millyz Report post Posted February 19, 2006 Hi everyone, My 8 year old daughter has cerebral palsy left hemiplegia and has had very challenging behaviour for some time. Last year she spaent 8 weeks in residential mental health service unit to observe these behaviours. Her paediatrician had diagnosed ADHD and wanted to put her straight on Ritalin, but with the hemi, epilepsy and heart defect, it was thought important to go through further investigation. In case these behaviours were epilepsy/medication related. The fact that she has CP and damage to the right parietal and frontal lobes can, among other thing, affect behaviour, emotions and inhibitions. It also has an affect on some percetion and cognitive skills. ADHD was diagnosed via the Conners Rating Scale and she scored high for Oppositional Defiance Disorder too. She has been on Strattera since last April and they are now doubling her dose as I don't think it has made a noticeable difference. It has been queried in the past whether she is more ASD than ADHD and one or two doctors agree, others don't comment and CAMHS asked why I was so keen to have a specific diagnosis. What I am asking is - Is there anyone else here who has a child with underlying problems similar to my daughter?(eg hemiplegia, brain damage, epilepsy etc) and was anyone else diagnosed with ADHD/ODD when they felt there was more to it than that. If anyone is able to point me in the right direction, I would be grateul and describe some of the difficulties she has that make me think it is not ADHD or at least not on its own. Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
