Just Diagnosed | ADHD Information
We don't use the patch but I have heard one of the advantages is that you can remove early or still put it on late and just remove it on the normal time. the later can be great on those mornings when you sleep in, which can happen occasionally or just forget. ( And you will from time to time.)
I have a skinny kid, just like so many others here. I offer him smaller meals, more like snacks. Mine lived on pretzals and peanut butter for years in his school lunch. My son's doctor told me to pack a cookie or brownies in his lunch to help keep his blood sugar up in the afternoon. Many here give their kids protein bars for snacks. Try fruit smoothies with protein power added to boost their value.
I have a very picky eater so I also give him a multivitamin, calcium and fish oil for omegas-3 with his meds in the moring. It is either helping or giving him expensive urine. Right now he is growing and gaining weight at a steady pace, so I am happy.
Good luck.
My six year old son was just diagnosed with add adhd combined type. His pediatrician highly recommened daytrana 10 mg. So we are going to give it a try starting saturday. My son is already so skinny, will some body please share with me any weight issues you have expierenced with this patch? Also I read a lot of people on here have problems getting the backing off the patch, his doc said to put it in the fridge. She said she does it for her kids. So I will try that too. Thanks to anyone who responds to this!
BETHANN: Just curious how old was your son when he got diagnosed? And thanks for the tips, I am so suprised how everyone wants to lend advice to newbies. I am so grateful for it! So your saying it does get better? I just pray mine doesn't get bad, maybe my son will be the exception to the rule. LOL just a wishful thought! Wish me luck!!!!!
HI, my son was diagnosed just shy of his 5th birthday. However, we didn't begin meds until he was almost 7. First grade was too much and the teacher told me that he simply couldn't control his impulisveness. He is a good kid, but he got in trouble for things he couldn't control.
You will be fine. Keep reading the posts and posting any questions, issues, etc.
I wish all the luck you may need, but I think you guys will be just fine!
My son doesn't eat lunch at school. Until his body adjusted to meds, which took some time, he was skinny. After about a year, he then took off and grew and gained weight. Since then it hasn't stopped.
He skips lunch but eats around 4-5pm, like a sandwich, and then has dinner around 7-8pm. He is 10 1/2.
He takes concerta and guanfacine. I swear the guanfacine helps him to eat.
He will eat a school lunch if he loves it, like their thankgiving dinner, he buys doubles, and nachos, chicken, which he says he eats. Other than that he brings and brings it all home. He just discovered a sandwich he loves us to eat, so he may have eaten lunch at school today.
When we first started, bad rebound. I would give him a hershey bar and the sugar helped him because he was also starving. Then he slowly began to eat. Their blood sugar level is low and that can be part of the irritability from rebound in addition to feeling like they are being dropped on the floor when the meds leave their system. My son is now used to this and really handles it well. Some days we need to leave him in peace, but we get through it.
my daughter just recently used Daytrana. We had problems with the backng on our first box, but it was part of the recall and Shire immediately replaced them, then the new ones were fine. No problem removing it. She also had NO skin problems and did fairly well on it. It takes a VERY long time to start working (one of the reasons we stopped using it). Try it without the fridge first. It is very nice that it is so flexible, as reruho says you can put it on at any time, you just still take it off whenever you want. A few weekends we didnt put it on until 11:00-12:00, then just took it off by 5:00. Appetite was a big issue for her on it, the other reason we stopped. So be sure he has a big breakfast and dinner. My daughter barely ate lunch or snacked during the day so we had to push breakfast, dinner, after dinner snacks.
Good luck, keep us posted how he does
[QUOTE=my son,my angel]My six year old son was just diagnosed with add adhd combined type. His pediatrician highly recommened daytrana 10 mg. So we are going to give it a try starting saturday. My son is already so skinny, will some body please share with me any weight issues you have expierenced with this patch? Also I read a lot of people on here have problems getting the backing off the patch, his doc said to put it in the fridge. She said she does it for her kids. So I will try that too. Thanks to anyone who responds to this!
[/QUOTE]
DD used Daytrana for 2 years and i HIGHLY recommend it. It Does take 2 hours or so to "kick in" when applied, and works for about 3 hours after it is removed. We had no weight ;loss issues( but DD never does on ANY meds). I would say give it a try, if it works great, if not move to a higher dose or another mes.
BTW, who diagnosed? A ped or a Psych?
RERUHO: Thank you so much for your information, I will definately take your advice on pushing snacks, I am just so worried that about him losing weight, this whole med thing has me a bit freaked out. But I am willing to give it a shot. Any recomendations on other meds if this one doesn't work? Thanks again!!!Diane V: Thanks so much , how long does it really take to work? My son starts school at 9:05, They don't start actual work until about 9:20 or so so I was thinking if I put it on about 7:30 a.m while hes still asleep this will work, what do you think? Thanks again so much! You said you switched meds on your daughter, which one ended up working for you? I hope all is well, thanks again!7:30 should be perfect. If not you can always move it to 7:00. You can leave it on for 9 hours so 7:30 you can leave it on until 4:00 or 4:30 and it should work until 7:30. If you find he isnt hungry for dinner, or he isnt tired for bedtime, you can take it off earlier. OR if you find he needs it earlier in the morning, you can put it on a 6:30 or 7:00. I think you'll be happy with Daytrana it's a good med.
My daughter is older (13) and prefers a pill over the patch, plus she just doesnt do very well on stimulants in general. We have switched to Strattera, non stimulant and so far it is working very well for us. If for some reason it doesnt quite do the trick, I will add back the Daytrana though.
Oh and it takes about 2 hours to start working.
Diane V39423.3589467593EDBSON: Thanks so much for the moral booster on the patch! I am new at this so I am sure it will be a "to do" trying to figure out whats going to work. After reading everyones posts it seems as if the patch has no happy medium, either people love it or hate it. How long did DD use it? I am so freaked out about the weight, but hopefully for my sanity my son will be one of the people where weight loss isn't an issue, because I tend to overreact anyways. Thanks so much for your response! Good luck to you too ! Oh and a psych diagnosed him, thank God somebody did because school and home life was getting harder by the second it seemed. THANKS AGAIN!Diane V : Thanks again! I appreciate it very much! Your advice and everyones advice is priceless to me, for I am just kinda in the clouds right now. So sorry I keep saying this but thank you!Since you are recently diagnosed, some of the best advice is read everything you can on this condition and become somewhat of an expert on his condition (advice from my doctor). I say condition because it is more a different way of thinking and processing rather than a disease. Being knowledgeable will help you ask the right questions and be aware of the little things that might be sugnificant. The doctors will also treat you differently if you appear knowledgeable and speak their lingo.
I keep medical notebooks for my son and I. I keep all the letters, labs, test results and the medicine information sheets in the book and take it back and forth to our appointments. It isn't anything fancy, just a three binder (1 inch) with the plastic page protectors. You can keep it chronologically or divide up into sections. (I tend to hyperfocus and even put all my labwork on an Excel spreadsheet. It is the easiest wy to see tends.) This can be extremely valuable if you are seeing more than one doctor.
reruho: Thanks for all the tips. I will do that for sure. As I myself am somewhat of a organization freak too. I just don't really know whats in store for me. My youngest son has a whole other set of issues and it all seems like a never ending battle. But I am prepared to run with it, after all his father and I are his voices. But it never fails just when i start to feel sorry for myself, I meet or see someone or something that is worse off than I am. Then I take a step back and realize, I can do this, we can do this, my family can do this! But I have a feeling I am getting ready to tackle the school system too. Yeah i know, already, but a lady at the board actually told me to push my issue further, congress, attys. , etc. Because my sons school is a tier 1 school, with the no child left behind act, and my sons psych. offers free tutoring to these schools, but only if your child is on free or reduced lunch. Which my son isn't. I believe this service should be offered to anyone having problems at school. Rich or poor, isn't it there job to teach them and provide the best possibly education for our children? So I'll keep you posted on that, any advice? Thanks!Thanks! you too have a great weekend!!
BETHANN: Thanks for the encouragement! I think everything will be fine too. Sounds like we caught it in time...... some I hope its all the right steps in the right directions. Good luck to you too! Sound like our children are a lot alike also, but aren't we all? Have a good weekend!DD used the Daytrana patch for just over 2 years, she was involved in the meds trials, and we loved it. I agree, there is NO happy medium, but there are other similar meds , and dd has chosen to take Concerta now. She didn't like the 2 hour wait for the daytrana to kick in. Have you asked about an IEP? My son is in private school so I don't know exactly how it works but I know that the school has an obligation under federal law to accommodate your child.I wouldn't get too freaked out about him missing out on educational milestones. It is still kindergarten and he may catch up quickly once you get his meds straightened out.
As far as the weight issue, it's been something we've struggled with for 4 years. We do VERY big breakfasts and after school snacks. My son used to drink 2 Ensure Pluses a day. You need to find out how he is eating at lunch - my son doesn't lie about much but he always lied about lunch. Then his blood sugar would crash and afternoons were difficult.
Another mom posted that her daughter did much better on Daytrana when she drank a lot of fluids.
I would ask for a meeting with the teacher face to face. Maybe you can make up your own little sheet that she can just sign off on what you can work on at home. Also in writing request an academic evaluation. If she has come to you saying he is behind, then tell them you want it documented where he is at and what is going to happen to help him.
My son my angel
Give it a week, you should know by then. His body will have adjusted to the meds and things wil start settling down. It could take longer for the appetite to return. Don't worry too much, his body will not let his starve. Have lots food available and even push some calorie dense items such as peanut butter with pretzals or apples. Another choice is carnation instant breakfasts made with ice cream. Watch that afternoon crankiness--low blood sugar. Make sure they sanck right after school, they tend to eat so little during the day.
Are you doing meds daily or only during the week? We do meds daily because he is the combined type (impulsive/inattentive/hyperactive). Because we homeschool, I think I am able to keep him on a lower dose. Tristan is in the 6th grade (middle school) and I think if he was with the 1000 other students at the local middle school we would definitately would need more meds from the daily stimulation.
I had my son evaulated at 4. We knew from birth he was different from his older sister. He was wearing us all out. He was just like my ADHD brother when he was that age.The counselor we went to confirm this and I was told HE WAS JUST A DIFFICULT CHILD. What the hell does that mean????? Basically my parenting skills were all wrong and I needed to learn new ones. After 4 visit where he asked us the same questions each week, we left never to return. Not before a moutain of guilt had been piled on me.
At 6, my son was diagnosed at the pediatrician's office during a visit for something else. He was buncing off the walls, climbing and just generally turned on his normal high speed. What a difference it made for all of us. It helped him at school and it helped all of us in dealing with him. Knowing what is really wrong is a life saver. You can begin to understand what is going on and educate other about his condition. He really isn't a brat, he is just different from your child. It will help you avoid those situations that make things worse, i.e. crowded stores, all those bright and shiny christmas displays at the mall, large birthday parties. We try to shop when there are the smallest crowds in any store. I take things along to keep him occupied like a book or game.
I also have a dear friend at church whose son is just like my son. We are able to share and talk about this. That has been a lifesaver for me. And because Alex is 10 years older, I know what to expect as we age.
Relax, you are doing the right thing for your son. They go from little boys to great big boys in the blink of an eye so enjoy him. If he is anything like my son, you will have lots of stories to tell.
reruho: Thanks so much, one week huh? He actually eats a fabulous breakfast, this morning to pieces of toast and jelly, and whole cup of milk! Yeah!! School just worries me today is his first day on meds at school, and the doc suggested to not tell her until the week was over, and then call and see if she noticed any change, but my problem with this is how sensitive hes been, and extra moody, his teacher will probably read too much in to it, or not notice at all that he's trying harder. So once again another catch 22 for me. I think I will call her and tell her though. I love to hear other peoples stories, it helps so much. Yes we will also be giving his meds through out the weekend, which almost came to a halt because he was so whiny, and moody, I was like ok this is enough. But I tuffed it out, heck I've done it this far why stop now? Going to stores and things like that just started to become a problem, it never really was before. So actually he really doesn't want to go to the stores as much as he used to, which is good for me i guess, it's almost as if he knows he can't behave. It' still so sad what these children pick up and how they really feel about themselves. I have a friend who is a psych. and hearing him tell about how they view themselves, is sad. Do people always criticize your parenting skills forever, or does that get better? My mom whom was around my son on Saturday his first day on the patch, and she was like oh, I can see a difference. Yeah ok whatever. I couldn't and I am his parent. Other than the fact he was so sensitive, if you called his name he cried. Of course I saw negatives,no positives, which sucked, but with reassurance from all you all it will get better. The hard part is over, we made it here. Thanks again!!!Don't talk to his teacher yet. Wait until Friday and then ask her/him how his week was? If they know about the meds, they will be looking for things. Does his school use an daily agenda? Our schools use them here and the teachers record daily behaviour notes in the primary grades. It is a great way to have daily communication with the teacher. If you don't use agendas, request a weely progress report and tell the teacher what you want to know. Many schools have a standard form they use.
If he is extremely moody, then the patch is probably the wrong med. Sometimes it take a couple of meds to find the right one. Sometimes the side effects outweigh the good. We are on our 4th med in 6 years. We are doing vyvanse right now and it is working well. He has actually grown 1.5 inches and gained 8 lbs since August. Maybe its the med and it might be puberty.
I used to write my son positive little notes on the napkin I put in his lunch. In 3rd grade I would take a lunch to school. Since we live in Florida, we could sit in the quiet courtyard and eat his lunch together. Later we would take one other child out to eat lunch with us. He became quite popular because of that.
Cheer up. He will have a good day, you will have a good day. and if things don't work out, go to plan B. Be positive and leave the baggage at the door.
My son my angel:
I always just make sure that our son gets a healthy & filling breakfast, probably more than what I normally would give him. That way I know he's at least getting a good breakfast if he doesn't have an appetite the rest of the day. As far as telling his teacher, we chose to talk w/her about it the first day of meds for two reasons: 1. she already knew that we were seeking help for his issues, so it was no secret. 2. we wanted her & the school to be aware for the simple reason to watch for side effects. We wanted her to notify us of anything out of the ordinary whether it was an allergic reaction or really negative effects. Just thought I'd share that.
Thanks guys, for all the input. i decided to call her and tell her, one reason I sent the doctors note to school, which clearly states why he was absent. Also I really wanted to see what she was going to do to help him at school. No he does not get any kind of weekly progress report. As far as whats going on day to day in the class. All they have is a behavior chart everyday. Which was always great until the last month. My husband and I said he got comfy, and learned his boundaries and pushed them, which he does all day everyday at home. I am quit anxious to see what will happen now. I am not sure if she will respond well to him, and take the time to do some critical things to help him. Like move him closer to her desk, and get him away from the girls that he told me he "cheated" off of when he doesn't know how to do something, and I told his teacher this and she didn't move him. Yeah lets just say he will be going to a different school next year, i hope anyways. He is in kindergarten, and has homework once week, my friends and sister's kids who are in the same grade just different school, have homework everyday, and sight words everyday, which my son has none of these. Which is suiting for us right now, because one day a week is torture for him. But you know cmon how is he going to do in first grade when he's already behind in kindergarten? Any advice on what to do there? I still am lost on how to approach her, i want to do it the right way. Thanks again !!I feel it's very important to be in constant communication with your child's teacher when you are dealing with this type of situation. Fortunately for us, our son's teacher has an older daughter that went through some of what our son is going through and has anxiety issues, so she is very sympathetic and willing to help in whatever way she can. She sends notes home telling about his day, we talk on the phone some evenings also, so that we are both on the same page with his progress. I would say, don't hesitate to give the teacher a call and explain what you've been going thru and what you're doing to try to remedy the situation. At least then she will know that his behavior isn't being ignored. I like to think that teachers appreciate those parents to actively participate in their child's school life too. Hopefully she will be willing to keep the communication lines open and willing to help out and put forth the extra effort. Not all teachers are like that but until you try, you won't know. I hope you find some success!I have to agree with epokey. I also believe MOST teachers like to have parent participation, supoort and follow through. It is hard when both the paretn and teacher overanalyze every detail though. I've always kept school apprised of med and dose changes becasue of side effect issues. Someimtes thats been to my benefit, others not so good, but we keep going.
As far as homework goes. dont get all worked up about what others are doing. Not only is every district different, every teacher is different. My daughter is full day Kindergarten, but there are also half day kids. they are not going to get the same work. They all work on the same curriculum though. I think homework every day for Kindergarten is too much. We get 2 or 3 assignments a week, but we have sight word lists to practice and they are supposed to practice writing their name every day. Too much, I think. You can certainly do as much practice with your son as you like. If you are unsure what to ask the teacher for suggestions. Ask your son whatwords they are working on in class and make up games with him at home to practice. Not every child reads entering first grade.
Ok, telling the teacher is a good thing. Especially if you are watching for side effects. I have had mixed responses from teachers. Our district has form to tell them what meds a child is taking, even if they don't take them at school.
Our district went to a full day kindergarten 6 years ago. They send homework home once a week but it has about 5 minutes of homework to do on each day, Monday through Thursday. They also have nightly reading. Each teacher sends a new book home for the parents and child to read.
I seriously think my district overtaxes kindergarteners. They will be reading and writing in sentences before the end of the school year or they are held back.
If your school district doesn't use daily agendas, ask why? (We use them in K- 12.) They are wonderful tools for everyone involved. There is a spot to write their spelling words, a spot to put the day behavior grade, a spot for Mom or Dad to sign, and room to write notes back and forth to the teachers. Ours is an 8.5" x 11" notebook and each week is a two page spread. Our school spends about 00-2500 on agendas but it comes out of our school improvement funds that come from the state.
Well I totally agree with the no homework, or at least not ever day, but in Kentucky Kindergarten is like first grade. which I agree 100% to much on the kids. But will this cause him to be behind in 1st grade? Yes it will, I know it will his teachers told me this. We talk all the time, but she doesn't listen to me, his mother. She doesn't hear what i say to her. Thats whats frustrating. There are such things as crappy teachers, and in my eyes she fits the bill. How do you not fix a situation when a parent calls you and says my son is cheating of the little girls sitting next to him, and she doesn't even move him? whats the logic in that. She's teaching my 6 year old son it's ok to cheat. You don't have to apply yourself, you can look of other peoples papers. How is he learning? I agree some teachers are good some are bad, I have too many teachers in my family, all of which agree with me nothing is getting done. It's not just her, it' s the school too. My son got attacked in the bathroom by a 5th grader, which they now send him with a buddy per my request, and I didn't even get a phone call. Wrong, my sons school is a tier 1 school, and I am convinced theres a reason for this. I have done everything I can short of yelling at her, to get her to help. Switching schools, teachers, how is that going to help him? Next year yes, this year no, thats where i get stuck, if I am abrasive I will be known as the "bitchy mother" but waiting on everyone else to do there job, is getting him, my innocent child no where. So what now. And my sons school you can't hold them back, they stay lost and behind until the 3rd grade. Or yes he would be held back, because he is half way through the school year and we are far behind........ Asking my son what he does at school is hard, because he just lies, because he forgets, and guess what back to square one. His add kicks in and he can't remember what he did? Any suggestions now? I'm stuck. So give it a few days right? Well at least we ate food today! I am being a big baby about all this, because I want him ok now. He needs this, because I can't keep having him come home from school saying he's stupid. Breaks my heart. Is anyone else's child so hard on them self? He was like this before meds, still is. He has absolutely no confidence at all. Sad. Epokey I also was told the same things you were. It's kinda a catch 22 isn't it? I also switch docs, because the first doc he went to said it wasn't add/adhd. and I was like are you kidding me? You know your kids and you know when theres something wrong. I too though want something that works at school and home. Because we need that for our sanity, not just him the whole house needs it! But lets just keep positive it will get better, right? Go with your gut instinct though, do what you feel is best for you child and your family, always. Everyone thanks again!!!Our son has been on the Daytrana patch 10 mg for a few weeks now and has been working pretty well. We increased to 15 mg for about a week and he became very emotional and pretty much stopped eating after breakfast. We have brought him back down to 10mg & seems to be doing better. His appetite is back to normal after bringing him back down to 10mg. I do like the patch better than pills because it is more flexible. With a pill, once they swallow it, it's in their system until it wears off, even if you don't like the results. With the patch, you have more control. I haven't found them to be difficult to open and my son takes it off all by himself (he's 5). His skin does become quite red by the end of the day but it returns to normal color by the next morning. We are also new to the whole experience, he was just diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. It really does feel like a whole new world, even though you have been experiencing the challenges for quite some time, finally getting into the meds and such are very different to experience. Good luck!Epokey: Well today was our first day on the patch and he really didn't do that different. The only thing I could notice a defiant was the appetite change. He is also very emotional today. But it's hard to tell if thats from the medicine or not, because he is always like this. He also is on the 10 mg. patch. So i really am not feeling that great about it. How many days did it take your son to respond to it? The doc told us it would take about a day or so, but by the way she acted it would be almost immediate, which is so not the case here. So any advice would be helpful, I am kinda wondering how much time to give it? Thanks for your post, get back with me please! Thanks alot! Eokey: Also my son has the combined type add/adhd, does your son have that? What was your reasoning in taking him to the doctor? If you don't mind my asking. I am just curious what other people go through too! thanks again.You would see a difference within about 2 hours. 10mg is the smallest dose Daytrana comes in. So if after a few days you see no results I'd talk the doctor, maybe you could go up in dose.Honestly, our son was on the 10 mg patch for about a week & 1/2 and at home we didn't really notice any difference & only small differences in school. Which is why we increased to 15 mg and within two days he became VERY emotional, almost to the point of irrantional. He also completely lost his appetite and he is a very good eater. We brought it back to 10 mg and for a week straight we've had good notes home from school everyday, so it must be working. We still don't notice any difference at home, he's still defiant and difficult. I am not very pleased with the Doc we were referred to so am seeking another source of help in hopes to better his behavior at home. We were also told that we would notice right away, but others that I've talked to said to always give a new med a week or two to know for sure. To answer msma's question, I would consider him the combined type also (this being one of the reason's that I'm not too pleased w/our Doc, he never actually spelled out which type he is, just told us that he's ADHD & asked if we wanted to try meds).
Maybe the patch isn't the one for your son. If the increase makes things worse for him, then I would change all together.
Meds are to make those who take them successful, at which ever dose that maybe.
The only one based on weight is strattera. The others are based on success for that individual.
It took us almost 6 months to get where we needed to be. First we found the med then we had to level off.
Hang in there and keep trying, you will find the right one and dose for him!!
Diane V is correct, document, document, document! This will prevent them from saying we didn't know about this or this is the first time we heard there was a problem.
Thanks so much guys. But one question, how do you suggest documenting things when is his school in not set up with e-mail. I cannot directly e-mail his teacher. Would you suggest just myself documenting it, or send her a letter. Because every note I send her regarding him, she keeps. Understandable. The ADD/ADHD is highly effecting his schooling. His teacher and I talked about that yesterday on the phone. I asked her if she still considered him bottom half, and she said nothing had changed, We both are on the same page as far as acknowledging that he his not where he needs to be and that he is behind. I thought just letting her know, firmly that I would be doing everything to help him, she actually seemed as if she respected me. And this is the first time I have felt this way about her. It's a tier 1 school, and my friend who is a teacher says she doesn't know why, but alot of parents are just less involved with their kids and their progress, at these schools(she also works at one). So by letting his teacher know for the 50th time I am here, I will fight hard too, we can do this as a team. cause in my heart I do feel she wants the best for him, we just have different opinions on whats wrong. So we will see. Every state and every district has a different set of rules, and guidelines to follow, and I am thinking that this is going to be interesting for us. Thanks again!!!
yes I would send a note and make a copy for yourself. As I said, it sounds to me also that your teacher is willing to help. the thing is they once you hand them the ball they can do something with it, they need it to come from you. You are doing everything right. Once they bring in more members of the "TEAM" you will be happy you have your documentation.IEP and 504 are different things. Go to wrightslaw.com you will find more information than you can process
. ADHD in itself does not qualify you for special ed, an IEP or a 504. If it is getting in the way of learning then you he WILL be eligible for a 504. IMO bring that doctor to your meeting. You will have to pay him, but bring him. Your teacher sounds like she is trying to guide you, without crossing her lines. They are in a tough place. They cannot come out and say to you, I think this and you should do this. Even if they wanted to. Document every conversation like this with an email, saying thank you for your time today discussing your concerns with ________. Print it and put it in your notebook, with all your letters to school, evaluations, report cards.....everything. By documenting these important conversations you can show that you've been having these discussions with the teacher and they are dated and cover what you talked about. Some days I think she does, some days I don't. It's strange. I just really don't understand why she hasn't pushed the issue with the school already. She's had my blessing since our first conference. She knows I am on board, I have told her in all ways but yelling. I just hope now shes consistent with us. Where we live though the assistants do alot of the working with the children. Teachers do alot of planning, and such, talking to her assistant, she see's different things than the teacher. But you have to deal head on with the teacher. So thats tricky for me. The teacher told me, exactly as this that her assistant works more with my son than she does, so why can't she be included in all this? Thanks Diane, you've been alot of help. I'm going to talk to my husband and see if he will get us a printer so I can type her letters, and just print 2 copies, it would be easier on me.If the teacher doesn't do something very soon, go to the guidance counselor and discuss your concerns. Yes, even elementaries have them although it may onlly be once a week. Talk to the principal about it. Have the doctor write a letter to the school about it. Call downtown to your School Admin offices, they should have a whole department that deals with ESE (exceptional student education). They may be able to tell you what to ask for.
They will get the message you want something done.
without a formal plan in place the teacher probably wont do anything. You need to be the one to do it. It's not necessarily that she doesnt want to, it's just that she has 20 other kids and they dont like to "rock the boat" with administration, so she wont go asking for services for your son. Although it sounds like she'll agree with you at a meeting where YOU are the one asking for help. A printer is a good idea, if you cannot do that I would writer the letter and bring it to school, ask them to date stamp it and then please give you a copy of the date stamp. Obviously you dont want to have to do this for every little documentation though. That is what I'd do for big stuff though.No, you have the IEP and unless you agree to getting rid of it and sign the documents, you keep it. If they try to get rid of it and even downsize to a 504 Plan, you can just fight it!!
Hold on to that IEP!!
First they evaluate. They can evaluate 1 time a year, that is all.
If you do not qualify for an IEP, then you may qualify for a 504. IEP is stronger than a 504. You do not have both. You want a IEP if you can get one, but if you don't then you want a 504. Something in writing to help your child learn with special accommodations is what it is. Maybe classroom removals, working in small groups, sitting up front, untimed testing, etc.
Talked to my psych friend last night, he of course straightened me out. Gave me a guideline of when to "give up on the patch". Which was much later than I thought it would be. But thats ok. Time, everything takes time. I told him my new approach with the teacher, who never called yesterday. It is to tell her he is on the meds, and what side effects to look for. And try to keep an eye out on him and daily send me home a little note of how she thought his day was. Better, worse, same. School, is why we did this, and home...but school being the #1. Then when I go back to the doc who diagnosed him on the 18th, he will have a full report for us, and the teacher. Then when I have all of this in writing I will request a conference, to then approach her and see what "we" are going to do to help him. I truly didn't understand why everyone keeps telling me "get it in writing". But now I know why. Makes sense. Also Diane V are you familiar with the 504 law? Thanks alot!! And so far no really bad crashing, just a mood elevation. This morning for breakfast, two pieces of toast again, milk, and a chocolate chip muffin. My son is a picky eater....yeah.LOL I am not going to freak out anymore.......about school. I just hope he catches up, as long as the teachers behind me. If not, then I may freak out...LOL Thanks guys. Oh yeah no IEP's given at school, well at least unheard of...... crappy I know.Picky eater, I can relate to that. The joke at my house is that my son only eats 10 things. Have you tried a grilled cheese sandwich or bagels with ham and cheese? My daughter liked the grilled cheese, son doesn't eat yellow food. He just started eating yogurt, he does very little dairy. You might want to add a good multivitamin in the morning
I have been racking my brains trying to remember what they call an evaulation here. In Florida they call it "being staffed", it is a involved process that takes a couple of weeks. There is a team that does all sorts of testing. Once it is complete, you all meet to discuss the results and either write an IEP or a 504 plan.
Don't believe that statement "no IEPs given at school", if your son qualifies it must be written (Federal law). You need to find an advocate to help guide you and to go with you to meetings because sometimes the school will not do what they are supposed to and will tell they don't have to. Unfortunately, it cost more and asks more of a school to educate a special needs child, but they also get federal dollars to do it.
We never went through the process because academics was not a problem, only behaviour which we have been able to manage. But the IEP or 504 plan can also cover behavioural and other types of accomendations. Go to your public library and look in the section about IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) or educating disabled children.
Are you in a small town or big city? In the bigger cities it is easier to find advocates with groups like CHADD. You might need to have the doctor come to your meeting, they usually don't argue with the doctor. What type of doctor are you seeing? Peds or a ADHD specialist?
Thanks so much..... Picky eater yeah isn't that so fun!!!! And my other son is the exact opposite, his favorite food is green beans and corn. His ped doctor gave me a paper on IDEA and the 504 plan, can't find it for the life of me. So after my little guy goes to afternoon pre-k I am going to make a few phone calls. I thought correct me if i am wrong, that add/adhd isn't considered a disability? I thought it was until my mom (my children's second best advocate) researched some things on it. His teacher told me she's never heard of a child in kindergarten being given an IEP, at least not in her teaching career. Weird huh? My youngest son has an IEP so I am very familiar with it, but he was in First Steps. So he was able to get one no problem, because of Early intervention. Thats the thing about add/adhd i don't get, they want you to wait it out until it's age appropriate, 6, at least thats what my doc said, and then once you do, it's like back at square one. I just hope it won't be like this for long. When I approach the school anyways. I live in Louisville, Kentucky, big city I guess. Getting the doctor to come to the meeting, sounds like a good idea, I wonder if he will though because we paid privately to get him tested, to rule out any learning disabilities. I wonder if he would do that? I am going to call the board of education after I talk to his teacher today, and see what they can do for him. Or at least what direction to go in. Wow this is all so overwhelming. With my youngest son, everyone told me what direction to go in thanks to his primary service coordinator. Now I am like omg, where do I begin? My friend who is a psychologist, he's kinda been giving me direction, he's the one who said wait until I have the report in my hand then start pushing. He also said there is a lady he knows starting a CHADD group locally. And he is putting my name on her e-mail list. So I am so excited about this. He got diagnosed by a specialist, a psychologist who specializes in add/adhd and learning disabilities. He was the first on e to ever work with my son, instead of having us fill out 20 questionnaire forms. fabulous is what he was. His pediatrician also helps out alot. She herself has a husband and two boys with adhd so shes great to talk to. I think I am surrounded by people who will and are helping me, I just don't know where to go first? Thanks so much reruho.Thanks to everyone and all the help ful advice! Everyone have a wonderful weekend. Tommorrow we start the meds, wish us luck!!!!