ADHD, Autism & Aspergers Thread

[amandabarugh]

Originally Posted by amystoffel

Braden has sensory processing disorder, so everything he does is self stimulation. He walks on his toes, smells everything, licks everything, he does this funny thing with his fingers...holds them in a criss cross to pick things up, lines things up all over the house, always sings to himself and spins or jumps.

Aidan has SPD, as well, and does stuff like this, as well. She could swing or spin for hours if I would let her, but she wouldn't be dizzy afterwards. Her licking drives me insane sometimes. The hardest thing is that right now, she's been without OT for nearly 6 months because there isn't one in this area that works with children or know what SPD is. Adding: she was in therapy every week. Part of her SPD is oral aversions. It took us 2 years to get those eating/oral aversions under enough control so that we could have her feeding tube removed, and somedays, I feel like we're moving backwards because I can't get her into a good OT.

[rach3975]

Thanks for the support, everyone! Sorry about my novel!

Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat

Rachel I think at this point with him being 4, I'd just make sure to continue correcting his behavior and enforcing consequences. Sadly..my 11yr old sometimes empties salt shakers among other things..I know how frustrating that can be. Early intervention is always a plus but I still think four might be a tad young to fully diagnose ADD esp if he's not on the Autism spectrum. This is my personal opinion....I think boys mature on their own time so in essence he might just be a "typical 4yr old" I'm sure you will get tired of hearing that.

I would however once he's in a regular kindy/1st grade and if the teachers see a problem then I'd immediately have him evaluated. He just might be processing things a tad slower due to his other issues. Does he play with blocks, clay, etc to help his motor skills? I know my son esp when younger used to act out with dismantling anything he could get his hands on if he wasn't occupied..he got bored and that led to the behavior

I agree with you about him being too young for a diagnosis. He also has some sleep issues, and it may turn out that a lot of his distractability is due to chronic sleep deprivation. But we're about to do his IEP and make decisions about his school for next year. He isn't going to be able to continue with 2 preschools (special needs and typical) because the schedule would be too much; it worked when we could do each 2 mornings a week, but it won't work for the pre-K year. His speech therapist feels strongly that he should be in the typical preschool; if the speech disorder is his main issue, then I agree. But I need to talk to his sped teacher. If she also sees signs that he might eventually get an ADHD/predominantly inattentive diagnosis, maybe we need to go with the sped preschool for next year.

Originally Posted by Sharon Kay

Yet there are those hyperactive kids that you see and know that is what is going on...so it kind of misleads other people when they think their kid can't be ADHD because he/she doesn't run around the room or bounce off the walls. So when you start reading about ADHD ... just keep in mind what I said about the hyperactivity vs. impulsitivity. There is a lot out there on the internet to read about ADHD.

ADHD kids seem to be about 30% behind their peers in maturity and organization ... that's a big difference.

I wish I had known even a small part of what I know now ... when my son was 4 ... you are light years ahead of me in helping your child! I'm so glad!!

Thanks, Sharon! I was a psych/education double major in college with an interest in special needs kids, so I know just enough to be dangerous, as the saying goes. I've been doing a little reading the past few days, and it's hard to say. Some of the predominantly inattentive criteria sound like him, some don't, and some he's too young for us to know. He isn't at all hyperactive, and he's not that impulsive. He doesn't think through consequences before he acts as well as most 4 year olds, but he's also not the type to run into the road or run his mouth. But even though he understands directions (his comprehension tests as above age level), I need to feed him 1 tiny step at a time and remind him over and over to keep him on task. Getting him to do anything he doesn't want to do, from participating in an activity at school to getting ready to leave the house, is an exercise in frustration. He can spend hours hyperfocused on an alphabet activity or the computer, but only a couple of minutes on task for things that parents or teachers want him to do. I know he's young and I'm not describing it all that well, but I've spent enough time around preschoolers and in preschool classrooms to recognize that there's some significant immaturity. It may not turn out to be ADHD, but I'm starting to feel like it's not something he's going to grow out of if we just give him time.

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by rach3975

Thanks for the support, everyone! Sorry about my novel!



I agree with you about him being too young for a diagnosis. He also has some sleep issues, and it may turn out that a lot of his distractability is due to chronic sleep deprivation.

This was us until he had his tonsils/adenoids out! Have you considered asking the doctor about that?

[emmasmommy]

I just had to thank everyone for putting their stories out there. It's been very interesting to read everything...

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat

This was us until he had his tonsils/adenoids out! Have you considered asking the doctor about that?

It's something we're considering. When he got his tubes in last month, the ENT mentioned that he might be a candidate for it. I'm planning to talk to our doc more at our next visit.

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by rach3975

It's something we're considering. When he got his tubes in last month, the ENT mentioned that he might be a candidate for it. I'm planning to talk to our doc more at our next visit.

if it's been discussed before and he has tubes..I think that will help tremendously..we had tubes twice before going this route and wow it made a world of difference. Esp with the sleep issues

[jocelinsmommy]

I am the oldest of 7 kids...(5 brothers and a sister) my little brother who will be 21 this next month has aspergers syndrome. As a child he wasn't diagnosed properly (we moved around a ton because my dad was military)...after everything we've gone through...him being homeless, and even the worst trying to die...(i'll leave out those details) we finally had found a doctor that was willing to get him help. please do not lose hope for everyone whose got children with it..he's almost a normal adult...as long as i remind him to do things etc...and he currently does live on his own with help from family.


and then I have a husband with SEVERE ADHD and Anxiety (i'm talking about it sends him into panic attacks that tear apart our house)...and the doctor has him on meds. His teachers and parent refused to realize he had a problem and sadly now that he's almost 30 it's spun out of control. With the help of large dose ADHD meds and at night he takes an anti-anxiety it's made both of our lives much better. I just feel bad that he went untreated for so long.

Just my .02 cents...Thanks Sharon for the topic opener

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat

if it's been discussed before and he has tubes..I think that will help tremendously..we had tubes twice before going this route and wow it made a world of difference. Esp with the sleep issues

That's good to hear!

[MissKim]

Such an interesting thread to read. I teach Pre-K special ed -- I have 16 students, and of those, I have 3 diagnosed with autism and several others that are probably on the spectrum, but haven't been diagnosed. I just love these little ones.

Funny story. My son and my husband both have issues socially, and my husband tends to shake his leg as a self-stim. Last weekend we were doing the "autism quotient" quiz on Facebook and my husband scored off the charts. You know, my in-laws (and others) will ask me why we have so many more kids being diagnosed with autism now. I think it's simply because we recognize it. My husband definitely has some major spectrum traits. He's a functioning member of society, has a full time job where he's successful, and he's obviously married with three kids. He didn't have huge issues in school, so why would anyone need to diagnose him? He was just a different. Same with my son. I recognized it in him at a young age, but he's always done well in school academically. He didn't have a need for special education services, so why get a diagnosis? He got in some trouble early this year (he's a sophomore now) and at that point, I thought, well, if I had gotten the diagnosis, it would have explained his lack of social skills at least, but at that point, again, what's the use? He's always just been the really quiet kid who was a bit odd, and he's OK with that. He can recognize it in himself. Breakthrough moment for him was when he told me, "Mom, I really tried to make eye contact with everyone, but it was almost painful."

[Sharon Kay]

Originally Posted by jocelinsmommy

I am the oldest of 7 kids...(5 brothers and a sister) my little brother who will be 21 this next month has aspergers syndrome. As a child he wasn't diagnosed properly (we moved around a ton because my dad was military)...after everything we've gone through...him being homeless, and even the worst trying to die...(i'll leave out those details) we finally had found a doctor that was willing to get him help. please do not lose hope for everyone whose got children with it..he's almost a normal adult...as long as i remind him to do things etc...and he currently does live on his own with help from family.


and then I have a husband with SEVERE ADHD and Anxiety (i'm talking about it sends him into panic attacks that tear apart our house)...and the doctor has him on meds. His teachers and parent refused to realize he had a problem and sadly now that he's almost 30 it's spun out of control. With the help of large dose ADHD meds and at night he takes an anti-anxiety it's made both of our lives much better. I just feel bad that he went untreated for so long.

Just my .02 cents...Thanks Sharon for the topic opener

First off {{{hugs}}} for what you deal with on a daily basis ... wow that would be hard. Glad you are getting some help for him. Do you mind sharing what he takes for anxiety ... and is it a 24 hour med? I'm curious because they have my son on one but it's every 4 hours (except overnight) and they told me that if we had gone a different route and had accepted the 24 hour med ... that his mornings would be drastically different ... I had paused on it because it was an additional $60 out of pocket every month (on top of all the other meds)...

I am worried about my son and what will happen when we are gone ... we're just now beginning to think of these things ...

[dana]

hi everyone ... my nephew (almost 10 years old) was diagnosed with aspergers last summer ... my sister doesn't digi-scrap, but i've sent her the link to this thread and she may be joining in

i know that some of her biggest issues are with insurance - none of the OT that her son was getting for low muscle tone is now being covered since he received the aspergers diagnosis and with follow-up from the school in getting plans in place, etc - the principal is actively avoiding my sister now when she tries to make appointments or even when she walks up into the school. arghh ....

[Sharon Kay]

Quote:
Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat
was it Daytrana? We've tried that one too..didn't work well for us either

Dr told me day 1 i'd see a diff with the Vyvanse..and I did

I see a big diff today since she took it so early...(like 630am) so it's wearing off now and boy can I tell haha

We're gonna keep at it this week to see..she had a good day at school although she's not the one with the behavior issues..it's more my son but he had a good day too!
Yes that name sounds familiar. He broke out in a rash under the medicated strip ... they had us spray his skin with an allergy spray and it didn't help ... it got really bad for him...

Vyvanse is the one that is helping the one with PDD-NOS/Aspergers ... but it took a bit to really see the big difference.

......................
should have read this before I had my caffeine for the morning ... haven't had it yet this morning and YES it was definitely Daytrana ... strange ... usually my brain is more awake after the caffeine.

[Sharon Kay]

Originally Posted by Skyler

I always make study of Aspergers and Autism. As I knew childhood neurological disorders are so on the rise that in 2007 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called them a "major health threat". These disorders are being described as behavioral, social, and academic dysfunctions. Ten years ago, Autism was a rare disorder, found in approximately 1 out of 10,000 children. Today, Autism is now affecting 1 out of 150 children!!! Affecting twice as many boys as it does girls.
__________________________________________________


Asperger Syndrome

Hi Skyler ... welcome to Sweet Shoppe Designs!

I'm not sure that it is on the rise as much as education and awareness have grown so therefore more people are getting diagnosed. ...at least when it comes to Aspergers and ADHD ... and there are many parents in "denial" and refuse to get their children diagnosed and "labeled" ... which is a shame that the children have to deal with it on a daily basis.

I really wish my children had been diagnosed YEARS before so they wouldn't have had to struggle with their difficulties without any assistance.

That being said ... if I had known in Kindergarten (public school) what I know now (homeschooling) ... I would have started homeschooling them in Kindergarten!! ...but that's a totally different thread ... lol

[Sharon Kay]

Stacy helped me find this link again ... I had lost it ... there is a local autism support meeting tonight and I am going to go to it ... hoping that there will be at least a couple of other people there that have had some of the same problems as I am experiencing ... in hopes of either meeting someone going through it the same time ... or has gone through it and hopefully can give me some coping strategies with my son's aspergers...

http://www.asaheartland.org/

....and an interesting thing ... the local theatres have a showing of Toy Story ... you can bring in your own snacks, they don't turn down the lights all the way ... it is an "autism friendly" showing ... I thought this was GREAT that they offer it ... we don't need it, but I am so glad they offer it ... and will make a point to thank that theatre's manager for supporting this when we go ...

http://www.asaheartland.org/community/movies

Wish me luck on finding someone that has a child with aspergers that can help me cope with the "defiant mouth" in the mornings ...

We started him on Intuniv back around the end of May ... it's much more expensive ... it seems to help some ... but not enough to put peace back in our mornings ... at least not every day ... but some days are better. sigh. Stupid thing is... the company that makes Intuniv says that they are not sure (it's in their information) that it provides a benefit past 9 weeks ... well what good is that then? so we take it until the meds don't work any more ... then what?

[Sharon Kay]

An update ... we have an appointment on Tuesday with the Behavioral Specialist and the Psychologist at Children's Mercy for my 16yo ... the other one doesn't go until next month.

Right now our biggest challenge is when their meds wear off ... or in the mornings before they kick in...world war III ... and I tell them not to be in the same room for one hour ... but they are like magnets...they HAVE to get in each other's face and yell, hit, trip, whatever. I really do not look forward to mornings.

However, on the upswing ... once it kicks in ... we have a good day. YAY

An update on the Intuniv for the 16yo with Aspergers ... we changed his dosage ... instead of 4mg in the evening (which meant every night when it wore off ... he became explosive...like it built up all day long) ... plus he was very sleepy in the mornings and had a hard time getting up even at 10am! ...we changed it to 2mg in the morning and 2mg at 8pm ... now it has gotten rid of 90% of those explosions!! yay

Still don't know what is going on with that company (Intuniv) ... lots of PROMISES about answering questionnaires and getting discounts on the medications ... gave them lots of information about my child...and they defaulted on their written promises. booo!!!

[laurabobaura]

Thanks for the bump and the update, Sharon. How's everyone else doing? We're hanging in there. LOL. Doing everything I can to get our lives back.