Ot Adhd

[famofsix]

My son was recently diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. We have tried everything to help him including schooling him at home for the last two years(he's 7). I am a certifed teacher and I know where he should be curriculum wise. We had him independently evaluated by a pediatric group in the local hospital. Anyhow, I was chatting with a mom that also homeschools her daughter since she is aware of my son's struggles. I was telling her that next year we are going to put DS back in the public school so he can get more support services due the diagnosis.

Her comment to me was:

Well, you are not going to DRUG him are you?

That made me feel really bad and I couldn't come up with a comeback since it's really none of her business. I just said we are keeping our options open to whatever is best for our son to be successful in school.

Anyone know how to handle these kinds of comments. I normally don't share my son's diagnosis with strangers but I thought you could help.

There are times when I feel I need to indicate my son's needs to others so they can understand where he is coming from better (cub scout leader, church leaders, etc.)

 

[Taratink]

I would just say that it is a very personal decision and that you will research and explore every option that is available to keep him happy and healthy.
Tara

 

[famofsix]

Thanks

 

[Michigan]

I think she is just telling you the way it is going to be. Take it from me if the school thinks they have ADD or ADHD they won't stop until your child is on medication. I don't want to go into it here right now but if you PM me I will tell you just how bad they can make it for you.

 

[annie1995]

I think she is just telling you the way it is going to be. Take it from me if the school thinks they have ADD or ADHD they won't stop until your child is on medication. I don't want to go into it here right now but if you PM me I will tell you just how bad they can make it for you.

I have to second this. My son has ADHD and is now off of meds after years of bad outcomes from them. I fully believe the school treats him differently because of his ADHD, and they pressure me to re-medicate him. PM me if you need to, I can really relate to where you are.

 

[Earstou]

My son has been on meds for 9 years. In the past, I have had negative comments made to me. I just tell them that I honestly don't think my son could have made it in school all these years without the meds. The improvements were so very great with medication, why would I deny my son success in school?
Medications do not work for all children, but they can be absolute lifesavers for many!

 

[annie1995]

My son has been on meds for 9 years. In the past, I have had negative comments made to me. I just tell them that I honestly don't think my son could have made it in school all these years without the meds. The improvements were so very great with medication, why would I deny my son success in school?
Medications do not work for all children, but they can be absolute lifesavers for many!

I have to agree 100%. My oldest son was on them since he was 5, we took him off of them at the end of last school year because for him they never really worked. The side effects far outweighed the benefits. My 7 year old is on them and they work great. Go figure

 

[mamaminnie]

My son has been on meds for 9 years. In the past, I have had negative comments made to me. I just tell them that I honestly don't think my son could have made it in school all these years without the meds. The improvements were so very great with medication, why would I deny my son success in school?
Medications do not work for all children, but they can be absolute lifesavers for many!

I have to agree with this. My son is a mess off his meds, we tried many alternative therapies and the only time we ever saw any progress was while he was on meds.

Don't rule them out until you try them.

 

[worm761]

i never wanted to put my son on drugs. after doing some research i put him on meds. big difference.
my son is ADHD and autistic so our situation may be different. they did an IQ test on him. his IQ is through the roof but his grades were very low. we got meds for him and he is making honor roll and being tested for the gifted program. they are not always a bad thing. and the school here really doesn't like for the kids to be on meds.

 

[mickey'sbud]

Your son is diagnosed with both dyslexia and ADHD. Be aware that dyslexia is a language based learning disorder which many times coincides in an auditory processing disorder as well. In addition to having ADHD your son may have auditory processing problems which may memic not paying attention when he may actually not be able to "process" what he is hearing as quickly or thoroughly as others. Sometimes it is difficult to determine which is which. Auditory deficits affect people differently. One minute they can process beautifully and the next not. Many times this has to do with the environment.

I know of people whose ears do not process sound at the same rate or cannot single out a person speaking in a noisy room. When one on one with someone their processing goes up. In this case you can't blame the inattention on ADHD.

This was just another angle to think about and have diagnosed to make sure you are addressing the right issues even when there are both present. Medication is strickly an individual thing...everyone's situation is different and has to be addressed on an individual basis.

But one parent to another...whether it is medication or the kind of education you give your child always and - I mean always - go with your gut and intuition. No one really knows more about your child than you do.
Good Luck!

 

[emerymt]

Well, you are not going to DRUG him are you?

I could think of a lot of choice comebacks , but I would probably just very tersely reply, "I will do whatever is right for him, and if that includes medications, then that's what I will do."

I also homeschooled my son for two years (6th & 7th grade). He'd also been diagnosed with ADHD, but, as you know, that's a tough diagnosis to make and there are many other conditions that share the same symptoms. He'd been on medications and antidepressants, etc. etc. but taking him out of school was the right thing to do for him. I wish I could have done it sooner. He went back to school in 8th grade. That was the right thing, too. I'm pretty sure, in hindsight, he had a combination of being bright, bored and having ADHD which is a really bad combination. It's virtually impossible to tell what the primary problem is. Now that he's being challenged academically, things are much better, though he's still disorganized and has trouble with long-term projects. He no longer takes any medications.

The bottom line is, only you are with your son all day, every day. Only you really know what's going on. When he does go back to school, follow your instincts. If medications help, fine. If not, get them changed. Work with the teachers, and keep on top of things. You will have to stay on your toes until you are sure things are working out. God bless you, and I hope things work out okay.

 

[famofsix]

Thanks for all your helpful comments and support.
I am going to look into auditory processing problems...I wanted to test him for this but the speech therapist who does the test "didn't see the point" since he was not in a classroom and the she said if he had this she would not be able to recommend enviromental changes. So I thought this was the only thing that can be done if he had this. He will return to the classroom in the fall though. Apparently, she does a pre-test of sorts and then sends the student for further testing at special education site named BOCES (not sure if this is a state thing or they are all called this). She said it could take months to get an appointment I think she did not want to work with us because we homeschool and maybe she didn't think I knew what I was talking about. But now that I have recommendations from the doctors evaluation I may get somewhere.
There is a speech and learning center that may be able to test him for it that my insurance may cover. It will be one of the things that I address when I can meet with the school to prior to drawing up an IEP for next year.
Thanks everyone for the great advice