AD/HD help

pdljump21

Anyone out there have a child with AD/HD?  I am looking for help with my daughter and I don't know where to  go.  I believe she has a learning disability also or something.  I don't know if I should see a psychologist, psychiatrist or what?  Homework is just so horrible with her.  She doesn't understand any of it.  Every night ends with her frustrated, crying and nothing getting accomplished.  She is now in 4th grade, so things are just getting harder and harder.  Sorry my mind is just going many directions.  I feel like such a horrible mother sometimes.  Can anyone lead me to where I should turn.  TIA

**Edited.  Sorry ladies, my jumbled brain didn't say what I meant.  She has already been diagnosed with adhd about 2 years ago.  I guess I just don't know if everything we are going through is just adhd or other issues.  I have sent the teacher an email already so hopefully I will hear from her.  We do have conferences coming up in 2 weeks already. 

Thank you for your advice so far.

indigo91804

I start with her teacher and ask questions about if she thinks the same. Then I would ask your family doctor. They could point you in the right direction. If she doesn't get it then you could have a problem down the road. For what it is worth, we fight with homework too. It is FRUSTRATING to say the least. Are you guys close to having conferences? If not, I'd request one.

blueshirt2003

I'd have her see a therapist and then see a psychologist if the therapist felt like she may be ADHD or ADD or whatever else you are concerned about. 

For what it's worth, most teachers won't give an opinion on whether or not that think your child has ADHD or ADD.

Good luck figuring out what is going on and I hope that she gets the help that she needs and school becomes fun for her again.  

ETA: My son's doctor won't diagnose ADHD/ADD until the child is in their 2nd six weeks of 2nd grade. So, maybe her pediatrician can assist y'all as well.  

ali-1411

Start with your pediatrician.  They will give you two evaluation forms, one for you and one for the teacher.  Make an appt and discuss with your doctor.

Good luck.  We're going through this process with my son and it sucks.

pdljump21

Thank you so much.  This is what I have been thinking.  I will look into the form that I need to fill out.  I just didn't know where I should start but you have helped me.  I guess I was finally freaking out last night, or accepting that she may have a LD.  You know it is hard to acknowledge sometimes.

neverblushed

Fourth grade is often a year when kids with mild to moderate learning disabilities get diagnosed.  The work gets much harder in grade 4.  This tends to happen again in grade 7.

AD/HD is often present with various other learning disabilities.  I would start with your school and see if there are free testing/diagnosis resources through the public schools in your area.  Another resource to consult is your pediatrician, who could refer you to any one several types of professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, speech pathologists, etc.) who can administer a battery of tests to determine if your daughter is dealing with issues other than attention deficits.  

Regardless of whether you get a diagnosis on your daughter, there are some steps that will help all struggling kids.  I work with LD middle and high school kids as an English teacher and tutor, so I'm very familiar with this stuff!  One of my own kids also has executive function weakness (affects organization, memory, language processing, and attention) so I have experience dealing with this in the home.  Here are some ideas:

1.  structure, structure, structure.  Homework at the same time, in the same place every night.  Follow the same routine.  I'd recommend: start with assignment book or planner and make a "to do" list, make a prioritized list of what she needs to do.  Let her work independently as much as possible but in a room near you (she sits at the kitchen table while you cook dinner).  Try not to hover and get involved unless she's noticeably distracted or asks for help.

2.  work for a sustained period, then take a break that includes purposeful physical movement.  For example: she does 15 minutes of fractions, then takes the trash down to the curb and gets a drink of water.

3.  preferential seating in the classroom

4.   communication with the teacher.  Kids with ADHD and various learning disabilities often need more time to really comprehend new concepts.  This is why 4th grade is a watershed year for diagnosis -- kids get into much trickier concepts in this grade, especially in math!  She might have a hard time actually learning the concepts in class.  You need resources so that you can reinforce and re-teach her the material at home.

5.  use websites or computer applications to help her review/re-learn new content.  If her school subscribes to something like Study Island or Spelling City, she might be able to refresh her memory or review new material at her own pace in a fun, engaging manner.

6.  possible reduced workload.  If the teacher assigns 15 fractions problems, maybe your DD only needs to do 10 that the teacher selects as a priority.  Which problems cover and reinforce the skills we learned in class today most efficiently?  Concentrate on those and don't worry about the ones that are just extra drills.

7.  positive reinforcement and encouragement from you and the teacher.  She needs to make goals like "I filed all my loose papers into my binder by myself" or "I worked independently for 15 minutes before I took a break" for homework.  The goal of "do well in school" is too big and too overwhelming for her right now.

I know, this is long, but I hope some of these ideas help!  GL!