At the End of My Rope...Please Help! | ADHD Information

to KelliTwins:
My 7 yr old daughter is in 3rd grade. She was diagnosed this summer with
ADHD. Tested normal for IQ, but very low in focus/attention. She does not
focus on teacher directions and then is clueless on what to do on some
assignments in class. She takes a long time on tests. She has sensory
issues as well (clothes, especially shoes feel funny and she reacts very
strongly sometimes to this during morning dressing). Should I ask for 504
or IEP. I think she needs extra time to take test at the very least. What
other accommodations might you suggest?

mamamia,

I know you were asking for kellitwins to respond, but I wanted to let you know that you don't ask for a IEP or 504, the school will inform you of which one the child qualifies for, if they qualify.

An IEP is stronger, but if the school is a good school, they will follow the 504 plan.

 

Bethann,
ThanksI do think there is a sensory component.  He's always been very sensitive to noise, although he is a very noisy kid himself.
We started him on only 10 mg. of Metadate, which really didn't help very much at all.  We upped that to 20 mg., which was working well, but not lasting long enough.  We then tried 20mg. in the morning and 10 mg. in the afternoon, which again worked for a while, but not long.  Today, we tried the 30 mg. in the morning, and that seemed to work better.  His doctor said that for his age and size, the 30 mg. is obviously not the lowest possible dose, but not the highest, either.  If it doesn't show significant improvements in his ability to function in school, we'll try another medication all together. 
I've always known that he was an anxious kid who didn't like change, but kindergarten has really magnified things.  Next week, they are opening up a 3rd kindergarten class, which will remove about 9 kids from his class, taking the class size from 27 to about 16. That should help considerably!  The are also allowing him to sit in the nurses office in the morning instead of going to the cafeteria, which he hates due to the noise.  Hopefully, that will help as well. 
I think I struggle because I knew kindergarten would be stressful, but I never anticipated this!  Thank you so much for your kind words, suggestions, and support!

KelliTwins,

Does he have a IEP/504 plan in place? He needs an OT for services. They will provide "things" for him while in the classroom and therapy to work himself through it. Even ways to deal with the cafeteria.

He may need other services. We started with an IEP in kindergarten due to attending an integrated preschool - my son is seriously speech delayed/sensory/adhd. HE is now on a 504 plan BUT they follow it!!

Kindergarten is HUGE for all children, but then add what we are dealing with as well to the mix, and it is even bigger!!

It really breaks my heart when talking out the little ones, I remember mine being that little and how hard it was. No one understood, no one to talk to. This board is a life saver, I wish I had found it back then.

Please keep posting with any updates or concerns!!

first of hugs mama! sounds very frustrating ...

 

im new here, so i dont have very much advice... but my dd is 9 and also has the anger issues and crying, pitching fits... i would talk to the doc asap about something to help the anger and sadness. dd is taking (just started) celexa 10mg and it has helped alot. she also takes adderall and all of these types of drugs alone can cause anger as a side effect, so i would most definetly get with the doc on that asap!

Kelli - I'm sorry your son is having such difficulties.  But I am also concerned that maybe he's on too many medications at such a young age. With his diabetes and all the ear infections. He's been through more than some people experience in a lifetime.  Could you maybe wait until he's a year or two older to try medication for ADHD? 

As a child, I used to throw severe temper tantrums.  I would slam the door repeatedly, throw things, scream at the top of my lungs, rip the sheets off the bed, stomp my feet.  I would have these outbursts well into my preteen years. From what I read here, I think these tantrums can be a part of ADHD.  Because children with ADHD don't know how to control their impulses, they can't control their emotions and we also tend to be more immature than our peers.  Kinds with aggression problems need help in expressing their emotions.  I would also suggest an appointment with a child psychologist.  They can help give you the tools to cope.

You are obviously doing some good things for your son in helping him adjust to all the changes in his life.  Perhaps, however, he just can't cope with it all.  Medications can promote depression and aggression.  It could be that the Metadate isn't the right medication for him.  I would definitely suggest talking to his doctor AND his teacher.  It's important that you are all on the same page.  And if you don't get responses you're comfortable with, get a second opinion, talk to the principal if necessary. 

It can take quite some time to get ADHD under some sort of control (remember that it can never be "cured" or "fixed").  Be patient and keep pursuing.  Good luck to you.

I agree with the comment of too many meds as well. I would also be concerned. I also don't think that he is on the right meds. They are not working as meds should. He should be successful but he is not.

My son should have been on meds at age 5, but I was afraid. I commend you for helping your son.

My son is on concerta and guanfacine. We started at the lowest and within in 6 months he leveled off at 72 mgs and stayed there for 3 years. The concerta is a high level due to metabolizing fast. He has been on 1 mg. of guanfacine and still is. It helps relax him, helps with anxiety, impulsive and hyperness, I also believe it helps him eat and sleep.

I wonder if he has rebound going on and that is what some of these emotional outbursts are caused from? Are you seeing a pediatrician or a psychopharmocologist for meds?

Adhd'ers have a hard time with transitions and changes. So this summer sure was a lot for your son to handle, as well as you all. Do you think there is a sensory component?

BETHANN40071.4231712963I posted here a while ago, and desperately need some input!  A little background information...my 5 year old son, Gregory, was diagnosed with ADHD about a year ago.  He is a former preemie, and was born at 31 weeks gestation.  He was twin B of a pair of boy/girl twins, and weighed 3 lb. 13 oz. at birth.  As a young child, he had many ear infections...sometimes as many as 15 in 12 months, resulting in ear tubes at the age of about 2. 
Over the past year, Greg has tried many different medications...Vyvanse, Concerta, Metadate, etc.  He is currently on Metadate, 20 mg. in the morning and 10 mg. in the afternoons.  Without medication, and, to be honest, even with it sometimes, he is hyper, impulsive, up all hours of the night, aggressive, loud, etc.  Gregory also has Type 1 Diabetes, and is on an insulin pump.
This summer has been very rough for our family.  Our babysitter of three years quit due to her daughter's illness and subsequent hospitalization, and the kids were bounced around from sitter to sitter, which was very stressful for us all.  We also moved to a new house on August 14th.  The new house is in a better location, has a bigger yard, and is much bigger overall, but still, it was very anxiety inducing in us all.  Greg doesn't deal well with change, and really had a lot of big life changes in a short period of time.
Greg and his twin sister started school on September 8th.  They are in full day kindergarten, and are in separate classes.  We wanted to give them a chance to develop their own friends, personalities, etc.  Hailey, of course, loves everything about school, and is doing extremely well.  Greg is struggling, to say the least.  When he started school, he was only on 20 mg. of Metadate in the morning, as that is what we were giving in the summer.  He immediately hated school.  He would kick, scream, cry, etc. when asked to enter the building in the morning.  Once in the building, he would cry that he missed us, didn't get to say goodbye, etc.  He said they sing stupid songs and watch stupid movies.  It didn't help that they were watching a movie about an apple, and he had a low blood sugar at that time, and didn't know how to tell anyone.  Of course, that made him more anxious, more upset, and just hate the whole experience.
We made sure Greg has familiar objects and pictures at school so that he doesn't miss us too much.  We tried setting up a reward for him, that if he enters the school and doesn't cry, he can earn a Hot Wheel that is in his backpack.  He can open it and play with it immediately.  Well, that worked for all of a morning, and then we were right back to the negative behaviors.  The teachers told us that he talks constantly all day long, so we reintroduced the 10 mg. of Metadate at lunch time.  It has been no help at all.  He is still loud, disruptive, impulsive, etc.  His doctor has suggested we try 30 mg. of Metadate all at once in the mornings.  I'm doubtful that it will work.
What really concerns me is the level of aggression and sadness that he has been showing.  If he doesn't get his way, he will scream, yell, throw things, punch things, etc.  It seems like the more medication we give him, the worse he gets.  Also, his extreme sadness is concerning.  I hate to see him crying and upset all day long.  He didn't earn his Hot Wheel today, and was still crying and yelling about it when I picked him up at 3.
I just don't know what to do anymore.  I have been a special education teacher for 9 years, and work with children with ADHD every day!  It makes me frustrated that I can't help my own child. 
Any suggestions or personal experiences that you could share would be GREATLY appreciated!
He does have a 504 plan for his Type 1 diabetes. 
I've been a special education teacher for 9 years, and work in a private, therapeutic school for students with emotional/behavioral disorders, so I am very, very familiar with children who have difficulty in school.  I've been writing IEPs and 504 plans for years.  I just didn't want to seem like I have no idea what's going on, because, really, this is my specialty, but it just seems very different now that it's my own child!
The past few days have been much better!  We have been trying the 30 mg. Metadate in the a.m., and it seems to be working.  He is crazy by dinner time, but at least he eats a ton!  As long as he's behaving in school, I will deal with the craziness!  He has been going to the nurse in the morning to have his blood sugar tested, and, as long as he doesn't cry, he is able to earn his Hot Wheel.  He can play with it for a few minutes, and then head to class.  This way he avoids the cafeteria all together!  So far, it's working great.  He's been so happy at the end of the day!  I really hope this continues!

When my son was on Adderall he had reactions similar to what you described.  If the dose wan't high enough he would be in sort of a "rebound" all day.  But if the dose was too high then he'd be over anxious & irritable.  Once we got the dose right he did better but was still too emotional so we switched to Ritalin and Tenex and it's worked so far.

I'm glad to hear things are going better for you and I hope they continue!