Reflex Integration and ADHD

[Boy-mom2017]

Has anyone here had success working with an OT doing reflex integration to help with focus and impulse control? My 5 year old son was recently diagnosed ADHD (no surprise, as my husband and I both are as well) and this year kindergarten has been a nightmare. I get notes home and phone calls from the school on a regular basis, most of them regarding his behavior (hitting, spitting, drawing pictures of and talking about inappropriate content, etc). He also had a tremendously traumatic birth, which likely had unseen long term effects on his brain function,

I searched and searched for a behavioral therapist in our insurance network who would see someone so young and was also taking new patients, but to no avail. The concept of reflex integration was unheard of to me, but I’ve done some research and am really excited to give it a shot. I have not been able to find a ton of extensive or in-depth information regarding first hand accounts, so wanted to ask if anyone here had any experience with it they are willing to share.

[Peerandparent]

The last time I researched it, there was some promising preliminary research, but the fact that it hasn't crossed my path for a while suggests to me that either research didn't pan out, or it's useful, but only for a small subset of cases.

Before you go down the path of less conventional therapy, make sure your son has a proper psychological assessment, since there are many things that can present as ADHD, and there can often be comorbidities.

Also, you mentioned problems at school... The way you phrased it makes me wonder if you experience the same behaviour at home. If not, them it's possible that the teacher's approach is not effective. What sorts of interventions have been tried at school? Before my son began medication, he had a lot of behavioral problems, which were reduced, but not eliminated, by a number of strategies (like lots of notice before transitions, the ability to have a space where he could quietly burn off extra energy). The biggest factor, however, was his teachers' willingness to adapt their style to him, to be aware of what situations lead to specific problems, offering him a bit of an extra time to regulate himself before trying to reason with him (situation permitting, of course)

At home with our son, it would be a nightmare getting him ready for bed or school. What we learned is that the urgency we felt (e.g. I've got to hurry him past this state of upset or I'm going to be late for work) added to the situation. Often just waiting 30sec to a minute when he's having a moment, and talking to him once he had a chance to vent, would take FAR less time than trying to push him through it.

Also make sure he has what medical treatment is available. My son's teachers know him well enough that they can tell if he didn't get his med that morning. Medication, for my son, has been immensely helpful.

You mentioned that you have ADHD yourself... Have you updated your knowledge at all since your son was born? I gained a lot by relearning some things, as well as discovering some other things I didn't know. I also gained a lot by relearning it from the perspective of the parent as opposed to the person living with it.

[Boy-mom2017 in reply to Peerandparent]

Thank you, I appreciate your response very much! His teacher is extremely communicative and has been wonderful. She can tell when he hits a wall in the afternoon and will let him walk around the room during groups time on occasion because he’s just done (we only have full day kindergarten here, without the option of half days that some districts offer). The school set him up with reminder charts to help with the daily routine, his desk is directly next to hers, and the lunch/recess monitors began wearing lanyards with a red X on one side and a green check mark on the other, that serve as instant reinforcement or reminders that he can see from across the playground if his behavior/interactions are good or not so good. While he certainly has trouble focusing and staying on task, academics are not my main concern because he’s really a bright kid. He misses a ton of social cues and I’m concerned that his lack of impulse control will alienate him from his peers socially in the coming years.

He is an only child, so unfortunately the peer to peer issues are something that’s hard to address and work on at home. I schedule play dates whenever our schedule permits, and he’s usually ok one on one to an extent. But in group settings he’s often completely awkward because he’s in his own imaginative world most of the time.

I’m not totally opposed to medication, but would prefer to put it off if possible. Learning how to parent a child with ADHD has been a huge challenge and feels very isolating, which drove me to join this community. I’ve been reading a lot of books and trying to educate myself on everything that has changed around it in the last 20 years. While I can absolutely relate to his inability to focus, my own issues did not present like his do with the lack of impulse control and indifference to consequences, and that’s frustrating. If you have any good books or websites you’d recommend on the parenting side, I’d love to check them out. Thank you so much!