how do you cope?! | ADHD Information

i am at the end of my rope here..im hoping someone has something to tell me that will help lol my son is 4 and is adhd, has developmental coordination disorder, a sleep disorder..we've tried 2 different forms of ritalin, methylin and daytrona patch..he takes clonidine and melatonin at night to go to sleep but does not stay asleep and does not sleep well..which of course means i dont sleep...i also have a 20 month old who has some developmental and sensory problems and he doesnt sleep...my 4 yr old is on a waiting list for head start, and preschool where we are is expensive and fills up quickly, he doesnt qualify for the intermediate unit preschool, hes supposed to get OT but ive been waiting over a month and havent heard anything back...he has a behavior therapist that come 1x a week for like 2 hours...we're trying to put some rules in place but thats a rocky road cause we're starting all over from previous therapist that didnt work out...the county that i live in just plain sucks when your child has special needs....so im very frustrated to say the least...im not handling him or myself very well lately, im getting upset and stressed and i end up yelling..and i dont want to be like that! he doesnt understand kwim? he just knows hes hyper and probably feels like his own body and brain is against him...i want to help him...but at the same time im dealing with him im running around taking care of my 20 month old also and trying to take care of the house....i just need some advice i guess..how do you do it without losing your mind? Don't stop trying to help your kids find the services you need. Contact your
state health department (not sure what it would be called) and see if they
can help you. Maybe if there isn't services in your town, you can get
services from a nearby town. Is their a children's rehab place (Easter Seals)
in your town? They can help. Maybe there is one in a nearby location that
you can utilize for (OT) therapy for the kids.

You have to take care of yourself. Find some time for yourself each day,
even if it is a few minutes. See if a family member or neighbor can help you
out, even if it is just one day a week.right now the services we are getting are paid for by medical assistance so i dont think we will be squeezing anymore out of them, we had to fight to get the behavior therapist..believe me im not giving up on getting him what he needs..im just frustrated with waiting and un returned phone calls..

i do have family right here..the problem with that is that they cant handle him half the time either he is a handful like you wouldn't believe lol but they try..and i do send him to a sitter when my youngest has therapy here...i just cant believe how short a period of time it takes me to get so frustrated with him even when hes been gone for several hours...i dont know if its cause hes still so young or what lol maybe i need meds :)
I don't have any easy answers for you, but I just want to let you know that
I totally understand how you feel. My son w/adhd is now 9 and we've
been using medication with him since age 7. But the difficult, hyper, out-
of-control behavior started when he was two, right around the time my
2nd son was born. At least he's always slept pretty well, even when he
does have trouble falling asleep.

It sounds like you really do need some breaks. I used to tell my husband
that I needed my Saturday mornings off. Then I would leave the house
for a LONG time! :) Let others watch him for you and try not to worry too
much about it during that time, even if it's just a short time so you can go
for a walk, take a nap, or go to the store without kids. If they are willing
to do it for you, let them!

Good luck and I hope you find some more help soon.

My son went to a program after early intervention, an integrated preschool in our town. It was free if services were needed. OTher wise it is very cheap. It was per day back then. The children not needing services attend as "model" children to show the others how to play, speak (for those needing speech ) , etc.

Call your local town/cities school department - it is run through them!!  

Like you mentioned, they do fill up and private preschools are horribly expensive.

From what you describe, your son would definitely qualify for services like physical therapy, occupational therapy. AND they also provide transportation to and from school!!

May I ask if he is diagnosed adhd? If so, have you begun meds yet?

I know for us, until we did, it was hard. Hang in there and let us know how you all are doing!!

I hope this helps!!

he is dx adhd..weve tried chewable ritalin and the daytrana patch..he doesnt like the pills and he says the patch hurts his skin, i think hes sesnitive to the glue on the patch..we have another appointment with his neurologist in 2 weeks so im gonna ask her about other meds and forms of meds....unfortunately there is nothing like that integrated preschool where we are..this county is butt backwards with everything...i am going back to school at night starting in august so i guess that will be my "break" lol but im hoping to start working kinda quickly so we can afford to get him into preschool...so i guess ill just have to wait and see how that goes Do you have early intervention? Every state in america has it. They may be able to help direct you where you can go.What state do you live in?i live in pa..he had early intervention up till he was 3...according to them he does not qualify anymore..they have to go by state guidelines i guess and they cant take the private psychiatrists testing scores...they did decide he needed OT still, but im waiting on call backs for them to tell me when that might start, they only have a meeting once a month or something like that...i know for a fact that pa is not high on the list for giving help with special needs kids..my mom and dad have been through alot with my brother and sister....so we're stuck trying to make people see whats going on with him and trying to find loopholes to jump through

I am going to link you to wrights laws yellow pages. maybe they can help!!

http://wrightslaw.com/

http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/help/pa.htm ( I selected your state so here is PA's!! )

I live in massachusetts. my son didn't qualify, because they didn't want to pay to service him , BUT he really did. When I got wind of the lies, they knew I was serious to sue and he walked in to kindergarten with an IEP. They will lie to you but stay strong and fight for him!!

I hope the link is of some help - maybe even a law firm that works in this area would be able to direct you in the right direction for yous on!!

thank you so much..ive had no idea where to even start looking for any help :) Maybe switch from melatonin to valerian root which will keep him asleep. Jessica N40017.9126041667