gp is referring my other son now due to hyperactivity ect...

[rainbow queen]

he never sits still [my 3 year old]

climbing up stuff

in windows

hanging of things

squirming up the chair

making humming noises and such all time

collecting bits of paper from everywhere and hoarding them under his bed

washing hands all time

falling over

 

so waiting for that now -he drives you mad with it im sure its not a normal level of activity and a few people who have been involved with my 4 year old think its not right either.

 

the best of it is he wont take that iq for the world -my 4 year old will

is there any thing other than the iq in bottles that he wont detect and spit out ?

[col]

My 2 yr old is similar and he has got a dx of sensory integation. In the sense that he goes hyper. The paed in her report has written that he is very similar to his older sister. His older sister DD7 has got a dx of ADHD. Most paed won't dx ADHD until a child is about 5, (stories that i have read online) although DD7 got her dx at just over 4 yrs. The only reason why she was dx that early was that we were trying to get her a statement and that our LEA turned us down.So we approached IPSEA who gave us a case worker who we sent all DD7 reports to. In EVERY report it was mention poor attention and concentration.

 

She now has a statement but now as her LSA gives her 1-1 the LSA has siad that she has "read books and she doesn't think DD7 does have it!" guess how i feel........ My DD7 IS ADHD and the only reason why her LSA can't see it is because she gives DD7 awards for good behaviour and reins her in when her attention wanders. And she doesn't realsie that the reason why she can't see it.

If she had DD for 24 hr then oh boy would she be eating humble pie.

Just found this article the other day

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

this could be my daughter they are talking about so have no idea what book her LSA surposedly read!

 

What about boots own make?? for the fish oils?

[Kazzen161]

There are lots of different types of omega 3 - it comes in liquid, granules, capsules and in different flavours.

 

Karen

[Zemanski]

the earlier the problems are spotted the more likely your son is to get the help he needs and the better his chances of overcoming any difficulties he has

 

definitely go for the assessment, once he is in the school system it gets much harder to set the wheels in motion because there are more people involved all pulling different ways, at this stage you have the chance to get things right for him from the outset.

 

don't worry too much about the fish oils - they do help but rarely so much that it's the end of the world if they don't have them

 

stay strong

 

Zemanski

[Elouise]

Most paed won't dx ADHD until a child is about 5

 

But they will if you have the sort of nonestop in your face firebrand of non stop screaming none sleeping hyperactive that is Sam!

Sam was diaognosed with ADHD by a pead just before his second birthday.

 

He had aspergers added in for his 3rd birthday as it was haed to see the aspergers behind the AD*arrrrgghhh*D

 

I am glad it was picked up so early at the CDC as Sam had 2 1/2 years in a special nursary that meant I got to grab some sleep and he got speech theraphy everyday.

 

Sam has a supersenstive smell and a supersensitive taste. He will NOT allow any dietry supplement past his nose never mind as far as his lips. The boy can sort Kellogs cornflakes from any other brand in the market. I stopped trying to use anything after a peadiatric dietician assesed his one meal a day as 'boring but nutritionally adequate'.

If he TRULY has to have something he cannot stand he has agreed to pinch his nose and swallow it but only if his pead' manages to produce a cast iron mediccal reason why such a foul thing has to be ingested. He will now take oral antibiotics but fishoil is still 'no way'. If i ever find a way to talk him into it I will be the first to let you know.

 

Having a supportive nursary helped us both the most. They had Sam every morning when I was suffering from total sleep deprivation.

[col]

Then your lucky, my DS is hyper as well and he only been dx with sensory integation, but it is written in the report that it's the hyper side of things. (maybe when he gets older he will get the ADHD dx) i think in 24 hrs his total sleep is about 7-9 hrs.

But sometimes if he has a 30 min nap then it could be 2am by the time he falls asleep. DD7 is sporting a bite on her back from where he bit her. i need ear muffs from him screaming, just because he likes the sound of his own voice.

So far today he has managed to get hold of deordant spray and was busy pressing the button. The house stinks... The bathroom floor is half cover in hand wash. The usual climbing on top of chest of drawers and book cases. He climbs out of his playpen (baby dan) even when the door is open. Has messed up the washing machine, dishwasher and tumble dryer. Throwing things, trying to break the tv screen. Has thrown all daddy important papers all over the floor.

But i am gratefully he hasn't decided to empty the fridge of it's contents today.

 

He goes to an early year nursery three times a week.

 

Unforunately my LEA decided to close the SRP (specially resourced provision) of a school nursery three years ago. Which is sad as both his sisters went to it and they had speech therapy every day.

 

How old is Sam now?

[Elouise]

No Col not lucky, Sam IS that bad.

 

Sam well Sam is Sam and his ADHD is still considered the second worst seen by the regional CAHMS team in living memory.

They spotted him before his 1st birthday as we already saw them for Nathan but could not asses him untill he had been referred on by secondary services so we had to do the CDC first.

 

By the time we made it to the CDC (secondary) had already beaten our Homestart volunter with the line prop and left her run ragged; she was also a fully trained respite-foster mum who dealt day in day with 'challenging behaviour' but even she had not meet someone as horrendous as Sam.

She was the first to grab hold of my GP and tell him 'I am qualified and I am experianced and I am telling you this little lad is not right, everything this mum tells you about this boy is true get him help.'

He screamed not cried none stop from day 1 and was banished from the postnatal ward, he wore out even the most experainced midwife escaped from swaddling and was on a mission to escape from his cot.

At home he did NOT sleep (less than 1 hour in 24 and that was simple cat naps) he could scream in his sleep and was frantic to move. By three months he had mastered a sort of roll and was demolishing anything within reach.

By 11 months he had found his feet and became a real pain. He broke thorugh so called child safety devices, he managed to work out how to open a window lock with a paper clip and got onto the roof. neighbours constantly bought him back as he ran off every and any where. I was too darn tired to keep watching him 24/7. At 12 months he was being x-rayed as he had swallowed the contents of my jewellry box before I could grab him. Go on imagine the humouring look I had from the doctors on duty when I told them a 12 month old had EATEN all my jewellry, they stopped laughing when they saw the pictures of his somach.

He managed to get banned from three playgroups by the time he was 18 months. He would have a go at ANYONE. Sam could climb walls and door jams literally.

By the time Sam was assesed at the CDC he had quite a record from casulty which was a mix of constatntly using his nose as a break from slamming into walls and reacting to foods with notes from his dispairing peadiatric dietician.

 

Sams initital assesment consisted of me looking shattered holding on to Annie to keep her out of Sams way.

Sam shoot into the room leapt on every surface screaming and hooting made straight for the sink and removed it from the wall by undoing the screws with his fingers then yelled 'MACHINE' shinned up the windows opened the window climbed out and was seen running wild and free following the hospitals lawnmower.

He was eventually cornered minus his clothes kicking screaming and biting for the lawnmower. After that typical day with sam that he crammed into a mere 10 minutes it was not very hard to get a diaognosis as the perisher was like this 24/7 in EVERY envioronment.

His OT could not asses him he was too hyperactive, his ST could not asses him he was too hyperactive, he eventually was assesed by teirtory services and wore the specialist CAMHS team to the floor. There is something about watching an senior consutlant child pshchiatrist stagger in from assesing your toddler lean agianst a wall and slide down down going

' Goodness we can think of only one child we have seen who is WORSE'.

Sam was quickly statemented and a place reserved at a residential special school for ADHD/ASDs for his 5th birthday BUT thanks to having an excellant nursary, melatonin a trial period of Concerta XL he managed to make a normal ASD Special day school.

Sam is horrendously hyperactive.

Melatonin nudged his sleep up to 3 hours in 24 and thats all he ever has. EVER

 

Col 7 to 9 hours in 24 is okay as long as you have not got a ragged out with exhaustion child HONEST.

It just does not feel like that when its you who desperatly needs a heavy 12 hours sleep and you cannot have it because you know your buddle of fun will be up and 'busy'.

 

I used ear plugs ,the industrial kind to muffle the noise levels, in fact we all did. Annie had ear muffs. You cannot persuade a 2 year old to drop the noise so make sure you look after yourself and get a big bumper box of ear plugs, just make sure they contain nothing toxic as if your son is like Sam he will eat and chew any he can find.

 

I fitted door chains to the tops of ALL upstarirs doors to limit his range or at least give me time to hear him shin up a door to begin to undo the chain. ADHD toddler proofing a home takes more than normal ASD toddler proofing. I speak from experiance!

Forget carpets, they get spilt on, wet and its not worth the nervous breakdown from constant cleaning. I replaced all our carpets with tiles and laminates with none slip MACHINE washable rugs. Its far easier to wipe them clean after Sams been 'busy'.

 

Secure your furniture to the walls! You will NOT stop him climbing so make sure the stuff cannot come down upon him.

 

Forget the playpen its NOT working. HOWEVER you could stick a seat in there for you and anoounce its 'mummies drinking tea seat' If your sat in there he must under no circumstances leap at you or he will hurt you. *yes I know but you have to learn to live with what you have been dealt or you will go nuts*.

 

I had a stable door fitted in my kitchen with a turn door handle that went the wrong way and had to be pulled outwards with an extra hidden in bolt lock. The top had a wire mesh so Sam could climb up and yell through the door at me and see what I was doing but NOT run slam into the hot cooker or get to the washing machine so easily.

 

I removed every window and replaced them with safety glass and key locks that I still walk round with the keys for. I fitted a heavy wood locked door for my one room and placed everything 'special' in there so Sam could have the run of the rest of the house. The sofa was replaced with a expensive leather solid hardwood frame one...worth every penny its got a few rips but its mostly in one piece and washable still.

 

He wants to break the TV do what I did....remove the TV OR get a friend to make it a wire cage to sit in...we used a travel dog cage. You do get used to watching the picture through bars honest.

 

I keep all papers in a LOCKED filing cabinet that is LOCKED in the garage and I have the keys. If you leave anything out for the whirlwind it will not be able to resist the urge to make a snow storm out of anything.

 

I am glad you have a nursary place. Keep fighting for him. Your the only one who truly will and these kids truly do need their advocates.

 

Sam is now 9 1/2. He has an eight page statement that covers his ASD, his ADHD and his gifted in science status. His care plan and behaviour management plan runs into over 50 pages composed by CAHMS and his ASD support team.

He now attends a fully inclusive mainstream school that treat him as a very lively eccentric rather than a none stop defiant pest.

He no longer takes ritalin or concertaXL as they pushed down the ADHD but the paranoid aspergers that was beind the ADHD *shudder* Sam is lucky his ASD interest helps him keep his ADHD down to a major fidget and his ADHD gives him a spontinaity that his ASD lacks.

 

He is STILL exhausting still has a destructive streak if he is allowed to get bored for too long. Age does help as does being set up for some successes. ADHD kids who constantly get shouted at, constantly into trouble end up being unhappy. Get advice form the ADHD alliance in regards to a local ADHD suport group.

 

Its important to make sure you get some form of respite even if you have to pay for it.

Its important to try and find something you like and can nurture in even the most demanding whirlwind.

 

The todler phase is HORRENDOUS and it can be survived.

 

ADHD proof your home.

Pick your battles carefully on behaviour

Stick your foot in the doorway of statutory services and do NOT remove it EVER. Your the best advocate he will ever have so go fight his corner for him

[col]

What i meant by your lucky is that you had a paed that was able and willing to dx him. So i apologise if it came across wrong. Times have changed especially in the last 3 years when it comes to getting support and getting dx's.

 

He sleeps in his playpen, when he was younger it was the only thing that could hold him and get him asleep and now he just won't sleep in his bed. I'm hoping by the time he grows too long for the play pen we would of moved in to a bigger house.

 

At the moment i am hating the school holidays, could be due to the fact that DD7 wouldn't go to sleep last night, toke 2 hrs for her to fall asleep and then she was awake by 2am complaining and crying because she couldn't sleep. So hubby gave in and told her to sleep with us. Otherwise she's back in hers but she doesn't stay there. The previous 2 mornings before that i have found her asleep in the PLAYPEN with DS2 and i honestly wished i had my camera on me.

 

SO this morning DD7 is short fused, causing arguements, running about, and basically i feel like she if she could would of bitten me by my juglar. I must of had at least three coments this morning about school holidays and i swear i hadn't said a word.

 

Both of my girls have got statements, DD8 was statemented with ease but then my LEA changed the criteria and we nearly ended up going to trbunial with DD7. I'm not looking forward to DS approaching school age but if it turns out he does need special school like DD8 then he will be going to the special school of MY choice and not what the LEA recommends.

 

I think what keeps me sane is chatting to parents like you, who understand what it's like. And not ppl who think they are being helpful by telling stories like.... One my hubby told me the other day. His boss also has a son about the same age and hubby must of mentioned that DS has a speech problem. His boss goes oh my son is the same, he can't say certain letters so when it comes out slightly different. And i'm thing

 

I think i have developed eyes in the back of my head

 

Thank's for the ideas. And humm yep caught him chewing the plastic pin you get when you buy folded up new shirts. Just glad it wasn't toilet tablets or dishwasher tablets.

[Elouise]

*laughs*

Put my misunderstanding of how you were using lucky to sleep deprivation. Monkey boy managed all of 2 hours sleep yesterday and wanted to share 'waking up the sun' with me this morning.

Sam can manage on less than three hours sleep...not me.

 

I think getting help also depends on where you live and who you know. I have managed to get stuff out of my local NHS and Education services other parents have tried for years to get and failed, I have no idea why.

I do know that to get ANYTHING you have to keep on at statutory services and tell it exactly like it is. My trump card has always been to say 'Brilliant so you will be happy to have sam for an hour for me then whilst I just sort stuff out.' Lets put it this way the DHSS have NEVER aske dme to come back to their office since.

 

ADHD is considered by the 'public' to be overdiaognosed and that 'behaviour modification techniques' should be tried first. On the whole I do not disagree with that approach as long as once this is tried if problems persist other reasons for challenging behaviours are looked at.

Some parents do set themselves up for trouble simply because they lack experiance of small toddlers and have unrealistic expectations but heck there is something about REAL ADHD that no amount of 'sticker charts' and good parenting efforts will modify.

 

Good to hear your son sleeps somewhere. I wish Sam would have. Maybe your son would consider a futon surrounded by his playpen 'walls' as he gets bigger if he dislikes the height of his bed. Sam used to sleep on the floor as by the time he had fallen out of bed wriggling for the nthhh time what was the point, Sam cannot keep still even in his sleep. He sleep walks, sleep talks and just never seems to really stop.

Sam now has a high sleeper that he loves to head spring and somersault off and as the boy moves like a springing tiger I have tried not to watch and worry about what he is doing.....I just try to keep his toys in sealed boxes and put a spare mattress and cushions about.

 

Your right the school holidays are not fun. Its hard enough dealing with ONE horror without adding in extras, all with their own special needs.

Sam cannot and does not sleep and as long as he agrees to stay in the house he is allowed his OU science programmes, his books, his trains and anything as long as its NOT explosive, flammable or involves the cooker, microwave or smoke alarm. Its taken a few years to get to this level of trust between me and sam but we both know it makes life better for both of us.

 

Nathan HATES school holidays. He has expressed himself quite colourfully on the subject to his social worker.

 

Nathan has a full statement thanks to autism/dyspraxia.

Jo is listed as gifted and talented and ###### trouble if allowed to get bored.

Sam is well statemented to the hilt with full back up manuel on how to manage an explosive mix of twisted genius who happens to have Aspergers and ADHD. Get it wrong and he trashes people and places.

Annie is a bit of ?. She is on highfocus and both myself and the school want a statement out of the education authority. Once I have finalised Nathans Special College I will sort out Annie who is lost in time and space.

 

I have to admit the people I got the best info and support off when Nathan was first suspected of being 'differant' was off other parents who had special needs kids. They told me things those in authority did not.

 

Give him time of the rotten poisons. Sam has chomped his way through everything from paint stripper to plaster, anything but FOOD!

See I told you we were on first name terms with the local chidrens hospital I even have a chair with my name sodding engraved on it.

 

Any time you want to scream over what a kid with ADHD can do on top of other difficulties your welcome to share bruises, bumps and bites marks.

 

*darn the boy has gone quite best go check who he is happening to now he did say something about 'how do you pull teeth out if your a dentist a few minutes ago.....'...roll on the school re-opening on Tues.*