Lily's not quite ADHD evaluation results

[Frelle]

ily scored between the 91st and 94th percentiles for total ADD Combined Score on the Brown ADD Scales for Children. This puts her just under the clinical level of diagnosis of 95%.

 

Her homeschool co-op teacher does not generally see any impairment of necessary activity, and that is what brought her total score down. If the teacher filling out the questionnaire had seen anything noteworthy, a clinical diagnosis would have been made. Her co-op teacher sees her once a week. I could not think of anyone else who sees her on a regular basis or in an educational setting, but none of her teachers have ever told us they had any concerns about her.

 

I should mention that I have not been concerned about her attention aspect, but concerned far more with her impulsivity and hyperactivity aspect. She is still young, Kindergarten age, and is very rarely in an atmosphere where she has to attend to things for long periods.. Sunday School, homeschool co-op, Bible Study, everything in her classes is age appropriate in length to accommodate for the attention span of young children. I was interested to see if she was having issues with disobedience or attention seeking or more with impulsivity control, and it would seem that there is something going on besides or in addition to the norm, since she scored in the borderline realm.

 

The report states: "Lily frequently displays 8 out of 9 hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms, and 8 out of 9 inattention symptoms. Dr. M. noted that during the interview with me, although activities and games were provided, Lily was constantly moving, turning upside down on the couch, rolling around on the floor, and walking around on her knees. During the testing sessions, Lily was very well behaved. She seemed motivated to perform well."

 

The psychologists's advice was to read up on ADD and ADHD, including the book Helping your ADD Child by Taylor. We were encouraged to monitor her inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, and if they begin to inhibit her daily functioning at home and in academic settings, causing difficulties in her relationships, etc, we should have her re-evaluated.

 

 

It may be also that if she is receiving adequate sensory input to wear her out, like trampoline jumping and stuff, it will help moderate her hyperactive tendancies. Ive come across a lot of things while reading about Grace's sensory issues that would help Lily too. In the Sensational Kids SPD book, they have a chart with SPD Sensory Seeker in one column and ADHD hyerpactivity/impulsivity subtype in the other, and I really dont know which column fits Lily better.

 

Now I will be reading about ADHD and more about how to give her sensory input to see if it helps moderate her behaviour at all.

 

If anyone has any resources or advice in relation to homeschooling or behaviour modification, they would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks for reading!

[jensway]

We used to use this for my son when he was younger and just couldn't seem to sit in the chair at the table to get school work done. This worked better than an exercise ball for us as it was only a small amount of motion, but enough so he didn't feel like he was sitting still.:001_smile:

 

http://www.relaxtheback.com/fitball-seating-disc-product-6385330-6389775

[Laurie4b]

If you think there are sensory processing issues, then I'd really encourage you to go to OT for treatment. You can read books, provide certain types of equipment, activities, etc., but you can't duplicate either the type of equipment nor the abilities of an experienced therapist. The intensity of the stimulation they can provide at OT and the knowledge of just how far to go with it can make a huge and permanent impact on your dd's neurological system. OT knocked out the lion's share of the hyperactivity and impulsivity that my ds has. He didn't start until age 7 and we will probably be starting meds soon for the distractibility that remains, but he is a totally different kid. Starting younger than age 7, the impact should be even more intense and should be permanent

[Frelle]

Thanks for the replies!

 

I am familiar with Sensory issues, my older daughter has SPD, dyspraxia, sensory modulation dysfunction, and auditory processing disorder... Lily's issues are recognizable as sensory seeking, but compared to the severity of my oldest's, Lily's seem so mild as to not require therapy. I do want to have her evaluated, even if it turns out (as I suspect) that she would not require treatment.. at least I could have professional input and direction on putting together a sensory diet for her.

[LizzyBee]

during the interview with me, although activities and games were provided, Lily was constantly moving, turning upside down on the couch, rolling around on the floor, and walking around on her knees.

 

This sounds a lot like Katie (except Katie would have also been climbing the doorframe). Katie's OT referral was for fine motor issues, but I mentioned SPD because a friend at work kept telling me that Katie probably has it. I was afraid the OT would laugh at me. As I was completing the parent questionnaire, I thought Katie was pretty normal in regards to the items on the form. Turns out the fine motor issues are fine, but Katie is starting therapy tomorrow for SPD.

[cillakat]

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Girls-AD-Kathleen-Nadeau/dp/0966036654

 

I found the above to be the best book wrt Girls and ADHD. What lifesaver it's been for us.

 

My 9.5 yo has all of the 'symptoms' of sensory issues.....but after spending thousands on OT and a home program, my observation is that the sensory issues she displays are part of her ADHD and temperment and quite frankly, aren't going anywhere.

 

She loooooved OT so that was great. But it wasn't at all helpful. Fwiw, she has no fine or gross motor issues at all. None. Great fine motor, great gross motor - way ahead of the curve (ie walked at 8 mos 3 weeks *for good*.....loves kiragami/oragami etc). All sensory seeking/sensory integration stuff which in our case, again, just ADHD/temperment.

 

The best things for my dd? Being outside as much as possible.....greenspaces, parks, woods, creeks, using up her energy with high intensity play, swimming etc. Not good? classes like dance and gymnastics where there is a lot of sitting around waiting for ones turn. LOOOOOTs of afternoon physical activity. A great diet (ie no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives). Adderall. Additional b6, p5p, fish oil, GLA, zinc, inositol, sufficient mag/calcium/d.

 

 

All the best to you,

katherine

[Laurie4b]

I haven't read that book, but another book, Women with ADD, makes the point that girls typically display less overt symptoms, and often aren't diagnosed at all. I wonder if that might be the case with your dd, Frelle.

 

My son with ADHD also can do fine in a classroom situation lasting a little over an hour. These enrichment classes are also high interest, low demand ---a totally different thing than a typical school classroom environment, where the child is there all day, and the teacher filling out one of the scales is seeing how the child concentrates over an extended period of time, in math, in spelling, etc. (Subjects where the tediousness factor goes up. These are usually where the ADHD symptoms show up). I really think the scales underestimate ADHD in homeschool students for that reason.

 

I think it wouldn't be an issue if they used mom as the teacher for one of the scales, and dad as the parent for the other. In our son's case, we had a np who used her own judgment based on what she herself observed in testing, the results of the WISC-IV, which were typical of ADHD kids, plus what ds and I and an enrichment teacher reported. The scales themselves were still sub-clinical, but she felt the ADHD was present.