ADHD Therapy

[Numberate]

Hi! My son is 8 years old and has ADHD as well as slight ASD. Our main challenges are him being very impulsive, anxiety, lack of social skills and has an extreme emotional reaction to things when it does not go his way. He is currently on medication and does extremely well in school. However, as stated earlier he lacks social skills. He gets fixiated on one thing and will talk about it non stop. Conversation is very one way and if the subject is changed, he will steer it right back to what he wants to talk about. He has a lot of “accidents” due to him acting without thinking and when being talked to about it, he gets extremely defensive. Our biggest challenge is his emotional reaction to things. No matter where we are, he will have extreme melt downs and fits if things are not going his way. Needless to say, he has difficulty switching gears. At school they do colours and that seems to resonate really well with him. We tried implementing the same at home, but it doesn’t work. What kind of therapy would help? Also looking for recommendations on books that would be able to help the both of us or do you even feel like books would help? Thank you!

[Onthemove1971]

Welcome to the group. What about rewarding him if he doesn't melt down? Or break it down, if he doesn't tell reward him. Then if he doesn't cry reward. You get the idea, break the experience down and explain how you will reward. Make the reward highly desirable..

Let me know if you have tried that.

Have you discussed this with the doctor who prescribes his medication.

Good luck

[Nikita2]

Hi! It sounds like you have your hands full! My 7 yr old son has ADHD and ODD. Six months ago he was full of violent temper tantrums, “I hate you”s and I used to get him to school my physically pulling him out of his room and locking him in the car while I tried to get in fast enough that he couldn’t get out. I actually almost laugh and cry at those times when I talk about them!

Now I have a mostly compliant kid, focused during school and actually quite pleasant most nights at home, even when I turn off his xbox or say no to a popsicle (actually I say ‘not tonight’). I never thought I would get here...

I recommend reading Reaching for a new potential by Oren Mason. It was my life saver through the whole medication process and I give credit to that book for helping me find the right medication for my son. This book came highly recommended by my pharmacist who has ADHD and is part of our local CHADD community.

That book mirrors the advise of my colleagues in the pharma industry and many other books out there. That is focus on solving the ADHD then see what’s left and fill in those gaps. That’s what we did. He went on Concerta and starting doing amazing in school, but his behavior at home was dreadful especially in the mornings and evenings. He escalated quickly when he didn’t get his way and his doctor called him ‘clinically inflexible’. So we added Guanfacine to keep something in his system 24 hours to calm him and even out his emotions. 1 mg didn’t work but 2 mg thankfully has been our blessing!

We are now ramping up his behavioral therapy to teach him calming techniques and learn parenting tactics for home. I’m hopefully that this will be the final piece of the puzzle. If not, I’m going back to research to make sure nothing was missed (like anxiety).