Trying to help my son

[cjulie101]

My son who is 7 years has been diagnosed with ADHD by a Psychologist  and Social Anxiety Disorder by a Psychiatrist. We've had these diagnosis for about a year now.  He has also been diagnosed within the past 2 months with Autism (mild), Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder and ADHD-Mixed type by a Pediatric Neurologist.  He is taking  Zoloft 50mg and Vyvanse 30mg.

When he was a baby he was slow to hit his milestones. He started talking around 8-10 months. Started walking around 18 months. He was a bed wetter until 5yrs. He's very immature for his age (plays well with kids 2 years younger then him). He struggles in school to make passing grades ( he is main streamed). He has a hard time putting his thoughts into words, has a hard time making himself understood and gets very upset about not being able to.

He has always been very sensitive (crying), He worries about everything and never lets anything go. He has been in speech therapy since he was 4. He has been tested through his school for dyslexia and they said that he is "at risk" for it. He has also been to a Child Assessment Center to check for learning disabilities and the outcome was that they "couldn't rule anything out" but didn't see a "big problem".
  
Okay.... now here is my question- With everyone my son has seen and with the medicine he is on we are still having some serious issues when it comes to his behavior.  He is not a "bad" or "mean" child.  He just shuts down at school, he won't talk to anyone, he hides in the bathroom and he has big "meltdowns" he's not able to be consoled when he is having the crying spells which recently has been almost everyday. He is now starting to have these "meltdowns" at home.  He is unable to make himself stop crying as well.  The littlest things set them off.  There has been no change in his home or school environment that would make him have more  "meltdowns" then usual.

What can we do to help improve these meltdowns and does all of this really sound like Autism?

I am at my wits end and don't know what to do anymore.  So any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[portuguese mom]

Are you sure that the ADHD medicine is right? I know someone with a child that used Vyvanse for ADHD and the chid did not do well on this medicine.   Maybe you already tried other types of ADHD medicine.  If not, maybe try to get your doctor to change to another medicine.  If he is too quite and not social, maybe it is also too high of a dosage. Vyvanse is in the same family of ADHD drugs such as Anderall.  Maybe you can try the Ritalin family, including Metadate CD.  By the way stimulant drugs, such as Vyvanse, Ritalin and Metadate, seem to make the PDD / Autism and Anxiety symptoms worse in some children.  If the Ritalin / Metadate does not work you could try Stratera, a non-stimulant type medicine.  Good luck.

[Sally44]

I am in the UK, but SueNYC is in the USA.  Both countries educational law states that the child's needs have to be met in school.  And in both countries, if the local schools cannot do that and the State is refusing to provide that level of provision in a suitable state school you can get the State to pay private school fees for your child in a private school suitable for your childs needs.  As your child has a number of diagnosis this makes his case more complex and the more complex it is the more chance you have of getting what you want.  From a legal point of view you need the 'evidence' which usually means you need private reports.  And private professionals don't just write what you want them to, they will assess your child and make their recommendations.  But you can help by keeping a diary and writing down everything he struggles to do at home and in school.  This helps them know what to assess for.  

[Sally44]

I think it is very important to be sure that the right supports and the right level of supports is being provided to your child.  For example a child maybe showing alot of avoidance behaviours eg. crying, going under the table, wandering around the class etc simply because they don't understand the verbal instructions being given out in class and there isn't enough structure and routine in the class and lessons for them to be able to do their work.  Nobody (with or without autism) would tolerate staying in an environment where they did not understand what was required of them (ie. imagine sitting in a class conducted in a foreign language and you understood nothing.  How many days would you tolerate that?)
It is very common for local authority/state professionals not to give assessments because the more they find the more money is needed to support that child.  A private report from a professional (not tied to the state) with experience in autism/adhd as well experience in educational law will assess your child (eg. speech and language therapist) and tell you all their strengths and weaknesses and how they should be supported and what type of educational environment would best suit them.  Just because a child is speaking doesn't mean they can understand and process language as we do.  They maybe unable to follow verbal instructions, due to social communication and language processing delays they may find it hard to play with other children, they may have auditory processing difficulties where they actually hear sounds differently etc etc.   Once you have the evidence of what your child needs in school you can send it into the school and ask that they provide those supports.  If they don't you get a solicitor and go to an educational tribunal.  I've just been to one and won every provision and support that my child needed which his local education authority was denying him.  It isn't easy, but it can be done.  We shouldn't have to fight for these things, but when money and budgets are involved you usually have to.

[cjulie101]

Hi, and thanks for responding to my post.  

He has always been an easy crier, but we have noticed an increase in this since he started the medicine.  I have spoken to his neurologist and he said that he needs a mood stabilizer so my son will now be taking Abilify 5 mgs everyday along with the Zoloft and Vyvanse.  Please keep your fingers crossed that this will work.  

The school is talking about pulling him out of his regular class and putting him  in a special ed class because of the interruptions he causes.  I hope the medicine calms him down enough so that he can stay in the class he is in now because, he doesn't cope well with change.

[angelinamarina]

Hi,
yes it sounds like my girl who is 5.
She is diagnosed with mild autism PDD-NOS, Sensory processing disorder, anxiety, ocd, and will probably be ADHD when the time comes to dx that.

I wonder if the crying could be from the antidepressant?  I have heard that they can make some people more depressed, and that they should try another possibly.  Have you called the doc to mention this as a possible side effect?  I am sure that they would be happy to talk to you about it.

I send you big hugs.  I totally know what you are going through.
Angi