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| Sat, 01-13-2007 - 5:19pm |
Not sure how much I'll be posting b/c I just got off work and I'm tired but wanted to say that I'm joining your board.Nick DOB 9/2000 we used to belong to the Sept board but I don't know if they would understand.Nick was diagnosed (sp) with Aspergers last Friday we've had other appts and we had to go through a lot to come to a final conclusion but that is now what we know he has.I guess like many of you I knew Nick was different from day 1 well maybe that and he's my 4th child and "different" than any of my other children.I've definately learned what the word "patience" means where he is concerned and we were given a diagnosis of ADHD at 13 months and he was put on medication at that early age.Oh I've had uphill battles all the way since he was just 3 months old I starting telling the doctor about how different he was and I think when he became so hyper at such a young age they started with the medication b/c they thought ADHD (seems like they want to slap that label on a kid without getting ALL the facts)If we would have had a specialist at that time I'm sure they would have better seen Aspergers but like others I floated around from specialist to specialist and just begged for help from anyone who would listen.Nick has no fear of danger and doesn't recognize pain (burned both hands on stove at young age never cried,never cried with his first shots and patting his butt would just get you a stare maybe if you were lucky) when he looks at you it seems as though he is looking through you or past you,noises bother him to the point of meltdowns,doesn't socially interact like other kids and stays to himself even in age groups of his own,doesn't like water and when he was a baby would literally scream like you were killing him or abusing him just at the mere touch of water on his skin,went from sitting up to walking in the span of a few short months (never crawled),doesn't like foods and is a picky eater,would scream at the top of his lungs at a baby unless he was in his bouncy seat by himself and looking at the ceiling fan spinning around.Oh I would go on but I'm sure everyone here knows what I'm talking about.I listed all the things I have above to each and every doctor that would listen.Nick went through Early Intervention program ,special PRE K Title 1 program,and is now in K for the second year he's bright I know he is but he wont tell his teachers what he knows on IQ he scores about 78 or 82 at the two that he was given so I'm thinking how much better he could do with the RIGHT tools in place and a school that he fits into.He gets OT,PT,Speech and has since the age of 13 months old.Okay Thanks for listening I'm a single mom with Nick and his brother who is just ADD LOL isn't that terrible to say the word "just" rolling eyes here sometimes I want to laugh and sometimes I just want to break down and cry but I've come to the realization lately that I am not going to be able to do this all alone.

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{{{Harris_boys}}} Your not alone, and you don't have to do this alone. This is a great place, with many wonderful caring people who have a lot of knowledge and insight.
I can't really say much with support or info at this time, but I want to at least give you a hug and a welcome!
Lainie
Hello and welcome.
A diagnosis of ADHD at 13 months. I have never heard of such a thing. Particularly to definitively dx a child with that at such a young age to the point of medicating them. Wow. Only because ADHD meds can have an adverse effect if the child is not ADHD AND it hasn't been studied with children that young, I would think it would be very hard to determine a safe dosage, etc. Then again my daughter tried ritalin at 3 for about a week so maybe 1 isn't all that unheard of. but Wow.
You are definitely not alone here amung us moms but I know that only goes so far. We can discuss, offer support and suggestions but we are not there with you IRL. You definitely need some IRL supports as well. Do you have any supportive family? Have the doctors given you information on state agencies and such that can help? Are you taking care of yourself? You don't have to do this alone.
Well it is a quirky, wild world you have entered and welcome to the club where everyone is fabulous but no one really wants to join, the special needs mom club.
Renee
Hello and welcome.
I read your post with my chin on the desk. Holy mother of God!
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
Hi
I am shocked over the med's at such a young age?
Hang in there, with all this newness of the DX
This is our safe place.
Look into local mom support groups and you have us too.
I got my son dx'ed last April and it's been a heck of a ride. All and all, he's gotten much better from Early Intervention to preschool. 10 months of help/therepy.
Hang in there, the first couple months are the hardest.
Come to vent/cry/scream/praise when needed
Nora
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s225/irishwildrose/pp2.jpg
ok, Gotta make a small personal comment here. I have a bit of adult ADHD. I can't read posts that are long and continuous without breaks without a WHOLE LOT of difficulty. If you could break down your last post into paragraphs I would be more able to read and respond to it,
Renee
Thank you to both and to answer your question no I don't have any support from anywhere I think that is what alarms his doctor so much b/c I've been asking for help for so loooong!I actually had to make a pure ~t~ A of myself to see the specialist that we are with now b/c of insurance purposes.Nick has insurance but they have to give you permission to change doctors or see any specialist so I just had a meltdown in the Ped's office back in August and from there we have been working with the specialist that he has now.His father (we've been separated/divorced since Nick was 5 months old) is of the adage that there is NOTHING wrong with his child.I think he describes him as shy and slow to warm up (rolling eyes) .
They put him on adderall at 13 months old no that wasn't a misprint they wanted to medicate him about 5 months before that I just caved in at that age and I remember going out sitting in my car and crying my eyes out on the phone to my mother b/c we come from a long line of holistic thinking (no medication).Nick has been on adderall b/c that is the only drug that calmed him to the point of him functioning daily we tried concerta and medidate when it first come out.Both failed so we always went back to what we knew would work.Until the other day he was up to 40 mg XR once daily now we are what I call playing with the dosage of Risperadol and Foculan (sp) low dose on each so I'm sure we are going to trial an error before we get the right dose for him.
Nick is so sweet he's the one in the red shirt you see in the picture speaking of pictures have you ever noticed that in pictures they never seem relaxed or close to the other family members.I've looked back and I see that time and again with Nick he's either pulled away or has the look of terror on his face when your taking his picture.I'm fortunate b/c I've always been able to asked Nick is he having a bad day and he'll shake his head yes.I know his meltdowns sometimes are due to much stimulas around him.
My breaks consist of work 45+ hrs a week and I have some awesome bosses b/c lately they have let me come and go as I needed to get Nick's evals done and since August its been a lot of them so I really couldn't asked for more help there,and then he goes to his father's for visitation every other wkend.I asked his doctor the other day for more help for myself b/c I feel mentally this has taken a large toll on my self and I recognize this so it must be bad for my friends .My friends all understand Nick's needs and I am blessed to have two good must I say great babysitters.I lucked out and found them at separate times but before when the boys went to a sitters they would always say he was "good" and then just not accept another invitation to babysit again...so I knew he'd either had a meltdown or something.
I'm hoping to find some resources and his doctors are working to get me some support around here but I have decided that I will do whatever it takes to make sure that Nick gets the most out of life.Whew his teachers and school that's something that I might have to fight in court and is another post they do not see the same Nick I see or Nick as he was a baby they see the medicated 40 mg XR Nick so they see him sedated.Not the repetive behaviors, running in place , up till 3 am or whatever time he falls asleep of exhaustion.I went to B&N to buy some books b/c I like self education and I read everything on ADHD and actually that is where I knew they weren't listening b/c if Nick was JUST ADHD then he would not have SPEECH THERAPY < OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Welcome to the board.
Sounds like you have a very full plate.
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