Piers back to hospital tomorrow

[joybed]

We have an appointment tomorrow with the externalising behaviour clinic who are assessing Piers for ADHD. We have filled in the connors score as have school and are now waiting for the results. Not sure what will happen he appears a little calmer these days since we have limited him watching certain DVDs. We noticed a direct link between behaviour and watching DVDs such as Power rangers and spiderman. He is at the moment obsessed with scooby doo and alvin and the chipmunks and these seem a more positive roll model. Not sure how i feel about naughty chipminks being a roll model but at least he is no longer running around practising tae kwondo on everyone. He is still aggressive though and very impulsive so we will see, will let you know the results tomorrow.

[JsMum]

 

 

Hi Joybed, the main charachteristics of ADHD is Inattention, Distraction and lack of concentration, and for many impulsive behaviours, the aggression is mainly because he isnt able to cope with the reactions others give him when he has toutched something or knocked something over or cant deal with his own distractions, My sons main problem is restlessness, he cant focus on activities for long before he is interest moves on, even with his xbox that provides his brain with stimulation, he is changing the games, his DVDs watching he becomes fixated on the SAME ones, prefferring to watch films over and over again, the fact he might be a little calmer these days might be other related issues at home, when J doesnt feel safe, he retreats, withdraws, with the way Marcus has been towards your Children I am not surprised Peirs has been a bit quieter but if things became more settled whos to say how his behaviour may change.

 

JsMumxxx

 

[joybed]

Have just come back from Piers appointment with no diagnosis yet, not surprised though. The docs acknowledged the problems and said that they couldn,t give an ADHD diagnosis but had we been having this conversation when he was aged 7 or 8 he would be diagnosed and we would be talking medication and treatment routes. They also said in other areas they would have had no problems giving a diagnosis but in Doncaster they don,t like to diagnose until aged 7. They did say it was a matter of maturity and possibly his problems could be ASD related but time will tell. We have to go back for another appointment in 1 year and go through it all again. They also want us to have a detailed mental health review to see if their is anything they are missing. So back to CAMHS we go. They di say if things become desperate to get back in touch though.

[JsMum]

so if he had of been 6,7 he would of been dx today with ADHD, but because he is too young he hasnt?

 

I personally thought that if ADHD was left untreated, undxed it could cause additional problems and lead to more potentially harmful mental health disorders, I know of a few children who have been dx with ADHD and there under 6 because thier symptoms are so severe and extream that they needed to be dx for school/home provisions, and additional referrals.

 

Its commonly known now that there is a massive rate of children been dx with ASD later dx with ADHD and Children with ADHD are then later dx with ASD, ignoring it for a couple of years would be the last things I would consider be the best for the child, can the doc not support that he shows ADHD dx but due to his age can not dx it at present but will require the same support as a child who is 6,7 yrs with a dx.

 

I would contact ADDISS who can advise you more, I do know of children under 6 with a dx and taking medication and its really made a massive difference, and prevented other conditions worsening/dx later on in life.

 

http://www.addiss.co.uk/

 

I would maybe look at the school putting in the same stratagies they would use on a child with ASD and ADHD with piers and ensuring that the no dx doesnt mean he will go on another couple of years with no support for his possible, potentially in the future ADHD dx.

 

JsMumxxx

 

 

 

[Lindyloo]

How old is your DS?

 

Luke was first diagnosed with ADHD when he was 5. However, the NHS would not look at him at that age, we had to have him diagnosed privately. We also struggled with his medication, because the NHS were reluctant to give it to him that young.

 

Having said that, I am glad we pushed back then because at that age it was his ADHD symptoms that were dominant. It was not until he was taking his medication regularly that his other difficulties became apparent. Even then it took a further 4 years before his aspergers was diagnosed - 2 years to convince his CAMHS psychiatrist that there was more wrong with him (we managed to transfer his care form the private one over to CAMHS when he turned 6) and further 2 years on a waiting list for diagnosis.

 

I do believe that if we had waited then we would not be fully aware of all his problems now.

 

Linda

[joybed]

Piers will be 6 in june. He is very small for his age though and i think that is the consultants main worry he said if he was his child he wouldn,t put him on meds because he is short stature anyway and he is worried about further growth delay. He is a lovely boy most of the time but when he is hyper he is really difficult to manage and can be aggressive i don,t want this to get any worse and then it be harder to change. We have enough problems with Marcus at the moment and he had the appropriate level of care from fairly young. He is ASD only though but has very limited social skills. Piers wants to be sociable and is very loving and really cries when he has been out of control he says he doesn,t mean to be naughty but can,t help it and is truly sorry. Marcus has never shown ever remorse for anything he has done, he will apologise in one breath and tell me why it is my fault in the next. I don,t mean this to sound negative towards Marcus but this is the way it is, it has taken me a long time to accept it and it still upsets me.

[JsMum]

You could still use some of the stratagies for ADHD children, and he would be dx if he was 7, so in a way I would just meet those needs, so do look at Addiss.

 

Another website I go on is ADDITUDE its american but there is some really good tips and topics on there I get regular email updates.

 

Your boys are individuals, even if they had of both been AS they most likely would of been very different, as I say often to J, Its your behaviour that I dont like sometimes, but the You is the bit I love, I love you, and we connect again.

 

Your really having a real hard time right now, your bound to be upset, but marcus is a boy too, he is Marcus as well.

 

When I found it difficult some days dealing with the behaviour I got a big photo of J and put around it the great things J was as well, like enthusiastic, eager, whirl wind, cheeky, ect... recommend it, it really helped me anyway, so just sharing it.

 

Hugs to you as I know you need them right now <'> <'> <'>

JsMumxxx