Advice for my ADD daughter

[Guest amyjb]

Hello Ladies, I have visited these boards often in the past and always get great advice. I need advice regarding my daughter. She is going to be five in a few weeks. She has always been busy , mills around, never plays for long, talks all the time. all along I have assumed it was her personality. I started to do some school with her this year and she struggles to pay attention. Two months ago she had a series of seizures and we had her evaluated, she is now on trileptal. Since the seizures she seems more distracted, erratic at times etc. i am really noticing how much better my 2 1/2 y/o can stay on task. I always assumed she had "a little ADD" but now as I am watching her more I am really noticing how she really cannnot focus. I feel bad that I have not clued into this sooner- we have 7 children in the house and I have been homeschooling for 10 yrs. I have never had a child like her and I feel like my eyes are just being opened to her needs. it is hard to know what is ADD and what is disobedience , how to get her to focus. I feel totally unprepared and a little overwhelmed and do not know what to turn to first. She has not been evaluated or diagnosed with ADD although from what i have read I am pretty sure she is. All this to say what so I do first? Any books anyone would recommend- there are so many out there! I was planning on putting her in Montessori -two days a week this fall. I made that decision last spring , but is that a good environment for her? Lots of questions , feeling overwhelmed. I appreciate any words of wisdom. Thanks

[Laurie4b]

The first thing I would do would be to take her for an evaluation with an occupational therapist. Even if it is ADD, there are likely to be sensory processing issues that are co-morbid with it. OT can really help a child learn to modulate their arousal level, enabling them to concentrate. Secondly, given that there are seizures as well, I'd look for a developmental pediatrician and pursue a full evaluation. In other words, there are other possible explanations for the behavior other than ADD.

 

Books to read on sensory processing disorder are; The Out of Sync CHild, Raising a Sensory Smart CHild, Sensational Kids.

[Anne]

:iagree: with Laurie's advice to get an evaluation and find out what you are really dealing with.

 

Anne

[Ottakee]

Has she been evaluated by a pediatric neurologist or did your primary care doctor handle the seizures?

 

My first suggestion would be to see a peds neurologist and make sure her seizures are well under control. Then I would ask them for an evaluation by a neuropsychologist. This would likely be covered by your insurance due to her seizures. They can help figure out if there is ADD or other issues at play.

 

If things seem worse on the Trileptal, I would ask the neurologist about trying a different medication. There are many seizure meds out there and some have less side effects and/or work better for various types of seizures.

 

Here, my 12dd is on Tegretol and Lamictal for seizures and Dexedrine for ADD. My 11dd is on Lamictal for seizures and Dexedrine for ADHD.

[hs_gram]

Have you tried getting a supplement of Omega 3 Fatty Acids? Children with ADD and other learning disorders are deficient in Omega 3s. Our bodies need DHA and EPA, but our bodies cannot produce them if we do not eat food rich in Omega 3s. Cold water fish like salmon and cod are the best sources, but flax seeds or meal, and walnuts, and extra-virgin olive oil also contain Omega 3s. Fisl oil is superior to vegetable sources, however.

 

My daughter has benefitted greatly from fish oil this past year. It has been amazing to see how it has helped her to focus, especially in staying on task. She has improved in most every subject and isn't nearly as frustrated as she has been in the past. I am contemplating switching her to a combination of oils (EFA Blend for Children or Nordic Naturals DHA for Children) this year to see if we get any more improvement. Borage oil and Evening Primrose Oil are sources of GLA, which our bodies also need.

 

I have my own problems with concentration and I have discovered that Omega 3s really really make a difference for me. They also help with skin problems like eczema.

 

If you are a member of the HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense), or would like to join, they have people on staff that you can talk to about your child's learning disabilities. The website is www.hslda.org and they have a link to "Struggling Learners" which gives some general information about learning disorders and a number to call if you are a member to reach staffers who can help with your individual challenges.

 

I hope this may help you or someone else in some way.

 

God bless,

Darlene