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ADHD
Jul 25, 2007 19:35:07 GMT -5
Post by Renee' on Jul 25, 2007 19:35:07 GMT -5
Ok, how many of your kiddos with DS have this too? We are looking at all the options. Tell me what you know.
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ADHD
Jul 26, 2007 6:50:17 GMT -5
Post by chasesmom on Jul 26, 2007 6:50:17 GMT -5
Ahhhh Renee, that lovely ADHD argh !!! For years it was listed as Chase's primary disability as it caused far more troubles than did the DS. I would tell you that it is finally under control and he is doing well but I don't dare say it as it would be jinxing myself. I would also add that unfortunately he takes alot of meds to control it also, far more than I would ever wish. I would also say that....LOLOL, without that wonderful ADHD, I wouldn't of had the opportunity to admuse you with all those special Chase stories stories over the years...LOL, see, it must be better, I can look back and laugh hugs and hang in there, it gets better Robin
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ADHD
Jul 26, 2007 7:19:11 GMT -5
Post by momofrussell on Jul 26, 2007 7:19:11 GMT -5
Renee does Lauren have an ADHD DX? What kind of options you looking at?
A.
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ADHD
Jul 26, 2007 7:26:19 GMT -5
Post by Connie on Jul 26, 2007 7:26:19 GMT -5
Renee', While I did see signs of ADHD, Collin was not diagnosed until September of last year. He's not been on his meds a year yet but I can tell you it has made a world of difference where it comes to his education. I don't really see a lot of the problems they see at school but I guess that is because I have got so good and heading them off and redirecting them before they happen. Collin started out on (generic) Ritalin 5mg 1x a day, that made such big changes in him that we only waited a week before adding the 2nd dose. His speech and everything changed after starting the meds. Since Ritalin is a medicine that is in and out of your system quickly (3-4 hours tops) we had problems with the period between the end of the first dose and the beginning of the second dose (if that makes sense). So, we switched to Methlyin 10mg ER which is the same dosage but he only had to take it 1x a day. While better we still had problems with the pills and the transition period because of the way the pills delivery system is. He is now on Daytrana 10mg, which is working ok but...is to much meds for him and he is a little too drugged out for my taste so...we are going to have to try and find something different. The reason I chose the Ritalin over other non-stimulants is because it was so fast acting and could be in and out of his system within 4 hours and I didn't have to give it to him everyday if I didn't want to. Let me know If I can answer any other questions for you. Connie
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ADHD
Jul 26, 2007 7:45:15 GMT -5
Post by difrompa on Jul 26, 2007 7:45:15 GMT -5
Nic has ADHD too. He is on Dexadrine XR 10 mg in the AM and at school only, 5mg at lunch. On weekends I try not to medicate unless we have a function to go to. Nic also has some OCD stuff goin on, not sure if it's connected to that or not. The ADHD is what qualified him for Wrap-around services at home-did that for 2 years-UGH it was a pain but worth it-his behaviors are much more controlable now. It was a difficult decision but looking back, if we hadn't medicated, I'm sure he wouldn't be doing as well as he does at school. Di Ok, how many of your kiddos with DS have this too? We are looking at all the options. Tell me what you know.
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ADHD
Jul 26, 2007 9:08:25 GMT -5
Post by Renee' on Jul 26, 2007 9:08:25 GMT -5
Lauren was DX with ADHD and something called oppositional defiant disorder. We attempted some medication last year but she threw up for 2 weeks stright. It was Straterra. The doctor is working with us and we are going to log her behaviors. The school was having some problems with her but I was hoping it was because of the transition. I am going to see how this year goes and then make the choice.
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ADHD
Jul 26, 2007 9:36:41 GMT -5
Post by Gina on Jul 26, 2007 9:36:41 GMT -5
Ashton takes Ritalin, and it has made a world of difference. Like the rest of you, we weren't real excited to add medicine to her world, but the results have spoke for themselves. Ashton will not take a pill, so they have to grind it down to a liquid and we give her doses 3 times a day. I would much rather give her a pill in the morning, that is time released, but at this point, it hasn't been an option. Ashton has more of a hyper activity disoder, in my option. So if she doesn't have the medicine, she is totally out of control and will not concentrate. She was 9 when we started the medicine, and she was not potty trained at that time (yes, very frustrating on our end!). Within 3 weeks, she was completely potty trained. I have no idea why that worked, but it did!
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ADHD
Jul 26, 2007 17:17:02 GMT -5
Post by momofrussell on Jul 26, 2007 17:17:02 GMT -5
I know Regan doesn't have DS but she has been DX'd with ADD by two different docs.. and the 1st doc also DX'd her with ODD also, like Lauren. Regan was put on Adderal which was working for the ADD and attentiveness.. but was AWFUL for her behaviors and ODD type stuff. Second doc didn't feel she had ODD, but whatever... We tried 3 different meds and so far we aren't impressed, except with the Adderal but those other side effects with her moods, ect were SO concerning, we just had to stop.
A.
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ADHD
Jul 26, 2007 18:56:41 GMT -5
Post by Renee' on Jul 26, 2007 18:56:41 GMT -5
A, The ODD is the killer for me. I can deal with the ADHD. She has picked me as the target of the ODD behavior most of the time. There are times when I talk to her and she acts as though I am not in the room. I am at a loss what to do. She is so smart, witty, funny and then it turns.
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ADHD
Jul 27, 2007 9:06:58 GMT -5
Post by chasesmom on Jul 27, 2007 9:06:58 GMT -5
Ok.....no body bite my head off ok I'm just going to tell you about my experience with this ODD stuff. The school tried to give Chase a ODD label after the ADHD label and said ODD is caused from bad PARENTING which about made me come unglued on them...ok fine, I DID come unglued on them, see, I am being oh so honest LOL! First...alot of what they saw were NOT what we saw at home so I felt if they saw ODD it was because of their "teaching" skills, not my parenting skillls. So once we got the behavior intervention specialist in from down state and he did a huge eval ( imagine that, he saw Chase more than once!) he said that ODD is being used far too often as an escape label. Chase actually has a mood disorder and he said there are so many it was really really hard to diagnosis, especially with his DS and the ADHD on top of it. And btw...LOL, Chase is VERY good at acting as if I am not in the room or speaking to him, grrrr! As Connie said, heading the behavior off before it gets out of control and redirecting are the two biggest things we can do to help our kids! I also don't do any power truggles with Chase any more...makes life so much easier, I simply ignore the bad behavior if possible and redirect him to something else and it simply stops and then come back to it later when he has himself back in control and remind him why he has a consequence and it is always a short consequence, something he can understand and handle that is not going to put him back over the edge. Maurice Moses, the specialist has pointed out over and over that our kids need "refueling" much more than other children with the ADHD before they get out of control and to do that you need to be able to read them, thus comes the school into play...meaning you need a goood teacher, aide who isnt into power plays, (whose gonna win this fight/struggle) am I making any sense? An example is....at school if Chase is refusing to do a task, they ask him to do one more thing, if he does, it is great, if not..ok lets stop, go for a walk, to get a paper for the teacher at the office, to pick up some dirty laundry for the class to wash, etc, and after five ten minutes, come back to the task and he is almost always complinat by then, he simply needed to refuel. You then have him do one more say..math problem if that is what he was working on and move on to something else..so that he knows he had to do a part of it but you realize this is something he cant handle for the moment so you find something he can be successful in today. Am I making any sense? You use it at home to but switch it to work for you in your home/family. There are so many kinds of moood disorders and they are oh so common but Maurice said they are just too quick to say ODD or to realize it is simply ADHD and DS and they dont realize how to deal with the two together. Just my two cents because I know for a fact.....we are all great parents!!!!!!! hugs, Robin
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ADHD
Jul 27, 2007 13:54:28 GMT -5
Post by Renee' on Jul 27, 2007 13:54:28 GMT -5
Robin The school didn't DX her with the ODD. She saw a Behavior Ped. in DC. She functions about 2 years behind her age. Today has been really hard for me. I wonder from time to time what she does understand and what she is just not getting. She has really been pushing my buttons. When she is not around her sister she is a different child. The hard thing for me is that she talks bad to me. I try to teach her it is disrespectful. Then she does things I ask her not to do over and over. Like climb on things, lock doors, try and pick up the baby etc. I am just having a bad day
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ADHD
Jul 27, 2007 14:11:32 GMT -5
Post by difrompa on Jul 27, 2007 14:11:32 GMT -5
OHHHHH, we tried Straterra---It made him EXTREMELY aggressive!! I know of 2 other kids who had the same reaction both non-DS. Di Lauren was DX with ADHD and something called oppositional defiant disorder. We attempted some medication last year but she threw up for 2 weeks stright. It was Straterra. The doctor is working with us and we are going to log her behaviors. The school was having some problems with her but I was hoping it was because of the transition. I am going to see how this year goes and then make the choice.
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ADHD
Jul 27, 2007 16:22:31 GMT -5
Post by Gina on Jul 27, 2007 16:22:31 GMT -5
That's good to hear about Straterra - I will stay away from that. We don't need anymore agressive behavior than we have now!
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ADHD
Jul 27, 2007 20:44:24 GMT -5
Post by Renee' on Jul 27, 2007 20:44:24 GMT -5
Laurens doctor said he would have never put her on that. The dr. was the one in DC. The Dr. here said he only starts them on that if they are over 12 and as the last resort.
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ADHD
Aug 2, 2007 19:06:53 GMT -5
Post by ambersmom on Aug 2, 2007 19:06:53 GMT -5
Amber is 8 and we are starting her on Ritalin tomorrow. I have been a little leary with putting her on any medicine. After reading some of your post Iam starting to feel ok about it. My biggest worry was that she would'nt be Amber anymore, that she would be to drugged up. Iam hopefull that she will be able to stay on tasks alot longer. Hopefully it will help Amber. Vickie
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