Finally some answers

SunnyNC

New Member
Well...today was our appointment with the neuropsychologist to get the results from the 2 days of testing over the last couple of weeks.

The "official" diagnosis at this time is....
Anxiety Disorder with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) features,
Sensory Integration Disorder,
Executive Function Problems,
and provisional mild ADHD....he tested in the clinical range on the CPT-2 test, but does not have any outward signs of ADHD problems.

We fould that his IQ index scores are in the average to slightly above average range...but his processing speed was only 80 (low average) which dropped his overall IQ score, but it was still in the average range. So that was good to know I guess.

Right now, they want us to consider medicating him with Anti-depressants...which I am a bit nevous about. Zoloft to be exact. Does anyone have or did have a young child (my difficult child is 9) on antidepressants?? I have heard they are not recommended for kids this young due to suicide concerns. Obviously I do NOT want to trade what we are already going through with suicidal thoughts! I would be VERY happy to hear pros and cons to this approach. He will start psychotherapy to help deal with the anxiety/Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) issues in a couple of weeks. I can't get into the Neurologist's office until mid July...the neurologist would be the one to perscribe any medications.

The neuropsychologist would like us to also consider Occupational Therapist (OT) for the sensory integration issues...if anyone on here has been through that one I would also love to hear from you! She has also recommended a 504 plan for next year and listed a LOT of modifications that should be considered to be in place just in case he needs them. I will be researching this soon....but I was wondering if this is something that I should contact the school about NOW or wait until the beginning of the school year next year. We only have 2-1/2 weeks of school left here. The 504 is for next year obviously...but I wasn't sure if this is something that would be better off started now...or just wait until the fall. Thanks!

Thank you for any advice you may have to offer and feel free to ask any questions about anything I might have left out that is important! :smile:

I have been begging and pleading doctors for 7 years for help...today I finally got it. I just pray that I will know what to do next.


Have a great day!
 
F

flutterbee

Guest
Prozac is the only AD FDA approved for children. All other AD's prescribed to children are done so off-label. Did they say why they are leaning toward Zoloft? Not to scare you, though. My difficult child takes lexapro with great results. You'll just have to keep an eye on behavior and if anything seems over the top, call the psychiatrist right away. But I would be interested, if I were you, in psychiatrist's reasoning for Zoloft.

504 plans don't have any teeth and we generally recommend an IEP. Maybe they are thinking your difficult child won't qualify for an IEP? I'm not sure. I would recommend posting those questions on the Special Education board. Sheila and Martie are a wealth of knowledge and can better direct you. I don't think you're going to get many modifications with a 504, though. I think you would need an IEP.

I'm glad you finally got some answers. Now you know where to start.
 

smallworld

Moderator
I have three children on SSRI antidepressants (Lexapro for my 14- and 12-year-olds and Prozac for my 8-year-old). difficult child 1 had manic reactions to both Prozac and Zoloft. Now that he's on mood stabilizers, he can tolerate a low dose of Lexapro. difficult child 2 had an almost psychotic reaction to Paxil, but we found out afterward that child psychiatrists do not prescribe Paxil to children any longer because it can cause very strange reactions. difficult child 2 is now stable on the mood stabilizer Lamictal with Lexapro. easy child has done very well on Prozac for anxiety with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) tendencies.

If anxiety is affecting the child's quality of life (as it was for my 3 kids), SSRIs can make a world of difference. You do have to approach SSRIs with caution. I would always advise starting at a low dose and increasing very slowly. I would also advise you to watch your child like a hawk for adverse side effects.

Can you get a second opinion on the medications from a child psychiatrist?
 

Josie

Active Member
My daughter (now 11) was put on an a/d when she was almost 9. Her diagnosis was ODD and depression. It was right around the time the warnings came out about the increased suicide risk so I was very aware of that issue. However, she was always very angry and said she wanted to kill herself so I was concerned that suicide was a risk anyway as she got older, especially. It did make a huge difference for her at first. We ended up having to increase the dose several times and were going to have to add something else. Around that time, we discovered she has food allergies and that was causing her troubles so we've been able to wean her off the a/d just by avoiding her allergens.

My younger daugher, who is 9 now, has anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). We are going to the psychiatrist for her in a few weeks and I'm expecting her to be put on an a/d then. It is less scary the second time around but of course I am wishing she didn't have to be on any medications. In her case, her anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are interfering with normal functioning enough that I think we have to do something. The actual risk of suicide is very low while the problems she has are very real right now. For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), the most successful treatment is CBT/ERP but my daughter is not able to do the exercises yet due to her anxiety. My hope is she will be able to work on the CBT/ERP with the medications and then be able to get off from them.

We've just known we were dealing with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) since February, but from what I'm reading, it is important to get a therapist who does CBT/ERP for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). If your therapist does CBT/ERP starting in a few weeks, you will have some time to decide if he needs medications before your appointment.

I took an a/d myself for a while and that experience convinced me that there are chemical imbalances in the brain that cause behaviour problems. I always felt irritable and had a "tone" in my voice pre-a/d. Once I was on it, the same things didn't irritate me anymore and I rarely had that tone in my voice. So to me, it seems a little unfair to not give a child medications if they need them. There are risks to the medications but there are risks to going without them as well. Every parent has to make the best decision in their own circumstances.
 

sweepymom

New Member
my nephew is on Zoloft and he is 11 he takes risperdal (2 a day),ritalin (2 a day),zoloft,concerta,depakote (2 diferent pills 750mg at bedtime)
 

SRL

Active Member
Contact the school principal now *in writing* requesting a full evaluation. It takes awhile to get through the whole process so you don't want to wait until fall. Don't mention a 504 plan at all-if he needs Occupational Therapist (OT) then an IEP would be more suitable.

I have seen huge benefits from Occupational Therapist (OT) and using sensory strategies at home and school. Pick up a copy of Carol Kranowitz's book The Out of Sync Child--it's a good book to start with. Private therapy is better than just relying on the school because you will be able to sit in on the sessions and learn what you need to do at home.

medications can be a huge help to a child with anxiety, provided the right medication is found. When we'd exhausted all other options we used an SSRI with difficult child and had good short term results but 9 months later side effects outweighed the good. The second SSRI he did not do well with--side effects were fast and hard. Obviously we weren't thrilled about going that route again. It's forced us to be creative and help find coping strategies plus it's been far more effort. My difficult child is an excellent compensator who eventually usually catches on to a necessary skill given some extra time and training so this has been a viable option for us. But I can honestly tell you there were some times along the way I would have welcomed having a medication alternative to give him some relief from the angst.

Congrats on finally getting some answers. Big bummer it's taken 7 years for the doctors to listen...
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Both T and N used Occupational Therapist (OT) therapies for their sensory issues. It did help although they were a bit old for starting. But my friend's son progress with the Occupational Therapist (OT) was amazing. I would recommend it if you can get it.

hugs
 

oceans

New Member
I am wondering why Prozac would not be the first choice since it is the only one approved for children, but Zoloft can help with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) issues as well. Everyone is different in how they tolerate medications. The right one can make a big difference in functioning, so I would give it a try.

I would start the process at the school now, since it can take a very long time to get things in place. It is much better to have an IEP in my opinion.
 
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