New member - 11 year old with Possible... | ADHD Information

No offense or anything but when some states early problems that sound like ADHD and maybe a cross between Aspergers, they need to know all the different disorders out there. I am sure that the mothers who come here looking for an answer do keep in mind that only a professional can make a diagnosis not someone writing an opinion. Personally myself, if I were a newbie I would want to know any possibilites outside the ADHD box. I would then take all the information and read on both subjects to see what better fits my child, then I would take my ideas to a professional. When you give a mother both ideas as a possibility (Meaning Aspergers and ADHD) nine times out of ten they will pick up a few books, read on the internet on both subjects and quickly learn how the two is related and maybe see how much their child does not fit the Asperger senario.

MomWI: stated that there were red flags for Aspergers and even went on to say maybe a mood disorder.

I agree, does that mean the child has Aspergers? Who knows since ADHD and Aspergers cross more than people think. It would be a professional's job to make that call.

Anyway, I hope that I did not offend anyone...

I am a mother of children on the Autism/Asperger and ADHD spectrum...

Tammy

Kids with ADHD  DO blurt out stuff in class especially if they are not medicated. This is part of the impulsivity.  I agree with No Tellin and  seriously doubt that this child has Aspergers ...he sounds like a child with ADHD that has not ever been treated. 

My son has a big interest in space....but this  is an interest and guess what he has a dad who is also into space GO Figure.

Sorry but I dont see the red flags.  In fact I see him with some friendships ( the wrong crowd but a crowd nontheless). A kids with Aspergers most likley would not be invited to "skip school".  Children know and avoid  the child who just doesn't fit in.

Ok first off, you need to educate yourself on how much Aspergers and ADHD cross. In our case, you noticed that I said OUR CASE, not everybody elses kid, my daughter does get invited to things. Granted it may not be as often as other children. What she was saying, but everyone is missing the point, is that things the poster listed was not just a narrowed interest but several other factors. Nobody is saying the child has Aspergers but some of the symptoms listed (which the severity of the symptoms were not stated) is some of the symptoms that cross over into Aspergers. Does this mean the child has Aspergers? NO IT DOES NOT..... It just means it's worth asking a professional to rule it out. Is it fair for you to say that it's NOT and in no way could be Aspergers? Is it fair for everyone here to diagnos all children with ADHD just like many are saying that momWI is diagnosing everyone with Aspergers?

I am not mad or angry just wanted to state a response and I have said all I am going to say on this issue since I could post until I am blue in the face and someone will come along and miss the point again and again and again.

Peace to all.....



crazy, parents who want to know the big picture are not scared away. Only those who are in denial or are afraid of alternatives are scared. I'm concerned about the kids, not their parents. You may notice, I'm often right too. Lots of these kids HAVE been diagnosed ASD. I've never been one to listen to others when I'm trying to do the right thing, and that won't change. You are free to ignore my posts, but, judging by the number of PMs I get, not everyone is as put off as you seem to be. I don't mean to offend, but also can't help it if you are sensitive to hearing that it could be more. I suggest skipping my posts as I intend to inform parents that there are many ADHD mimickers and that no child is completely diagnosed unless they are tested for all possibilities. If your child had a fever that woudln't go away, you wouldn't just shove asprins at him--you'd find out the core reason so you could treat it. That's what I advocate--a through exam. ADHD treatment won't help a child with bipolar or Aspergers and many kids have it and have an ADHD dx instead. It's best to rule out everything before starting stimulants and/or refusing more aggressive interventions. JMHO :) No offense meant. Not going to "argue" about it anymore either.

I'm sorry you are all struggling. I hate that they are giving him detention for homework, and he may have AD/HD . That's a hard thing for AD/HD children to remember to bring home, then do, then bring back. His general frustration with school may very well be why he is skipping out on it. I did that in High School. It was just to frustrating for me, so my mom would drag me in, and I would walk back out as soon as she was gone.

As far as the bumping into things, has he had an eye exam? There are many things that can cause that, but it's always good to start with the eyes. My daughter, I thought, was a total clutz. Always bumping into chairs, corners of walls, falling over her own feet, yet seemed to be able to see well. Turns out she couldn't. One of her eyes is okay, while the other is very poor. She has amblyopia. Basically, at some point her brain stopped recognizing the signals from that eye, and stopped using it, so that eye went bad. It caused her to not have any depth perception which is why she bumped into everything, but being so young her other eye took over, so she appeared to see well.
Anyway, just wanted to throw that in there incase he hasn't ever had an eye exam.

Good luck with his evaluations. I hope you all get some answers soon.

ladym38907.9774652778No, he does NOT definitely sound ADD. That's why I suggest a thorough diagnosis with a NeuroPsych who can test for ADHD and beyond. He has some symptoms of Aspergers too. The poster didn't mention his social skills. If they are deficit, it's always smart to test for everything. If your child is running a fever that won't go away, you try to find out why. It's dangerous to assume, "He just has a cold." You don't know that. ADHD is often a misdiagnosis for something else. This kid is having serious behavioral issues, and is not able to sit in class and is blurting out. That is NOT just ADHD, nor is it typical ADHD behavior. How many kids have ADHD? How many blurt out in class and disturb everyone? Not many. I know of three ADD kids in my daughter's class, none who disturb other kids, all who struggle with attention and homework issues. This child has more than that going on. If she takes her child to a NeuroPsych (and I highly recommend it because they thought my son had ADHD too), then she will have a better idea of what he has and how to treat it. I stand by my advice. You and I aren't qualified to diagnose and it's always smart to take a struggling child to an expert of the highest caliber so that the child can get the most accurate diagnosis, the best help, and have the brightest prognosis. It beats jumping to fast conclusions and treating the wrong disorder. I don't think bumping into things means much, BUT again it could. We're only parents. My advice after all our misdiagnoses and wrong meds is "leave no stone unturned" for the sake of the child.

This child sounds ADHD. How could one statement about knowing car models lead straight to Aspie. Heck, maybe some adult in his life was car crazy. I just don't get that leap.

I am sure I will make no friends by saying this, quit pushing the Asperger's, ASD.   IF it IS ADHD, do not scare the newbies away.

I disagree with the regular psycologist. I think he should see a Neuropsych. They do intensive testing, not just talking and pulling a dx. out of a hat, and can diagnose ADHD and beyond (and I think it's beyond). You may also want to throw in a Child Psychiatrist if there are psychiatric disorders in the family. Do you feel he may use recreational drugs? That can throw a kink into everything. I wouldn't count on the school to get it done and certainly wouldn't expect a GP to be able to diagnose psychiatric and neurological disorders. They really aren't trained for that. Right off the bat, your son (with his early interest in all cars and memorizing them and inappropriate comments) has big red flags for Asperger's Syndrome. He could also have a mood disorder.  Good luck :)

MomWI38907.8159027778

Hello to all members.

 I have decided to join this forum in search for help. I have an 11 year old son who has had problems for as long as I can remember. His been through primary school with special needs for his school work which is a case of going into a special needs classroom for one lesson a day to help with writing and reading skills.

 My son now attends secondary school and his been coming home with detention after detention for forgetting his homework, his pens and things like that. But it also got to a stage where her was in with the wrong croud and was absent from school... he was going in to register in the mornings but then walking out of school with some other boys. When I spoke to my son about it he said the other boys wanted him to go along with them. After reading up on ADHD I decided to take my son along to see one of the 8 GP's in the surgery and she put it down to being bullied, but this stopped and problems continued... so off I went to see another GP who once I told him of the problems I was having with him agreed it was only right for him to see someone.

 I took my son along to see a pediatrishion and she agreed that there was some problems going on and asked me to go away and do a score chart which are rated 0 to 3 and there was 27 questions... only 2 was 0 and there was 4-5 which was 2 but all the rest was a 3... which was all very true about him. I had to post the score chart back to a medical centre and there also sending a score chart off to his school, but with the summer holidays coming up at the end of the week it could take a while to get the chart back from them. Depending on the result of the score chart we'll ahve to go and see someone at the local hospital and decided which rout to take and look into, either way I'm slowly getting to the bottom of things with my son.

 The long drawn out problems I've been having with my son stretch back to when he started walking up until being about 4 year old, he wouldn't watch where he was walking and walk into lamp posts. But over the past 5-6 years his been out of contol really is the best was to discribe him... I would see someone in town and he would interupt with some silly comments which is totally unrelated to what I'm talking about. For example I went to visit my fathers house but there was only me and my brother there, which things was ok... until my father arrived with his girlfriend and then he started showing off and seeking attention. His also been getting detention for not doing his homework or forgetting it. Then his been absent from school (as mentioned above) which he was caught by the police. My son also shouts out in class, disturbes the class by getting out his seat and distracting others while working. 

 I have decided to fight for special needs for my son, which I found helped him at primary school and feel it could be of some great help at highter school as well.

 

 When I took him back to see the GP the last time he mentioned about a herbal tablet called EYE-Q which I tried for him but he didn't stay on them long enough to see of any difference. The tablets are expensive and I cant affort to pay out on these tablets so I'm going to see if I could get these on prescription. If my son stays on these tablets I would be having to pay nearly £30 a month for the first few months until the decrease of tablet intake can be gratually dropped down slowly from 6 a day to 2 a day.

 

 Its took me 7 years or so to finally get my son some help, so I just wanted to give other parents out there the currage to keep on pushing for your child to see someone and to help them in whatever situation it may be.

 

 Thankyou for reading.

 

Karen

PantherCub38907.7138425926

 I forgot to mention that my son is a bright boy when it comes to cars... ever since he was around 2-3year old he knew what each car model was... like Ford, Fiet and so on...

 My son still has his love for cars as well as football.

 

PantherCub38907.7103356481I think you need to have your son see a psycologist.And a very big thank you.  I like my psychiatrist, who is also a DO, and will stay with him, as long as my son does not drive him nuts!!!  lolI think that many disorders (bipolar,adhd,asd,and so on) have many of the same symptoms.  It then goes to the opinion of the person reading the post.crazymama:

Bravo!!! I could not have said that any better myself and you are exactly right.....

Tammycrazymama:

You stated that you will make no friends by saying what you said, well, you are entitled to your statments and opinion but I am sure you understand that others will respond with the same. I am an adult, I respect your statement and I would love to be your friend even if I disagree with your opinion.....It's ok

Tammy

Thank you Joe mom.  My son has ADHD.  He blurts out stuff all the time, will never be quiet, and is very hyper.  He doesn't have many friends due to his impulsivity.  He gets into trouble and other kids don't like it.  He could have a mood disorder, and the psych and I are watching him.  The psych knows he is a complex kid, and in fact has told me that.  I then told him to tell me something I didn't know.

 

Can a Psychiatrist or Psychologist prescribe meds?  I get them mixed up.

 

I guess I get tired of people always saying to get a neuropsych.  I am sure they are great doctors, but they are also very hard to find and very expensive.  I will do whatever I can for my son, but have to keep aroof over our heads too.  I would go with a good child Psy(the one who can prescribe meds) if you cannot find a neuropsych.  The nearest childrens hosp or university to us is 5 hours away in good weather.  There are mountain passes we would have to cross.   Not everyone has access.

I agree with all of you.  However, this is an ADHD board and when parents come here with a new diagnosis I find it troubling for someone to say Aspergers based on a symptoms that are common to both disorders.

We did go to a neuropsych and I am sorry I spent the money. He did not tell us anything that we did not already know.  I also feel a bit ripped off because he told us insurance would pay more than it did URRRGHHHHH. A neuropsych cannot prescribe meds ( at least the one we saw could not)

Just an idea---perhaps there needs to be a new section for comorbids or look a like disorders .

Oh my gosh, me too, I hated the neuropsyche visit and tended to butt heads with them. I know plenty people love them and equally hate them and I am one who does not care for them. I like the Developmental PED., she was more knowledgable, open minded and down to earth.

I know what you all are saying about this being ADHD board but you have to admit alot of folks do come here looking for anwsers before they actually get a DX of anything and one should be able to reply with different possibilites and senarios.

I agree 100% about having a co-morbid board or an Asperger/Autism board here for others to explore other possibilites.

Geez, I have to get a life today....LOL... I am off to shampoo my carpet through out the entire house...yeah, doesn't that seem so fun? I just got a carpet shampooer, you know those 200.00 Kenmores that are the same thing as Hoover...LOL....

Anyway,
I will be back later..

Tammy

Ha Ha  tammy I got one of thoes shampooers too ...And I should get ingear and do the carpet of my mini van....it is disgusting.  I am making a new rule of no eating in the car ( we will see how long that lasts).

Happy shampooing

Joemom, lol, your so funny .... do you know how long that will last? Really, I make that rule everytime I clean my car and a month later I am back at it again swearing to myself that the kids will not eat in my car....NEVER AGAIN and low and behold we are on the road, Iv'e been out all day, tired and we will pull up to the MacDonald's window and sure enough I had the food right over into the backseat ....I will say to the kids, we are not supposed to be eating in here but I will let it slid this time. I am sure they are thinking, yeah right mom!!!!

I finished the whole house and now it's on to the dreadful kitchen. I have to scrub the floors since I have a seven month old who loves to be in the floor...

I will be back in a few...

Tammy crazy, psychologist  cannot prescribe meds because he/she is not a medical doctor but rather a Phd

I also spent a lot of money on a neuropsyche, and got a bit more info than I already knew, but not enough to warrant the money. I don't regret it, but I'm not sure I'd do it again if I could go back in time.

My son has ADHD with no co-morbids, and is not medicated. He disturbs others in the class, he blurts out, he gets out of his seat frequently, and he has social issues due to impulsivity. The neuro-psyche said point blank he is not aspie.

I think a look-a-like board is a great idea. That way someone can go there if they choose.

NoTellin38908.4070023148

davinduck27, notellin, and joemom

I would like to clarify some of your questions regarding child providers.  I am a child psychologist and would like to clarify some of the statements that have been made about diagnostics.  A pschiatrist or pediatrician are the only professionals who have a medical degree and thus have the ability to prescribe medications.  A psychologist of ANY variety cannot prescribe meds unless they have an additional medical degree.

I also have read some of these posts suggesting that a neuropsychologist is most capable of diagnosing ADHD, ASD, or most any other disorder.  The training of clinical child psyshologist is equivalent to the diagnosing ability of any pscyhologist, neuro or not.  The important and qualifying variable here is the child training.  Although both ADHD and ASD involve deficits in brain neurology, a specailist in brain neurology is unnecessary to provide a valid diagnosis.

Of greater importance is expertise in child diagnostics.  Beyond this specialized training, the choice of practitioner should be with the provider who works well and closely with the parent.  An experienced but down to earth and personable professional is a critical aspect.  Find one you are comfortable with and stay with that provider.  Testing and clinical evaluation can be completed by any trained professional, and you need not spend additional hard earned dollars blindly seeking an evaluation with a neuropsyhologist.  You can find excellent practitioners regardless of the learned degrees following their name.  Good Luck.

Thank you gginparker I wish that I had read this about 6 months ago.  I would be 1500 dollars richer  .  joemom38908.7234837963 [QUOTE=crazymama]I am sure I will make no friends by saying this, quit pushing the Asperger's, ASD.   IF it IS ADHD, do not scare the newbies away.[/QUOTE]

I didn't get my "sounds like Asperger Syndrome" buzz when I read PantherCub's posting, either. On the other hand, I'm surprised at the number of people who neglect to mention their child has Autism & ADHD or Asperger Syndrome & ADHD, etc. until they've been on the board for some time. Why is that? I'm also surprised to see how many people whose kids "only have ADHD" who are active posters on other Autism boards.

It's all good in the end, but it seems to be a waste of valuable sharing time. I value what I've learned from other people about other disorders and appreciate what they share with us.
IMac38908.8874189815We didn't have good luck with Psycologists because they didn't do any tests. They pretty much saw my kid and said, "ADHD." Well, he had symptoms of ADHD, but it was more. Parents who come here seem pretty desperate for answers, and often ADHD interventions aren't working. That likely means it's more. It's too bad that insurance doesn't always cover NeuroPsychs--ours did--we were lucky. I still think it's foolish not to do a thorough evaluation. IMO better to be out money than miss something important. People post here when they aren't sure what's going on, and many never heard of childhood bipolar or ASD, and I think it's best to be informed of all possibilities. It makes no sense to just assume that over-the-top behavior is ADHD without checking into everything. That doesn't help anyone, especially the child. Unfortuantely, a lot of parents are in denial and that hurts the kid. This child *does* have Aspie traits. Most ASD kids are first diagnosed with ADHD. They require different interventions, although there are crossover symptoms. Best to be careful rather than complacent. Proof that the ADHD dx. is often ASD are how many posters who post here are suddenly posting on the ASD board with a new diagnosis. "Knowledge is power." It's insane to suggest that telling others about other possiblities is hurtful. It would make me laugh, if it weren't sad...anyways, I want to keep helping, and I think I do. I will risk upsetting a few posters if I can help one child to get help. I'm not interested in the adults--I care about the kids (adopted four and was a foster mom--I'm kid-oriented). I'm also not here to make friends, although I have made some.MomWI38909.2590972222I'm not in denial I would love help for my children I know my daughter and other son have adhd but not as severe as my oldest son My daughter will talk a mile a minute she can't stay focused and this is from me and her teachers and my youngest son I think right now is to young to be diagnosed he's only 4 he does they same exact things that my oldest son did when he was that age.oh and my daughter chews on things other then food like her string on her sweater jackets or her hair. we tried letting her chew on a piece of candy when she's at school but her teacher only agreed if she kept it to herself the candy that is and recently when she's at the store with me she can't keep her hands to her self.Panthercub:

Don't give up!!! With a wonderful mom like you on your son's side he will have a bright future rather it be ADHD or Aspergers. Only you know your son the best. As I tell others in my group, go with your gut and do not let the professionals push you around. If you feel like he is more ADHD then keep taking him to professionals that are willing to listen to you. With my daughter, she is extremely ADHD-combind type---not hyper and maybe a little impulsive in her decsion making, so it was hard to see the Aspergers. My daughter is currently Aspergers (mild) and ADHD. You see more of the ADHD vs. the Aspergers.

Hey, Good luck and keep us posted..

Tammy

Hi Friends,

 Thankyou for your replies.

 I just wanted to say that I'm hoping things will move along swiftly and things will start moving towards a diagnosis soon. Although there was a fire in the office and main hall the day that my oldest two son's broke up for summer holidays so I'm hoping the score sheet which was sent (if sent already) hasn't been damaged in the fire

 I'm currently open minded on the diagnosis side of things and until I do get a diagnosis for my 11 year olf son I will continue to read up on all sorts of conditions. Can Asperger Syndrome run in the family? My 15 year old nephew had dispexia and Asperger Syndrome and also my 7 year old nephew also has Asperger Syndrome. I have read up on Asperger Syndrome but it doesn't sound like my son... some symptoms do but they are also symptoms of ADHD.

 I went to my local library a few days ago and picked up a few books... one was called 'Only a mother could love him. How I lived with and Triumphed over ADHD' which basically is about a boy who had ADHD and decided to write a book from his point of view in suffering with ADHD. There are another two books which I have also picked up which I have yet to read and there called 'Understanding ADHD' by Dr Christopher Green and Dr Kit Chee (A parents guide to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder in children... and also 'Is That My Child. Exploding the myths of Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Tourette's syndrom of childhood, ADD, ADHD and OCD. So I'll let you know what the books are like once I've read them.

 I'll also keep you updated on my son and will try and get round to reading a replying to other members post's as soon as I can as I'm in England and its nearly 2am... so bed calling.

Hi.  I am new to these boards, but not to ADHD.

I have to agree with the idea that newbie parents seeking help for their children need to be open to getting a very thorough evaluation by a neuropsych PLUS possibly several other professionals depending on the behaviors that are presenting.

I , like many on this board, am a battle seasoned parent in this complicated war on trying to tease out the puzzle of various co-existing disorders that can present with/without ADHD.  My son is now 13 and I've been at this since he was 4 or 5.  My son is one neat but complex kid...just like all the kids talked about on this board whose unique gifts and challenges vary greatly. 

 My child has been dx'd with an assortment of things: adhd primary inattentive, generalized anxiety, dysthymia, an auditory processing disorder, language processing disorder, written expression disorder, PLUS....he tests gifted on IQ tests, thus qualifies for the gifted program at school.  He is what is called a twice exception kid....gifted, but at the same time, challenged academically due to his adhd deficits which greatly affect his attention, planning, and organizational skills.  My son has been evaluated by numerous professionals: speech language pathologists, audiologists, neuropsychologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, etc etc....

Now........ you might think based on all these evals that I'm just a parent obsessed with labels. But quite the contrary.  All these evaluations gave me absolutely invaluable information about my son's strengths....not just his weaknesses.  As parents of special kids......we NEED to know these strengths and promote these in our children!  That is why evals by numerous professionals can be so critical in my opinion. We are learning more about what really makes our kid tick and those things they are good at, not just weak at.

If I were a parent new to all this, I , like one poster pointed out, would want to be directed to all possible diagnostic conditions to either rule in or rule out with professional help.  For ex.....my son showed some Aspie behaviors when he was 3 or 4.  He would obsessively draw the wierdest things..... like really detailed drawings of architectural floorplans, diagrams of car engines (from some of my husband's manuals), etc.  One month he would draw roller coasters in 3D detail, the next month he would move on to ships.  Now what child at 3 or 5 draws pictures of car engines from manuals for goodness sakes??!   Well....he never got the Aspie dx......but you can darn well bet I had a professional rule it out! Turns out my son is just a gifted artist with interests most kids just aren't into.

I guess the bottom line is this:  keep plugging for your unique child. Take him or her to multiple specialists if you need to just to get a more complete picture. Remember..... you'll probably get some conflicting info because each professional is going to dx based on their on specialized training, interests and biases, etc.  

 If your child is dealing with ONLY Adhd.....consider yourself LUCKY!  Many, like my son, are dealing with co-morbid conditions which complicate treatment.  But always know there is HOPE!  With the right medical and mental health treament and parental/family support......our kids can and will succeed!  And for you newbie parents.....realize that help for your child will take time!  Finding proper medication doses and combinations take time!  Just because one med doesn't work for your child (but did your friend's child), don't give up! Finding good doctors and therapists take time.  Consider both medication as well as non-medication treatments.

Concerning the maddening negative behaviors our kids seem to be so prone to, understand the "WHY" behind what they do.  Get professional help in learning how to respond to these behaviors.  Don't let your child use ADHD or any other dx serve as an "excuse" for destructive, manipulative behaviors.  Try to tease out those behaviors that are ADHD....and those behaviors that are sheer manipulation. You'll need help in doing this....accept that fact!

And most of all........to keep your sanity....stay on the boards!  No one can understand a parent dealing with these issues better than another parent walking the same path!

Okiemom

Some child psychologists specialize in educational testing.