnosed, can be VERY frustrated at not being understood and not "getting it" (socially) and can act out badly. They also tend to be very rigid with narrow, obsessive interests. There is hope though. Often they can become very well behaved and happy kids once they are diagnosed and receiving the proper interventions. I highly recommend finding a NeuroPsych. You can find them at University Hospitals and Childrens Hospitals. These professionals do intensive performance testing and are good at spotting the symptoms of neurological problems, and, if I were you, I'd take that route. Here is a very good site for Aspergers. Remember that reading an article and trying to diagnose your own kid is really not productive, but it can maybe teach you a bit about this disorder. I'm not sure a Psychiatrist will "get it." A Psychiatrist missed the autism in my son and called it bipolar. He was then on heavy duty meds that he didn't need. My own personal opinion is do the NeuroPsych first, then also see a Psychiatrist. But autistic kids can look as angry as bp kids. It's good to take a look at both. IMO this isn't ADHD. ANd, yes, our kids are complicated and hard to dx. ADHD meds can make kids with both bipolar and autism considerably worse. My mild mannered son flipped out on ADHD drugs so know what your child has before you medicate. Any number of doctors, unfortunately, will say "ADHD" without serious testing of the child and throw stimulants or Straterra at the child. This kid needs an indepth evalution. Good luck!
www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/frame2.html
Since this board is for ADHD, I have another message board you may find more helpful:
THis site includes all childhood disorders, including ADHD. The parents are very experienced moms.
OlderMom38786.2667361111
My son is 11. He's in the academically gifted program. School doesn't really cause a problem, though he has trouble starting things and hates very long assignments. He also gets extremely frustrated when he doesn't get something immediately. ADHD didn't really "appear" until end of 4th grade. He has a lot of trouble with transitions - such as putting away a book if it's time for math. He has trouble getting organized - can't find his pencil, etc. He doesn't seem to hear when he's asked to get off the computer and do something else.
But all of this is manageable to me. What's so awful is the anger. He is always furious. He screams at everyone. Homework is a nightmare if he wants help because he gets mad. GET MY BOOK (of course we don't respond to that). He says he can't do it. Even worse is when he's mad about something else. He curses, bangs his head on the wall, screams, and won't go away (time outs are OUT - because he will not leave us alone - continues to chase after us screaming).
He has this weird facial twitch as well. He's on no meds yet, but we're waiting to meet with a psychiatrist for help.
I would love any input! THANKS
Ellen
I had Tourrette's as a child and I used to have wild fits of rage. I wasn't diagnosed until my son was diagnosed 20 years after I could have been helped by the diagnosis, but I can tell you, motor tics are normally a sign of Tourrette's. Tourette's isn't confined to only cussing for no apparent reason. Some Tourette's patients such as myself only had tics [corner of mouth and corner of left eye] and a bad temper. When I read your post the first thought that popped into my head was wether or not he had been asest for Tourettes. These kids often have rage attacks, and very often is first diagnosed with AD/HD. Some study`s show that as much as 80% of people with Tourettes also have AD/HD or ADD.