Need help over education | ADHD Information

Keep your child home and let him decompress before starting at his new school.  You might be able to get some ideas from the new school about what things you could work on before he starts. Not academics, but things like how transitions go (if they use a special method) or what some of the teacher signals mean (like here, when the teacher holds up an open hand it means "Give me five" which stands for things like eyes, ears, attention, etc).  You could even ask them to give your phone number to a few students' parents at the new school who might be willing to meet at a park or something over the holidays so that your son would know someone when he starts. But most of all I'd let him do things at which he is very successful, so that he has a few months of success to build on when he gets his new start.  Good luck.  I'll be thinking about you and your dear son. well in the uk they start school at age 4, he is now in his 3rd year at school and cant even write his name.They start reception at 4 then move on to year one and he is in year  two.So im guessing he is 1st grade in usa.The other kids are way in front of him.As for being diagnosed we went through the process of the questionaires filled out by myself at home and his teacher and head teacher at school.He has been seen by children's mental health services an educational psychologist two ped doctors and behavioural support and they all came back with the ADHD diagnosis.He scored top score on the questionaires they give out both by me and the school so they said he has very severe adhd as well as dyspraxia ( hand eye co-ordination problems) He also is way behind at school and is very aggressive.Also started to notice tics and constant swearing.I believe he has odd and possible conduct disorder cos he has flooded my house and tried to set fire to it already.he has so many problems.I also agree about the dosage.He was on 54mg of concerta but he got depressed on that but he is takin 40 mg of ritalin a day now and it isnt making any difference.Have appointment next thursday counting days, ive stated else where the daytrana patch would be of great help but isnt available in uk plus add to this my son has bowel problems ( still wets and soils himself)  chronic asthma and very very bad etopic eczema.Everything is a barrier to him :( Again isnt just the adhd meds that have little effect neither does his sleeping meds or asthma meds or his eczema cream ( uses bath oil all over cream and very strong steroid  cream and occasional steroid jabs) Im not even expecting miracles but he cant even sit still for 60 seconds ( school timed him longest he ever managed was 43 seconds) he cant use a knife and fork or get dressed due to the hand eye co ordination or catch a ball ride a bike put his shoes on i can understand why he is so frustrated.To be honest no one likes him either my own mother cant stand him for 30 minutes, other kids like him but if they wont play what he wants they have had it! The other day he hit a child over the head with a brick and the child had to have stapples luckily his mother understood and i made Cameron use his allowance to buy a sorry card and a small present, I have thought about maybe he has other things going on My doc said possible aspergers syndrome too has he does have autistic tendencies..like putting things in certain places and if they get moved he will smash his room up.and he will only wear his shoes on the wrong feet for the first 3 times grr so annoying not knowing whats goin on! Roll on next week and i went to school and was told they are doing all they can pffffftttt thing is i can take him out of school but i need to submit a timetable and things i will do with him to the local education authority and i dnt know where to even start:( Does he have occupational therapy? This can be great in teaching kids the basics. Both mine are going for it. 6yo DS couldn't even colour in a picture before he started because of the low muscle tone.  He is at least doing that now - and today pointed out what button to push on the DVD player to me.  His maturity has come on in leaps and bounds since starting.  Yeah he is on the waiting list to see one but could be over 12 months because the NHS is free long waits for everything though i do have people pressuring them for an earlier appointment.id pay private but my gp wont even refer or even tell me if there are any private ones as he does not believe in que jumping but has wrote a letter stating all of our concerns , would be good if he could ride a bike and do more family stuff my lil girl who just turned two is futher ahead in what she can do than he is :( Hopefuly it well help

This 2.5 hours thing does not make much sense.  How much can they teach him in this time, especially if he is being excluded from other kids?  I would phone the education board and find out what the regulations are about keeping him home.

Funnly enough we recently made the decision to keep my 6yo DS home until next year too.  He is also going to a special needs school next year. Between my mom and myself we are going to try and home school him for this time.  What grade is your son in?  Here kids only start first grade in the year they turn seven, they're supposed to do a reception year in the year they turn six.  Also this special school, the kids are a year older than they're "supposed to be".  So since my son's stupid current school couldn't cope with teaching him reception year he will be redoing reception year at the special needs school. 

I would seriously try and home school him for the rest of this year.  Doesn't seem like the current school is doing anythign except stress everyone out. Schools are supposed to help us.  They also seem overly strict about not letting him off for his headache!!

I would also go back to his ped.  He needs to sort out the dosage and make sure they've got the diagnosis correct.  I believe there are many things that have symptoms which mimic ADHD.  We are in the processes of getting my 8yo DS diagnosed. (My youngest is just inattentive).  But this process is going to take 4 weeks and involves forms being filled out by his teacher (another subject altogether!), us, our OT and an educational psychologist.   Basically until his behaviour is acceptable, they haven't got it right.  And it's their JOB to get it right. 

Good luck, you're not in it alone.

  I am sending this HUG to you, I think you need it.  One way that I consider you lucky is that where you live, they have special schools for ADHD.  Not so here in South Carolina.  My DS just has to "fit in" and get on with himself.

     I cannot imagine what you are going through.  I can only say that you cannot give up.  Can your husband help you by taking turns getting child to school?  Maybe he can drop him off and you pick him up?  That is what we do.

     I am not sure of the 2 1/2 hour thing.  What is the point of that?

my partner starts work at 5.30 am and does not finish until 9pm most nights i deal with it mainly on my own! My son hates school he really does hate going he isnt allowed to mix with other children at the moment all he can do is sit in the head teachers office when he goes to special school after xmas he will be picked up and brought home, I know it isnt long till christmas but if they cant cope for 2 n half damn hours how do they think i feel.What else im mad about is its okay for him to be excluded when they feel like it but he cant have a day off for a bad headache ..confuses me infact im goin in there right now to have it out with them, i cant sit here anymore lol

will let u know how it goes

My son was expelled from school he is 6.But because he has an Statment of special needs or an IEP as most americans call it they had to take him back to school.He was excluded for a week but only allowed back for 2 and half hours a morning.The thing is the weather over here in the uk is awful at the moment,I get totatly soaked walking to school and have to try manage a severe adhd child as well as push my heavy double pram by time i have dropped him off and walked home I have 45 minutes before i have to go pick him up again.They use the excuse that they cant have him in school over 2 hours as he is a severe danger to himself and to other children and teachers, yet they expect me to have him at home all day.The route to school is on a very busy main road where cameron has almost been ran over twice, and i find it a total nightmare to get him to school and all for 45 minutes peace.The good news is that he will be going to a special needs school for adhd kids after christmas but im not sure how long i can keep this up.I have thought about taking him out of school and home schooling until this place comes up but i wouldnt know where to start.His school teachers seem to constantly put me down,, from my posts you can obvioulsy see we have not got his medication sorted ..tried lots of things diff doses nothing worked so far.They think they know better than me or his doctors, and have even threatened me with social services if i dont do as they say.Well its all getting too much to be honest.. im starting to think whats the point! He is almost 7 and cant even write his own name what exactly are they learning him at school??? Gees im soo mad. I didnt take him to school today as he has been up all night with a bad headache.I rang to tell them and was told it wasnt good enough,and that they would prosecute me if he didnt attend school so i told them to go ahead! Seeing as he is only there for 2 n half hours a day the other day i dropped him off got half way home and then they rang me on my mobile and said he was kicking off and they couldnt cope.I feel like a yo yo all day .. never get 5 minutes peace or to spend anytime iwth my other children

HELP!!!