My hubby and I adopted his 2 grandsons. We've had custody since they were 31 months and 7 months old. They are now 9 and 7. They were exposed to prenatal drugs and alcohol, and both have issues from it. The youngest one was diagnosed with IED last year. He is taking Abilify and is in counseling, and is doing much better now.
The oldest one will be 10 in November, but is the size of a 5 yr old (47 inches and 49 pounds now). He was diagnosed 3 years ago with ADHD, and I agree with it. He takes Vyvanse which helps him stay seated at school. He is extremely immature and requires supervision for everything. He "forgets" to rinse shampoo out of his hair, "forgets" to stay in the yard when playing outside, etc. He talks to himself a lot, often gets way off topic when we chat, and sometimes seems like he's in his own little world. He has OCD tendencies. He is also overly emotional, easily frustrated, and cries a lot. At school, he bolts from the classroom or hides under his desk when he gets upset. He has a lot of trouble learning 3rd grade academics. He is a great reader, but cannot comprehend it. He is barely passing math and reading, even with the tutoring that the school is providing. Homework is a nightmare. He cries and runs to his room if he doesn't understand it.
The school just did an evaluation on him. He scored "low average" on his IQ test and his "atypical behaviors" were noted. They determined that he didn't qualify for an IEP, but the school is working on a 504 plan. Our local mental health center did an evaluation recently, and he started counseling. I was told that he "possibly" has FASD, but his diagnosis is "ADHD with anxiety/depressive disorder". He just started Zoloft.
I'm not sure if I'm looking for advice or just needing to vent. I'm at my wit's end, and feel so helpless. Maybe I'm missing something. Is there anything else that I can do to help him?