I Need to Throw This Out to You

[jal]

I am wondering if anyone else has gone down this road...Some background: difficult child has been through many daycares, constant calls to pick him up. Had tantrums, flight risk, chair throwing etc. Now in therapuetic school since the fall of 08. Currently, with-flexible scheduling we haven't been in need of after care since the end of last year. difficult child finished school year on a positive note, somethings had improved and he began to accel in academics. difficult child diagnosis'd as ADHD around age 4. Bad reaction to stims so diagnosis switched to BiPolar (BP) (some family history on husband's side). Been through several psychiatrists, through all he's been diagnosis'd as:

ADHD
BiPolar (BP)
ADHD
BiPolar (BP)/ADHD
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-Aspergers
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified
most recent evaluation ADD/ADHD combined type-Mood Dis-not otherwise specified

He had a neuropsychologist around the age of 4.5 - most recent extensive testing came up with-the last diagnosis on the list (which I agree with), no Learning Disability (LD)'s, high average to high IQ, but my problem stems from the fact that no medication has ever helped him in any positive way. We have trialed at least 10+ stims and all with-bad reactions. We have attempted to treat it with-non-stimulants also (no luck). After the recent evaluation psychiatrist want to try Clonodine (which we tried about 2 yrs ago - no luck) in oral then patch form (we haven't tried the patch before and we haven't started it yet). These medications were trialed while he was on various other medications for mood. Now they are looking at it as more anxiety and ADD/ADHD.

difficult child is coming up on finishing his first ever 2 weeks at daycamp (no phone calls, no write ups, no troubles OMG! HUGE!). Things have been wonderful. He is happy and eager to go, he is making friends and he is happy to come home. He is so much calmer and nicer and pleasant to be around. My difficult child is a happy boy! His in home workers were discussing his case in generalities with-another psychiatrist who wanted them to note if behavior was different since starting camp (it is). psychiatrist feels he is just one of those kids that needs to get thoroughly exhausted to be happy, calm and focused. To get out every ounce of energy in order to level himself off. If he is left to his own he can and usually does spiral out of control. At home he likes to be outside and is encouraged to be with-his swing set, bike, swimming, playing sports with-mom and dad etc, but being in environment such as camp where they know the schedule and go, go, go all day has made a HUGE difference.

I guess my question is, does anyone else have a child like this in terms of the energy portion? How do you or what do you do to help the child release this especially during the school day? difficult child is very athletic and does baseball and soccer is in the fall and I am looking into karate or swimming as another outlet, but difficult child needs the constant go, go, go all day, every day. I have visions of taking him to the high school track at 4am in the morning to run before school so he can get it all out (and he's only just about 7). Anyone have any experience with a child like this?

Thank you.

 

[house of cards]

I have a trampoline which I find helpful, I even had a small indoor one once. My trouble is getting my difficult child to see the benefits of the exercise like I see it. At 7, maybe you can get into better habits.

 

[SRL]

Some kids who look like they are ADHD are really dealing with Sensory Integration Dysfunction, and their constant motion is simply a way to meet their atypical sensory needs. If this is the case, medications won't help at all.

Has he been assessed by a pediatric occupational therapist?

 

[jal]

Yes, he has been accessed by an Occupational Therapist (OT) and does receive Occupational Therapist (OT) at school, it is a piece of the puzzle, but not the whole. We have a trampoline too, but at the time it was given to us the way he jumped on it I thought he'd break something. It is outside now, maybe I should encourage more use of it. He does love to bounce in his bouncy house, but it is not always up and when you set it up he lasts like 5 min in there. It is a set up and take down item so it doesn't pop or get destroyed.

 

[DammitJanet]

My middle son who was extremely ADHD was very go go go. He was a very miserable little boy when he had to be contained in a classroom when he first started school. I can remember him coming home in tears many times because he just couldnt understand why anyone would expect little boys to want to sit inside all day. He was on ritalin and it did help him but he was still miserable. Sometime in second grade learning clicked in for him and he was able to accept that he had to be in class but once that bell rang he was in constant motion.

He played every sport that the rec dept offered. All year round he played sports. He was also on the go outside constantly. He rode his bike, climbed trees, ran everywhere. He never sat inside and watched tv.

When he got into high school he went off all medications because he wanted to go into the military so he had to be off medications for 4 years. He started running long distances before and after school to keep his ADHD under control. When I say running...I mean running. He did 3 to 5 miles every morning and night. He was also on the high school track team. He did JROTC. Did I mention he was active? LOL.

 

[Christy]

That is great news that he is doing so well at camp!

Swimming seems to work wonders for my difficult child. It really lets him use all his muscles and he is much calmer afterwards.

 

[jal]

DammitJanet - that's so funny. I had visions of him last night running like that. I'm thinking here's an ipod - go run 5 miles!

Christy - yes, doing great at camp is such a relief for everyone. He has really taken to the swimming too. He swam, working hard, for about 2 hours at my parents lake this weekend and he was calmer, tired even, as he ate 2-3 bites of dinner and then left to crash on the couch.

 

[DammitJanet]

Jal...when Jamie was little he didnt do well in normal daycare at all. I remember him being in this one that was like a chain that had the kids inside most of the day with very limited and supervised playtime outside. They didnt let them let off steam at all. They were expected to stay inside and color or play centers with reading and lego's and movies and such things. He actually started pulling the wallpaper off their walls he was so hyper and anxious in that place. They told me he was emotionally disturbed...lol. That is actually when I took him and got him his ADHD diagnosis. This is a kid who started riding a 2 wheeler without training wheels at 3 and hitting a pitched ball by 4. He just couldnt take being couped up.

He did much better in home daycares where they let him play outside. We never had a bit of trouble with him if he could run and play.

He has grown up to be a fine upstanding young man. Well...I guess if you dont count his choice in wives. He leaves a lot to be desired in mates but I guess that is his problem...lol.

 

[TerryJ2]

Well, it sounds like you've found the secret weapon, Jal. Exercise!
Be sure you have a net around the trampoline. LOTS of childhood injuries happen on trampolines.
Swimming i
*/s a good idea, as is Little league--ack! The cat's on the keyboard again. I have to go

 

[KTMom91]

Karate was a wonderful thing for Miss KT. She was 7 when she started, and earned her black belt at 14, if I remember correctly. She also played every sport the school offered.

 

[Marguerite]

We had a jogging trampoline inside which could be rolled behind a cupboard if necessary. Not expensive so if it breaks, it breaks.

We found physical exercise good (like you have) but we found mental stimulation was also really effective. Our house is now what has been described by therapists as "an enriched environment". Animalia frieze in the hallway. Escher prints on the wall. Optical illusions, puzzles and the Periodic Table behind the toilet door. Microscopes of various kinds ready to be grabbed. Digital cameras - ditto. Computers everywhere. A library full of reference books. Jigsaw puzzles and puzzle mats everywhere. Puzzle books. And so on. If the kids ask a question, we work together to look it up and find the answer.

I'm a bit concerned at your description of "difficult child diagnosis'd as ADHD around age 4. Bad reaction to stims so diagnosis switched to BiPolar (BP)".

A bad reaction to stims doesn't automatically mean BiPolar (BP). It can sometimes mean that whatever the problem is, stims aren't the answer. What about Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)?

On the exercise front, maybe trying to find different forms of exercise so he has a variety? Something unusual and fun. easy child 2/difficult child 2 learned to walk on stilts when she was 8 and became so good at it that it became a lucrative paying hobby.
Or there's great team sports like touch football - a wonderful game for kids (and adults), loads of fun and no special equipment needed.

Something you've discovered - whatever helps, let your mind think laterally and use whatever works.

Marg