Junniper65
New Member
First of all hello! I'm a 30 yr old single mom with two "difficult child"s (if I'm using that right :smile: ) and need some advice. My 8 yr old son was diagnosis'ed with autism at age 2.5, and has been in therapy (speech and occupational) since his diagnosis. He was also diagnosis'ed with Sensory Integration Disorder. He still has issues with that but it has dwindled down to just food issues. He has other health issues as well, including an allergy to milk (yes an actual allergy) BUT I do have him on the gluten-free, casein-free and also soy free diet. He has improved beyond anything I could have hoped for. He's currently entering 2nd grade with no SPED services and his only struggle is with social issues and those are dwindling as he gets older. I rode this fun roller coaster with him for the past 5.5 years. He's such an awesome kid. Now, you must think, "hey what the heck does she need advice on?" Well here it is.
I also have a 6 year old daughter who at age 4 started receiving speech therapy, but I knew there was more to it. She had extreme difficulty in preschool with the structure, she often had outbursts, refused to do things most kids her age would love (like coloring and painting) and often wandered away from circle time with little explanation (even at ECFE meetings while I was there, I can remember the other parents being appalled. lol). I said way back then, I thought it was ADHD. They told me, "she's too young! you can't tell". I told them to wait, in K or 1st grade they'd be calling me. Well she just finished K and low and behold the phone call came. Now she had an awesome K teacher who had a well of patience that's huge. To back track a bit, during ECSE (due to speech therapy she ALMOST qualified for early childhood Special Education, but you need 2 significant issues for ESCE) so i battled and fought for her to be tested again. Yet again the only issue that showed on the nice neat tests was speech. I wrote letters, documented behavior and fought for her. I ended up with the whole SPED dept AND the principal in the meeting and I finally got them to add behavior goals to her speech IEP. To this day she is still working on those goals. Now as of a month ago she has the official diagnosis of ADHD (combined type) from a psychologist.
A little snapshot of her is that she is a bright beautiful girl who struggles with her peers, can't seem to shut off her motor and can't understand what the big deal is! :smile: And I wouldn't trade her for the world. Her constant energy and joy of life is what kept me sane through the tunnels we crawled through with my son. I get overwhelmed by the sheer life she has running through her! The pediatrician whom I trust due to his immense help with my son, prescribed my daughter Adderal XR 5mg. I'm at such a loss.
On one hand I want to help her in anyway I can. She really struggled through K (not academically, she had met all expectations by December) and I'm worried what 1st grade will bring. Another worry (well not so much worry as feeling hypocritical) is that my son was helped by "alternative" means and here I sit, ready to give my daughter medications. I've read about the Feingold diet and it disturbs me that you have to pay 60-70 bucks just to get the materials. That makes me skeptical of it. If it's truly that wonderful for these kind of kids, it should be free. When I did the gluten-free, casein-free diet the only thing I paid for was food.
And now I'm rambling. I'm tired. And I'm due to give her her first pill in the morning! Help! Any advice is greatly appreciated!
** Also the ex is a recent ex so she is also dealing with that. And ex thinks he knows better than doctors. I just found out the last week he allowed son to eat fries with soy and gluten in them . On purpose. Just to "prove" something. I'm worried he'll pull this with my daughter. And we're currently in a custody battle. It's great.
I also have a 6 year old daughter who at age 4 started receiving speech therapy, but I knew there was more to it. She had extreme difficulty in preschool with the structure, she often had outbursts, refused to do things most kids her age would love (like coloring and painting) and often wandered away from circle time with little explanation (even at ECFE meetings while I was there, I can remember the other parents being appalled. lol). I said way back then, I thought it was ADHD. They told me, "she's too young! you can't tell". I told them to wait, in K or 1st grade they'd be calling me. Well she just finished K and low and behold the phone call came. Now she had an awesome K teacher who had a well of patience that's huge. To back track a bit, during ECSE (due to speech therapy she ALMOST qualified for early childhood Special Education, but you need 2 significant issues for ESCE) so i battled and fought for her to be tested again. Yet again the only issue that showed on the nice neat tests was speech. I wrote letters, documented behavior and fought for her. I ended up with the whole SPED dept AND the principal in the meeting and I finally got them to add behavior goals to her speech IEP. To this day she is still working on those goals. Now as of a month ago she has the official diagnosis of ADHD (combined type) from a psychologist.
A little snapshot of her is that she is a bright beautiful girl who struggles with her peers, can't seem to shut off her motor and can't understand what the big deal is! :smile: And I wouldn't trade her for the world. Her constant energy and joy of life is what kept me sane through the tunnels we crawled through with my son. I get overwhelmed by the sheer life she has running through her! The pediatrician whom I trust due to his immense help with my son, prescribed my daughter Adderal XR 5mg. I'm at such a loss.
On one hand I want to help her in anyway I can. She really struggled through K (not academically, she had met all expectations by December) and I'm worried what 1st grade will bring. Another worry (well not so much worry as feeling hypocritical) is that my son was helped by "alternative" means and here I sit, ready to give my daughter medications. I've read about the Feingold diet and it disturbs me that you have to pay 60-70 bucks just to get the materials. That makes me skeptical of it. If it's truly that wonderful for these kind of kids, it should be free. When I did the gluten-free, casein-free diet the only thing I paid for was food.
And now I'm rambling. I'm tired. And I'm due to give her her first pill in the morning! Help! Any advice is greatly appreciated!
** Also the ex is a recent ex so she is also dealing with that. And ex thinks he knows better than doctors. I just found out the last week he allowed son to eat fries with soy and gluten in them . On purpose. Just to "prove" something. I'm worried he'll pull this with my daughter. And we're currently in a custody battle. It's great.