I think I am going nuts...please help | ADHD Information

1. Yes tell about the ADHD and have the principal hand pick the best teacher for your child. ( we have had great success in the public schools)

2.  You need to work with the teacher on this one

3.Have him get dressed after the meds kick in...we have breakfast, then med, then bathroom time, then he puts on clothes ( I have them down stairs ready ), then he can watch TV if he has extra time...he loves to watch a cartoon so he moves a bit quicker.

Good luck with everything

 

Hello, I am new to this board but unfortunately not new to the issues we are all facing.  My son is now 6 and I have been through testing since we was 2.  About 5-6 months after every set of tests he would improve and be "within range".  So no formal therapy was done until he was 3.  He had OT and Speech for a year and did great.  The therapists did not see any of the big issues that the tests had picked up on (PDD NOS) and after a year said he was done until school time and would then probably need some "clean-up" work. 

Well, here we are 3/4 of the way through Kindergarten and some of the ugly demons have creept back in again.  They have always been there of course, but it is so much more apparent in the structured private school he attends.  After trying all kinds of alternative approaches his ped finally decided that it was AD/HD and prescribed Ritalin.  He is on 20mg a day and is doing much, much better.  However, he is still not completeing his work in class (the teachers biggest complaint).  He knows the material and if you were to test him verbally he would be off the charts, but actually making him write it is the problem.  He does the work when I sit with him at home (most of the time), but just will not do it in class.  The school is telling me that he can not continue to 1st because of the massive amounts of work and they do not feel he can keep up.  So, I am now forced into public school.  Okay, so after my lengthy tirade, here are my big questions:

1) What do I tell the new school?  His Ped says to not tell about the AD/HD. 

2) How can I get him to focus and do more work?  He is more attentive and alert, but just sits in class while everyone else does the work.  There are days when he does all his work and days when none gets done.

3) How do you get your AD/HD kids dressed in the morning without having a coniption?   Every morning it is the same routine and the same battles over getting dressed.  He will sit on the floor half dressed forever if I let him.  What am I doing wrong? 

I am sure to have many more questions, but if I can get help with these, perhaps I will feel less like I need medication instead of him.

thanks!!

Holly

Holly, does he still have the PDD-NOS diagnosis?  If so -- and even if he had a diagnosis of ADHD -- you want to tell the school because public schools can set up 504 accommodations or an IEP that will give your son special help in school so that he doesn't fall behind.  These accommodations/services are guaranteed under federal law based on disability eligibility.

BTW, I don't know who diagnosed him initially, but you might want a thorough evaluation by a neuropsychologist to absolutely be sure what you're dealing with.  Peds aren't skilled enough to diagnose and treat this stuff.

 

 

Your son sounds a lot like my son when he was in first grade.  I see that smallmom and joemom already posted what I was going to suggest.  I urge you to get a good complete neurospych evaluation on your son.  You mentioned"...he would be off the charts"  Your son may be gifted/ADHD in which case he might find the work too easy and uninteresting.  Another thing to look at are his writing ability,coloring, cutting.  If this is a difficult area for him, he also may choose not to do the work because of fine motor problems.  This was the case with my son.  A good evaluation will help you know what you are dealing with and what can be done to support both his strengths and weaknesses.  

I would definately tell the school about the ADHD, as the teacher will be able to make any necessary accomodations in the classroom and lesson planning this way.  My daughter needs to be seated near the front of the classroom to cut down on distractions, and they also shorten her math assignments for her.  She also participates in TitleI math, which has been very helpful. 

I have found that it works best for us to have her lay out her clothes, and take care of everything possible that she will need for school the night before.  Last minute just doesn't seem to work for us. It is very helpful to stick to a routine of mornings, also.  Any variation seems to be stressful for her, and can cause delays.

Okay, now I really feel like an idiot for not thinking of reversing the order of getting ready in the morning.  I will try it tomorrow and see how it goes. 

As far as the PDD NOS diagnosis, the psychologist we saw here had no real comment when we told him about the original diagnosis.  After doing a classroom observation he had us scared out of our minds because before meds, ds would go into his "dreamworld" during school and space everyone and everything out.  The Dr. thought it was some sort of alterted consciousness.  After meeting with my son several times he acknowledged that he was seeing a completely different side than he saw in the classroom and went on to suggest AD/HD might be the cause.  I have now stopped seeing him because of lack of progress and some disagreements regarding future sessions. 

I will look into the neuropsych consult.

Also, he is definitely laking in the social skills dept.  He was a bit agressive earlier this year, but the meds seemed to have helped considerably.  He does not seem to mind that he has no friends - never comments or complains - so I am not sure that I should be all the concerned.  I just want him to to do more work in class and to be happy.  Is this wrong of me?

Lack of social skills plus early speech issues are big red flags for PDD.  I'd definitely pursue a thorough evaluation with a neuropsychologist.  I would not trust a regular old psychologist to make an accurate dx.Once you tell the school have your psychologist design a behavior plan for the school if it is behavior why the work does not get done.  My daughter is on meds and has difficulty finishing her work as well but she can be stubborn too and has a behavior plan which helps.How do I go about getting a behavoir plan??  And how do I get an eval from a neuropysch?  His PED has not suggested this and since he is also not wanting me to tell the school, I am not sure how responsive he will be if I ask for his help. 

I am a little concerned after reading through the posts here and the books I have picked up that my ds was never really examined.  There was one school observation and 4 sessions, but they were mostly just play time with the psych, and then it was decided that ADD was the answer to all our problems.  I am not complaining, the meds have definitely helped, but as you have pointed out there are some underlying issues that need addressing.   I agree with smallmom on re-evaluated him for PDD-NOS. My son has it and she's right--your son has typical red flags. You'd need a NeuroPsych for a good evaluation, and typical behavioral therapies do not work well for PDD kids. In fact, it can freak them out, cause anxiety, and make them strike out physically out of fear. Any sort of, say, confinement to a time out chair in the corner of the room may seem claustaphobic to them and they may lose it, striking you and everything else around them. You really do need the right dx. first. No meds are available for PDD's--you need to learn about it and how to deal with it. The kids can often become incredibly improved. The vast majority of non-NeuroPsych psycologists have not a clue how to diagnose and look for any sort of PDD. None even came close with my son. They didn't do any testing either. People here are giving you advice as if he has ADHD. If he does, their advice should work, but it won't if his main problem is autistic spectrum disorder. These kids do often "shut down" or seem like they are in their own world, especially when they are overstimulated/overwhelmed---not an ADHD trait.OlderMom38839.6002546296OlderMom,  the only problem I have with PDD is that from the research I did when he was first diagnosed he did not fit the symptons.  He had some, but so slight that I did not want him forever labeled when he could be in normal society and most would not even see the "uniqueness" he had.  He has never had the a-typical symptoms of anything, until ADD.  Even the developmental Ped we went to disagreed with the original diagnosis.  They told me when they diagnosed him that they really did not know what to say about him but that this "fit" more than anything else. 

He has never lashed out or acted aggressively when given a time-out or when being seen by a therapist.  He used to look forward to seeing them every week.   While the ADD meds have not "fixed" all the issues, they are much diminished and the day dreaming has decreased.  He is able to verbalize more now.  If he does not complete all his work in class and I ask him about why, he will tell me he was busy thinking about Power Rangers or something. 

Hi!  Our son was diagnosed in first grade with ADHD. It has been a tough four years, and I have to say, the sense of peace we have now is immeasurable.  We took a chance and tried a nutritional supplement (I know what you are thinking, I did too), call Reliv, and after only 3 months we have wittnessed a dramatic change in our child.  If you want more information please contact me at dumaine@cox.net.  I will be happy to share our experience, if I can help a few more families, I would be proud.