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difficult child 2 is driving me INSANE! Is it the autism or the ADHD?
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<blockquote data-quote="DazedandConfused" data-source="post: 524162" data-attributes="member: 831"><p>The primary grades k-2 and 3rd grade is dedicated mostly to learning basic skills, reading, writing, and math. Fourth grade is when those skills will begin to be applied to learn content. As the saying goes: The first years are "learning to read" and afterward the focus is on "reading to learn". Daughter was an academic star in 1-3 grade. Then, she hit 4th grade and had her first classroom meltdown. I wish I knew then what I know now. It may have not changed the situation, but it would have changed how I reacted to it. It was also hard for her to pay attention and looking back now she definitely had anxiety issues. </p><p></p><p>Son is Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified and is hyper-active. His over-social ability and lack of obsessions have always kept him from getting the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) diagnoses, but he tends to have all the others. He also began to experience difficulty in academic areas beginning in the fourth grade. Not to the degree of Daughter, but his anxiety was/is much more significant than hers. He's taken Risperdal for years and it was the only medication that made a difference for him. I've had so many diagnoses for him. He's a difficult one to pin-point because he functions at such a high level that he's aware that he's not quite like other "normal" kids but he insists that he is! Granted that can be a good thing because he doesn't limit himself, but it has also made very highly oppositional when trying to help him in the areas where he has deficits, especially self-care and executive functioning. I get the "I'm the only kid that goes to a psychiatrist" or "I'm the only kid that takes medicine" and when "I'm 18 I'm stopping all medicine" (Yikes!). </p><p></p><p>As far as the ADHD goes, it generally goes along with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), it's a symptom if you will. I don't think of it as a "disorder' and I will generally refer to him as being hyper-active. But, he does have an official diagnoses of ADHD which I use with the school district. Intuniv has been very helpful for Son and has calmed him down quite a bit. However, I did see the difference within a week. When those hormones kicked in, OMG, he did some crazy stuff like going to the police station to have me arrested for taking away his cellphone. Yes, he did this in all seriousness. And even with the medications it's still very much a rollercoaster with him, though. My philosophy with medication is that I need to see behavior improvement within the first week or he doesn't stay on the medications. Granted it's not one that all parents should follow, but for Son it is appropriate. </p><p></p><p>As for the naked stuff, I went through that for YEARS with son and still do to a certain degree. He didn't jump on me, but he would simply walk around naked. He uses my shower and doesn't have a problem with me seeing him naked. He's a little more modest when his sister is around, but not much. A couple of years ago I asked him, "Doesn't it bother you for me to see you naked?" He immediately responded, "You are my MOTHER, why should it bother me??" <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/2012/wellduh.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":wellduh:" title="wellduh :wellduh:" data-shortname=":wellduh:" /> I asked him if he covers up when he's at PE or at his Grandmother's. He said, "OMG, YES! I don't want them seeing me naked!" <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/emoticons/slap.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":slap:" title="slap :slap:" data-shortname=":slap:" /> So, for him there IS a difference.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DazedandConfused, post: 524162, member: 831"] The primary grades k-2 and 3rd grade is dedicated mostly to learning basic skills, reading, writing, and math. Fourth grade is when those skills will begin to be applied to learn content. As the saying goes: The first years are "learning to read" and afterward the focus is on "reading to learn". Daughter was an academic star in 1-3 grade. Then, she hit 4th grade and had her first classroom meltdown. I wish I knew then what I know now. It may have not changed the situation, but it would have changed how I reacted to it. It was also hard for her to pay attention and looking back now she definitely had anxiety issues. Son is Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified and is hyper-active. His over-social ability and lack of obsessions have always kept him from getting the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) diagnoses, but he tends to have all the others. He also began to experience difficulty in academic areas beginning in the fourth grade. Not to the degree of Daughter, but his anxiety was/is much more significant than hers. He's taken Risperdal for years and it was the only medication that made a difference for him. I've had so many diagnoses for him. He's a difficult one to pin-point because he functions at such a high level that he's aware that he's not quite like other "normal" kids but he insists that he is! Granted that can be a good thing because he doesn't limit himself, but it has also made very highly oppositional when trying to help him in the areas where he has deficits, especially self-care and executive functioning. I get the "I'm the only kid that goes to a psychiatrist" or "I'm the only kid that takes medicine" and when "I'm 18 I'm stopping all medicine" (Yikes!). As far as the ADHD goes, it generally goes along with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), it's a symptom if you will. I don't think of it as a "disorder' and I will generally refer to him as being hyper-active. But, he does have an official diagnoses of ADHD which I use with the school district. Intuniv has been very helpful for Son and has calmed him down quite a bit. However, I did see the difference within a week. When those hormones kicked in, OMG, he did some crazy stuff like going to the police station to have me arrested for taking away his cellphone. Yes, he did this in all seriousness. And even with the medications it's still very much a rollercoaster with him, though. My philosophy with medication is that I need to see behavior improvement within the first week or he doesn't stay on the medications. Granted it's not one that all parents should follow, but for Son it is appropriate. As for the naked stuff, I went through that for YEARS with son and still do to a certain degree. He didn't jump on me, but he would simply walk around naked. He uses my shower and doesn't have a problem with me seeing him naked. He's a little more modest when his sister is around, but not much. A couple of years ago I asked him, "Doesn't it bother you for me to see you naked?" He immediately responded, "You are my MOTHER, why should it bother me??" :wellduh: I asked him if he covers up when he's at PE or at his Grandmother's. He said, "OMG, YES! I don't want them seeing me naked!" :slap: So, for him there IS a difference. [/QUOTE]
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difficult child 2 is driving me INSANE! Is it the autism or the ADHD?
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