School used the Conners III to sum up my son as an strong ADHD candidate. The pyschologist was...

[Mama_2_Boy]

I am beside myself and really upset.  We had a meeting this afternoon at the school with the Pyschologist and the two teachers and he said he would strongly urge us to consider drugs.  I can't believe this!  So this is it now.  When a child is not at the same academic level as the other kids in the class, he's expected to take medication to fit in??  He is 6, the youngest of his peers by far.  Alot of the other children are 8 months older.  Because his birthday falls in December, we were told to get him in the Sep he was 3 1/2.  We are BITTER.  If he was still in kindergarden, he'd be at the top of his game right now...seriously!  He's way advanced over the other kids in the lower grade.  I'm not happy at all about this and don't know where to turn.  I was balling my eyes out.  My DH told them flat out "we are not medicating him" and the guy was not happy with our answer.  First of all, this was a Conner's test, not a real official diagnosis and yet we are supposed to run off the the MD, drug him up and make everyone happy?  I'm not thrilled at all by how that meeting went let me tell you.  Sorry, I just needed to vent.

[karne]

Did you participate in doing a Connors scale as parents?  The idea is to look at functioning/behavior across the board, and then have a physician scale and interpret the results from all parties.

I don't know from your post what your son's issues are, except that you say he's academically not at the same level as the rest of his class.  But what's going on that merits the concern of the school?  Do you not share the concerns of the school, or do you see something different?  It sounds like your thought is that age might be an issue in his functioning within his grade?  Would he be more comfortable and successful in a different grade?  Might be worth considering.

Has the school used an OT for ideas about classroom management?  I'm thinking weighted lap pad, breaks as needed.  Is there any academic support happening to address that area?  

Is he is 1st grade?  That's a big jump in terms of boys just "being" at school.  I'm not personally anti meds, but I do think it's important to use lower level interventions first.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by karne 

Did you participate in doing a Connors scale as parents?  The idea is to look at functioning/behavior across the board, and then have a physician scale and interpret the results from all parties.

Is he is 1st grade?  That's a big jump in terms of boys just "being" at school.  I'm not personally anti meds, but I do think it's important to use lower level interventions first.

[Mama_2_Boy]

Yes, both us as parents and the teacher filled out the Conners questionnaire.  It just burns me that this guy never even met my son.  His teacher at one point in the interview stated 'he has alot of potential, it's just that you see him focus on the work for 5 seconds and then he losses his gaze' and the doctor was surprised to hear that and asks 'oh? so you think he has potential?" 

The issues that the school has is that my son is not at the same level as his peers and they are worried that if that gap widens, he is going to have an even greater disinterest in school.  I'm not sure I agree at 6.  I would also like to mention that we are in Ontario and the school is full french.  Although my husband is also french, our son did not start learning french till he started going to this school.  So he is having to adjust to the differences that language has as well.  We are wondering if we should switch him to an english school?

[Emmeline II]

It may be the age issue along with not being on the same level as the other children in the language of instruction. Do you have the option of another French school that he could be in the lower grade? Though I would consider getting a private evaluation anyway (with someone who actually meets your child ); I would not rely on that psychologist at all. Even IF your ds has ADD it does not mean he has a low IQ (another  ).

Inattentive Type ADHD

[Qestia]

I'm so sorry you are going through this. We are probably going to be hit with the same thing for our son in the next month. I am incensed that meds would be the first choice for any child. Outrageous. I know there are children who are probably helped by meds, but personally I think 90% of cases would be helped in other ways--more outdoor time, RECESS, etc. And hearing your story of how they came to this "diagnosis" makes me even more firm in my feelings. Stay strong, mama.