Newbie; Multiple Diagnoses

[xoanan]

Hi all

Our son, Josh(7 yrs old) has been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), ODD, ADHD, Conduct Disorder-not otherwise specified and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

This morning was rather rough; his ODD was in full swing this morning; he did not want to go to school, he did not want to get dressed, he did not want to stop what he was doing.

In addition, he hit me, grabbed me, bit me and kicked me; he has been known to do that to his aide as well, usually when he is stressed.

We are still attempting find out what his triggers are, but this is difficult when some of the incidents occur when he is just waking up.

At any rate, Hello!

 

[BusynMember]

Hi. I have a son who started out with the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified diagnosis and in my opinion probably all the other stuff are just symptoms of the disorder. What type of professional diagnosed him with all those things? I think too many labels are pretty useless. Is he on medication?

Is he in any autism interventions? My son is doing so well that he has been upgraded to Aspergers, if that can happen...all I know is his last neuropsychologist evaluation said he was too high functioning for Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified. He's doing terrific, but we basically concentrated on the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified.

Kids on the autism spectrum are usually non-compliant when they have to transition from one activity to another or because they don't understand social rules or norms (some don't "get" that a parent is not a peer). They really need text book teaching about social rules or they may never learn them. They also get frustrated easy so often need extra help or somebody at school sitting beside them or at least available to them. Can he communicate at all? Frustration is another big trigger as is overstimulation. Is he sensitive to light, sound, certain textures, foods, etc.

How is his school situation? Do the teachers understand him or do they think he's "bad?" in my opinion, even if he seems to show no remorse, it is unlikely he has Conduct Disorder. Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified kids do not express themselves well and often just don't "get" life. Also, that tends to be a disorder for a much older child.

The more you share, the more we can give you helpful suggestions.

Welcome to the board! But sorry you had to come.

 

[JJJ]

My son Eeyore's mornings are rough too. He needs to take his medications ASAP and it still takes them a bit of time to kick in.

Is your son on medications?

 

[tictoc]

Hi,
Just wanted to welcome you. What services does your son receive at school? Any medications? How old was he when he was diagnosed?

This is a nice board. It is a good place to vent and to find people who understand.

 

[TerryJ2]

Welcome!

Ah, waking up. That is a transition. No fun for most people.

We've got a great system now. My husband wakes up difficult child at 6 a.m. and gives him his medications, then lets him go back to sleep for an hr. (We have given in to the "healthy" drink battle, and let him drink whatever he wants with-the pill. For a while it was caffeine free Coke, then OJ, and now Gatorade. He only takes a sip so if it's something he wouldn't normally drink it's not that big of a deal. We've learned to choose our battles.)

By the time I get him up for school, he's Mr. Nice Guy.

Maybe you can work out something like that.

Also, make sure he's getting enough sleep. Sleep deprived kids with-PDDs are really, really, really cranky and quite often violent.

 

[TerryJ2]

P.S. I don't think a kid that young can have a diagnosis of Conduct Disorder.

 

[GoingNorth]

husband was darned near on Ritalin the week after he was discharged from the Army. He was not just crabby (silent and PA) in the AMs, but he woke up in a sort of brain fog.

He decided on his own to get up, take his medications and vitamins, and then crawl back into bed with some music playing until he he "had his head screwed back on straight".\

He figured this out on his own, just like he figured out that he didn't want to hassle with the longer-acting stims because he liked the control over action that he had with the Ritalin.

But, and this is a BIG but, husband did NOT have ODD, at least not after his first tour in the Army, LoL. He didn't rage. At worst he would simply shut down and walk away.

 

[Marguerite]

G'day & welcome.

You sound like you're dealing with what I call Alphabet Soup Syndrome - where a desperate therapist throws every possible label at a kid and hopes some of them stick (like throwing dirty socks at the wall - if they stick, they need washing. If they don't stick, they can be worn again. Teen male dress code).

Seriously though, as MWM said - Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) is a large umbrella and underneath it are a lot of problems each of which can earn its own label. It's like taking a general description of someone such as "Mediterranean appearance" and breaking it down to "brown eyes, black hair, olive complexion".

Your child is your child. The labels can help get support and IEP at school, but the child has not changed. Your attitude to your cvhild may change when you realise that the child cannot help a lot of the problems he is displaying.

What I suggest you do (in order to not feel overwhelmed) is to study Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Forget the other labels for now. medications for ADHD can help, if there really is ADHD. It often goes hand in hand with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). We've got a bucket load of what you describe, in our family. We could probably swap kids and not notice the difference.

I posted a couple of days ago with the link for a TV interview difficult child 3 & I did, about a month ago. The interview is about autism and also about some new treatments (including some really dodgy stuff, I felt the program was a bit irresponsible in that). My difficult child 3 has improved immensely, he was the only autistic kid who was interviewed personally by the reporter and able to give really good answers. He was a sort of "Exhibit A" for high-functioning autistics. I think the post giving the link has slipped on to page 2 of General, if you want to find it. The 12 minute interview is viewable on the TV show website, if you want to see a bit more about autism.

What you can do now (today if possible) - get your hands on a copy of "The Explosive Child". Get it from your local library, if like me you are wary about spending yet more money on just another recommended book. If I bought every book I'd had recommended, I'd be broke and have nowhere to live. But I bought this one. It's like a Bible for a lot of us on this site, because it has helped change mindset from "Why can't my kid do X?" to "How can I work with this child to help him adapt to live a good, productive and happy life?"

In summary - it really helps with the ODD stuff. It helped me understand, and it helped me find a better way to manage him. It made my life much easier, and made it easier for him to learn to modify his behaviour.

Again, welcome. Let us know how you're getting on, it can really help you cope.

Marg

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

Welcome to the board! You have found a soft place to land.

 

[xoanan]

Thanx for all the replies

I will attempt to answer all your questions and thank you for welcoming me

He is on one medicine right now called Guanfacine, which is normally used for high blood pressure, but it has had some good results for some of the ADHD symptoms.

As far as the diagnosis goes, it came from a neurologist/psychologist in Nashville; He had a prelim of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified/Conduct Disorder-not otherwise specified from a pediatrician at Vandy. We were referred to the neurologist recently in order to prescribe the right medications.

He has been on Focalin(which increased the quiet time and focus time, but the tantrums were pretty fierce). He had Respirdol some time ago, but it did not seem to make much difference.

This morning was better; we did our best to make sure he did not feel rushed. That's seems to be what sets him off a lot.

 

[xoanan]

G'day & welcome.

You sound like you're dealing with what I call Alphabet Soup Syndrome - where a desperate therapist throws every possible label at a kid and hopes some of them stick (like throwing dirty socks at the wall - if they stick, they need washing. If they don't stick, they can be worn again. Teen male dress code).

Seriously though, as MWM said - Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) is a large umbrella and underneath it are a lot of problems each of which can earn its own label. It's like taking a general description of someone such as "Mediterranean appearance" and breaking it down to "brown eyes, black hair, olive complexion".

Your child is your child. The labels can help get support and IEP at school, but the child has not changed. Your attitude to your cvhild may change when you realise that the child cannot help a lot of the problems he is displaying.

What I suggest you do (in order to not feel overwhelmed) is to study Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Forget the other labels for now. medications for ADHD can help, if there really is ADHD. It often goes hand in hand with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). We've got a bucket load of what you describe, in our family. We could probably swap kids and not notice the difference.

I posted a couple of days ago with the link for a TV interview difficult child 3 & I did, about a month ago. The interview is about autism and also about some new treatments (including some really dodgy stuff, I felt the program was a bit irresponsible in that). My difficult child 3 has improved immensely, he was the only autistic kid who was interviewed personally by the reporter and able to give really good answers. He was a sort of "Exhibit A" for high-functioning autistics. I think the post giving the link has slipped on to page 2 of General, if you want to find it. The 12 minute interview is viewable on the TV show website, if you want to see a bit more about autism.

What you can do now (today if possible) - get your hands on a copy of "The Explosive Child". Get it from your local library, if like me you are wary about spending yet more money on just another recommended book. If I bought every book I'd had recommended, I'd be broke and have nowhere to live. But I bought this one. It's like a Bible for a lot of us on this site, because it has helped change mindset from "Why can't my kid do X?" to "How can I work with this child to help him adapt to live a good, productive and happy life?"

In summary - it really helps with the ODD stuff. It helped me understand, and it helped me find a better way to manage him. It made my life much easier, and made it easier for him to learn to modify his behaviour.

Again, welcome. Let us know how you're getting on, it can really help you cope.

Marg

I'll check out the interview when I get back home; Thanx!

 

[Christy]

I agree with other posters that many of the labels are probably symptoms of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified.

At the risk of playing internet doctor, has risperdal ever been suggested? It is often used for symptoms of agression in autistic children. It has been a godsend for my son. He is so much more easy going and less reactive, especially physically.

by the way we also have difficult child on tenex (Guanfacine) for the ADHD symptoms and have been very pleased witht the results. Typical ADHD medications were a nightmare for my difficult child.

(((hugs)))
Christy

 

[xoanan]

Yes, he had risperdal; it worked a little, but then the symptoms seem to come back, so that's why were referred to the psychiatrist/neurologist. We see him this coming Monday too.

My wife and I have noticed how he seems to calm down around domesticated animals(cats dogs etc.). The animal therapy he gets at FOH with Hailey and Telulah really helps.

Yesterday, we had some feline visitors pop by just before school and that seemed to calm him down.

He got green that day

 

[Marguerite]

Do you have pets? We have access in Australia to therapy pets. We could apply for one for the boys if we'd wanted to. I did begin to make enquiries.

if you think about it, guide dogs are theend result of long years of involved training. At any stage, a dog could be rejected form the program, often for simple things such as inability to stay focussed on the task the whole time, or being a bit too fidgetty when younger. These reasons mean a well-trained dog simply can't fulfil his planned destiny, but often they make wonderful therapy dogs in other situations. A woman I knw has a golden retriever as a therapy dog - she is epileptic, the dog is trained to look after her if she has a fit and to get help. Some dogs are even trained to call emergency services (if the patient has an emergency call button with an automated message). They will turn on light switches for osmeone with a physical disability, they will fetch the walking sticks. And some dogs which haven't been trianed to do these things will still make wonderful therapy dogs, purely as companion animals. They've already been trained to be gentle and non-aggressive.

Marg

 

[xoanan]

We have seriously considered getting dog; We have resisted some because both of us have allergies, but the fact that he is calm around Hailey and Talulah and the neighborhood cats is something that would outway our allergy concerns I think.

difficult child woke up okay this morning, but had a fit over the fact that someone made a mistake on a calender. He was right about the mistake. He is calm now; watching Imagination Movers on Disney Channel

 

[smallworld]

Some breeds of dogs are considered hypoallergenic, including many mixed breeds that include poodle (cockapoo, goldendoodle, schnoodle and labradoodle, to name a few). They've become popular because they're low-maintenance, good-natured and great with kids, as well as hypoallergenic. You might want to do some research if your son does well with animals.

 

[TPaul]

Just wanted to add my welcome to you to the board here. Lots of good people with lots of experiences to share. A great place when things seem to be overwhelming. So many times we feel alone with our circumstances and wonder if there is anyone else out there that could possibly understand what we are going through. This board proves there is and that their are open heart, arms, minds and help that are readily shared.

Welcome again
Tpaul

 

[serenityprayer]

Hi xoanan! I am new here too and beginning to learn and read lots! We have bad allergies and asthma..I did some research and decided to get our family a shih-tzu. They are hypoallergenic and have a very sweet disposition. We've had her almost 2 years...and allergies have not been a problem & she is the most loving dog ever! I feel she is great therapy for my difficult child...she licks his tears and is a good playmate. I do watch him around the dog if he is in a really low mood...cuz he can lash out..but so far the dog has been amazing! My daughter has been sick with a fever and the dog is always right there to snuggle on the couch and offer sympathy.

I wish I had more to offer u with all those diagnoses...but I am learning myself. Has your son been ruled out being bipolar? My son does not transition well neither and will lash out when pressured. I know that can be a symptom of so many other disorders too though!

Hugs! My heart goes out to u!

 

[xoanan]

Thats great! I think the wife is set on a Black Lab. I am sure we will have vet bills soon!

 

[xoanan]

Oh yeah, Marguerite, I have copy of "The Explosive Child". A friend out in Bellevue recommended it.