New Here, need ideas

December 7, 2010

Hi all, my name is and my daughter who is 9 has mild autism. When she was

younger she struggled alot, and received PT, OT, and speech in preschool. She

started elementary school w/ an IEP and was doing so much better they reduced

services. She is currently in a very structured classical curriculum type school

in a regular ed classroom. She gets OT consults for sensory issues, they dc'd

social skills, and the speech therapist doesn't know what else to work on with

her. Her grades are still ok and her test scores are great. They want to move

her to a 504. These would seem like great problems to have, but we have noticed

changes in the last 6 weeks. Her ability to focus is greatly diminished. She is

much spacier and has to be ridden to complete self care. Homework has become a

struggle w/her ability to focus at its worst being so bad she can read something

out loud to me and not track enough to know what she read. She gets anxious and

sad and says she can't do it. After about 45 min. its like a switch flips and

she is able to just do the work no problem. Her teacher is a saint and is

currently allowing her much more movement in the classroom (doing work while

standing, etc) It feels like w/ the increase in academic demands and pace she is

struggling to cope. We just got back from an appointment in another state at a

children's hospital behavioral unit. Previously we had a psychologist there

who was very practical and really got to the heart of our daughters needs. This

time, our Dr. had moved away, they lost our appointment that we drove 4 hours to

attend and waited 4 months for. They found a psychologist to see her. She took

our daughter in the other room and questioned her as to whether she had ever

heard voices telling her to hurt herself or others. I was alarmed by this

because our daughter is so suggestible and niave. She ended up diagnosing her

w/ADHD and anxiety. I am struggling w/feeling like this is totally accurate.

She is having symptoms that line up w/these but a sincerely believe it because

she is struggling to keep up and cope. I hate for this to go into her records if

it doesn't accurately reflect what is going on w/her. They suggested Cognitive

Behavioral Therapy. I'm not sure we even have someone where we live that can do

that and I question its effectiveness w/ a young child. They also want us to

start medication w/her. I am hoping some of you all might have some experiences

or insight to add to my thought process. Thanks so much for taking the time to

read all of this.

December 7, 2010

Its funny cause as was reading your description I was thinking ANXIETY and ADHD. Just switched in order of magnitude. The anxiety is probably caused by the fact that she is in with the other kids now and the social speed is causing the anxiety. I have yet to respond to a post made a week ago or so but there are some things that can help with that. If your not already supplementing with OMEGA 3 start doing so. This could help with the ADHD. Not sure if it is the meletonin or the OMEGA 3 cause we started both at the same time but my son's attention has been steadily improving in the classroom since we started both. Better sleep certainly will help with the anxiety so consider melatonin on school nights.

Also I noticed my six year old (when I was driving him to school....this year mom has been) when he was five and in kindergarden transitioned into the classroom better when I was able to make him laugh a bunch on the way to school. My middle son hates it when I sing in the car which of course made everyone laught but him. I did it anyway cause it got C laughing. Just being silly can help. Laughter seemed to take the edge off.

Perhaps you can put in an old Bill Cosby CD on the way to school or something like that. Someone posted hear that there child had trouble and I also suggested avoiding the school bus. That might help too if you can do it.

The "Do you hear voices" thing is odd. But I read once that autism can have a greater association with Schosophrina....sorry about the spelling I suck I know. They were probably just checking on it. I once asked my son something like that once just to make sure cause he had mentioned something odd one day. My kid had an imaginary friend for about half a year when he was younger.

Hope some of this helps,

From: L <mlockwood75@...>Subject: ( ) New Here, need ideas Date: Tuesday, December 7, 2010, 11:33 PM

Hi all, my name is and my daughter who is 9 has mild autism. When she was younger she struggled alot, and received PT, OT, and speech in preschool. She started elementary school w/ an IEP and was doing so much better they reduced services. She is currently in a very structured classical curriculum type school in a regular ed classroom. She gets OT consults for sensory issues, they dc'd social skills, and the speech therapist doesn't know what else to work on with her. Her grades are still ok and her test scores are great. They want to move her to a 504. These would seem like great problems to have, but we have noticed changes in the last 6 weeks. Her ability to focus is greatly diminished. She is much spacier and has to be ridden to complete self care. Homework has become a struggle w/her ability to focus at its worst being so bad she can read something out loud to me and not track enough to know what she read. She gets anxious and sad and

says she can't do it. After about 45 min. its like a switch flips and she is able to just do the work no problem. Her teacher is a saint and is currently allowing her much more movement in the classroom (doing work while standing, etc) It feels like w/ the increase in academic demands and pace she is struggling to cope. We just got back from an appointment in another state at a children's hospital behavioral unit. Previously we had a psychologist there who was very practical and really got to the heart of our daughters needs. This time, our Dr. had moved away, they lost our appointment that we drove 4 hours to attend and waited 4 months for. They found a psychologist to see her. She took our daughter in the other room and questioned her as to whether she had ever heard voices telling her to hurt herself or others. I was alarmed by this because our daughter is so suggestible and niave. She ended up diagnosing her w/ADHD and anxiety. I am struggling

w/feeling like this is totally accurate. She is having symptoms that line up w/these but a sincerely believe it because she is struggling to keep up and cope. I hate for this to go into her records if it doesn't accurately reflect what is going on w/her. They suggested Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I'm not sure we even have someone where we live that can do that and I question its effectiveness w/ a young child. They also want us to start medication w/her. I am hoping some of you all might have some experiences or insight to add to my thought process. Thanks so much for taking the time to read all of this.

December 8, 2010

I think I would fight to keep the IEP and maybe get some more opinions. I think

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a good thing and fairly easy to find but I don't

know much about how it works with kids. I've heard of it being used in adults.

The school may have it's own definition of it and not really get what it is.

How long ago did they start to discontinue certain services? It may be that she

was doing so well BECAUSE of the services. I hate when they change stuff

because a kid is successful. This was done to my son when we were in Texas and

then when he started to have meltdowns every day they tried to blame me!

Miriam

>

> Hi all, my name is and my daughter who is 9 has mild autism. When she

was younger she struggled alot, and received PT, OT, and speech in preschool.

She started elementary school w/ an IEP and was doing so much better they

reduced services. She is currently in a very structured classical curriculum

type school in a regular ed classroom. She gets OT consults for sensory issues,

they dc'd social skills, and the speech therapist doesn't know what else to work

on with her. Her grades are still ok and her test scores are great. They want to

move her to a 504. These would seem like great problems to have, but we have

noticed changes in the last 6 weeks. Her ability to focus is greatly diminished.

She is much spacier and has to be ridden to complete self care. Homework has

become a struggle w/her ability to focus at its worst being so bad she can read

something out loud to me and not track enough to know what she read. She gets

anxious and sad and says she can't do it. After about 45 min. its like a switch

flips and she is able to just do the work no problem. Her teacher is a saint and

is currently allowing her much more movement in the classroom (doing work while