6- year old with Temper tantrums

[planetyaya]

I have a 6 year old son who will be seven in two months.  At the age of three he started having tempepr tantrums and would scream and yell.  As he got older, the tantrums also included kicking objects (and people sometimes), hitting, throwing and or knocking things over.  He was asked to leave three daycare settings due to his behavior.  A few months before he turned five he was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD.  He attended a therapeutic nursey at the age of five.  After 5 months of staff not being able to control his tantrums Resperidall was recommeneded to control his mood.  I am in the process of decreasing the resperidall since it's been almost 1 1/2 yrs. and we haven't gotten the results that I was looking for and I'm concerned about the long term effects.  Tantrums were still occuring several times a week before the decrease in meds. He was also prescribed a very low dose of Concerta for his ADHD.  His tantrums disrupt his whole class and the kids also tease him.  His ADHD has never been my focus because his tantrums can be so severe.      

His behavior is worse in school although he has trouble at home too.  Tantrums always result from frustration, him not being able to get his way or get what he wants.  I have tried everything from ignoring, sending to his room, taking away priveledges, reward charts.  The past school year he had a TSS (one on one staff), this helped because the TSS could remove him from the room.  However, it does not appear the he has learned how to control the tantrums.  He knows that he shouldn't tantrum and what he should do instead when you ask, but he can not apply it when he is about to tantrum.      

He also has a Behavior Specialist, who seems to be offering no help.  I very concerned because he's getting ready to be 7 and this behavior hasn't stopped.  His treatment team seems to think he has improved enough that he does't need a TSS, but he hasn't.  I can't go through another school year with this behavior and the school expecting me to pick him up everytime he acts up.  The tantrums are my MAIN concern.  Do you have any suggestions.