What to do next

Doubletrouble12

 My 8 yr old SD was diagnosed last year as having ADHD (by a Psychiatrist) After doing more research I she feel mimics more of the symptoms of SPD or High Functioning Autism (careless, easily distracted, seems to be in her own world, has trouble interacting with other kids, repetitive behavior, sensitive to smells/sounds, trouble controlling emotions) She's recently been seeing a counselor once a week to work on social skills and just talk about anything that is going on. I feel she needs more though, than just one hour a wk with someone. She does have a 504 plan at school. 

What concerns us is that she is content laying on her bed for hours just throwing her pillow up and down and doesn't really like to seem to join the family in activities. She also says the smell in our house bothers her. Ive looked into different programs, OT,etc... but everything is at least 45 minutes from us, which makes it harder. We just really aren't sure how to proceed..The counselor said she could fit the diagnosis of high functioning autism but thought if we managed the adhd that she would fall off the autism diagnosis, she also seems to lean more toward medication, which we aren't ready for at this point. Any input is appreciated. 

jaysmomma42

Look into behavior therapy they go to your home and sometimes offer other services

Dannylion24

Sensory brushing, OT provided through her school (probably would require an IEP), social skills coaching/playgroup, heavy play 'diet' & sensory breaks during the day, team sports, behaviorist, chewlery if she craves oral stimuli, 'alert program' therapy to help w self regulation, spinning chair or trampoline ... Good luck! Feel free to PM me.

Assembly_Reqd

Do you have a large medical facility or unriversity hospital close enough to go and get her an appointment with a Developmental Pediatrician? If you feel she is on spectrum and the school system should be offering more supports, maybe having a full evaluation would be beneficial. A Dev. Pedi can also hook you up with therapy options in your area. They do not take the place of the regular pediatrician. They are only looking at your child's development and what supports you may need to optimize it. Dev Pedi appointments are usually a 6 month waiting list, but you can put your name on a cancellation list and get in sooner. 

ADHD is a tough diagnosis and I have heard that a lot of schools do not really "buy it". We got an "aquired ADHD-mixed" diagnosis from our school Psychologist but plan to follow up with our Dev Pedi who is trialing medications with us right now. Our son is catagorized as "Multiple disabilities" due to genetic deletions. He has a whole alphabet soup of crap going on. Along with the Developmental Pediatrician appoitnment, you may want to look into a Neuropsychological evaluation. This evaluation tests how your child learns and can parse out issues that may be affecting them. They test IQ, processing speed, distractibility, verbal skills vs. non verbal skills, etc. The test results are very informational and can really also help your child's teacher select the right teaching interventions. 

 Once you have ammunition from the medical community, you can bring it to the school and ask in writing for a multi-factored evaluation in ll areas of suspected disability that may be affecting educational progress. You could try asking for this now, but it is the end of the school year. Look up websites for Wrights Law regarding the timeline the school has for evaluation and placing supports. If you ask now, it would probably be Thankgiving or Christmas before anything happens. While you are waiting , you can get the medical side going. HTH & Good Luck!

JonathansMommi2010

Hi my name Is Megan 27 from florida my son was dx with adhd and autism last year it has been a struggle but we are finally getting things under control.