Adhd - how to cope with the screeching and throwing himself about?

[higherhill]

Any advice would be welcome.. My ds7 has adhd and takes medication to help with concentration and impulse control. Medication Equasym xl works for him once it has kicked in but this only starts after he's at school about an hour after taking it at breakfast. He calms down and is more co operative and will listen better. The downside is all the hyperactivity and pointless screeching which we have to endure every morning before school, which is really starting to wear me down. Have tried to raise this with paediatrician on numerous occasions but with little effective response. How does anyone else cope with this flapping/screeching/gabbling incoherently first thing in a morning? Being inthe car is just awful every morning.

Have you looked into things like weighted blankets? They were a massive help for us during the phase in which Maddy went through screaming and hitting out first thing in a morning. We used to wrap her in it first thing and factor in time for a story etc and it used to make her far more relaxed. It depends if you think they will react well to it though, some love the feeling of deep pressure and will calm down after... some won't allow you to wrap them in it. We had to physically force her into it to begin with, but once she realised it was comforting we fitted it around our morning routine.

Haven't heard of those Lexie. He isn't violent or aggressive its more the hyperactivity and throwing himself about, boucing off the walls etc. What happens after you take the blanket off, ?

In our case it was more kicking and hitting, along with squeeling so we'd wrap her in it for roughly 20-30 minutes just after she'd woken up and as she is fed via a tube we'd put her pump on, and let her either watch the TV or read to her during the time. After we took the blanket off she just appeared more calmer, and would be compliant with us when it came to getting in the car! our worst problem was her patients (which still is a problem) just getting her to wait for one minute was impossible, but she became more likely to sit by herself for few minutes after having had the blanket.

Will look into it. Not sure how I would have to 'sell' it to him as he might think the idea a bit babyish. Do you still use it with your dd?

I used it around the age of 4 to 4 and a half, however when Maddy gets quite uncontrolable, especially because i'm pregnant now and dont want her to kick out at me and cause damage to the baby, we still use it. I can understand that as you son is that little bit older, he may not be as accepting of the idea!

Have you watched to see any particular patterns to it at all?

DS2 has certain things in his morning routine that tend to set him off if not done in a particular way each day. We've also found that certain time periods in the morning where he's not actively getting ready for school (unstructured down time) tend to set him off as well.

For example, DS2 cannot wear his school clothing right away in the morning. He still is not potty trained at night, so has to change clothing when he gets up, which means he must put on another pair of pajamas (he calls these his morning clothes). If you try to get him dressed into school uniform at that time, he falls completely apart. DH has made this error a couple times and couldn't believe how upset DS2 got! Obviously, this then throws him off for the entire morning. Normally, he's changed into morning clothing, and then just before we leave, he's changed into his school uniform. (this is also because he is so worried he will spill his breakfast on his uniform as well)

The usual routine is that he normally wakes up jst as dh is leaving for work. I get up. He is still fairly chilled till then and then after my other son gets up and we all go downstairs and start the breakfast and getting ready routine, that is when he starts 'cranking ' things up, and just keeps winding himself him to ridiculous levels of excitement. This is maintained until we get to school and he is released into the school yard like a caged beast. By the time they are lining up to go into school he seems abit more calmer but by then the medication has kicked in.The noise he can make is incredible, and alot of his language is just garbled because he seems unable to calm himself down despite my repeated requests.

We try to keep DS1 busy busy busy. It is the unstructured time that causes trouble, once the inevitable but needless battle over the need to go to the loo in the morning has been won.

Since DS1 is often up before me, I've instigated a rule which actually works wonders - breakfast as soon as he gets up. No waiting around. No discussion. No playing first. Straight into a bowl of cereal which he has chosen himself. It makes a massive difference to his mood. He's then ready for an egg sarnie when I have my own breakfast and then he's allowed to draw, play with lego or with his DSi until it's time to get washed and dressed (keeping him occupied while I deal with DS2)

It's not perfect, but mornings are on average less stressful, now. (Apart from last Thursday when he squirted toothpaste everywhere then locked himself in the bathroom for 20 minutes. We now have a different lock on the door!)