odd,Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD),aspergers, anxiety, etc

[joana]

hello, my name is joana
i'm 43, married with 2 children.
my difficult child is 14 amd my daughter is 16. my difficult child has always been a problem. it all started in kindergarten where the teacher complaind constantly he was always on the go and did not do as told. at home we was always ok, didn't seem to be a problem but as time went by he was evaluated and labeled adhd. iep in place.
he loves video games, computers and to read. however lately its all about the multi player games in the computer. he doesn't study and never wants to go out to eat. he eats all the time and not good food, junk food thats it. doesn't like anthing else. Getting new clothes is a problem too. has no real friends other than those he plays with on the computers. i don't know what to do anymore. its always a fight to get him to do school work or anything else. he tries to find loopholes in anything you say. and uses elerything against you. he's lying more and more. blames others for his mistakes. etc,
he is driving me to drink. i have tried medications but he wont take them cause he says he can't swollow pills, tried sprinkeled on food but he wont take it either. psychologist, tried, no improvements. i'm overwelmed.

 

[trinityroyal]

Hello Joana, and welcome.
You've found a very supportive and welcoming place. We all face issues with our difficult children to varying degrees, and lots of the parents on the board have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share.

Others wiser than I will be along soon, but I just wanted to say sorry you need us, but glad you found us.

Gentle {{{{{hugs}}}}},
Trinity

 

[houseofcards]

Hi Joana, I'd like to welcome you as well, this board is amazing. Teens are hard no matter what, add some issues and it can be tough. Mine were younger with the pill swallowing problem but I taught them with Tic Tacs. What evaluations have you had done with your difficult child?

 

[KateM]

Welcome, Joana!

My difficult child carries several of your son's diagnosis. He, too, has several of the behaviors your son exhibits. A few things that have helped-- social skills groups with peers who share the same difficulties ( he attended such groups from age 12-16);he has biweekly psychologist appts which help both of us - when difficult child was younger teen,we would both meet with the therapist who would give me some coping strategies; parent support group (it really helps to know others who have been there done that). I must say that for my difficult child, medications helped tremendousy with frustration tolerance and impulse control.

Who evaluated (gave diagnosis)? Has your son's therapist been helpful? Have you expressed your concerns to therapist(psychologist)?

Welcome again!

 

[BusynMember]

Sounds like a typical kid with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) to me. If you exchanged the names, he could be MY child. This is how Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) kids tend to be. I would take away all the other diagnoses, which are a part of Aspergers, and focus on getting help for that. We've managed to bribe my son out of the house and into activities. He doesn't really want to be away from his "shows" or his "games" but he also does like to earn "points" that can lead to "rewards." Yes, he gets more enthusiastic about points on a board than any of my kids did as toddlers. Many Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids are very much into collecting points and can be motivated that way. Is he getting any interventions for Aspergers? Any help in school? Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids don't like change, food varieties, certain fabrics, and are creatures of habit or they get VERY nervous. A friend of mine (a genuis, I swear) has tried "points" to get her son to try new food, so he is now eating a bigger variety. My son will retch at the sight, let alone the smell, of a vegetable so I think this is brilliant and am going to use it on my son. I also make him take at least one sport. I don't care what it is, but he has to do one activity. He can whine, complain, talk about how he's missing his "shows" and "games" and it doesn't work. He goes. And he's usually all happy afterwards. These kids are wired differently and need supports in school and the community or they can fall by the wayside. Many have tremendous potential, but they need special handling. Regular discipline doesn't work for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids, as far as I know. I don't medicate my son. That doesn't fix Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), although some people do medicate them if they are behaviorally dangerous to themselves or others. I wish you luck. You may want to read books on Aspergers by Tony Attwood. They're great! Social skills and life skills classes are really good as are help with academics. Even if they're bright enough to do the word, often they can't do it because of sensory overload or anxiety...my son is almost mainstreamed this year, and his aide taught him A LOT! My son is fourteen.