Hello-newbie intro

[Sleeplessof2]

Marg and her man
I'm speechless. Really.....
I am truely amazed about the time & thought you put into that message. I'm having a hard time even replying. I cannot put into words how incredibly helpful this input is. I have been needing this for so long. I actually have tears....crazy...relief I think that there are others out there who even have it a lot worse off. Thank you for your excellent information. Just incredible knowledge. Your dedication to your children is admirable. Thank you.

 

[Marguerite]

I hadn't realised he'd posted! We do tat sometimes. OK, today he's at work, but there have been times when we're both posting at the same time at opposite ends of the house.

As for the advice - you're welcome. Anything we can do to help, means our experiences aren't wasted.

Marg

 

[busywend]

As for the school thing. There are many reasons why these kids hold it together at school. The point is it is common - AND - it can change any moment. So be prepared for that, too.

 

[Sleeplessof2]

So I took the assessment. He scored a 34. Which gives him no diagnosis (per the assessment). Maybe there is a reason to why the dr.'s are so befuddled (is that a word?) I'll keep chugging. Spring Break is upon us. This is my training as to what my summer will be like. Keeping difficult child amused and busy busy while maintaining some sort of peacefulness between him and my 3 yr. old daughter. I need to hit garage sales and pick up more dead appliances so he can take them apart!!!

 

[alongfortheride]

Just a thought. Have you explored his sleep issues? Sleep apnea and sleep deprivation in children can cause havoc in moods and irritability for young children. He holds it together at school but by the time he gets home, he is too tired to maintain any longer. My nephew was diagnosed with a mood disorder which turned out to be a misdiagnosis. He has sleep apnea. A C-PAP and good nights sleep stabilized his behaviors and moods and he came off all medication. Sleep doctor told my sister that this is a common misdiagnosis, also with ADHD.

 

[graceupongrace]

Hi, Sleepless, and welcome.

You'll find lots of good advice here. I don't post too frequently, but I read a lot. The most helpful thing is knowing you're not alone, you're not a bad parent, and you're not crazy.

We have always seen a big gap between behavior at home and behavior at school. In a rare moment of self-awareness a year or so ago, difficult child admitted that all the frustration comes out at home because he knows I'm the only one who will love him no matter what.

That said, now that he's in high school, we have had problems with not doing work, cutting classes, and occasionally disrespecting a teacher. Those are all forms of defiance too, so I'm not the only "target" any more.

You are wise to get help early. I wish now that I had pushed back when difficult child was little and the pediatrician dismissed his actions as "just negative behavior."

 

[Sleeplessof2]

Alongfortheride: Yes, we have explored his sleep issues. We actually took that step 1st, thinking that was the reason for all of this grumpy, tired, frustrated behavior. After 2 sleep studies, ENT& Allergists no sign of why he isn't sleeping. So that's when we discovered that this insomnia is actually a sympton of something bigger. I wish it were adnoids/apnea/allergies...anything, so that we would have something to hold on to. Some sort of answer.

 

[Marguerite]

Print the childbrain Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) questionnaire anyway and take it to the next appointment.

Also to make sure you answered the questions accurately - go through them with husband sitting with you. You can also click on any question for good guidance on how you should answer tat question. It stops people being too lenient, or too strict, in how they interpret it all.

Diagnosing a problem isn't always easy. And once a diagnosis is made, it can get in the way of future reassessment, and stop people questioning further when perhaps they should.

A diagnosis should always be open to questioning.

Marg