Jump right on and let's start some discussion here! I know that I for one am truly looking forward to learning all I can about ADHD and get some advice and tips from parents who have BTDT.

My 11 y/o DS was just diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type, not hyperactive, and has been placed on a trial of Adderall. So far so good. He's having lots of problems in school remembering to bring home books, papers and assignments, staying organized and completing assignments and special projects.

By Cat on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 10:01 pm:

First off, thanx, Pam, for putting this board here.

My 10yo son was dx ADHD when he was 6 1/2 (possible dx at 4yo). He was just dx bipolar about three months ago. He's currently on lithium, strattera and clonidine. We're still working on getting him stable. He's also in a self contained classroom (not at his regular school) because his regular classroom teacher and school couldn't handle him. He is probably also ODD and OCD, but no official dx's for those, since most consider them part of bipolar.

By Mommmie on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 11:41 pm:

Great idea!

My 9-year-old is ADHD and LD (severe dyslexia), also stutters and has articulations problems, Duane's Syndrome and mild Sensory Integration Disorder. Sounds like a mess, but most people can't tell he has too many issues when they meet him. The speech is most noticeable.

On school days he takes Ritalin LA 20mg.

He attends a private school for kids with LD and LD/ADHD and is in the 3rd grade. The school is heaven sent! He was in public for almost 3 years and spent the 1st 2 months of Kindergarten at a regular ed private school that was a disaster.

Look forward to swapping ideas!

By Marcia on Thursday, November 20, 2003 - 12:17 am:

OK, I'm just going to go against everything I would normally do, and list the kids' ages and their special needs.....

21- severe CP, seizure disorder, g-tube fed, takes a mitt full of meds

10-ADHD - inattentive, no meds, learning differences, homeschooled half days

9-chromosomal abnormality, might also appear to have CP, takes clonidine

8- talks way too much, and bugs her sisters non stop!!

7-possible Sotos-Like Syndrome, low tone, speech delays, probable ADHD, but hasn't been tested for it, learning differences, no meds

I hate doing that, because it doesn't at all tell you who they really are. They are the best bunch of girls I could ask for!!

I have been working with kids with special needs since the late 70s. (that sure makes me feel OLD!!!)

I think this board is going to be great!

By Lauram on Thursday, November 20, 2003 - 10:30 am:

I have a six year old with Tourette's Syndrome. He also has ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder and anxiety. There are hints that OCD may be on the way too.... He takes Strattera (18 mg twice a day) for his ADHD. Other than that he doesn't take meds for anything else. He also goes to karate or swimming class (laps) for his sensory integration. He used to go to OT, but she suggested this instead. He's also probably gifted, but we'll find that out officially next year when he is tested. He currently has a 504 plan at school. He goes to my public school (out of district) where I teach as a tuition student. Our local public school was a nightmare.

By Kaye on Thursday, November 20, 2003 - 05:05 pm:

Hmmm I have a three kids, 9 year old dd, tough kid, wondering if maybe she is the inattentive ADD, or something else, but at the very least she is my tough girl. ds, 8, he is asthmatic, has Juvenille Rhumatoid Arthritis and is gifted, which comes with a whole slew of funny behaviors. And my baby ds age 5. Not sure what is going on with him, but has some sensory issues, some autistic tendancies, but scores well on testing. I have now had three teachers say he is the most unusual child they have ever seen. Not all bad, but ever so different. I need to do some paperwork on him, but getting started is so overwhelming and I just don't quite know where to go. My ped does adhd stuff here, but I am so leary of the medical community medicating because I say so. Those questionaires can be so easy to skew and hard to answer honestly when you are worn out. so that is my crew. Oh btw I have a special ed degree and officially taught for a year, but have worked with special needs kids through friends and church for probably 6-7 years.

By Gammiejoan on Thursday, November 20, 2003 - 09:24 pm:

I have a five year old gs who has been diagnosed with sensory integration disorder and possibly something on the autism spectrum. He has some characteristics of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as well as Oppositional Defiant Disorder but has not been diagnosed with either. There is a family history of Bipolar Disorder, and this is a concern for us also. He was given an I.Q. test about a year ago and tested at 145. He has a two year old brother who exhibits hyperactive tendencies. We are hoping that the two year old's hyperactivity will decrease as he gets older, but it is a definite concern to us.

By Feona on Friday, November 21, 2003 - 07:56 am:

My son is so much improved. He has stopped
repeating himself so much.

He is three years old
Can identitify his abc - lower and upper case
Can write his name.
Knows how to count to 15
knows shapes and colors
Just mastered pronouns. Said We is and The last week in a full sentence.
Very sweet boy
Compliant
Non aggressive
Gets so excited about learning that in circle time has a big smile on his face and is making too much noise interacting with the teacher.
Learned not to grab toys and not to wander off.
Can sit for 2 hours reading books or drawing with you.
Can hold a pencil perfectly
Cuts with a scizzor

He also gets overstimulated in a classroom
Needs alot of adult direction in the classroom
Won't clean up his toys in the classroom.
Drops the ends off some words so he is hard to understand. Needs help learning to have a conversation.


He is getting ot for being visually distracted. We think he may be auditory distracted also. Visual is actual his strong point. He learns more visually than incidentally.

They say he doesn't learn incidently.

By Jenn32 on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 - 12:08 am:

I have two children ages 15 and 4 both boys.
The oldest was dx with ODD at age five after two failed attempts to take own life. He has been a roller coaster since birth. Now on Paxil which has made all the difference in the world most days any way.
My little one was just dx with PDDNOS(Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified)
We are lucky to live in Georgia and close the The Marcus Institute. Great place for special needs children . Ds has appt. next to start a new behavior modification program.

By Tiredmom on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 01:05 pm:

My Name is Maria, I am 37, have 2 boys: Ben-6 and Matthew 4. My husband and I have been married for 10 years.

My 6 year old is in 1st gr. and was diagnosed as add/adhd in July 2003. He has tried adderal, adderal xr and now he is on concerta for hyperactivity & he also needs help concentrating. I am not pleased with Concerta because it doesn't help him concentrate only calms him. Adderall helped him concentrate better, but his rebound of crying spells & tantrums was too much.

His 1st grade teacher has been good so far and he is performing at grade level is in public school, in NC. But, we have to work at it.

She noticed right away that he has trouble staying on task and suffers inattention and is also a bit hyper for the classroom. We both feel that he is not performing to his abilities.

He seems bright and does hyperfocus on things that truly interest him. WE have learned TREMENDOUS AMTs OF INFO about Dinosaurs, The Star Wars Trilogy and now the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

I always suspected and have made mental notes of his tendancies, as our nephew has had similar troubles.

WE recently took him to an Education Specialist to have an eval. done and will get feedback on this fri. 1/22 on an action plan that is best for him. They will be evaluating him for any underlying LD (i.e. visual, audiory, etc.)

I feel that he has trouble with his fine motor skills (pencil control), and noticed this struggle when he was four years old.

We have had him in daycare and preschool, before kindergarden and the structure of this has helped with his busyness.

This has felt like it has been an all consuming situation for both me and my husband in terms of our relatinship and other priorities we have going on.

My other son, Matthew so far seems quite normal for a 4 yr old. His Bday falls in 10/99 so I am strongly leaning toward keeping him in k-4 and extra year.

Ben's current ADD/ADHD has taken up quite a bit of my time. MY GREATEST FEAR IS THAT HE WILL FALL BEHIND in his classwork. But, the schools don't help if they are at grade level ??

Sorry this is so long.

By Cat on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 07:25 pm:

Welcome, Maria. I kwym about your ds being all time consuming. My 10yo takes a LOT of time and energy. I sometimes feel I shortchange my 8yo. Heck, I even forgot to sign his homework folder for a whole week! lol His teacher said, "Don't sweat it." Knowing what I do now I would agree with you about keeping your 4yo in K for another year. My 10yo's b-day is in October and while I can't imagine him only being in 4th grade this year accademically, socially he's probably only at 2nd or 3rd grade. Part of that is being immature, part is his bipolar. Asperger's has even been mentioned. I'd recomend trying to get your 1st grader an IEP or at least a 504 plan. ADHD qualifies him under OHI (otherwise health impaired). Make sure his teacher challenges him. If you feel the work is too easy or he's getting bored, let them (teachers) know. I know all too well that if ADHD kids get bored, they find something to keep them busy! lol Usually something inappropriate. My 10yo is on Strattera right now for his ADHD. Any of the stimulants made him VERY irratable and even violent (Adderall XR threw him into 1 1/2-3 hour rages). That's a side effect of the bipolar. The Strattera makes him a little irratable, but it's managable and helps with the hyperness and consentration.

Gotta go make these little monkey's dinner. Glad you found us here! I look forward to getting to know you.

BTW, dh's family is in Raleigh. We're planning on visiting them this summer and heading to the beach for a week. Where in NC are you?

By Tiredmom on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 07:58 pm:

Wow! thanks! Great info.

My 14 yr old nephew has tried all the stim. drugs and has had WONDERFUL success with Strattera. Stim Drugs did not work for him.
He is an honor roll student!!

Yes, I am feeling my way through this, but that is my next Step-TT teachers and principal about assistance thru the school.

I am actually in Charlotte, NC south of Charlotte. Will hope to talk with you soon and learn more!

By Tiredmom on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 03:17 pm:

Hello!

I had a feedback eval. today with Ben's ed. specialist and she said that he might have
auditory process disorder. Guess, we need to
go through an audiologist to determine if he does have it and then get him some therapy.

this site so interesting - looking forward to
future interactions with experienced parents.

:-)

By Brandy on Friday, February 6, 2004 - 02:57 pm:

Hey Gals,

I don't know if i really belong here or not but i think i will post when i remember too.My alex is 6 almost 7 and was recently put into a new school because of his learning disability they do call it special needs so i assume i do belong here = ) .Anyways he's a very loving boy when he's happy and get's really angry when mad not enough to actually hurt himself or others though.So he's been in his new school for about 2 or 3 weeks now and i think he enjoys it alot.Hopefully he will learn his number and letters and all.He is in speech as was Nicholas but he recently got out of it(3rdGr.).So hopefully Alex will start learning more at his new school and be able to go back to his regular school before too long.

By Shellbie967 on Sunday, February 8, 2004 - 11:32 am:

Hey everyone,
I have two boys ages 8 and 2. My oldest is the diagnosed special needs child, we have our questions on the youngest still. My oldest son has severe combined type ADHD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, along with a suspected learning disability. He has had every test the doctor and schools could consider and all have not been able to specify a certain one but he is still writing mirror images when unmedicated and he complains of his eyes jumping when the meds have worn off-looks like he's dependant on the meds for life in order to manage. He is my baby and his life thus far has been a long road. He was born at 30 weeks and spent 4 1/2 months in the ICU before coming home. He is the sweetest most down to earth child as well, when he is around expect loads of love and hugs. He lives to annoy his baby brother, excells in Karate, and has real talent when it comes to art. We are homeschooling right now because we couldn't handle the politics of a public school any longer. We are thinking of a private school for his 5th grade year. My 2 year old is a busseling toddler, into everything and adores his older brother. We are seeing some of the same distractions with him but are waiting it out to make sure it's not mimicked behavior. Glad to have found this group!

By Patty on Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 05:13 pm:

Hi My name is Pat i am a 60 year old grandmother raising 7 year old Robert who is Austic,He is in a AI room now with hopes of spending some time in Reg kdg,next mo. is our goal for that.
he has a awful habit spits on people cant seem to control it we have tried everthing but meds. I think thats our next move even tho I am against it,
He has a wonderfull sprit and I dont want to break it . We are in Michigan
Great Site

By Cat on Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 06:04 pm:

Welcome, Pat. My intro is way up top. I'm glad you found us! Where in Michigan are you? I'm origanally from a little town between Grand Rapids and Lansing. My family is all still there. I'm a military transplant living in Colorado for now. You're going to love MomsView.

By Rcarbee on Monday, March 8, 2004 - 12:41 am:

Hello...my name is Reneé! I have a 3 (almost 4)year old son who has PDD-NOS and a 15 year old in High School who is NT. I found this site because I need desperate help in organizing my home (I have ADD tendencies). I was so happy to see this category with the special needs that I know you'all must be a great site. I live in Northern Alabama.

By Gammiejoan on Monday, March 8, 2004 - 06:20 pm:

Hi, Renee. Why don't you start a new post with any specific questions or concerns you have. This is a great site, and I believe you'll get some good responses if you start a post. I look forward to hearing more from you.

By Coopaveryben on Monday, March 8, 2004 - 08:36 pm:

Hi Rennee!
If you are looking for advice on organization, just post a message there....I know you will get a lot of great advice here. You have come to the right place! Look forward to hearing more from you.

By 6littledarlings on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 06:55 pm:

Hi, I am Amy I have 6 kids, 16 year old Daughter, a 14 year old daguhter a 10 year old son, 7 year old daughter and 2 one year olds with downs syndrome. I am looking forward to getting to know you all! :-)

By Cat on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 08:27 pm:

Welcome Rennee and Amy! (and anyone else I've missed in this LONG post! lol) It's great to see some action on this board. Things have been slow over here.

Amy, you sound like you have your hands full! I'm a child care provider, also. Just curious, are the 1yos twins? My 10yo ds is my special needs child. He keeps me on my toes! We're going through med changes with him right now. Trying to find that elusive stability.

This is a quote I have on my daycare cork board. I think it applies to a lot here. I think I even got it from someone on these boards (Marcia, maybe???).

"If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart."

By 6littledarlings on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 09:51 pm:

Cat, I like that!
The two are not twins, we adopted them from diffrent families but the youngest is a twin but the family kept her brother because he wasn't downs. We already had Isaac (the other baby) when we were told about her , it really helped her adjustment having him here. She just picked right up with him.

By Cat on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 11:00 am:

Wow, Amy. I don't know how I feel about the one family giving up the twin with downs. Part of me is upset about it, but another part thinks it's great they gave her up so a great, loving family could adopt her and give her the life she deserves. I hope I'm not out of line saying that. jmho (as always)

By 6littledarlings on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 11:08 am:

No, you are not. I was surpised when I met the birth mom how much I liked her, I pray for them everyday. I am so grateful we have both of the babies. Our son Isaac was abandoned in the back of an amublance, the mother didn't even know he had downs, She was on presription diet pills to hide her pregnancy the whole time an a few other drugs here and there, the illegal kind. She was a lpn going to school to be a RN I was shocked by that when I found out. But he is doing well!

By Happynerdmom on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 11:50 am:

I've posted elsewhere a lot, but haven't really introduced myself. My name's Michele, I am 37 and have a 13 year-old dd, and a 10(11 in two weeks!)ds. My son is my complicated one! He had a benign brain tumor removed three years ago, which left him with a right homonymous hemianopsia (you learn to pronounce all kinds of stuff as a mom, huh?)which means he is missing the right half of his vision in each eye. He also has inattentive ADD, which Straterra is helping immensely, and he is LD. He was just officially diagnosed with a reading disorder this year. Looking at him, you wouldn't know he has so much going on! He plays football and wrestles. One of our biggest challenges will be a little later as a teenager...the dr. says he won't be able to drive. We have been SO fortunate in school. We live in a great public school district and they have bent over backwards to get him what he needs. Our biggest issue this year, is that he doesn't want to seem "different" than anyone else, so we have tried to be creative in finding ways to have his accomodations met (e.g. having tests read to him) without it being obvious to the rest of the class. I'm really enjoying this "momsview" community, and it's really cool to have a separate forum for parent's with special needs kids!

By Tink on Saturday, April 3, 2004 - 04:14 pm:

Hi, I'm a 26 year old mother of three. My son is almost 5 and was diagnosed with Autism almost two years ago. At the time of diagnosis he had a vocabulary of about 25 words, all labels, and his IQ score was 30. Luckily, we live in the Central Valley of CA and all his services are paid for by the state. We enrolled him in an ABA based therapy program that has been ranked one of the best in the state. He is now enrolled in a typical preschool five afternoons per week and will be the first student in his therapy program to start Kindergarten on time. His IQ was tested in September and was 116 and the psychologist said he expects Seth's score to increase again as his language increases. Seth is only 3 months behind a typical child in his language scores and has a vocabulary over 2000, including pronouns and prepositions. He loves SpongeBob, Hot Wheels and Superheros. Can you imagine a more typical preschooler? What a miracle!
I also have two amazing daughters. Samantha is 6, going on 13, and has a definite case of the "people-pleasers" but is otherwise A-OK. She does very well in school and is socially well-adjusted. Unfortunately, as many of you have also experienced, in our family, the squeeky wheel gets the grease and she is aware of this.
Bella is my youngest. She has a case of the terrible twos but I don't think this qualifies as a special need. The only cure I've found is time and, in this case, it's not moving fast enough.
My husband has recently been diagnosed with Adult ADD and has been on 80 mg of Strattera for about two weeks. We've seen some improvement but are also noticing some side effects. He is great with the kids and has no trouble tapping into his "inner child."
I read everything I can about my family's issues, but I also could really use the contact with people who have been there. I'm hoping that's what I'll find here. I hope to be able to give support when I can and be supported. Thanks.

By Cat on Saturday, April 3, 2004 - 07:24 pm:

What amazing results in just two years!!! That is so wonderful! Welcome to Momsview. I know you'll enjoy it here. My intro is way up top. You can also click on our usernames to find out more about us.

By Jaber on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 04:10 pm:

Hi, I'm Jean and I have one dd who is 10 months old with Down syndrome. She is involved in Early Intervention services, receiving physical therapy, special ed, and a speech pathologist. She's doing pretty good though she has some issues with low tone. This looks like a great site, I'm glad I found it!

By Cat on Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 04:27 pm:

Welcome, Jean! You're going to love this site.

By Kobesmom on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 09:45 pm:

I found it!!(thanks tink!!) Hi everyone! I'm new to this so bare with me! Let's see i'm a military wife and a mother of three boys. Currently residing on a naval base in Ventura county,CA. My youngest son is 3yrs.old and was just recently diagnosed with Autism,sensory,speech delay, and behavioral problems. My husband and I have shed thousands of tears just trying to cope and learn more about this disorder. We are also trying hard to help our other 2 children understand just what my son (Kobe) is going through. We have been very fortunate to receive help that is funded through the state for Kobe. He was recently enrolled in a special needs preschool that teaches him through a program called TEACCH. Have any of you heard of this program?? He's only been there for 2 weeks and seems to be improving. The only hard part is they insist on Kobe riding a school bus to and from school. The teachers tell me that it's part of his structured learning.I'm still unsure about that because Kobe throws a huge fit everytime he has to get on that bus! Anyway, I don't know if it's because this is all still very new to me, but, How do you all seem to stay so strong?? If anyone has any suggestions on how to deal with the frequent tears and stress that i've been dealing with lately I would gladly appreciate it!

By Marcia on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 11:04 pm:

Welcome to the list, Jennifer! I just wanted to throw something out there about the bus. How long is he on it? People with autism tend to have very sensitive hearing. I work with a young man who has autism, and bus rides often send him into rages. I would think that the school would change the rules if the bus truly upsets him.
As for your stress and tears, feel free to vent any time. There are lots of us here to lend a shoulder and lots of ideas.

By Tink on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 11:55 pm:

Jennifer, My ds (dear son) also rides a bus to and from school. Luckily, he has no problems with it. How is he in the car on a normal basis? Will the school let him adjust to it by riding a longer time each week or one day a week and build up from there? Unfortunately, if his program is anything like my son's, there are going to be a lot of things he doesn't like and many of those things they won't give in on. As far as the tears go, let yourself grieve. If your husband is supportive, lean on each other. My mom said it was a grief process. You have to let go of certain ideas you had, that we all have about our kids, and that HURTS a lot. I can't tell you how many times it would hit me out of the blue that this was permanent, to a degree, and I would have to go in my room and just cry for a few minutes. Does the regional center in your area offer respite? It's babysitting that they will pay for each month, done by someone of your choosing (friend or family member), and it's in your home. I was always afraid to ask someone I didn't know to watch Seth because of his sensitivities. You can use this time to go out for coffee, to run errands, or take care of Dr. appts, whatever. I found it to be a lot of help. E-mail me at tinkamarink@aol.com if you need any questions answered or just want to talk. I've BTDT (been there done that) pretty recently and since we're in the same state a lot of the laws are the same. Good luck and remember, you'll get through this and it isn't always bad.

By Cat on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 04:24 pm:

Welcome, Jennifer. I don't know a lot about autism or sensory problems, but my oldest has behavioral problems associated with his bipolar and adhd. He's doing really well right now (except for a stint of seperation anxiety we're going through right now!), but boy have we had our fair share of tears, yelling, screaming (at him and dh and me), problems at school, problems in the neighborhood (ds threatened another kid with a knife last summer--yikes!), etc, etc, etc... We may seem to stay strong, but we're human and it gets to us all at times. I've got the support of a wonderful church (with some people in the same boat I am) and of course, this board. My son is now out of his neighborhood school because they couldn't handle him there. He's bussed every day, only about 8 miles and now that we've gotten his medication straightened out he's doing really well on the bus (he had gotten suspended a couple times). Anyway, again welcome. I hope to see you post often!

Btw, my dh is military, also. He's been in the Air Force almost 19 years. He retires next summer. Yeah!!!

By Kobesmom on Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 12:58 am:

Hi again everyone! Thank you sooo much for the greatly appreciated support. Kobe rides the bus to school 5 times a week to and from school. The school is about a mile away so it's a very short ride. The teacher says that he does well getting on the bus to go home, it's just the bus ride in the morning that throws him off! Like this morning the bus driver was concerned because after Kobe was strapped into his carseat he started banging his head up against the window and kicking the seat in front of him! I talked to his teacher about this and she said not to worry he will adjust and just be thankful that the carseat has padding!? This confused me? She said Kobe has to adjust and we need to give it time but I just hate to see Kobe that way. It reallly worries me that he might hurt himself because he doesn't know his own strength.Any suggestions??
Other than that he's fine all day at school which is wonderful!Getting off of the subject...Cat you said your husband is military also right? Any possibility of him going to Iraq?? My husband was there from Feb. to Sep. and now there are looking at sending them back in July. I can't wait till we are close to retirement like you guys! 19 years man that's a long time! and I was complaining about our 10 1/2!!! haha

By Cat on Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 08:33 am:

Hi again, Jennifer. My dh had surgery about two months ago on his shoulder and he's in physical therapy right now. If he "recovers" (according to the military doctors) by probably about September he'll probably get deployed for 3-4 months. If he doesn't he'll miss that rotation and by the time the next rotation rolls around he'll be too close to terminal leave to deploy. So he may or may not go. He spent 6 months in Saudi back in 2000 (left right after Christmas 1999). Sorry your dh may have to go back. I know if mine goes we'll be fine (we've done it before and I've got great friends here), but it's still hard and stressful. When will you know if your dh will have to go? I've got to get going. Have a great day!

By Tink on Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 02:33 pm:

I don't know how much language your ds has but will he understand that if he behaves on the bus he'll get to have extra playtime before he has to start working? or some other reinforcer, like a cookie or a favorite toy? If he knows that there will be a reward for behaving correctly, he might be more willing to be compliant. My son is in ABA therapy so there is a lot of emphasis on rewards (some of you may consider it bribery, I think whatever works!)If he isn't having trouble with the ride home, knowing that you'll be there at the end may be enough of a reward that he doesn't act up as much. My ds's teachers are very matter of fact regarding any tantrums he has, like the carseat padding comment, and I've learned that any reinforcement will just make it worse.

By Kobesmom on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 11:57 am:

Hi everyone! Well I just don't know how much longer I can handle this! This time the bus driver insisted on taking him from my arms and strapping him into his carseat herself and well...Kobe grabbed ahold of her hair and gave it a good yank! He then preceeded to kick the windows.I feel really bad because the other children just look so scared and just cover their ears. I don't know what else to do? The teacher gave my a picture of her to give to him to see if that helps(so he will know where he is going next)it helps a little but,he just doesn't want to stay on that bus!Someone told me to really think about possible medication for anxiety?? any suggestions??

By Cat on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 12:28 pm:

I'm sorry the bus isn't going well. I'd really check with your son's doc about medications. He is still so young, and some aren't approved for small children, so I wouldn't make any recomendations for him. That's what the docs are for. Is there an aide on the bus? If so, could he/she sit with your little guy to help him adjust--at least until the next stop? Like I said, autism isn't my forte so I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help. {{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}} to you both. Hopefully someone else can pipe in here.

By Marcia on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 02:22 pm:

Does he have the same behaviour at any other time? I certainly wouldn't give any of my kids an anxiety med because of a bus ride! The program structure can't be so important that they should be suggesting that! All parents drive their kids to their programs around here.
I would think they should have some flexibility.
Have you tried a communication book with him, or a picture board? It could have a couple of pics for a school morning - getting dressed, eating, coat on, bus, teacher. That would give him warning as to what's coming next, and hopefully help him through the transition more.
It's horrible to see them go through these things - especially at such a young age!

By Tink on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 01:18 am:

I think Marcia has some good ideas. If the school is only a mile away, is it really not an option for you to drive him? I'm sorry you are going through this. It's really hard. If this is the only time he acts like this, I don't think anxiety medication is a good idea. The side effects can be unexpected and many of them haven't even been tested for children. Good luck!

By Kobesmom on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 01:39 am:

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful advice I really appreciate it! I have another evaluation this friday with his teacher. She will be here @ 9:00am and my lil' guy goes to school @ 11:00am so i'm going to encourage her to stay and watch how he does getting on the bus in the morning because she gives me different ideas to try but I think it's easier said then done. Hopefully she will see how it is and just say that it may be worth it for me to try and take him to school. I'll keep in touch

By Tink on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 08:41 pm:

Sometimes the teachers have a whole different reaction to the problem when they see it first hand. Good luck! Keep us posted.

By Marcia on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 12:42 am:

I worked as an Early Childhood Resource Teacher for many years before my kids came along. If I went back to teaching right now, I would be a very different teacher! Well, not so much with the kids, but dealing with family dynamics. It's very easy to be idealistic when you are the teacher, but not the mom of kids with special needs! (if any kids at all) I think your idea of having her watch is a good one. I hope it helps!

By Carrierea on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 12:01 pm:

Hi. I have 3 children.
My oldest has ADHD, and my youngest has a rare life threatening disease known as Morquio Syndrome.

Carrie R.
www.mtacc.net

By Cat on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 02:09 pm:

Welcome, Carrie! Glad you found us. My oldest is ADHD (as well as some other things), too. I've never heard of the diesase your youngest has. I hope we can be of some help (support, shoulders, advise, etc) to you.

By Jujubee on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 06:29 am:

Helloooo Everyone,

My name is Julie, you can call me Jules. I have 3 beautiful children and am blessed with the world's greatest husband. ;)

I have 2 boys ages 12 and 10 (will be 11 in November), and one girl, 8 (will be 9 in December). All three of my children have been diagnosed with varying degrees of ADHD. My 12 and 8 year olds are very active, but can do their school work fine. My 10 year old is why I am posting here. He is a wonderful child but he cannot do his school work. His mind is just in a jumble all of the time. (my words) He was dx'd last April and started meds in May (Concerta). I am not a big fan of giving children medicine, or anyone for that matter, but he needed it. Nothing else that we tried worked. At the time that he started his meds he was learning overall on about a 1st grade level. He was in the 3rd grade at this time. He was placed in a self-contained classroom to catch up what he was behind on. In a few months time he was back on grade level with Reading, Science, and SS. And he was begining to bring his Math up. He is now falling behind again and is becoming very irritable. We are going back to the Dr's this week to see what is going on with him.

Looking forward to getting to know all of you better and getting lots of good advice.

God bless,

Jules

By Gammiejoan on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 08:54 pm:

Welcome to the board, Jules. I don't have any experience with medicating children who have ADHD, but I know others on here do. Maybe one of them will see this soon and post a response.

By Lauram on Tuesday, October 12, 2004 - 03:23 pm:

Hi! I do have my son on meds for his ADHD (Adderall XR). Hopefully the dr will have good advice. There are lots of choices, doses available!