I was hoping someone could give me some advice about a parent/ teacher conference I have on Tuesday. I have a 6 yr old, adhd not currently on any meds. I knew it was going to be difficult going from 2.5 hours a day to a full day in 1st grade, but it only took the teacher 3 days to call me and say that he needs help and should meet with her and the school psychologist. Main issue is hyperactivity and impulse control. We are kind of at a standstill right now with 5 different medications tried in kindergarden. Most worked very well, but developed severe tics while on them. We tried Strattera at the end of the school year but did not work either. Finally this summer I got the insurance company to set up an initial visist to get a neuropsychological visit, and later got denied saying there was nothing medically wrong with him. We are very dissapointed and were really looking forward to finally getting some answers.We have seen a Developmental psychologist and she says there is nothing more she can do without seeing a neurologist. My son is a very sweet and kind boy but way out of control. From what I hear, they are going to probably have him evaluated at the school, but and actual psychologist has more experience than the school correct? I also heard the school should have to pay for an outside test. Any suggestions on how to make that happen? Also, I have 1 more medication that the doctor gave me a prescription for this weekend, methylphenidate 2.5 mg liquid form that just came out and we will try that this week at the low dosage. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I would also fork out the cash for a private neuro-psych. The school, which we've dealt with in detail, has it's own agenda. The less services they provide, the less $$$ they have to spend. You are at cross-purposes with the school. Also, we've found, with three different school districts, that their psycologists tend to be poor. I figure t hey'd have private practices if they were good. I don't like plain psycologists as diagnosticians anyways--they don't know much about medically or neurologically based disorders and tend to focus on behavioral mod, which can tie your child up for years and delays diagnosis and interventions. You'll have your hands full getting a correct diagnosis as it is because the diagnosis is very subjective. IMO it's best to go to the Top Dogs--you stand a better chance. The right diagnosis means you'll get the right interventions, which can
I would fork out the cash for a neuro-psyche eval. I would not sign the papers to have the school psychologist evaluate until I had a private report in hand. The schools generally don't pay for this. They do behavioral and educational testing. The medical testing is for hearing and vision tests. Methylphenidate is just ritalin, right? If that does not work, I would put him on Omega-3 high-EPA and magnesium. You should probably go to the meeting with a list of possible classroom accommodations. The meeting with the school psychologist is to get you to sign papers that allow the school to evaluate him.
suecon
I am a third grade teacher in the public school system and a parent of a first grader with ADHD. I think you will find your child study team meeting ( The name for such meetings). uneventful. They will give you information you have already heared and ask you to implement stratagies you probably have already tried. The public school system has very little time and funding for such cases. Although they are required by law to adhere to certain criteria, I have never seen any "miracles". I always advise parents of my students to seek private assistance (Although I know this is not always economical) You can recieve a full battery report that can get your child accomadations within a month. The school district will take about a year. Also I always work closely with school administrators to describe my son's characteristics and ask for their advice for a teacher that would be a personality match. My son is gifted, howevever the best personality match for my son was a teacher who teaches ESE inclusion. A teacher with open mindedness, high tolerance and lots of patience, is by far a better match than one with a reputation for academic achievement. Good luck with your meeting.
Jennifer
The school psychologist may be able to help determine accomodations that will help in the classroom. Make sure that they know that meds are not an easy answer due to side effects (they can be more patient if they know you are pursuing all the options on your end).
What 5 meds did you try in kindergarden? Methyphenidate is the generic name for ritalin. Some doctors add guanfacine or clonidine to help with tics or to augment the stimulants. These meds have effect on some of the ADHD symptoms (hyperactivity, calming, weight issues, sleep issues, defiance, impulsivity but not so much on attention). You might bring this article to your doctor.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/news_and_events/news_articles/news_ article_adhd.htm
Good luck.
Just so you know -- a neurologist and neuropsychologist are different. A neurologist is a medical doctor who specializes in central nervous system and brain disorders. A neuropsychologist is a psychologist (generally a PhD, not a medical doctor) who has additional training in brain function and administers testing (think paper and pencil) on the child to assess cognitive and psychological functioning. You might actually want to see both in your case -- neurologists are experts in tics and neuropsychologists are great at determining whether you're looking at ADHD or something beyond.
My 13-year-old son has tic disorder and yes, the stimulants did bring out tics. I agree with Vickie -- Clonidine worked miracles in my son's case. Not only did his tics subside, but he also slept well because it has a sedative effect, and my son took it right before bed. So it is something to consider.
In terms of the school, I would let the school psychologist evaluate your son in the hopes of obtaining an IEP that will help your son learn in a school environment. Make sure you ask for a comprehensive evaluation. For more information on your son's rights in school, check out the website www.wrightslaw.com.
Good luck and keep us posted.