Need help with recent diagnosis...

[fairyannanicole]

My 10 year old has always had a hard time. His head rolls around, he sleeps 5 hours a night, always has... he has no filter,and while it sounds like he is being rude or inapropriate, he really isnt. His focus and attention is nilch, he will be using the bathroom and forget and literally start to walk away while still peeing. He touches hot things, and forgets they are hot and does it again... he will be looking right at you and listening to you, and not have a clue you were even talking to him... etc etc etc... He is very physical and "clingy". He has no friends and is bullied by literally everyone because he simply doesnt have a social skill to call his own... He is so dramatic, and cry s over everything, I actually call him my little chicken little(lovingly of course) because even if its as simple as he went to take a bite of food and it wasnt cooled down enough then it is a big drawn out ordeal of how terrible life is and a crying spell ensues....... He does NOT have defiant behavioral problems, his behavior problems are that he literally forgets from minute to minute that real life is real life... he also confuses fantasy with reality, if he sees something on tv or in a book ,or heck even sometimes he makes it up himself, then applies it to his life, and somehow it has happened to him... Ok, so that was a quick run down of some of his issues....... I take him in today to begin an assessment because it is getting to the point where I am just so worried that he hates life and is not functioning as a human being on a level that he will ever be ok. Had a therapist spend and hour with him, then tells me, he is an ADHD expert and he was diagnosing my son with an EXTREME case of ADHD followed by ADHD induced depression. I am frickin confused!!!!!!! Why wont they help him??? Why are they labeling any child with a problem with ADHD? I have studied into ADHD, my boy doesnt have it. Please, someone, anyone who may have or os going through what I am going through with my son, what have you found out for your child? How many ropes did you have to pull to get a correct and true diagnosis and not just the 30th person that day diagnosed with ADHD by a DR?


ETA: While he has a hard time in school, he always tests that he is extremely intelligent, and actually the Docs are always amazed at how articulate and how he uses his vocab, not sure if this helps or means anything, just wanted to add to his full self

[va_lkywmn]

Don't automatically dismiss adhd. Your son might only have add without the h.
What you are describing sounds a lot like lack of focus on what he is doing which is attention deficit.
However, I would definitely try to get more involved testing. You mentioned taking him to a therapist - was this person a PHD psychologist/psychiatrist or a therapist? What tests did they administer?
So for my son to get the ADHD diagnosis we took him to a psychologist (based on the recommendation of a therapist) and had about 4 hours of testing done. It is sometimes hard to get insurance to cover, but it is more likely to give the most accurate diagnosis.
I would also talk to your ped. If you feel you need more in depth help ask for a referral to a developmental ped.
Hugs

[jenmn]

If it was me, I'd be looking into an evaluation for Aspergers. A lot of what you say rings true, even the depression and hating life part. Sending hugs, I know how hard it is to find the right avenues for help.

[fairyannanicole]

The place we went to was called The Corner for Childrens Mental Health. I have this afternoon called around, and anyone and everyone who goes there is diagnosed with ADHD... I guess my only real concern with ADHD, is that literally everyone I know children have been diagnosed with it, and I see my son, and he has nothing in common with the other children... he doesnt act out, he doesnt have an aggressive bone in his body, he is just so sad and dramatic, and he sways soo much, poor baby If it is truly ADHD, I then feel that he will not get the proper care he needs because of the rampant misdiagnoses and overly used term of this disease, kwim? If every child that comes into this office is automatically ADHD, then how is anyone being cared for for their own special needs? I am going to spend my day tomorrow calling around and seeing what I can do. The third sentence out of the person we seens mouth was,as I was explaining to him how my son was, " I am an ADHD expert" well, gee thats great guy, but ummmmmm, ok? He said he was a psycho-therapist, his name tage said his first and last name (no salutation...) so I am assuming he is not a Doc of any sorts...

Im just confused, if my son has ADHD, that means all the other children I am familiar with must not have it, despite being diagnosed since he displays such opposite behaviors from them, or is it the other way around? I just feel like they didnt even try to see what was really wrong and slapped him with ADHD...

[Emmeline II]

My impression is Asperger's and ADD; as a pp said one doesn't necessarily have the "H."

I would get a referral to a developmental ped and hopefully get an evaluation that includes a brain scan.

[fairyannanicole]

Thanks mammas Oh, I forgot to answer a question that was asked, about what tests were performed. None were performed... he talked with Thomas and I for an hour, and gave me checklist papers for his school to fill out... I am going to call his ped in the morning and ask her for a referral to a developmental ped, and try to go from there...