I have two children at various stages of starting meds for ADHD, GAD, doing some adjusting, tapering, etc., and need some tried and true advice for keeping track of it all. I am really new at this and not the most organized at times. Plus, I am also getting my kitchen remodeled for the next few weeks and my usual places for keeping medicines for them and the rest of the family, including lots of vitamins, supplements, etc., is going to be kind of disrupted. I wouldn't have planned it this way but that is just how life is going right now. If anyone has some good ideas, links to charts or other resources, etc., I would really appreciate it. TIA

:grouphug::grouphug: I understand. Hope your morning isn't too stressful!

I think it depends on the natural color of your eyelashes. Mine are very light, practically blonde, and I would look strange with mascara only on the upper lashes.

I spent $249 dollars way before they ever had the free download and I think it was totally worth it (although I sure wish I had it for free). It was what finally worked for my dd. We are almost finished with the Funnix 2. I would say go for it!

Thanks for taking the time to list all of those! I will check them out.

Dd 10 had a neuropsych eval earlier this summer but they did not include any educational types of tests to test for actual LDs. I will be talking to the psychologist about it this week and would like to know what should be included in something like this ahead of time or what to ask for. We already know she has weak memory and processing skills and average IQ. She was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and GAD (which may be why they didn't include the educational testing at that time) I have concerns with reading and math as well as writing skills (not handwriting). We will have to pay out of pocket for these next tests so I want to be sure to get what we need. Thanks very much!:)

I put makeup on for myself every morning and I look totally washed out without it. I don't really know what dh thinks, he is used to me looking this way.;)

Dd 10 is on sertraline (zoloft) for generalized anxiety disorder (also has PDD-NOS) . She has been on it since the end of last month. They increased the dose last week from one 25mg tablet to one and a half. I was supposed to call back this week to report how she was doing. I think her anxiety is still strong, she still is freaking out about storms, clouds (even leaving the house when clouds are present), she is lying, teasing, crying, having meltdowns. She just isn't the same child anymore (even before the meds but worse now) Tonight she had a major meltdown when we caught her lying to us about something (too long to explain) and she had to miss out on getting something she was looking forward to having. She threatened to run away, says bad things about herself, etc. There is NO reasoning with her at all. I don't think she really gets right vs wrong. When I called today the nurse said the behavioral CNP (highly respected in our area) who does the prescribing was on vacation but that maybe we could get the dose increased by another provider (pediatrician).??? I was not OK with that option and now we wait another week to see her in office. She was supposed to follow up with her therapist, in the same practice, the week after beginning the meds but there were no openings, the next week the therapist was on vacation and this week we were gone til now. I feel kind of in a bind here with having started her on these meds (we have never used any in the past and I was wary to begin with) and I don't feel like we are getting enough support in this journey. I am totally frustrated, feel like I am trapped at home with my dd who is getting more difficult to be around (getting her out of the house is a major deal). We haven't even started school yet and I am dreading having to cope with her resistant behavior as it has already been tough in the past (she hates doing school) and now all this on top of it. What should I be doing? How long does this med take to work? Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks!

We were lucky as we dealt with a wonderful director of Early Childhood special ed. from the school district. My dd was 3yo and was attending a private preschool 2 or 3 mornings a week (can't remember for sure anymore). The preschool wasn't even in the same district as we lived in but she traveled there monthly and kept in contact with us and the preschool teacher. They felt it was a better fit for her rather than their own program. The OT would also visit dd on site and it worked well for all of us. We were happy with the services and care for our dd. Sometimes they do make allowances. Good luck deciding.

I remember those SRA reading labs. I did those back in school years and years ago! I do have the set that came with HOP several years back, used them with my older kids.....maybe I should dig them out and use them again??;)

:grouphug::grouphug: I don't really have advice yet for you as my 10 yo dd was just diagnosed with PDD and anxiety this summer. But I did want to wish you well. Your story sounds a little bit like mine as my dd was different from the beginning, I'd say probably from about 18 months old. I mentioned it to the ped then and she didn't think anything was wrong. At age 3, she did refer her to ECSE. Later she was diagnosed as ADHD, but now that is not found to be her issue. Another thing I have noticed is that why is it that so many 10 yo girls are diagnosed with anxiety? I have seen that here as well as other places and I wonder if hormones or something might have something to do with it becoming more pronounced at that age. I am at a loss as how to approach the school year with my dd (my youngest of 5) and I have been homeschooling since 1995. The only thing I have done for sure is sign her up for an art class (art is her passion). It will be her first class away from home and I have talked to the teacher who said she has worked with a lot of different types of kids. It isn't easy as each child is so different. But it is so worth it. At this point I am just reading as much as I can and trying to come up with a plan for her. We may not start exactly "on time" but we have the freedom to do that as homeschoolers. I have to focus on her well being and put that first, followed by curriculum concerns. Don't listen to the psychiatrist.:glare: I have run into other "professionals" who are also against homeschooling and they really don't know the first thing about it. Please check back here, ask questions, and I am sure you would also have good advice to give having gone through some of this with your dd before me and others with children who have anxiety. Good luck!

I am not sure where to tell you to go, but make sure the person giving the test is experienced with it and working with children. I have nothing against college students, graduate students, etc., working as interns in various evaluation programs. But my children have been tested by them in the past and I do not feel we got an accurate result. This summer one of my dc was tested by a pediatric psychologist with 20 yrs experience and I feel we have finally gotten a better picture of our child. JMHO!

Oh, I couldn't have lasted that long! I went to a Brad Paisley concert with my older dc a couple of years ago. We had pretty good seats, but to my amazement, everyone stands up while he is on stage...the whole time! I had to sit down a few times. I do have a bad back and my feet were killing me. I just don't get it!

I personally use magnesium glycinate at bedtime. It is easier on the stomach than other forms. I also use 5-HTP and take my calcium supplements as well. I have given my teenagers 200mg of the same magnesium glycinate as well as 50 mg of the 5-HTP and it seems to help them sleep.

Sometimes it isn't just gluten alone that causes the problems, but grains in general. If you try to substitute with a lot of other grains, they could be an issue as well. I am gluten sensitive and feel my best overall when I am off of all grains. And you probably won't want to do this, but I would give it about 3 months rather than 30 days if you possibly can to give it the best chance. It can take a while to heal the "gut", which is where a lot of issues originate. Good Luck!

In one, a mirror. In another, a window with shutters.

How old are you talking about? I have a son who went to the OT/ST clinic where my younger children had gone. At the time there weren't a lot of older kids there (he was about 16-17 at the time). He lucked out by getting assigned to a therapist who was perfect for him. She had had a younger brother who had the same types of issues and worked on a lot of things with him. She ended up leaving to have a baby or he would have gone there longer and he didn't want to start over with someone new. I credit the head OT at the clinic with making the initial match turn out so well. She listened well and found just who we needed. Since he left a few years ago, they have had many more older kids go through the clinic. I would probably talk to a few different clinics and see what they have to offer you. In a perfect world everyone would be able to access therapy at a young age but some of us aren't so lucky in identifying issues so early on. Good luck!

I have had two children in different therapy situations. With one, we did play therapy. Ds would meet with the therapist and the last five minutes we would all meet together. I would say something positive about him, he would say something positive about himself and he could share what he did if he felt like it. I would also meet with the therapist about every 4th time and we would discuss where he was in his therapy for the entire session without him present. I found that very helpful. Currently, my dd is going through therapy for anxiety. It is CBT and she only meets with her for a half hour. The last time I had questions and she met with me as well. At another session, we all met together so we could learn breathing exercises and other "tricks" for calming. We are taking a break for a few weeks so the new meds can get a chance to work. I have trusted these two different therapists and did not feel anxious at all about not being in the room for the sessions. I would talk with the therapist so your expectations can be met in the best way possible. Good luck!

We have owned a TempurPedic for several years now. It felt great for the first 90 days or so but after that time, not so much. We both have back problems and wish we hadn't spent the money. It is too hot, especially if you are a woman in midlife! A lot of the sheets today are the really deep ones and they don't fit well on this mattress. We cannot wait until the day we can afford to replace it. I would never recommend it to anyone.

:grouphug: I am so sorry you are going through this. I have a child just diagnosed with anxiety (10 yo dd) and it has been pretty severe this summer. As we look back, there were definite signs at much younger ages that this was already an issue back then. However, in spite of three evaluations over the years, the anxiety was never identified. I would encourage you to address it now as it will probably only progress with time. This may sound strange, but consider it a gift that you have found this out while he is so young. I think a skilled play therapist would be able to help him work through it and also provide you with tools to deal with it as a parent. Good luck to you!

nt

Thanks for the suggestion. They look good and got some great reviews on amazon. I will keep these in mind for my dc.

20 for me. That was a surprise! I love the convenience.

It's not so much my kids but drivers on the road that I notice. Watch out for your life out there!

I hear from my sister that my children are the way they are (one with aspergers, one with NVLD, and one with strong "high functioning autism features" along with anxiety) because I homeschool them. If only they were in school and were around other kids "they would be just fine". Ugh.....:glare: