I'm new here and just looking for a little support. My son is four (he'll be five in a couple of months). We started noticing problems when he was three. He would have frequent, really bad tantrums. At first we were just told it was because we didn't consistently discipline him, that he's was acting out to get what he wanted because he knew we would give in. So, we started to be much more consistent in our discipline and stood our ground (as best as possible). But, the tantrums continued and got worse. At school, he had difficulty keeping his hands to himself, disruptive, rough with other kids, and had a tantrum whenever he didn't get his way. It got to the point we were asked to find him a new school. We were at a private daycare/preschool and they were basically kicking us out. That was a year ago. I responded by doing three things: 1) I found him a new preschool, 2) got him an IEP, and 3) took him to a developmental pediatrician.
The developmental pediatrician diagnosed him with ODD and intermittent explosive disorder. At first we just tried therapy with a psychologist and speech therapist, but he was still struggling in his new school. At first the new school was very open and willing to work with us, but then they would keep sending him home for severe tantrums. So, this past summer we decided to try medication. We started on with Clonidine. At first it seemed like a miracle drug. He was doing so well. He moved up into the pre-k class and all of his teachers and case worker from the county noticed how well he was doing.
And then, a couple months later, it's like the medicine stopped working. He's back to having severe tantrums (meltdowns) multiple times a day. The doctor is now trying Trileptal. We've been on it for a little over two weeks and not noticing any improvement. In fact, it feels to me like things are getting worse. His tantrums are very violent. He will throw anything he can at people (and his aim is getting better), tip over furniture, and/or try to hurt others. He is also very impulsive. For instance, he'll walk up to his little sister (15 months) and just slap her in the face for no reason. I can't leave the two of them alone for even a moment. Sometimes when the tantrums are really bad, I have to take my daughter in another room with me and lock the door. We are moving forward with transitioning him into a special needs pre-k class through the county school system.
It's frustrating, because when he is not having a tantrum, he is such a sweet, loving, funny boy. He is very social and talkative, has a ton of energy, and is very smart. He'll be practicing writing or something and mess up and then it's like the end of the world. He'll throw his marker across the room, clear off the table, and start melting down. I'm not sure if the medicine is just not working (maybe not at a high enough dose yet) or if it's making things worse. My husband and I never know if we should discipline him after a meltdown bc I don't think he can control himself. When I ask him about it he tells me his brain gets all crazy.
I feel very lonely and isolated dealing with this, so I'm very glad I found this page. Support or suggestions welcome.
The developmental pediatrician diagnosed him with ODD and intermittent explosive disorder. At first we just tried therapy with a psychologist and speech therapist, but he was still struggling in his new school. At first the new school was very open and willing to work with us, but then they would keep sending him home for severe tantrums. So, this past summer we decided to try medication. We started on with Clonidine. At first it seemed like a miracle drug. He was doing so well. He moved up into the pre-k class and all of his teachers and case worker from the county noticed how well he was doing.
And then, a couple months later, it's like the medicine stopped working. He's back to having severe tantrums (meltdowns) multiple times a day. The doctor is now trying Trileptal. We've been on it for a little over two weeks and not noticing any improvement. In fact, it feels to me like things are getting worse. His tantrums are very violent. He will throw anything he can at people (and his aim is getting better), tip over furniture, and/or try to hurt others. He is also very impulsive. For instance, he'll walk up to his little sister (15 months) and just slap her in the face for no reason. I can't leave the two of them alone for even a moment. Sometimes when the tantrums are really bad, I have to take my daughter in another room with me and lock the door. We are moving forward with transitioning him into a special needs pre-k class through the county school system.
It's frustrating, because when he is not having a tantrum, he is such a sweet, loving, funny boy. He is very social and talkative, has a ton of energy, and is very smart. He'll be practicing writing or something and mess up and then it's like the end of the world. He'll throw his marker across the room, clear off the table, and start melting down. I'm not sure if the medicine is just not working (maybe not at a high enough dose yet) or if it's making things worse. My husband and I never know if we should discipline him after a meltdown bc I don't think he can control himself. When I ask him about it he tells me his brain gets all crazy.
I feel very lonely and isolated dealing with this, so I'm very glad I found this page. Support or suggestions welcome.