Talk to me about severe ADD/ADHD

[pinkgin85]

If you have a diagnosis for yourself or your child? I'm trying to understand how I can help my 6 year old DS who we've been trying to get diagnosed. He's in the process but it's just taking so long.
His struggles just seem on the extreme end, he literally doesn't learn anything in class. Completely spaces out, fidgets a lot, auditory processing issues are quite severe. He had a speech delay and is still behind compared to his peers. He doesn't have intellectual disability but he struggles so much in the classroom setting.

We're working with the school SENCo and his teachers but I just wondered what others experiences were?

Thanks

Bump

He recently had an in class assessment by a neurodevelopmental nurse and we got her report the other day.

She observed lots of lack of attention, a bit of hyperactivity but no instances of impulsiveness.

My son has quite severe adhd (inattentive and not all hyperactive or impulsive) and misophonia. He has a vey high IQ and also has asd.

We have found medication an absolute life changer. He is now performing really well at school, is more focused and also more motivated.

School have also made necessary adjustments and he is well supported there. We went to a specialist adhd clinic for a private diagnosis which gave us a very thorough report and lots of recommendations for school and home.

Before diagnosis he was behind at school and his focus and attention span were really poor. It was affecting his self esteem.

Because he’s clever and quiet, it wasn’t picked up as early as the asd which was obvious when he was very young. He was diagnosed and subsequently medicated as a teenager and it has changed his life.

@Frogsandsheep thank you so much for your reply. I truly feel my son needs medication, he is otherwise bright but his attention span just doesn't allow him to focus on anything. I'm glad to hear that your son is doing so well.

Could I ask which clinic you took him to? Would their diagnoses be accepted by the NHS and school? Are they able to prescribe meds? Sorry so many questions but I'm desperate to help him!

Yep, 25 years of one with severe mixed type. While not diagnosed until 7yo (diagnosed ASD prior), it was pretty obvious they had it from birth compared to my others.

Medication, medication, medication. Even at this age I’d kick them out if they were not on it, it’s essential for them and everyone around them (our story, may not be everyone’s).

Life is good for them. School was a struggle until senior years when they got to dump everything and only studies areas of interest then they raced into their own as they hyperfocus on areas of interest. Top marks, top uni course, top job, good friendships, happy life. Without their meds though they seriously couldn’t work out how to put on a pair of socks.

@pinkgin85

I’ll send you a message with the details but obviously do look into it yourself and look around. We went for a adhd specialist place that we had recommended by 3 different families.
The assessment was very thorough (more thorough than what other clinics offer) with a paediatric psychiatrist and a psychologist. The psychiatrist prescribed the medication and once the dose had settled after a couple of months, they handed over care to the gp so we no longer pay for the medication. He just had to see the psychiatrist every 6 months now.
School accepted the report and diagnosis with no issues at all and knew of the clinic.

I’d love the clinic details too please!

@Frogsandsheep thank you so much for giving me some hope today

@HoppingPavlova thank you for sharing, so pleased to hear your child is doing so well too.

Yes there is definitely hope but like anything else you need to be around the people who "know".

And an ehcp and even then you will need to make sure.

Have a think about their attachment relationships; have they gone through any childhood trauma or distress? Consider addressing these needs first if so.

My son is 11 now and was diagnosed at 8 with adhd (autism was diagnosed at 7) he is now on two different drugs and the combination has been a game changer for him.

He has an ehcp and 1-1 too but since starting medication, especially when the second was added in last year, he has really been able to meet his academic potential. I was worried about the medication changing who he is but it’s not done that at all his personality is still the same just more able to cope with day to day

@Tippexy

Have a think about their attachment relationships; have they gone through any childhood trauma or distress? Consider addressing these needs first if so.

Well he was born 6 weeks premature, which I know sometimes can be a risk factor. He was fine though, even at only 4.5lbs he didn't need any time in NICU and was home in 3 days. Other than that he's been absolutely fine, a very happy child generally.

@pinkgin85
Just to add, my son doesn’t have an EHCP because we feel we get enough support from school but I believe he would be entitled to one if we applied.

Another voice chiming in to say that ADHD medication has completely revolutionised our son’s life, and, by extension our family life. He has ASD and severe ADHD (Not trying to be dramatic but he scored really highly in both categories so I guess that’s severe). He’s pretty much out of control without medication. With it, on a good day, he’s absolutely great. On a bad day he’s hard work for himself and others but he’s in school and learning. There’s hope, OP, but I remember wondering how on Earth we would fix this for him. I really empathise, it’s so tough for the child and those that love them.