| Grant Conrad 2003-03-26, 3:23 pm |
|
You may be fully aware so I apologize in advance if you=20
have verified this already.
Some kids are misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD when they in fact=20
have Bipolar Disorder (AKA manic depression disorder).=20
Apparently there are many similarities in the two=20
conditions. I cannot say this for certain it was my wife=20
who was informed of this and she spoke to the doctor and=20
they tested him for these as well but did not feel this to=20
be the case for David. There are some language processing=20
disorders that also cause very similar issues for children=20
as well. Oh and one other that I know of CAPD Central=20
Auditory Processing Disorder.=20
Some of the above-mentioned disorders produce symptoms=20
like those in ADD/ADHD=20
David was also tested for Language Processing Disorder and=20
did have some slight processing delays / misunderstandings.
Yes it is nice to know there are others to talk with about=20
these issues. However not ALL teachers understand. With=20
the large number of children being diagnosed with ADD/ADHD=20
(which makes me think not ALL doctors truly understand=20
either, remember what doctor's do they call "practice") I=20
think teachers should be required to take special classes=20
specifically for dealing with ADD/ADHD children. These=20
teachers often see our children more than we do. And, yes=20
they usually get to see them while medicated.
The even bigger problem, as Frisbee mentioned, is the lack=20
of understanding from our friends and even family. And=20
worse the children's friends, kids can be the cruelest.
Then you get the people who frown on you medicating (or=20
drugging as they like to call it) your kids. I like to ask=20
them if they would like to watch my kid for the weekend=20
and not medicate him. But that doesn't work either.=20
Somehow someway I'm just a lousy parent; don't give my kid=20
enough "love" blah blah blah! Yea whatever.=20
I hope things stay on the positive side for you, but if=20
they turn for the worse just know that we're out here and=20
we feel your pain.
G
>-----Original Message-----
>
>Wow, you guys make my situation sound easy. I have a 10=20
>year old son and he was diagnosed with ADHD about a year=20
>and a half ago. I had trouble understanding why he did=20
>the things he did. Most of the time it is his inability=20
>to deal with situations with out falling apart. Like=20
when=20
>his 30mins is up on the computer, he can fall apart=20
crying=20
>and throwing a fit, losing in games, and the like. He=20
>hasn't done anything too destructive except to himself. =20
>My wife and I left food out over night two nights in a=20
row=20
>(we had both been up late, her with her credential work=20
>and me on the last part of my MCSE). Both times he had=20
>eaten the food, even after getting in a lot of trouble=20
the=20
>first time. It is hard to understand why he doesn't seem=20
>to learn form this. Other wise he is an extremely sweet=20
>kid, loves his sister above all else (His older sister=20
>treats him like any 14 year old would treat a 10year old=20
>brother...).
>
>Sometimes its good to hear we are not alone, and thank=20
God=20
>for teachers and doctors that understand.
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>"Grant Conrad" <gconrad@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:44ea01c2f3b7$02c3db30$a00
1280a@phx.gbl...
>>Thanks for the reply. It's nice (in a matter of speaking)
>>to know I'm not alone in this. I can't imagine what it
>>would be like if he wasn't even mine. That would be=20
tough.
>>I'd probably be in jail for murder.
>>
>>Did you switch format to Quoted Printable? It's not=20
>quoting your replies.
>>I did that for a while and got a lot of flak from people=20
>in various NG's. I
>>did it so I could post long URL's without line-wrap=20
>problems, but it makes
>>it a b!tch to reply to, so I stopped. Or has my QP=20
>option somehow turned
>>itself on with my last reply? As to being in jail for=20
>murder, I've come
>>close to that myself. Things can get physical in our=20
>household, but so far
>>I've managed to keep the peace.
>>
>>"Special Attention" Is that the kind Homer gives Bart=20
when
>>he wraps his hands around Barts throat? : )
>>
>>It takes a Saint. Saint Homer.
>>
>>My twins have been great. However, That actually scares=20
me
>>to death. Until about the age of 4, David was awesome.
>>Everyone always said "your so lucky to have such a good
>>baby" Heh! He's made up for those days 10-fold.
>>
>>Let's hope it doesn't turn out like ours. What=20
>medication is he on? Zach
>>was on Ritalin for a while. It affected his appetite,=20
>and we really didn't
>>get to benefit from it at all. He was only on his=20
dosage=20
>during school
>>hours, since it is a stimulant and would keep him awake=20
>at night if taken
>>late in the evening, and we kept him off it on weekends,=20
>too. What really
>>got my wife and I was his teachers complaining about=20
him,=20
>when they got the
>>benefit of him being medicated... if they only had to=20
>deal with him off his
>>meds like we did. The meds made all the difference in=20
>the world, at least
>>to us. We later switch him to Adderol since it was=20
>supposed to last longer.
>>It worked fine, but when he came down off the meds at=20
>home, he was absolute
>>hell to deal with. It made him aggressive and=20
>confrontational, but looking
>>back, that could have just been his teenage hormones. =20
It=20
>got really bad
>>with him, though, so we took him off meds altogether. =20
>He's been med-free
>>for several years now. In retrospect, that might have=20
>been a major mistake,
>>since he was off meds with us at home anyway, it didn't=20
>affect us, except to
>>remove some of what we perceived to be the over-
>agressiveness, but it did
>>seem to affect his education. He got worse and worse in=20
>school, barely
>>passing some classes he used to be good at, like math,=20
>and failing many
>>others. I've lost count of how many times he'd gotten=20
>suspended at school.
>>Kids like that, it's easy to push their buttons, it=20
>wasn't always his fault,
>>IMO.
>>
>>I know what you mean about the friends too. Nice when you
>>find out, all-too-late that you weren't invited to some
>>event because they didn't want you to bring your kid.
>>
>>My wife and I were hurt about that a lot. We'd find=20
>out "accidentally" that
>>very close friends made a point to exclude us, and we=20
>know why. I've never
>>confronted those friends about it, either. I'm just not=20
>as close to most of
>>them as I used to be.
>>
>>I do feel terrible for David because your right, He truly
>>doesn't understand why he does the things he does. Then=20
it
>>is like a broken light switch though. there are the "on"
>>days and then there are the, all more common "OFF!" days.
>>when he is on its like he's a different kid. And I mean
>>WOW!
>>
>>Zach is almost 18, and he still plays with action=20
figures=20
>and watches
>>Saturday morning cartoons, like Pokemon and (believe it=20
>or not) Power
>>Rangers. The kid is so big, he could be an offensive=20
>lineman for the UF
>>Gators. Emotionally, he's half his age. He's actually=20
>quite bright,
>>though, and much more creative than me. I can't stand=20
to=20
>be around him, yet
>>I truly feel sorry for him at the same time.
>>
>>You ever watch your kid sit in the yard pulling the grass
>>out by himself because he has managed to piss off every
>>other kid in the neighborhood? That'll tear your hart=20
out.
>>By your response I'm sure you know all too well what I
>>mean.
>>
>>I was active in scouting most of my life, and was going=20
>to try to get Zach
>>to join the scouts, but my wife discouraged it. This=20
was=20
>when I only knew
>>them a short time. I know now why she discouraged it. =20
>She was right. It
>>really is sad.
>>
>>It'll be a while before he is bigger than me but I can't
>>wait. ; )
>>
>>Well, you have to wait at least until they're eighteen=20
to=20
>punch them in the
>>nose. I mean you'll probably wind up in the slammer=20
>either way, but when
>>they're technically minors, it's worse.
>>
>>I haven't had to change schools "yet" but I am in=20
constant
>>communication with them and they are aware of his
>>condition. They do what they can. Its a good school=20
system
>>and depending on the teacher he has good and bad times.=20
He
>>has been suspended from the bus on occasion which plays
>>hell on my wife and me since we then have to figure out
>>who gets to mess up their work schedule to play taxi.
>>
>>My poor wife plays taxi to us all. I'm legally blind,=20
>and surrenderred my
>>driver's license three years ago. In Florida, you get a=20
>learner's permit at
>>fifteen (I'd like to shoot the son-of-a-b!tch who passed=20
>that legislation)
>>and because of Zach's attitude, he's had a learner's=20
>permit all this time,
>>and only a couple of months of driving experience. I=20
>cannot understand
>>this. If my parents said straighten your XXX up, or you=20
>don't drive, I'd
>>have kissed royal butt to drive, but it never phased=20
>Zach. I have yet to
>>discover a effective punishment of any kind. If I ever=20
>do, I'll publish it
>>and get rich. Anyway, my wife has to drive me to work=20
>(28 mile round trip),
>>our twins to elementary, and Zach to his school. She=20
>spends about as much
>>time on the road every day as I spend working.
>>
>>Thanks again for chatting with me about this.
>>It does help. I may need to host a news group on this
>>topic, Hmm....
>>
>>alt.parenting.twins-triplets - been there for years.
>>
>>misc.kids - been there a couple of years. Whenever I=20
>feel like self-abuse,
>>I reply to posts about naughty subjects like breast-
>feeding and such.
>>
>>A potential "True" friend,
>>Grant
>>
>>I think we're long lost twin brothers...
>>
>>
>>--
>>Fris "from different mothers" bee=AE MCNGP #13
>>
>>http://www.mcngp.tk
>>The MCNGP Team - We're here to help
>>
>>.
>>
>.
>
|