At home, he seemed like a normal kid.
Maybe a little spoiled, but normal.
As time passed he started getting into more and more trouble at school.
It started out as small issues like deliberately knocking books off the desk, throwing pencils, disobeying teachers, and being disruptive in the classroom.
It seemed to escalate in frequency and severity throughout the year.
By the end of the second grade we were receiving phone calls from the school on a regular basis because of his behavior.
He exhibited behavior that by school standards was not acceptable, unsafe and at times abusive and aggressive.
The school recommended a whole battery of tests to help determine the cause of his behavior.
The tests that were done found that he had a defect where a small portion of the brain that normally forms before birth, had not fully formed.
According to the doctor, it would never fully develop.
He further explained that in small percentage of children with this birth defect, other portions of the brain could take over and assume some of the functions of the undeveloped portion.
This was a form of birth defect that there was no fix for.
No treatment or surgery could correct the defect or cause the undeveloped brain section to grow or develop.
The worst part of this diagnosis was that this defect was in an area of the brain that somehow affected his behavior and ability to maintain self-control.
More often than not, it manifested itself in the form of learning disorders and A.
D.
D.
(Attention deficit disorder), or A.
D.
H.
D.
(Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).
The actual diagnosis was determined to be ADHD.
Between the medical doctors and psychologist it was decided that he should be started on proven medications that have been successfully used in the treatment of ADHD.
It has now been just over four years since the initial diagnosis.
In that time we have gone through a myriad of different medications, several psychologists, three psychiatrists, teachers, teachers aids, and even multiple schools.
Also during that time, he has been diagnosed as having a bi-polar disorder.
We are very thankful that the psychiatrist that he has now was excessively thorough in verifying the existence of the bi-polar disorder.
This additional diagnosis has led to a modified regiment of medications and has met with much success.
I know that this sounds like a very minor series of events, but believe me, there have been times of pure frustration followed by terror, all wrapped up in exhaustion.
There have been multiple times that Greg has been totally out of control.
When this happens he may start throwing anything that was within his reach.
There have been candlesticks, baseballs, books, walkmans, DVD's, and even kitchen knives flying through the air.
We have also experienced several times that he would punch or kick his bedroom walls until he had made softball-sized holes in the wall.
We have seen times where his meltdown is directed directly towards either his mother or myself.
When that happens, he will try to find something that is associated with his "target" or "enemy" and do what ever he can to break it.
Usually it is some gift that has been given to him or something that he knows has meaning to whichever person his aggression is directed towards.
He has had meltdowns that require police intervention to bring him around and back down to a more normal attitude and demeanor.
On two occasions it required ambulance transport to the hospital emergency room for evaluation.
Through all of this you find yourself wondering what else you can do.
How you can help your child to better cope, understand, and deal, with his raging emotions and outbursts.
If you have access to the Internet, there are literally hundreds of sites that deal with ADHD, ADD, and Bi-Polar disorders.
You will find that quite often these disorders will run in parallel with each other in the same child, If you don't have internet access, go to the library or ask your doctor for information.
Try to find support groups for parents that have children with the same disorders.
You will need to find support for yourself if you are going to help your child.
Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Through all of your reading and research you are going to find that no two children are the same.
The medications that help one child may make another worse.
The symptoms that your child exhibits may be totally different than those of another child.
The stimulus that either brings your child back from meltdown or triggers the meltdown may change from day to day.
Below is a short list of some of the organizations that have websites that my wife and I have found helpful.
Unfortunately I am unable to list the actual links in this article, but you can perform a web search for the title and find the sites quite easily.
Even though most of these organizations refer to Bi-Polar disorder, they contain tons of information on ADHD, ADD, and other disorders that are diagnosed in children and adolescents.
- Bipolar Children and Teens
- Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents
- BPChildren
- Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation
- STARFISH Advocacy Association
Be sure to note the durations and intensity of any of the following in your documentation
- Watch your child.
Note any quirky or odd behavior such as inability to sit for more than just a few minuets. - Inability to concentrate on a task for any length of time.
- Intake of sugar.
Does he/she eat or drink items that have a lot of sugar. - Frequent ups and downs or frequent mood changes in a short period of time.
- Outbursts towards friends or family members.
- Threatening postures or actual threats toward friends or family members
- A "crash" period after a meltdown.
Sometimes sleeping for several hours. - Headaches when in unfamiliar situations.
- Nighttime fear or unreasonable fear of the darkness or going to bed alone.
- Excessive displays of daredevil actions.
There is always help if you are willing to ask for it.