I have a nearly 9yr old son who is 2E . Today I found out that he also has Asperger, ADHD & Anxiety disorder.His behaviour causes huge stress in our family life , particularly with his 2 brothers. He also causing problems at School.
His developmental paediatrician wants to put him on Ritalin SR20.
Now 4 hours later , I am still in a state of shock, everything feels numb. So many questions....
Does anyone else have a child like mine? What effects has the Ritalin had on your child, family life, school?
Oh & how did you go about telling your Child that they have Aspergers, telling Family etc. Thats the part Im dreading.....they already think we are bad parents.
Our 10yr old son has mild Aspergers and mild Dyspraxia and I can totally relate to your comment that his behaviour puts huge stress on the family. We are now having marriage counselling as a result. We had a paediatrician suggest ADHD at age 5 but the behaviours of the different syndromes often overlap, and we are comfortable with the latest diagnosis (we saw someone new every 2 years at the insistence of teachers!). Our son has not had Ritalin but it was recommended at age 5. I was devastated. You will need time to digest everything, don't rush your decision. We got a second opinion as our gut reaction was 'no' and the second paediatrician said there was no ADHD, it was more likely to be Aspergers, and there was no need for Ritalin. One friend said to me 'well it's not cancer' but at the time, it may as well have been, I felt so devastated. Good luck!
Our son was diagnosed ADHD at 7 yrs after a fairly vigorous assessment. School thought Aspergers but assessment said not. Reading a report of a school observation by psychologist, he was completely unable to participate in a class. Hard for everyone.
Ritalin allowed him to coexist in the school system but didn't solve all his/our problems. Without it though, I'm sure things would have been far worse (and were).
He's now 13 and still on a very low dose but we expect to get him off it this year. There is no easy answer. Our kids deserve to be happy. For our son, I think ritalin helped although we found it very disturbing.
You have properly been told already but ADHD is apparently a diagnosis of behaviours to a degree. And one way to diagnose is by trying ritalin - if you don't have it, it will make you speed. If you do, it slows you down. Doesn't sound very 21st century but . . .
BTW we don't medicate during holidays or weekends, never have. Also we were told that no one under 7 should ever be out on it.
Unfortunately this was our 2nd opinion. Our son also has Anxiety Disorder & from what I can understand the pediatrician thinks that the Ritalin will help quell that as well.
My 2e child was diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type at age 7. At first, going by her testing results, we were advised NOT to medicate, and I was relieved by this recommendation. After her self esteem continued to plummet due to her inability to complete school work however, I did intensive research and then went back to the paediatrician requesting a trial of meds. The results were instant and we have never looked back. She went from *never* completing work and therefore failing at everything to consistently being the fastest, most accurate worker - ie, she started performing closer to her ability level.
The thing with the ADHD meds is you can trial them and stop them completely *whenever you like*. A decision to try them is NOT a commitment to stay on them for any length of time. On the other hand if you don't try them you will never know if they would or would not have helped - and they potentially may help significantly.
For me, I had to try them because every single day I picked my daughter up from school she was in tears about not completing her work and being such a 'failure'. The very first day she tried meds on a school day I picked up a child who was grinning from ear to ear - not only did she finish all her work but she was able to do it to a high standard. After two years of meds she now sees herself as competent and likeable.
The downside is there ARE side effects. The meds still affect her appetite and sleep, and from time to time they still make her a little nauseous. For her the side effects are more desirable than the consequences of going off the meds though. She remember how awful it felt before meds and she doesn't want to risk going back to that at this stage.
I wish there were perfect answers, but there aren't. At this point we go with what gives us the most benefit with the least drawbacks, and we review it from time to time, knowing that she can stop taking them any time she wants to.
I have a 9 year old daughter with Aspergers, anxiety and ADHD.
She takes 1/2 of a 20MG Ritalin Slow Release tablet in the morning and 1/2 a 10MG Immediate Release tablet at lunchtime.
She has been on medication for nearly 18 months. It took one attempt to get the dosage right (she is a very skinny little thing). A whole 20MG SR in the morning was too much.
Once on the right dose the change in her life was immediate. The only drawback is it can be a struggle to get her to eat enough during the day (she had little interest in food to begin with)
She is adamant she wants to keep taking it (she stops during holidays).
Before she took it she would meet me after school and try to drag me away so I would not talk to the teacher and find out she had another "meltdown". She was very ashamed and upset whenever she had a crying fit at school caused by anxiety or impatience. The other children patronised her.
In the 18 months since taking it she has not had one serious meltdown, and only got a little upset a couple of times (each time when it turned out she was coming down with a bug).
Her resilience is totally improved, she is SO happy with her life and loving school. She says with it she feels in control and without it she feels "jittery".
Without it (in the holidays) she wasn't able to last a three hour holiday art class without tears caused by anxiety. With it, she went to ODS for the first time and had a great day and came home saying she "loved, loved, loved it" :-)
(Incidentally, our motivation in going the medication route was her anxiety and unhappiness. She was always a high performer academically, but was assessed at 6 months below national standard in maths. She would lose concentration (staring at the ceiling) while the teacher was explaining what to do and would then panic when faced with doing the exercises. She got it into her head that she was "no good" at maths and that increased the anxiety. They could got get her to sit timed tests. Six weeks after starting medication she was assessed at 12 months ABOVE national standard and maths was one of her favourite classes).
She has "always" known she is aspie (diagnosed at 3) and is proud of it, though aware that for some people with Aspergers the challenges outweigh the "positives". She thinks she is very lucky to have all the "positives" of being aspie.
You can google "famous aspergers". And here is a great link from someone who says it best:
Hi ,
I have a 13 year old with Aspergers and 2E and a 10 yr old with mild autism and ADHD. I took them both out of school and home educate.
My older son asked me to 3 years ago and the younger one 18 months ago. Pediatrician wanted us to put the younger one on ritalin and for us it was do that or take him out of school.
We haven't looked back. Boys are happy, calm and relaxed because all the pressure has gone away.
I can also highly recommend Dr Leila Masson , a pediatrician,who can help with alternative biomedical treatments. She does a lot of work with kids on the spectrum. http://leilamasson.com/
Ummm how to answer this question? Honestly I guess.
For a start - stimulant medications are not supposed to be prescribed to those with anxiety issues - its contraindicated.
Second - it nearly killed my daughter - and I had one hell of a fight on my hands against the school, cyfs and mental health when I withdrew consent (they even went as far as medicating behind my back according to court affidavits) - and they tried to have the court remove her from my care to forcibly medicate.
Third I have taken ritalin myself .... had problems with particular batches that caused hugely problematic issues across the country - and the company flatly refused to accept any reporting they could dismiss as being "adhd" - kids trying to jump out of moving cars, playing chicken with trains - flipping out all over the place, I had the memory of a goldfish and any time I took any of that batch (and for days afterwards) it was like one long panic attack that wouldnt go away.
Otherwise - we just referred to them as our "retard pills" - not very PC I know - but it was an accurate reflection of how they work .... they stop your brain being able to work fully .... and others like you better that way so they treat you more kindly.
ALL that said, if it wasnt for the other negative side effects for my daughter I would have happily kept giving them to her .... SHE is very socially orientated so would have been MUCH happier being dumbed down but experienced more social acceptance as a result - and of course, her teachers like convenient students much better so treat them differently to "inconvenient" students.
Me - despite not being able to use my intellect while taking them, I endured for quite a long time (and experiemented a great deal in that time) because they convinced me that I would be a better parent. It took me 2 years to conclude they were wrong - what my daughter REALLY needed from me was for me to be able to use my brain to the max - and I couldnt do that using Ritalin.
I did like the way it dulled sensory input (my brain wasnt capable of processing that information on ritalin) but in the end I discovered that if I was actually using my intellect optimally - those things all sorted themselves out anyway.
Having just finished formal study of psychopathology - I am less convinced than ever that they have the slightest clue.
Oh and the symptoms of stress - including the symptoms of anxiety are actually IDENTICAL to those of what they call "adhd" - impulsive behaviour, inability to concentrate etc etc etc. Which is how my GT/Dyslexic like daughter ended up with a dx of "adhd" in the first place.
So those are our experiences - I celebrated my daughters 16th birthday like you wouldnt believe ..... because she was still alive - anything over and above that was a bonus!
However - it all comes down to doing the best for your child as an individual with the tools and information available to you. I have found that actually DEVELOPING individual differences is a much better cure for difficulties EXCEPT it cannot fix environmental issues whereas ritalin SOMETIMES can or rather can block some environmental issues and can result in others treating you more kindly because you become more like them.
As negative as our experiences were, and regardless of how misguided I consider psychopathology to be .... it doesnt mean that its never the right answer ... its a very personal choice and you and your child are the ones that have to live with it so, make the best choice you can - if your gut says there is something not quite right here then TRUST it and keep looking for answers and solutions.
I also have a 2e child. A learning disorder and possible adhd according to the ed psych. The last teacher found him a handful. For the ADHD- we did initial assesments and lots of thinking and then decided not to go further with it. Is my child ADHD - a bit - and me too. But there is a lot of information about the positives of having this kind of brain; creativity, passion and imagination. ADHD kids often make great entrepenuers with their drive and imagination. What worked for us was a new teacher, fish oil, OT, taking the pressure off him, a new awesome best friend who doesn't bully him and getting a bit older. I agree with Tiz me that you have to do the research, and make a personal choice that reflects your values and your own knowledge of your child. And then feel good with your choice because there is no one answer. Just thought i would share what worked for us. And that it sometimes just gets better. (but neither my son nor i can stand still when we brush our teeth - we have to read a book or something at the same time because it's too boring!)
I know several families who have this same issue. Two use medication and through experimentation have decided that it is the best choice for them. The kids are doing well, happy, settled and certainly don't come across as dumbed down or numb.
In fact it has made all of their lives much better in many ways.
As has been said, it is a personal choice - but perhaps one that can't be made until you've done a thorough investigation - perhaps even trialled different ways of coping in order to decide what is best for your family.
I just wanted to add that CURRENT science ( the medical model being discussed here is a fairly old one) is leaning towards a perspective that is strikingly similar to my own according to the feb 2012 edition of APA Magazine.
Studies on the effects of STRESS on the brain have come a very long way, especially with respect to the psychophysiological mechanisms - not just the role of hormones but also the immune system and inflamatory response in particular.
Quote:
Scientists are also investigating the use of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat depression, either alone or in conjunction with traditional antidepressants. Others have begun to test anti-inflammatories for treating autism and schizophrenia. The research is still in early stages, but initial results are promising, Patterson says.
He predicts that it won't be long before anti-inflammatory medications are prescribed to treat mood and behavioral disorders. "Watch out for those studies coming along," he says. "If you modify the immune status, you should be able to modify behavior."
End Quote.
I just happpened across this today - and really highlights the vast divide between current practise and the direction research itself can be taking .... information such as this can take decades to become 'general knowledge' and applied in a real life context .... ummm except I have been working on the theory that *stress* is key for about a decade - give or take. I have copped A LOT of flack over the years for holding views that were out of keeping with "current psychology" - and what do you know - here we are.
Just a side note Rebecca ..... no one *observed* me as being "dumbed down" either .... I drew that conclusion by a comparitive analysis of my "normal" brain (well normal for me) and my "Ritalin brain" - something I needed to do in relative social isolation so as not to be unduly influenced by social messaging that would cause bias to affect my ability to observe objectively. If one BELIEVES their is something WRONG with the way they function - that causes a psychological filter that affects perception and "reporting" as a result.
That's very interesting about current scientific research heading down the 'anti inflammatory' path for treatment of these conditions, does it say what they think the anti inflams do? Is it altering synapses or thinning the Myelin sheath? Very curious - did you read this online somewhere - I would love to read it - it fascinates me.
We have our (very cute) most excellent tutor this semester - who takes the time to provide us with all sorts of resources beyond the course materials - he's lufferly .... the magazine is the "Monitor" which is the American Psychological Association's official magazine. Its quite a short article - and as you can imagine I was quite excited to read it LOL.
Just a word of warning - stress in pregnancy is implicated so those who suffer more than ample mothers guilt already might want to stick to the last few passages of writing which I have already c&p'd.
The beginnings of mental illness
Autism, schizophrenia and other disorders may have roots in life's earliest stages.
By Kirsten Weir
February 2012, Vol 43, No. 2
Print version: page 36
Beginnings of mental illness
Where does mental illness begin? New research suggests the seeds of psychological problems are planted well before birth.
Schizophrenia, for example, is often thought of as a genetic disorder. But environmental factors can also boost risk – sometimes considerably. Alan Brown, MD, MPH, a professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, has found that a variety of early-life events significantly increase schizophrenia risk (Progress in Neurobiology, 2011). The risk is three times greater in people whose mothers had the flu during pregnancy, for example, while maternal iron deficiency during pregnancy increases the offspring's risk of the disease fourfold.
"These aren't small effects," Brown says.
Schizophrenia isn't the only mental illness linked to prenatal events. Using data from a Dutch birth cohort, Brown found that people whose mothers were undernourished while pregnant had a significantly increased risk of major affective disorders, such as mania and depression, severe enough to require hospitalization (American Journal of Psychiatry, 2000).
Other researchers have shown that adverse events during pregnancy, including infections, toxin exposure and maternal stress, can boost the fetus's future risk of problems such as depression, anxiety, autism, mood disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Events in early childhood are also linked to persistent mental health problems. Childhood maltreatment, for example, increases the odds of developing depression or post-traumatic stress disorder in adulthood.
Now, researchers are finally beginning to understand the biological processes that underlie these links—findings that could point to new directions in treatment for mental illness and behavior disorders, and may even suggest routes to prevention. Something as simple as good prenatal care—from flu shots to proper nutrition—may help to prevent the biological chain reactions that underlie many psychological problems.
Stress is suspect
Scientists studying the developmental roots of mental illness have zeroed in on a likely suspect: the body's stress response. When the body reacts to stressors, two systems kick into gear. The endocrine system produces stress hormones such as cortisol. And the sympathetic nervous system churns out other stress-related hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine—the factors responsible for the heart-pounding, sweaty-palms sensation known as the fight-or-flight response.
Yet stress physiology encompasses much more than just stress hormones, says Thaddeus Pace, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. Stress also impacts immune function. "A stressful event can have profound effects on the amount of activity that's going on in the inflammatory immune system," he says.
Inflammation is a key part of the stress response. It has also been linked to a variety of bodily ills, from diabetes and heart disease to depression and Alzheimer's disease. "I see inflammation as one of the chief evils in mammalian biology," Pace says.
Of course, the immune system serves a critical function—and not just for fighting disease. "The immune system is really important for how the brain develops normally," says Staci Bilbo, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. Cells called microglia are the resident immune cells in the brain. They're the central nervous system's first-line defense against infections and other invaders. And, Bilbo says, "they do a lot of important things for building a brain."
For starters, microglia are involved in synaptic pruning and programmed cell death. They also express cytokines, the signaling molecules that serve as messengers between cells and are a key component of the body's inflammatory response. Cytokines are important for the development of basic brain structures from blood vessels to axons. They are also involved in regulating cognition and mood, Bilbo says.
She explored the brain's immune cells by infecting infant rats with the bacterium E. coli four days after birth, a developmental period comparable to the third trimester of pregnancy in humans. The young rats recovered fully from the infection, and as adults they performed as well as control rats on tests of memory and cognition. But their early infections had left their mark.
The rats' microglia had been "primed," Bilbo says; in essence, the cells had been put on high alert for future infections. When the rats experienced a second infection—what she calls a "second hit"—around the time they were learning a new task, they showed profound memory impairments for that task. The primed rats, she discovered, were dramatically over-expressing cytokines in response to the second hit (Journal of Neuroscience, 2011). "Their immune system is changed long-term as a result of the neonatal infection," she says. "And because the immune system impacts brain function, they are altered behaviorally."
That same pattern appears in many neurodegenerative diseases in humans, she says. "A peripheral infection will suddenly make mental functions decline sharply, and you can measure concentrations of cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid that were previously undetectable."
Inflammation running wild
Other animal studies have further filled in some details. Paul Patterson, PhD, a neurobiologist at the California Institute of Technology and author of the book "Infectious Behavior: Brain-Immune Connections in Autism, Schizophrenia, and Depression" (2011), explores the origins of mental illness in mice. He's infected pregnant mice with influenza virus and also stimulated their immune systems in the absence of a pathogen. "When you activate the mother's immune system, you turn on a variety of cytokines to fight the infection," he says.
Patterson found that the offspring of the infected mothers exhibited a whole list of abnormal behaviors. Among them were the three "cardinal behavioral symptoms of autism," he says: impaired communication, reduced social interaction and repetitive, stereotyped behaviors (Trends in Molecular Medicine, 2011). What's more, the mice showed heightened anxiety and were more sensitive to hallucinogenic drugs—a sensitivity also seen in humans with schizophrenia.
These changes can be traced to the presence of a cytokine called interleukin-6 (IL-6). When produced in excess by a pregnant mouse, the molecule activates subsets of neurons in the fetus's brain. IL-6 also activates cells in the placenta, altering endocrine function and changing growth hormones. "That's bound to have an effect on [fetal] development," he says.
Cytokines including IL-6 can also interfere with the synthesis of serotonin in the brain, Pace adds. An excess of cytokines leads to a cascade of molecular events that interrupts the synthesis pathway, preventing serotonin from being produced. And serotonin, of course, is a necessary ingredient for healthy mood.
This finding may be particularly relevant for depressed patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A study by Charles Nemeroff, MD, PhD, of the University of Miami, and colleagues suggests that depressed people who experienced an adverse event in early life may be less likely to respond to SSRIs than depressed patients who did not endure an early-life stressor (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2003). That makes sense if an overactive immune response is working against serotonin in the brain, Pace says. "If inflammation really is driving that problem, then something like Zoloft isn't going to be as effective while inflammation is running wild."
For that reason, Pace says, "it's important to get a sense of whether or not somebody has had an early-life traumatic experience." Such a patient may be more likely to respond to psychotherapy than to antidepressants alone, for instance.
Pace and other researchers are now exploring alternative therapies for reducing inflammation and treating depression. He has found evidence that compassion meditation decreases the stress hormone cortisol as well as inflammation, at least in healthy subjects (Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2009). Testing the technique in depressed patients is the next step.
Scientists are also investigating the use of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat depression, either alone or in conjunction with traditional antidepressants. Others have begun to test anti-inflammatories for treating autism and schizophrenia. The research is still in early stages, but initial results are promising, Patterson says.
He predicts that it won't be long before anti-inflammatory medications are prescribed to treat mood and behavioral disorders. "Watch out for those studies coming along," he says. "If you modify the immune status, you should be able to modify behavior."
**** Personal note .... and so we might extrapolate from that that immunity "boosters" (eg natural products) and special diets (reduction of dietary stressors) are NOT far off the mark either.
It also might explain why I feel so much better now they have switched me to 2x800mg SR Neurofen per day even though they havent had a huge improvement with respect to my back and leg (but then - I doubt anything will really help THAT much while still studying).
Oh wow that is interesting. My Uncle has schizophrenia. we can pinpoint many points in his early life that may have contributed, although there is no family history.
That is very interesting (I have a psych degree) so find it very interesting in that respect, but also very scary. I have a son with tourettes syndrome - very mild at this stage and there is no known cause or cure/treatment, we give him fish oils and are sure that helps.
The thing that interests me most is that I had HUGE stress during pregnancy and due to a major pregnancy complication he was born 5 weeks early - hmmmm I know they are researching mostly depression/schizophrenia, but they are all neurological disorders!! There never seems to be much research done on tourette's, maybe it is too hard to help.
Thanks once again for posting this I hope you were able to cut and paste it:)
Yeah I was a bit reluctant to post the whole thing because of the link to pregnancy - which could be quite a sensitive subject for some I am sure.
While the main focus is on a few specific disorders - they are pretty clear in their seeing possible implications across a broad spectrum of "life difficulties" from conventional illness to mood, cognitive and behavioural issues.
Of course, from my perspective (as those who are familiar with my own theories will have no doubt realised) is that this could also be a CRITICAL development in the context of human rights and education. How many years have I been saying we need to REDUCE the stresses by being more accommodating of differences and working with them not against them.
Just ONE MORE STEP and they are THERE ...... most of us I am sure would have children in one or even both of those "vulnerable" groups - pregnancy stressors/ early childhood stressors ....... even if we get them through those critical periods without expressions of what we perceive to be "disorders" etc - they are still vulnerable ..... which means, if they are very different, the stress of being expected to "learn and socialise" as if "normal" - could AT ANY TIME trigger the presentation of the symptoms currently perceived as "disorders" or "mental illness" (or any of the other terms used these days).
That could provide a whole new level of "legal protection from indirect discrimination" for children of difference.
I suspect at the moment Marshe - they are aiming for the "generalisable" factor in order to be able to justify further funding for research .... if they can show that its applicable to multiple large samples and populations that "cover" most areas of functioning then they improve the chances of more funding being made available to research the extent of applicability.
What frustrates me though is why has it taken THIS long? I mean if I could figure out the relationship between stress and the symptoms of disorders using ummmm common sense .... with no formal education to speak of .... then shouldnt they be WAAAAY ahead of me?
I do suspect they will (wrongly I believe) assume that the "stress responses" in themselves are responsible for areas of neuro-cognitive underdevelopment or even atrophy when in actuality, failure to adapt TO neuro-cognitive differences and provide appropriate opportunity to develop individually determined neuro-cognitive pathways and processes will effectively be a "double whammy".
Take me for instance - I process language in the visual areas of the brain - so whilst in a normal educational environment I am subjected to the (considerable) stress of being subjected to procedures appropriate for those who use the "language" area of their brain for processing language ..... at the same time I am being deprived of the opportunity to appropriate develop the neurological pathways to be able to use my brain the way its actually designed to work!
Ok sorry - I just get frustrated sometimes - its so SIMPLE and logical that the real miracle is that more of us dont end up totally insane.
Or maybe I am? Somehow I doubt that though. Grrrrrrr LOL!
If you are sure the fish oil helps then I am pretty sure it will be helping. Fish oil makes so much sense to me ..... metaphorically (of course) I explain it like "extra oil to help a more grunty engine run smoothly" LOL - hmmmm come to think of it - that doesnt fit so well with the computer I use to "show" teens the basic principles of how the brain works and how differences in wiring and HDD doesnt mean the machine doesnt work properly - it just means it may need different programmes and processes in order to do so. Might need to change one of them. (Hahahaha could you imagine me trying to be a clinical psychologist Phhhht!).
But I digress. Doesnt this also go a long way to explaining the dramatic rise in "functional difficulties" in increasingly complex and stressful societies!
Rebecca .... you are welcome ..... Im glad you found it interesting.
My head is exploding just a little with the enormity of the implications WOAH!
Interesting what you say about "why haven't they discovered this before". There is so much money in pharmaceuticals, just like the diet industry - surely they could find a pill to help people lose weight - but the implications for the diet industy (billions and billions of dollars)!!!! In my opinion this is the same with pharmaceuticals - they focus on drugs that will make them billions!! Maybe I'm sceptical.
But here's hoping this research goes further. Thanks again and keep posting this interesting stuff. I'm going to look further into the research myself.
It certainly does seem common sense that the "increasingly complex and stressful societies go a long way to explaining the dramatic rise in "functional difficulties".:)
You arent the only cynic I assure you! Especially having had some direct experience with Novartis as a company ..... they killed the new story about the negative reactions to a batch of ritalin that was distributed throughout the country.
So much to think about - as populations, both VS and GTs appear to be more sensitive to biochemical changes - both from birth and I believe, prior to birth (due to advanced development of the CNS and PNS) - as well as to sensory information ( environmental factor) - that is over and above any stress/distress the pregnant mother may experience. IOW the "genetic component" that may well link GT VS and ALL the "disorders" being discussed in the research may well be advanced development of the CNS/PNS that is expressed in diverse ways that APPEAR not to be related.
The reverse of that would be delayed development of the CNS/PNS which would result in a state of "sensory deprivation" that in turn would delay neurocognitive development due to lack of experience of stimulation.
This would also account for my "diversity of expression" rather than "diversity of cause/s" lean.
LOL I am supposed to be "getting the jump on" my child and adolescent developmental psychology and psychological assessment papers ..... um yeah - righteho!
Do let me know if you find more out - I would be most interested.
And I have just realised that I have accidentally threadjacked the authors thread - so very sorry. My intention had been just to show that even in the field, not everyone agrees with the dominant medical model so if it doesnt sit well with you, there is the option to research and find something that does and proceed accordingly.
Hi, I am the mother and home educating teacher of our almost 11 year old 2e son. He is undiagnosed, other than being gifted (assessed at 5 years), but I believe that he also has Aspergers and ADD/ADHD with anxiety. He has been informally diagnosed by several experienced professionals (teachers and therapists) and from my research into this area also, I believe it to be true.
Our first success was to remove him from school, where his behaviours were rapidly deteriorating from the stress experienced everyday. Within a few days, he was a changed child. We have been doing the home school thing (continuously) for about 4 years now. And although he is still often difficult to deal with -- and yes, this still affects the entire family at times -- his behaviour generally is good and manageable. With home education, we can tailor the program to suit his individual needs and interest areas and there is less unsupervised (and un-guided) social interaction to create the problems he encountered at regular school. He is very happy and learning lots more.
Another thing we have always done, since he was quite young, is to monitor and regulate his behaviour with dietary supplements and no artificial anything (no numbers: flavours, colourings or preservatives). He eats a very healthy diet with lots of water, fruit and veges and organic meat and dairy. Food is important to his behaviour. Too much sugar or salicylates and he is far worse with symptomatic difficult behaviours. It really does make a huge difference to watch what he eats. He also has a fish oil supplement everyday, and this is critical to his behaviour control and modification, I believe. On it he has greater focus and self-control and so less obvious ADHD symptoms. He is totally OK with his dietary controls and understands and accepts that it is good for him.
I would never consider putting him on Ritalin. We have found that natural methods are working well in most cases. Exercise is really important too. Kids like this have excess mental and physical energy and need to work it off each day. Trampolining is fantastic!
I would try environmental (home school worked for us) and dietary (fish oil not ritalin) and exercise changes first, before starting a course of ritalin. I have read about some serious side effects from this drug and also, I am a great believer in the greatness in difference. 'Normalizing' drugs like Ritalin, tend to alter the good not just the bad traits in these special children.
Hi there
My 9yr old son has ADD, Dyslexia and is gifted. We've never had issues with disruptive behaviour, but his inability to function in class due to inattentiveness has become worse each year. He was diagnosed following an extensive EdPsych assessment when aged 7yrs, and we were recommended to trial meds at that stage but chose to try alternative therapy. After failing diet change, natural remedies, OT, Brain gym etc we got to a point where he was really starting to underachieve at school and we could absolutely see how things could really spiral down as the work expectations got harder. Extremely reluctantly we decided to trial medication after consultation with a Paediatrician. Happily it has been the right choice for our son, who has improved his performance in school and is recovering his self-esteem. Far from being "dumbed down" he is much more calm, mature and 'age appropriate' in his behaviour with medication. He is in no way 'spaced out' and in fact his teachers didn't realise he was medicated, although they were delighted with his "improved attitude" at school! Don't you love how they think the behaviour is in some way deliberate... He is on SR Ritalin 20mg in the morning only, and takes nothing on non-school days. Good luck.
My son has Dyspraxia, is gifted ( assessed at aged 6) and has sensory processing issues. He has been extensively tested for Austism and Aspergers and is not on the spectrum. His behaviour is very difficult, probably worse at school and when out than at home. Starship Developmental Pediatricans felt that there was some cross over with the diagnosis with ADHD but did not go as far to diagnose that. Since then I have done alot of reading on ADHD and I find that my son is identical to what they say about ADD or the inattentive type of ADHD - because he can sit still with lego or read for hours teachers and non professionals believe he is just badly behaved. Can anyone reccomend a good pediatrian ( other than Warwick Smith who I have seen when my son was 3 yrs old and he said - don't worry he will be a taxpayer).
Hi,
I soooo understand how you feel!
My Son has just turned 9 yrs and is also 2e. Diagnosed at 6yrs with ADHD,oppositional defiant and anxiety. Diagnosed recently 2e
He is gifted & ADHD has an learning disability (proccessing )Autisim,and his assesments not finished yet(next week) he's been on meds which have helped a little with the focus side of ADHD but people tend to try an fix the disability with meds only i feel this is easy for teachers but unless the Giftedness is addressed they will be no better off emotionally or academically.They will simply always hate school ! I feel that with an IEP he will teach himself to learn about what he is interested in and with good support learn to self motivate his learning journey. Damn the school i've been saying this for 3 years, they assume as a parent your doing something wrong to make your child behave this way.
We have been to hell and back. But while difficult my son is sweet caring and good kid imagine... a mini with a ferrari engine and flat tyres. We have tough choices ahead they have a minefield >
PS. Indigo Services in Glenfield are excellent !
You are not alone
