Punishments NEVER work here. We've tried seemingly everything. MY DD sounds SO much like you are describing. Behavioral therapy was somewhat helpful (I think just going made DD feel more in control of her life) but meds were the biggest miracle. We haven't seen changes from diet or supplements but I'm rethinking diet because she's having a lot more trouble with her emotions lately. Some of these supplements sound promising. Just know I can relate. :grouphug:

If you have LEGO lovers on your gift list like I do, this is a good deal. http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Ideas-Book-Daniel-Lipkowitz/dp/0756686067/ref=wl_mb_wl_huc_mrai_1_dp http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Play-Book-Ideas-Bricks/dp/1465414126/ref=pd_sim_b_1 :)

That description is my DD (11) to a T. She struggles SO MUCH to regulate her emotions. She takes metadate CD for ADHD and it helps considerably but doesn't "fix" the problem. Her psychiatrist isn't terribly helpful right now, though we are trying Celexa for anxiety/mood stabilization. She also take an anti-convulsant often used for mood disorders so we're hoping for that side effect. :) My DD almost got an Asperger's diagnosis but as she gets older she fits that profile less. She does have SPD. She just did a new neuropsych eval so we're super interested to get those results.

Well, I lived in Burien (near White Center) and wouldn't recommend it. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't ideal. We ended up moving to Issaquah. LOVED living there even though my commute to Ballard was a pain. Issaquah has great schools and is a lovely place to live. There are many wonderful areas to live in the Seattle area. When you know more be sure to update. :)

No alcohol ever served. I'm LDS and most of my social circle is, too. We don't drink alcohol. I certainly attend functions with alcohol but I never notice other people's drinking habits.

My DD has tried multiple meds in the past 3 years. Metadate CD is the winner here. Almost two years on it now and still working well. It curbs her verbal/emotional impulsivity and helps her focus (both enormous challenges without meds). I regret not starting meds earlier. It has changed her life for the better in immense ways. Best wishes!!

My DD could not have read those in second or third grade. Fourth or fifth, yes, easily.

Thank you!!

They offered me a refund of $60. Guess who will be ordering a Kindle Fire? Thanks for the head's up!! Excited to get it. :)

I understand. It can be heartbreaking to have the adoption journey be so hard and feel so hopeless. Hugs!

I did for years (and still do) but it never seemed to make a big difference for me. I have severe symptoms, completely infertile, no cycle, etc. I went off metformin for a few years because I couldn't see that it was helpful and guess what? I was diagnosed with diabetes at 35. :( PCOS completely sucks.

I missed the priesthood session last night. Excited to watch it tomorrow. Such a great conference. Sad it's already over. Can't wait to rewatch some talks and read them. Our RS did a summer reading program this year where we were challenged to read the entire conference issue from the April conference. I can see that doing that made a difference in our lives as a group and individually. Can't wait to do it again with this conference. :)

Exceptional conference so far. Elder Holland - well, what can you say? He is fabulous. What a brilliant, beautiful, heartfelt talk! Anyone planning to watch the Priesthood session tonight?

Well, I completely agree about President Uchtdorf and Elder Dube. Inspiring. Also, the talk about the man who wasn't allowed to attend church in his country but who faithfully listened outside the open window of the church for years with his family. Wow!!! A great reminder to me to be devout, dedicated and GRATEFUL!

Hard to adequately answer. My DD (not a strong reader) is required by me to read for 45 minutes a day. She is assigned 9-10 "literature" books a month (such as Because of Winn-Dixie, Shiloh, Toliver's Secret), in addition to her daily science, weekly biography and rare history reading. She also spends at least an hour a day listening to audiobooks (In the last two weeks she's done The BFG, Peter Pan and Tuck Everlasting). Additionally, my DH reads aloud every night for about 30-45 minutes. Right now we're reading Pyle's Robin Hood. My short answer: LOTS of books. About 20-30 a month on her own, 6-8 per month on audiobook and another 2-3 a monh read aloud by dad.

About $3.50-$4.00 per person.

Um, sorry my post seems to have upset you somehow. I certainly never suggested It being a question of either doing school or not, or pushing a child without regard to extenuating circumstances or that I was concerned about dooming her to a life as an unemployable slacker. I hope your whole post wasn't being directed at me. :( FWIW, I pulled my child from school because the district couldn't (wouldn't) do enough to accommodate her needs. The only reason we homeschooled in the beginning was because of my child's health and well-being. I have devoted my life, full-time, to this child's care for 11 years. I have ONLY her well-being in mind. This is a hard discussion to have in such general terms. My child's illnesses/disabilities are mainly brain based, but do go well beyond neurological issues. She has 5-8 medical specialists she sees at any given time. She feels "bad" every day in one way or another. She also has hopes and dreams and talents and abilities. So, my goal is to accommodate her health needs enough to meet her needs for stimulation and accomplishment. It's a VERY hard balance and I am sincere in my questions about how other parents handle these issues. You have the benefit of hindsight. Someday I will too and I hope to have few regrets. That's why I'm so interested in how other families balance their lives. Grateful to the OP for asking these questions.

Yes, definitely possible. :)

????? My DD is unwell most of the time. She is also very bright and craves normalcy. She HAS to "do school" by law and because she has to learn in order to hopefully be a functional, happy, well-rounded person. I don't mean to upset you but I sincerely don't understand what the alternative is. You obviously have some strong feelings and I am curious how you would/do balance the need for a child to be actively learning while living with a chronic illness/disability. It's something many of us are struggling with so please share your thoughts so that we can learn from your experiences.

I really struggle with balancing my DD's needs health-wise with her needs education-wise. She has numerous chronic health problems, all of them serious. Some days are really bad, a few days are really good and most are somewhere in-between. We're trying to figure out a better way for her to communicate with us and manage her life. I appreciate all of the thoughts shared here. It helps me better think through the options. This is a complex, emotionally fraught issue.

The Swiss Family Robinson really dragged for us. I wouldn't recommend it. We've recently loved Johnny Tremain, Five Children and It, By the Great Horned Spoon, James and the Giant Peach and My Side of the Mountain.

You asked on a good day. :) Roast beef, carrots, potatoes and onions in the crockpot. Cake for dessert. Yum!

We just listened to Johnny Tremain and loved it.

Thank you for posting such a hope-filled story! I'm glad your sister is doing so well.

I come here to gather ideas for homeschooling. I do not follow the classical approach much at all, except that we take some CM ideas and discard others. I do not follow TWTM. I read TWTM after having been on the boards for a year or so. Lots of good stuff but not the best approach for my DD. We are eclectic homeschoolers because it is what is working best for our family. I LOVE this community and have grown and gained so much knowledge from participating here. Invaluable resource.