Well, personally, I would try the meds at this point. If they work, you might see a huge difference and if they don't you aren't out a lot of money. We tried VT---didnt' see any results. We did 2 sessions a day of some sensory integration therap---again, no results. We did counseling, diet, neurofeedback, etc--still no results. Meds---HUGE results in a very short time. I am not for meds as a cure all for all kids or as the first thing to try for a "busy" child but when they are indicated, they can be a huge help. It did take us a few tries to find the right meds, dose, etc. but I am so happy we did.

http://www.roadstoeverywhere.com/3RsPlusRead.html These books are the best I have found for teacing reading. Click on the UK link to the right and find out even more about the program. My progress with my kids is highlighted (under Ottakee I think) but I have no financial interest in this at all. I just have seen the progress kids make with the I See Sam books. They have a email list for even more wonderful free help. http://www.soundfoundationsbooks.co.uk/ Apples and Pears is TOPS for teaching spelling to kids who struggle. It is a tad pricey but still way cheaper than any tutoring would be. It is very easy to use and the skills transfer to other subjects. For Math, I would look at Math U See http://www.mathusee.com The mom might have to take her back to 1st grade or so level to make sure she has the foundational skills. She might be able to keep speech therapy through the schools or get it privately if that is needed.

Thanks. I figured it out. Now, does it tell us when there are new messages or do I have to check there? I am behind the techie times here. I DID though ride an Arabian last weekend. I took 13dd to a parent/child horse camp weekend. We went on 2 trail rides, had a riding lesson, messed with the herd, she drove a draft team, we did some team penning, and she even when horse tubing (horse pulling the innertube in the sand arena). On our first ride they asked who had ridden ever (a few had never been on a horse) and who rode a few times, and on up. Well, I ended up being given the ALPHA mare, a 14.3hh Arabian. I guess that is because I own my own horse---NOT due to the fact that I am an advanced rider at all (still a beginner). Normally she was a staff horse but they needed another horse and figured I could handle her. We headed out but I had NO stirrups as they said we would just be walking so we were fine without them. Well, she spooked pretty big but I stayed on. 13dd was riding the tallest horse they had---here we have the shortest child there on the tallest horse and beginner mom on the head horse (trying to keep her at the back of the trail string). Overall, dd rode 8 different horses and I rode 4 different ones. Just made me appreciate my guy at home.

I want to join but where, how, etc? Is this a subgroup here or a different group or ???? Today I went out riding with my girls. Problem is that they have to share their 30 year old gelding and he can only ride about 1 hour at a time. That meant that 1 girl ran along for the first 1/2 hour, then the switched and the 2nd dd ran while the 1st one rode. It was BEAUTIFUL out though. The leaves are chaning colors and it was about 70 degrees.

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=585909#poststop I would have her look at the 2 programs I mentioned here. She could do 15-20 minutes of the reading and 10-15 minutes of the spelling a day and make good progress. Can she homeschool for the rest of this school year to get him a better reading/spelling base?

Time is short for me now but here are some WONDERFUL resources: http://www.roadstoeverywhere.com/3RsPlusRead.html These books are the best I have found for teacing reading. Click on the UK link to the right and find out even more about the program. My progress with my kids is highlighted (under Ottakee I think) but I have no financial interest in this at all. I just have seen the progress kids make with the I See Sam books. They have a email list for even more wonderful free help. Both of your boys could use this program if they are reading below a solid mid 3rd grade level. http://www.soundfoundationsbooks.co.uk/ Apples and Pears is TOPS for teaching spelling to kids who struggle. It is a tad pricey but still way cheaper than any tutoring would be. It is very easy to use and the skills transfer to other subjects. [

Well, I have done this with 4 kids over the years. Hints: GIVE the pain medicine AS DIRECTED for the first 3-4 days. This means setting the alarm and giving it through the night (ours was every 4 hours). This does NOT mean waiting 5 hours, give it ON time. Staying ahead of the pain is the biggest thing. Next thing, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. I didn't care what they drank as long as they got liquids in them. With those 2 things, my girls did VERY well. My one foster boy who did NOT drink really did have problems for 2 weeks. My daughters though wanted oreo cookies (for one) and pizza (for the other) within hours of sugery. Neither of them hardly looked back. In fact, I had to keep my youngest dd from swimming 2 days after surgery as she felt fine. She wanted to go out to play, etc. I would just let them rest and relax and keep up the pain meds and fluids. Our doctor said they could eat or not whatever they wanted. The fluids are the key.

Is she seeing a specialists for the migraines? If not, and if this med doesn't work, I would see a specialist. My 20ds take Inderal for his migraines with no side effects. My 11dd takes Lamictal for her migraines, again with no side effects (actually the Lamictal helps many areas for her). There are other meds out there as well and a different med might be needed. Amatriptyline is Pamelor, right? If so, it is terrible to come off of---need to wean it very slowly. My 13dd was on it at age 3 but had terrible problems with it.

If she likes crafts, etc. then look at Sculpey clay. It stays soft and is easy to work with but you can bake it to harden it if you want. Much better quality than playdough, etc. I buy it 40% off with a coupon at Hobby Lobby.

Well, I have been using it for 1 1/2-2 years now---or at least their materials. Pros: WORKS easy to use spelling carries over to other subjects seems to "stick"--not just learn a list and forget it next week really helps those that struggle with spelling Cons: more expensive than many programs does need to be taught 1:1 (can't just tell them to go do their spelling) but an older sibling that reads well can "teach" it isn't "typical" in its word lists which might throw some people off I do like it though. It is working for both of my girls and even I am learning some of the WHYs behind spelling. I think they now mail it out from a US site but the program was authored in the UK and that is where Tom and Hilsie live. They are wonderful to work with though if you have any questions or problems.

Look for a time release melatonin. This is supposed to help with STAYING asleep as well as falling asleep.

I have 3 with special needs. My 20ds has an IQ about 55 and fetal alcohol syndrome. He complete a special needs program at the public highschool and is now attending a progrma for young adults with special needs. He works on life skills--banking, cooking, money, time management, laundry, etc. as well as working at various job training locations. Right now he loves his program and is doing well. He will likely always need some support--money and meds mostly but could likely live in a semi independent living arangement. He has a girlfriend and is very active with guys in the neighborhood and his friends. My 13dd has an IQ likely in the 60s. She is reading at an early 2nd grade level and doing early 1st grade math. I am homeschooling her. Likely she will need some help as an adult as well (she has extensive medical needs and takes over 40 pills a day). She LOVES her horse and is very good at doing chores. I could see her working at a barn/stable some day helping with chores, etc. My 11dd has an IQ about 80 and is doing 4th grade work. She likely will be able to be on her own in the future. Does the school offer vocational training? Practical living skills classes? I would start looking at what she needs to live as an adult and transition to those classes/programs. She might need to learn to use a calculator for example to handle basic money skills, etc. I would try to find things that she is good at and enjoys and look at job possiblities in those areas.

We get the flu shots all around each year. My girls both have immune deficiencies (IgA and IgG deficiencies) and 11dd has asthma that has landed her in the hospital many times. Add in my in-laws---fil had triple bypass, is diabetic and on dialysis and mil who is a kidney transplant patient. We strive for the mercury free shots. Since we have started we have not been ill at all in the winter.

That sounds like a great program. Most kids around here in 4H have their own horses but a few lease them--but for more than $35/month. I might actually let my riding instructor's daughter lease my horse next summer for 4H. She is a great rider and the experience would only help him be a better horse for me. I would keep him and still ride him most of the time but let her practice on him 1-2 times a week and show him.

The camp idea sounds great. We actually met our son AT a therapeutic riding center. His foster family took all of the foster kids there to ride once a week. He had the double whammy though of having fetal alcohol syndrome and being in foster care. He though now has given up horses for dirt bikes. You will have to research all of the libability stuff though for running a camp--esp. for kids and those in foster care. Great area of ministry though. You could even start out slowly with one family and do it as friends, not a business, etc.

I would suggest giving him a year to settle down if you can. Not all agree but my friend rescued a POA pony that might have been an Amish buggy pony at one time--someone even suggested he had been in an accident. She did try working with him at first but then with time constraints, etc. she ended up not doing a lot of formal work with him for about 9 months. The difference in him is amazing. He is still not quite ready to ride, but almost, but he is so much calmer. Do try to get the Mark Rashid books. He is big on taking a horse like this and maybe taking weeks to get to touch it and doing things in very slow and gentle steps.

Haven't seen the book and likely don't want to read it. I have 2 with ADD and 1 with ADHD (and 2 different sets of birth parents). In my girls' case they have mitochondrial mutations--POLG 1 which is associated with ADD/ADHD, mood disorders and a host of other medical issues. While it is not a TEST for ADHD (like a clear cut blood test) but it might be coming in the future. Years ago seizures were very misunderstood but now with EEGs, MRIs, etc. they have medical proof it was not a character, spiritual, etc. issue but a real medical condition. Now, there ARE kids out there that are misbehaving due to poor parenting, lack of schedule, exercise, good diet, good sleep habits, etc. but that does not mean that ALL kids who look like they are ADHD have poor parenting. Often parents of kids with ADD/ADHD struggle for years trying everything under the sun to help their child.

Forgot to mention---check out http://www.markrashid.com and his books. He learned from an OLD time cowboy about working with horses and has some really great ideas for those abused horses. He is not Clinton Anderson, Parelli, or anyone else, just a down to earth guy that figures things out with each horse as he goes along. His books are great reads if your library has them.

We do http://www.houstonni.com We get the Supremadophillus from them. Seems to work well. I give my girls one every day and they have not even had a cold in over a year-----and this is huge since they both have immune deficiencies.

Yes, and you can do chores without your br* on as well. Just don't try riding without one.

We are Western Michigan and we were out trail riding today. You might not get many horsey answers today as many people our out with their horses. Nearly 2 years ago my girls got their first pony. Jasper was a 9 year old 12hh Haflinger/Shetland pony. Cute as could be, great on the ground, but too fast in the saddle for them. We sold him about 1 year ago. Then we leased Precious, a 17 year old 15.2hh Paint for the girls to share for the winter. When she went back to our riding instructor we got BJ for the girls. BJ is a 30 year old 16hh QH gelding. He came to us in early March basically a woolly skeleton. We got him as a free adoption. Now with lots of pounds on him we have slowly built him up to where they can ride him at an easy pace for about 45-60 minutes a day. He will still trot, lope, and gallop but then tires faster. Since BJ has almost no usable teeth, he gets a mash 3 times a day right now along with pasture. My girls are just turned 13 this week and almost 12. They both have special needs with the older one having more special needs. BJ is a perfect mount for them......I just wish he could handle longer rides. I have Spy, a 15hh 15 year old QH/Arab gelding. I bought him late Feb. after watching my instructor ride him for a few minutes in a blizzard. There were some red flags with the deal but my instructor knew the owner for years and basically the owner didn't know enough about horses to lie about things. Spy is a great and safe trail horse. He does have some stall issues and occ. refuses to get in the trailer but overall is a great horse. I am a new rider. I started riding for the first time on my own not even 2 years ago. My first horse was a 9 year old 14.3hh QH but due to back problems (that we didn't know about when we got him) he bucked me off a few times and moved on. The girls and I take lessson once a week and we ride 5-6 days a week. We board our horses with a good friend of mine who has 3 horses and a donkey. As to your dreams, what about doing some riding---even for 1 or 2---for kids with special needs? My friend led my girls around on their horses for almost a year before we bought ours. Horses are such great therapy for kids with special medical, emotional, physical or mental impairments. Obviously you need to take a lot of safety precautions but the rewards can be great. Where are you located? There are several "families" aorund here that always have the "dead broke, bomb proof" horses for sale---esp. 3 year old ones. When I had an ad out for a confidence builder, very beginner friendly older horse, I had someone promise me that their 2 year old STALLION would make a perfect trail mount for me with 30 days at the trainer????????

My girls have learned the fine "art" of peeing in a stall (the horse kind) at the barn where we board. We can use the house if needed (a good friend of mine) but they have a poor septic system and it is a hike to the house. The stalls are just quicker. Even *I* have been known to use the stalls on a rare occ. Our doctor once told us that a 5 quart ice cream pail is needed in each and every vehicle. Great for all sorts of emergencies. Lined with a plastic garbage bag and a few papertowels you have a great "potty". It makes a great "puke pail" as my kids call it as well. The lid is handy.

I can't really comment on the therapy side of things but I will say that here, meds made such a huge difference that therapy isn't really needed. We only had milder anxiety and OCD (along with ADHD, bipolar, etc). I think that that therapy can be very useful for some kids/situations but I know that for us, without the meds, therapy wasn't very helpful. With the meds, we didn't really need the therapy.

We spend 10-15 minutes a day on it. My girls only do 1/2 level at a time as handwriting (the actual physical writing) is hard for them. What level did you get? 11 dd is almost done with B and 13dd just started very slowly on A.

Check out this blog http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ She is cooking in the crock pot every day this year. She has lots of simple recipes and most are inexpensive as well. Fix It and Forget It is a series of crock pot cook books. Check them out at the library to see if they meet your needs. I LOVE my crock pot. I have 3 of them going right now--hot dogs in one, chili in one and cheese sauce in the last one. I am having 30 teens over after church. We don't have organized sports but the girls and I have horses so we go riding/to the barn almost every afternoon and I LOVE to come home at 5 or 5:30 to supper ready to go. Most of the clean up is done before noon as well which is nice.