Another Question

Avatar for stephsmom98
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Registered: 03-28-2003
Another Question
2
Wed, 04-26-2006 - 4:49pm

Does your child stay on track when doing schoolwork? Do they experience growth and then setbacks? My Asperger's/ADHD daughter can't focus for even 2 minutes. She gets sidetrack easily with other things and makes unnecessary mistakes with her work. She rushes through it and makes mistakes that I know she knows if she would take her time. Also, she seems to be doing well with something, then some time in the near future, she forgets it again and makes mistakes that she used to get right. I don't understand it and was wondering if anyone experienced this. I know most of your kids are in school, do the teachers say your child does this? Any help would be appreciated. I can't get a real good answer from the psychiatrist.

Debbie

Debbie, Mom to my "only" Stephanie
Avatar for nutmegspice
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Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 04-26-2006 - 5:12pm

Yup, that sounds like Sam (nearly 7, AS, 1st grade) He's just been dx with a reading disability and ADHD in conjuction with AS.

Sam often regresses in some areas when he's making progress in others. We've been having him do homework 5 min. at a time with 5 min. breaks in between. I thought there'd be a transition issue, but he seems to love it and gets his homeword done quickly so far.

I think the AS and ADHD team up against Sam with the executive functioning issues (planning, sequencing) and the lack of impulse control. We've decided to try drug therapy for the attention issue as it is really impeding his learning and making reading even more difficult for him.

I don't really have any advice other than keep distractions at a min. as much as you can and give her lots of breaks. Switching between homework assignments may help some too; it may keep her brain guessing at what's coming next and may help her focus some.

I"d keep asking the psych about it though too. If she's having trouble at school and home, it's not just as sensory thing. She can't be feeling to great about it either if her brains has her jumping around all day. It's hard to grasp what's going on around you with the AS and ADHD working against you.

Good luck!

Chrystee

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Avatar for stephsmom98
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Registered: 03-28-2003
Fri, 04-28-2006 - 7:53am

Hi Chrystee.

That's great the 5 minute breaks work for him. I guess I should experiment then with her to see what works best. It is almost like we only just start and her attention is wondering already.

Thanks so much those are great ideas. We might have to go the medicine route as well.

See you around the board and on ADD board. Sorry I didn't see your post here sooner.

Take care.

Debbie

Debbie, Mom to my "only" Stephanie