where can I begin!! it's been a long journey, I have a 7 year old boy sweet, loving and energetic kid!! diagnosed with ADHD, both hyperactive and Inattentive, in addition to a Learning Disability (intelectual disability IQ of 72 borderline in the scale,) with mild speech delay and fine motor skills issues. Since he was 2 years old, I noticed something was not right, first I thought it was speech issues, since he started speaking at the age of 2 and his hyperactivity was a result of frustration for not being able to speak clearly. When he joined school, my problems really started. I would get complaints from teachers all the time. Pre School through Kinderganten was a nightmare, as I did not get any help from the school or the pediatrician to understand what was going on with him to get him the help he needed. It was not until KIndergarten that the teacher suggested he get an IEP evaluation, he got one, and the services offered were Speech and OT therapy. I took him to every doctor you can imagine, got dinied everytime due to him being to small to get any diagnosis, in the meantime, he was not listening or paying attention and not learning anything at all at school. First grade came around, I was frustrated and demanded my rights, it took me this long to learn about IDEA, Frape and all the rights he had, which were being denied by the school. He only knew 3 or 4 letter of the alphabet, numbers 1 through 4 and did not recognize anything others. Does not know how to read or write. Finally, after me demanding In WRITTING he get a neurosychological evaluation paid by the school, I finally got the diagnois of ADHD and Learning Disability. The team recommended a 12:1:1 class and he has been there since March of 2018. He has very good days listens and is focused and does his work, and others not so good. He has a hard time focusing and getting his work done, gives ups super fast unless there is a big reward for him. The teacher sends me daily detail written reports of the things he does at school. Such as putting his fingers in this shoes to smell them "something about smelling things" don't know why, also not listening to messages or laughing and not paying attention. He has also gotten in some fights at school, and copies unwelcome behavior, he also is very touchy to others. For the most part, at home he needs a lot of re direction but does what is told to do. I am so close to giving him medication to be able to focus at school. I am so frustrated that he is not learning anything. My lawyers tells me we should try and get a deferral for private school next year for 3rd grade. At this point, im lost and need advise, should I wait and loose the precious time, or give him medication to help him now. Does any other parent have a kids with both diagnosis. Can they really thrive in a public school with medication OT and Speech/Counseling, or they need a specialized private school. HELP. By the way, this article by the NY Times is excacly what most parent go through in NYC with a kid with special needs. It's horrible. you learn the hard way. No help at all. Very interesting READ.
Write School for kid ADHD and Learnin... - CHADD's ADHD Pare...
Write School for kid ADHD and Learning Disability
My son was diagnosed with ADHD by a psychiatry facility when he was in kindergarten. I transferred him from private to public school so he could receive OT & Speech therapy and IEP services. He is now 11 and still receives IEP services through the public school systems.
You will have to become informed of your rights, find advocates to guide you through the process and seek counsel if you feel the school system has failed you. Private school systems do not legally have to provide special education services, which is why it is so important to place your child in either a charter or public school.
I highly recommend you have your child evaluated by a psychiatrist for medication. He will not be successful in the classroom without it as it helps control impulse and improve attention. The combination of the right medication, behavior therapy, special education services and supports will make a profound effect on your son's success in school.
I just switched my seven-year-old from a traditional (seriously old-school) psychiatrist to a pediatric psychiatric nurse practitioner and the difference is amazing. She spends an hour with us at each visit and more whenever necessary. She's doing assessments for things we hadn't thought of and referring us for other things like auditory processing testing. For her, the prescription pad is just another tool. For the psychiatrist, it was his only tool. I mention this not because all psychiatrists are bad - but because it's important to "shop around" when looking for practitioners. Make sure you all feel comfortable working together. 
Be Well!
Hi Janice,
Thanks so much for your input, im really considering the medication, i have legal advice, i dont know in others places, but in NYC there are state approved specialized private school's that support kids with adhd and learning disabilities, they would get all the support therapy they need. OT speech, which are paid for by the public school system, a regular public school is not equipped to handle kids like my son, who has adhd and an IQ of 7 which is borderline intellectual intelligence. So far he is in a 12:1:1 in public school recieving support servives, but in his case, even if he gets medication, because of his low IQ he would benefit more from a private specialized school. In my mind, i would love for him to stay in rhe the public system with medication, but my case is more complicated due to his below average academic intelligence.
Hi yesy275. You are doing a good job trying to get help for your son. I'm sorry it's taken so long to get your son the help he needs. Have you considered getting a referral to a pediatric psychiatrist? Maybe consider having more evaluations done to see if there are any other diagnosis for your son. I know it's tough to get the supports and answers that you need but don't give up. The more you stay in contact with the school the more movement you will get to help your son. Wishing you the best.
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Does the school need to know if your child is on ADHD medication?
