need advice from those with add/adhd meds experience or sensory issues or???

[walkermamaof4]

Is it worth getting my ds diagnosed and on meds maybe? Let me describe him:

 

He was adopted at age 13 months from Korea. He was in an orphanage there for 5 months and then a foster home. When he arrived we noticed almost immediately that, while he is super smiley and happy, he never wants to obey. never is not an exxageration. Even then if we said to stand up, he would lie down. If we said not to go in a room, he'd at least stick his toe over the threshold.

 

Fast forward 6 years. He still argues 100% of the time despite 6 years of very consistent consequences for arguing and/or disobeying. We've tried varying consequences, read a ton of books, ask for lots of input from others. Nothing has helped. We did Brain Balance this summer to no avail. They swore he'd suddenly change 3-6 weeks after we finished as they claimed he was a late bloomer in responding. Ha. No change. He eats no gluten or dairy, takes pure vitamins, eats nothing that his IGG test says he has any intolerance to. For 4 weeks after pulling him off all of these items he was a maniac. That calmed after about 6 weeks total and now he is back to his normal self. The only change we saw was that he sometimes does nice things for people now, like holding doors. Before he would be the first to take advantage of others doing things for him. Now he actually tries. This is huge actually. Oh, and another huge thing - he sometimes shares now! And, if he has no off-limits foods it seems that he no longer wets the bed. But his impulsivity otherwise does not seem improved and he still argues incessantly.

 

If he eats any grains I've noticed he really struggles with focusing. He stares a lot and gets very little done. If he gets red dyes, he literally spins in place and does crazy stuff.

 

He hums and makes lots of noises all of the time. He kicks his desk endlessly. He says the first thing and does the first thing that comes to his mind. Very impulsive in that way. He runs ahead of us in parking lots. He wants to eat non-stop. He steals food/candy if he can find it. Now we lock up candy that the other kids get at birthdays/Christmas... and have eliminated all processed foods anyway. One day he can get 100 in math and the next day get everything wrong and take hours to do it. He likes to listen to audio books and will do so for hours while playing. He is very messy, can't manage cleaning up by himself, and leaves things all over the house. Nothing makes it to the right place. He yells out answers when it is other people's turn. He tells everyone what to do all of the time. He is constantly making up rules and declaring them. And he likes to tattle on others despite there being consequences daily for tattling. We realize this may be because he gets in trouble a whole lot more than the others. He is very selfish usually and very unkind.

 

Unlike many stories I read of other kids sort of like him, he doesn't have a tremendous anger problem. He did when we first removed all of those foods-dairy, gluten... but it resolved. During that time he punched a hole in a wall. It was bad. I am glad that is over!!! He has fits when he is in trouble. But I've seen kids with much worse anger issues.

 

Ok, so... has anyone experienced a child at all like this who has then experienced huge change from anything?

[TravelingChris]

My dd is not adopted, didn't have any food issues, but has severe ADHD. He sounds like he very well may have that. I would take him to a child psychiatrist and get him evaluated and then try medication. It makes a huge difference in my dd. She goes from being non stop talking, totally impulsive, to a normal human- but actually better because she is intellectually gifted and her natural personality is to be tenacious and work hard and that turns into a high performer of whatever she attempts which currently is college where she has a 4.0.

[walkermamaof4]

Thanks! I think he is very smart. People comment about it all of the time. And yet he gets tons wrong when he is wound up. I hope that something works to help him!

[jujsky]

It could be ODD and ADHD, or something else -- many things look like ADHD that aren't.

 

It's definitely worth having him evaluated. We had a neuropsych evaluation on our son. Neuropsychs are tricky -- most insurance companies won't pay for them if they're "educational" and they consider ADHD educational....even though you take medication for it. I got around that with DS's by not putting ADHD anywhere on the paper work, and reiterating that we had "adoption-related concerns."

 

ADHD is often co-morbid with other issues/disorders, so it's worth getting it done. DS ended up having 2 other issues along with ADHD.

[walkermamaof4]

Thanks. Can you tell me how whatever they then prescribed has worked? Both negatives and positives?

[Parrothead]

 

He hums and makes lots of noises all of the time. He kicks his desk endlessly. He says the first thing and does the first thing that comes to his mind. Very impulsive in that way. He runs ahead of us in parking lots. He wants to eat non-stop. He steals food/candy if he can find it. Now we lock up candy that the other kids get at birthdays/Christmas... and have eliminated all processed foods anyway. One day he can get 100 in math and the next day get everything wrong and take hours to do it. He likes to listen to audio books and will do so for hours while playing. He is very messy, can't manage cleaning up by himself, and leaves things all over the house. Nothing makes it to the right place. He yells out answers when it is other people's turn. He tells everyone what to do all of the time. He is constantly making up rules and declaring them. And he likes to tattle on others despite there being consequences daily for tattling. We realize this may be because he gets in trouble a whole lot more than the others. He is very selfish usually and very unkind.

 

 

This totally sounds like ADHD. I'd get him evaluated and if recommended medicated. When kids who truly need ADHD meds get the meds it is like a switch is thrown. It is my understanding that the kid/person can feel the difference on the inside.

 

Good luck.

[Unicorn.]

I agree w/ Chris. Take him in for an evaluation. He sounds like my AD/HD kids. Just so you know, it may take several trials of meds and more than a year to find what works for him. Some meds may make him worse before you find the right one.

[Lisa in Jax]

Is it worth getting my ds diagnosed and on meds maybe? Let me describe him:

 

He was adopted at age 13 months from Korea. He was in an orphanage there for 5 months and then a foster home. When he arrived we noticed almost immediately that, while he is super smiley and happy, he never wants to obey. never is not an exxageration. Even then if we said to stand up, he would lie down. If we said not to go in a room, he'd at least stick his toe over the threshold.

 

Fast forward 6 years. He still argues 100% of the time despite 6 years of very consistent consequences for arguing and/or disobeying. We've tried varying consequences, read a ton of books, ask for lots of input from others. Nothing has helped. We did Brain Balance this summer to no avail. They swore he'd suddenly change 3-6 weeks after we finished as they claimed he was a late bloomer in responding. Ha. No change. He eats no gluten or dairy, takes pure vitamins, eats nothing that his IGG test says he has any intolerance to. For 4 weeks after pulling him off all of these items he was a maniac. That calmed after about 6 weeks total and now he is back to his normal self. The only change we saw was that he sometimes does nice things for people now, like holding doors. Before he would be the first to take advantage of others doing things for him. Now he actually tries. This is huge actually. Oh, and another huge thing - he sometimes shares now! And, if he has no off-limits foods it seems that he no longer wets the bed. But his impulsivity otherwise does not seem improved and he still argues incessantly.

 

If he eats any grains I've noticed he really struggles with focusing. He stares a lot and gets very little done. If he gets red dyes, he literally spins in place and does crazy stuff.

 

He hums and makes lots of noises all of the time. He kicks his desk endlessly. He says the first thing and does the first thing that comes to his mind. Very impulsive in that way. He runs ahead of us in parking lots. He wants to eat non-stop. He steals food/candy if he can find it. Now we lock up candy that the other kids get at birthdays/Christmas... and have eliminated all processed foods anyway. One day he can get 100 in math and the next day get everything wrong and take hours to do it. He likes to listen to audio books and will do so for hours while playing. He is very messy, can't manage cleaning up by himself, and leaves things all over the house. Nothing makes it to the right place. He yells out answers when it is other people's turn. He tells everyone what to do all of the time. He is constantly making up rules and declaring them. And he likes to tattle on others despite there being consequences daily for tattling. We realize this may be because he gets in trouble a whole lot more than the others. He is very selfish usually and very unkind.

 

Unlike many stories I read of other kids sort of like him, he doesn't have a tremendous anger problem. He did when we first removed all of those foods-dairy, gluten... but it resolved. During that time he punched a hole in a wall. It was bad. I am glad that is over!!! He has fits when he is in trouble. But I've seen kids with much worse anger issues.

 

Ok, so... has anyone experienced a child at all like this who has then experienced huge change from anything?

 

My son was adopted from an orphanage at age four. Going GFCF/color/preservative-free made a HUGE difference. "The diet" ended or decreased most of the behaviors you mentioned (including wetting, like your son), but the final piece that helped was Intuniv, a med for anxiety.

 

IMHO, kids with neglect or trauma in their backgrounds might look like they have ADHD when they in fact have anxiety. It might help to talk to a doctor to see if an anti-anxiety med will help.

 

Lisa

[walkermamaof4]

Lisa in Jax - what kind of doctor did you use?

 

Someone local said she took her soon to a behavioral pediatrician and he diagnosed her child and prescribed meds. Should I bring my ds there?

 

Thanks everyone!

[walkermamaof4]

Also, what preservatives do you watch for? We've been trying to eliminate nitrates and nitrates.

[newlifemom]

Have you looked into RAD and some of the therapies associated with that? I have no experience [other than knowing some people w/adopted RAD kids] but some of the stuff you described reminded me of the behaviors their kids had.

 

Hope you find some answers, and he finds some peace. :grouphug:

[Lisa in Jax]

We just took him to our pediatrician, b/c I've had little luck with "specialists" with my son. In most cases, they don't know Jack about trauma and RAD. The Intuniv was my idea, not the doc's. After DS reacted SO badly to typical ADHD meds, and based on his early neglect and abuse, I had a feeling it wasn't hyperactivity per se, but was anxiety that looked like hyperactivity/inattention. The doc was willing to try it, and it has worked beautifully for over a year. (Prior to this med, all other behavioral meds made him worse within days.)

 

HIH,

 

Lisa

[Lisa in Jax]

Also, what preservatives do you watch for? We've been trying to eliminate nitrates and nitrates.

 

For five years, we eliminated the following:

 

nitrates (except natural ones, like from celery)

nitrites

BHA

BHT

TBHQ

MSG and all its names ("natural flavoring," hydrolyzed proteins, etc.)

vanillin

gluten

casein

artificial colors ("FD&C" anything)

Polysorbate 60 and 80

Calcium Disodium EDTA

Artificial sweeteners (Nutrasweet, Aspartame, etc.)

Caramel color

High Fructose Corn Syrup

 

About a year ago, when ds was 12, we started allowing a few more colors, preservatives, etc., so that his diet wasn't as obviously different from his peers at school. He has tolerated that well, so we have continued to allow the "relaxed" diet. He still gets less processed food, preservatives and colors than the average teen.

 

HIH,

 

Lisa