Developmental pediatrician/psychiatrist/"brain training" service recommendations pls

[Cjsmom]

Hello, my son is 5 and about to enter kindergarten. He was unofficially diagnosed ADHD when he just turned 4. His pediatrician (which has 2 ADHD kids of her own) didn't want to diagnose him then but is willing to do a formal diagnosis now, but apparently it's just a questionnaire. I don't feel that's very comprehensive, so I'm looking for outside resources and we're willing to travel within all of San Diego and pay out off pocket. Any recommendations? Holistic and natural methods welcomed. Also, does anyone's kids have a repetitive movement they do? I think its for of self soothing. He's done since he could walk and calls it "dancing". At any moment he'll just get up and do a repetitive "dance" and kind of talk to him self back and forth in the same 10ft area for a few minutes. However, he doesn't get up from engaging activities to do it and if you call his attention, he can stop and move on. Sometimes he'll get a little flustered if he can't complete it. When we ask him why, he says he has to, it makes him feel better. OCD maybe???? Any input is appreciated. He's an only child and started preschool at 2 to let him be around kids his age. He is VERY social. Thanks

[Janemariekathryn]

In school your child will benefit greatly if he has a 504 plan or an IEP. He will need the diagnose from a Dr to implement a plan. A Developmental Pediatrician is a good start. My son struggled from Kindergarten until 6th grade because he was undiagnosed. If you can start treatments now it will definitely benefit your family. My son sees a child psychiatrist and a behavioral therapist. We tried medication but the side effects from stimulants were a problem. Lack of medication resulted in more problems. He takes a non stimulant, Straterra, now and we seem to be on the right path. I believe that addressing the situation and educating yourself and your child about ADHD is helpful and necessary. Good luck.😊

[anirush]

Sometimes kids with ADHD have tics. My daughter used to clear her throat repetitively until she got stable on meds.

One of grandsons used to whistle under his breath periodically. His dance could be something like me out or it may be something he uses to soothe him and calm himself. Either way it doesn't sound like a bad thing.

Hope you find the resources you are seeking to get him stable.

[RichSeitzOceanNJ]

Look into the Pax Good Behavior Game and try to convince your teacher/school to use it. Pax GBG for short (Pax Game for shorter use in school - who wants to play a game called Good Behavior?) has been shown to improve ADHD symptoms and reduce many other negative behaviors not only in the immediate short term, but decades later as teens and adults. Short term, Pax reduces classroom disruptions by up to 90% (not just ADHD kids but every child, so no stigma) and has been clinically tested over 40 years to show a 50-80% reduction in drugs and alcohol abuse, depression, suicide, violence, delinquency, and even smoking. Pax provides short physical activity rewards during class time for teams that displayed appropriate behaviors during a timed period, so all kids get welcome breaks during the day. The secret to the later success is that those physical breaks recreate the conditions under which teens do really stupid things later in life - being excited and being with friends. Pax uses a timer and when it goes off, the kids have to sit back down and get back to work without being prodded by the teacher. This exercises the self-control circuits of the developing prefrontal cortex of the brain. Done 3,4, 5 times a day for 150 ? days of school, provides the physical exercise of the self-discipline circuits; think about practicing your favorite sport 5 times a day every day - you would get good at it. Done in elementary school before puberty hits, Pax provides tremendous protection against the negatives they will encounter as teens. No other discipline/SEL/behavior mod system/PBIS strategy operates this way, and no lectures/discussions/curriculum will work as well. Want a lecture on tennis/being good or do you want to play tennis/being good? Google PAX GBG. I work in the juvenile court system and have no financial ties to Pax but I have seen it work in our local schools. No stigma to ADHD as everybody plays the game. Everybody wins. Pax also has strategies for the home and increases school/home communication without increasing work for the teachers. Pax increases time on task and time for teaching by up to an hour a day. Cited by two US Surgeon Generals, NIDA, SAMHSA, IOM, NASEM.

[cinvela12]

Elisa Song is in San Diego, a holistic MD. Check out her pages on Facebook : Thriving Child Community or Everyday Holistic Pediatrics.

[Pennywink]

Hi Cjsmom!

Yes - the initial diagnosis seems rushed & weird (just a questionaire?). But if done correctly, can be surprisingly accurate. It should involve a parent taking one and a teacher / someone outside the family - as the behaviors need to be witnessed in multiple settings for a diagnosis.

We completed it at age 5, then again at age 6 for my son (when we got an official diagnosis.) We later did series of tests over 6 hours with a neuropsychologist - and he told us the same thing our pediatrician already had. If you are in doubt, perhaps seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist could give you something more thorough.

As for the "dance" - it could be a number of things (tic, OCD, aspergers stimming, etc). ADHD usually has at least one comorbidity with it. Have you mentioned it to his pediatrician?

Right now, the best thing you can do is learn as much as you can about ADHD from reputable sources. I find "All About ADHD" by Thomas Phelan to be a greater starter.

Best of luck helping your child!

[Goofy1]

It sounds like he might have a tic or is "stimming". medium.com/@honeybadgershik...

[slsmendez]

My son does this movement with his hands when he’s really concentrating or excited about something, so that sounds similar. It seems to let off energy or steam for him and has decreased as he’s gotten older (he’s 8 now but started this around age 3-4).