Add/special education/medications ?

The two subjects often are related together but are very much separate! If a child has ADD symptoms/behaviors then medication to assist with focusing and or redirection can often improve his quality of life. Strattera is the non-ritalin form of such and therefore may have been assisting in ways that you did not witness ... often times several medications need trial and error periods to determine what works and does not work for the particular child. Due to the trauma this child has experienced, special education services through the school system are often obtained to avoid him becoming an at-risk individual both socially and academically - special education is a good thing and can range from simple assistant such as time with an aide for organization to full-fledge classroom environments and the may fall in the middle ... my advice is to have an IEP drawn on him and get any services you can - they don't hurt and really can be beneficial both now and in the future! But please - keep the special education thoughts and the need for medication thoughts separate - they may go together at times but are two very different areas of attention required for this or any child!

Hi! MAYBE I can help or at least make you feel a little better! I am a teacher in Texas. I know that laws within the public school system are different in each state, so I'll just explain how things work here! First, the IQ scores... a 92 and 98 fall pretty much in the middle of the averge range. I think (don't have my chart to look at) that anything above 110 is considered above average and anything below 70 is considered Mentally Retarded. As his teacher said, he may have fallen far behind because of his ADD, but he truly may NEED Special Ed to ever be able to catch up. Special Ed doen't really have anything to do with the fact that he has a normal IQ. To qualify for Special Ed there has to be a descrepancy between their IQ (what they are capable of doing) and their ability to do it. Lots of children in Special Ed have average to above average IQ's they just have a handicapping condition (ADD for your son). He may need special ed to fully reach his potential. They will start out working on HIS level and then go up from there. Also, things are so different now than when I was in school. (I am 30) Back then, once placed in Specail Ed, ALWAYS in special ed. Now, at least in Texas, the focus is to catch them up and ARD them out if at all possible. Yes, I completely understand that there are children who are not capable of coming out, but sounds like your son may be one of the ones who can with the right help! If you are adiment about not putting him into special ed, look into something that they call a Code 40. This is for children who do qualify for special ed, but are capable of performing in the regular classroom with modifications. Some of the modifications he can have are tests read orally, extended time to complete work, etc. As far as the medicine goes... lots of what I am going to say is my opinion or what I have witnessed in the classroom for I am no medical doctor. As far as I have seen, Straterra doesn't work for a lot of children. Many people like it because it is not a "contolled substance". Personally, if my child is going to be on ANY meds I at least want them to work even if they are a controlled substance. If they didn't have a problem they wouldn't be on meds at all. Many people say that they don't want their child on ADD meds... that they can "deal" with it and that the meds may cause them to do drugs when ther are older. The truth is that many children who don't take meds and TRULY need it are more likely to self medicate when they are older (drinking, drugs). The bad thing about ADD/ADHD, is that there is not a medicine for it that is one size fits all. You must try, and try again until you find the "magic" one for your child. I do know that once you do, you will see a night and day difference. If I'm not being too nosey, what is your reasoning behind homeschooling? I agree that it's GREAT for some kids, but for children with special needs, the public school may be the way to go. Especially if they have ADD/ADHD and socialization may be an issue. If your child has a child psychiartist or psychologist, you may want to check with him/her before you make any drastic change.... sorry.... not trying to be nosey or pushy or make you feel that you don't have any sence.... just trying to maybe give you an angle you haven't thought of. If I can help out in any other way, post here or e-mail me at Todd102870@yahoo.com. Good luck and God Bless! .... Kara

I too questioned the "homeschooling" mentioned but didn't want to come down hard as in one breath I said - your child may need meds and he probably needs special ed ... but now that the question has been raised ... I too will comment - please know, as the other poster identified - not negatively - just to give information and ammunition to what advocating may be ahead for you. Homeschooling can be great for many families ... I have often found in our placements that these children need to be out socially to accept the many changes and transitions (and there is a difference) in their lives ... to much attachment can be just as negative as too little and these kids often need time out from the family that may without even knowing it be suffocating them in what is best for them. Again as noted - ask the professionals that are working with this child what he/she thinks would be best - just don't isolate these kids to avoid special ed ... as said it can be from just a few minutes a day to as long in that day as needed and reviews for changes can be held at any time as well as yearly! Please keep posting ... alot of us here have the experience and wisdom of hands-on experience which as said - you don't have to take as gospel - just as ammunition to address your particular child's needs and the more you know the better equipped you can be and something shared today that may not apply - may when you least expect it. Remember - through all our words - we care and want to help.

My bio-son has ADHD and is entering 7th grade. I had MANY of the same feelings you do. His IQ is in the upper 120's, so he was able to compensate for the first few years of school and even though every teacher told me he probably should be evaluated for meds I stayed in denial. I was adamently against and tried every natural thing including removing dyes, sugar, caffiene, etc from his diet. Last fall his grades dramatically declined and we started him on ritalin. Within a few days his teacher wanted to know what was going on because he could focus in class. He began to feel better about himself. He finally had a reason for why he was "different" from everyone else. ADHD is NOT a "bad" thing. I tell him he will be able to do absolutely anything he puts his mind to. He is well-liked by all his teachers and classmates and has an abundance of energy..a real free-spirit! We are able to get along as a family better. We have had some adjustment after about 6 months on the meds to a once a day, time released with a slightly higher dose and our pediatrician says she may need to adjust dosage several times before it is just right. She also believes that as long as weight loss/appetite is not an issue the child should stay on through weekends and summer because they feel so much better and are able to function within the family, at church, in sports better. We also send our children to a private school, but I would do whatever was recommended if I knew it would make a difference in his education. You may be able to send him to private and supplement with tutoring or OT if needed, but provide transport on your own....just a thought. I have many Christian friends who have gone from private to public and do not feel their children were "corrupted" at all. They just had to monitor friends and activities closely as you would ANYWHERE. As you probably know, there is alot that goes on in a private school, too. You are the one who's providing moral guidance, and it sounds like you'll do a fine job. Hang in there, and don't be afraid to try meds IF that's what's needed and IF you see an improvement. If there is no improvement, that's probably not the problem anyway.

I think homeschooling is great for special needs kids. I had a 9 year old that had an IEP that required nothing of him(literally). IN six months of homeschool, he learned to read, count, and do simple math. I have a boy who came at 10 who chooses to stay homeschooled as he says he gets too distracted in regular school and cannot learn there. Both these kids get plenty of socialization and are able to play sports on city leagues and with private school leagues. As for the ADD, if the meds aren't working, it's probably not ADD. If it is, avoid the use of TV and electronics as it aggrevates the problem. My sons also say running before school and biking after help a great deal(the one's who stayed in public school). Avoid canned ravioli and foods that contain red dye.

Thank-you all for your many great reply's. I have been trying the natural method also ( no sugar, caffine or dyes) and see some differance. I am keeping an open mind about the meds and am going to suggest to the doctor that he may need a new one. We home schooled our three birth children and lead the home school support group for 5 years. We heard hundreds of stories and add and home schooling works. He is lost in the public school and in less they are willing to find other ways to teach him probably always will be. I will use their services orat least try them if they work though. Our area is growing rapidly and our schools have a very bad " no care" attitude right now. Keep the suggestions coming!

ADD/ ADHD/ etc....you had your child only a month, he has been in foster care....is learning his top priority at this point? or should i say 'focusing' is top priority. kids that have had some major issues, tend to fall back in education....who wouldnt?... if he is not doing good on meds, then take him off. NO child should be medicated if the medication isnt working. regarding IEP...you can request one, if the school doesnt want to give him one...tough luck...welcome to the system..this is the point where you have to put your foot down and start advocating. but again, even getting him an IEP at this point, might not be what your looking for, because of what has just happened to him i cant comment on home schooling, we dont do it, but alot do and it works for them. again, it seems that learning might not be on this childs mind with all the transitions in his life. his scrores are average. thats great....if he falls behind, chances are, once he gets settled and gets comfortable, he will catch up with our son, when we got him...(he had more issues than your son)...the school was going to suggest that he be removed and go to a "special school"...his IQ was very low.... we pleaded to give him a year due to all the stuff that has happened... this year, during his IEP meeting...they said he did great..."leeps and bounds"....he is still below average, but they have full faith that with time he will catch up. his school actually said that they have learned alot from him, and when the next child that comes in that has been through a transiton, is give that child some time to adjust. anyway, when i read your post, this came to mind... dadfor2

Please know that I was in no way "downing" home school. I just know that the school in which I teach is 150 percent child centered.... that's why I teach there! We have one of the best Special Education Departments around and do our darndest to catch the kids up and getthem back into the "regular" classroom. There are MANY schools around that aren't that way(shame on them). Sounds like the town in which you live may be one of those places! If home school is where he should be, then best of luck to you!! :-) I do have to agree with the previous post.... I'm SURE with all the trauma in his little life right now his mind is NOT on his studies! Maybe after this summer he'll be settled in and do much better next school year!

kara i didnt feel you were downing home schooling. my son loves to go to school....so we are keeping him in school...he has made some friends (for my son, this is very important.) the sped services he is getting are wonderful, we have teachers that are working real hard with him some kids, dont want their parents to teach them, i have struggled with him to just do homework......lol, i cant imagine home schooling for some kids, it could be as simple as..."child needs to sit in front of classroom with less distraction"....this way, as he goes through his education, that recomendation is written down and they will/ or have to/ accomodate that...... anway, i feel there are positives and negatives in both situations, homeschooling or school... and each child is different and whatever is best for one specific child, than that is what us, as parents need to do. we would never put our child in a private school due to the sped services in public....but thats us and again, my children need the services... dadfor2

Ok to start, the first thing I saw was "he was the reason he was removed" the child is never the reason its the adult who is responsible who is the reason fro a child to be removed. Another thing is why would the doctor take him off a certain med and try something so close to a new placement. I wouldhink that after a fair time to allow this chidl to settle in would then give the doctor time to chart the child behaviors and habits. Our daughter also started off having the typical dig. of ADHD. As she is getting older the school is saying she needs to be in Special Ed also since there is more to it than just ADHD. Her IQ is 98 and we have fought with the school as to placing her in Special Ed and they were so against it due to the fact that her IQ is high. But along with the ADHD she also carries PTS, Attachemnt disorder, FASE and at least 3 other major hardships that cause her not to be able to focus, retain, or retreive information. When she works one on one she does much better but then will walk out of the room and forget what she was just able to do 5 mins before. I work with new foster parents and always suggest that theynto go to personal docotor for meds but go to your closest Mental Health facility to recieve the proper follow up with the meds and testing. I feel they do a better tracking and follow ups with the meds, and they will help get a child the education that they need. Any child who has anyhting wrong with them even ADHD is intittled to help with education from any school district. The schools have to provide them with any special needs they need to help them with education. I also do not feel that by homeschooling a child with the needs that foster children have willbe better served by staying home. If you have problems getting the schools to help the child then you need to contact your educational advocate to ge tthe school moving in the right direction. . Annie6