Helping ADHD child to manage their feelings

[henryhsmum]

Hi, My son is 7 and has severe combined type ADHD and autism. He is on ritalin, 45mg a day. He is especially hyper first thing before school and after school. This is because his meds are timed so he is medicated at school.

We have recently asked him if he feels calmer when he takes his tablets and he said yes and that he feels happier. He said he doesn't like being hyper and that it makes him feel angry. I think he means he is frustrated and can't control it. He seems happy when he is hyper as he is often very excitable and dancing around laughing but he is also slamming doors, pushing TV almost off its stand, emptying his room etc!

How can we help him to understand what ADHD is and control his behaviour? I have to admit that in the mornings when he wakes up early and screams it is easier to distract him and sit with him and watch TV as he won't concentrate on anything. I can't dress him until after his tablet as he is just too hyper. How do u occupy your children when they are hyper?

He is doing ABA but not OT input. I am seeing his psychiatrist soon, may ask for a referral

My dd is 8yrs old has high functioning autism and ADD and we have the same problem. Before the medication has kicked in we can't get her dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth... She runs around in a wild manic rush, hurting her brother making silly noises and avoiding anything you are saying! She gets very angry if you try and organise her. It's so stressful, it upsets her little brother and makes us quite frustrated and angry.
The only way we can cope with it is also by using distraction, particularly of the TV which is the only time she stays still and we can then dress her, feed her...without her getting upset.
We have been advised by the behavoir therapist to start explaining to her about her issues and why she struggles. But she just isn't interested and says she responds by talking about something completely different.
However she does say that before she takes her table she has 'muddle brain' or 'bad brain' (her words not ours!) and so she understands that the medication helps her.
Our daughter is really 'well behaved' at school but we pay for it at pick up time at 3.00 as the medication has worn off.The 30 min journey home is awful with a lot of screaming, tantrums and lashing out at her big brother. She refuses to do her homework, eat or even getting take her school coat off can be a battle.
We can't increase the medication as she then doesn't sleep. So we just do what you can to survive these times and again let her watch TV when she gets home until she has calmed down a bit. You can't make her do things, so you can only do your best!