I need to talk

[5knights3maidens]

I'm having such difficulties with my dd 4. She was diagnosed with adhd and food allergies. She was taking B12, calcium, zinc and reg. vitamins. I stopped because she started giving me a hard time. She constantly lines things up..like the children tables, chairs, blankets, ottoman, etc... I can't discipline her. To put her in the corner is like the end of the earth is here. To get her to bed is terrible. It is a major battle with it ending up yelling, especially her and she starts saying d..it, fri...it. I get so mad I just leave the room because I don't know what to do. I get frazzled. This past very early evening I caught her ready to throw a huge rock at the neighbor's window (their dog was barking). She ran around the yard as I told her to come here. (Here little sister following). She got up on the "fort" and started mouthing. So, I grabbed the litte one and went in as she was yelling,"Are you calling me dumb!!" Then she came in and it was a blow up. We live very close to other homes and I know everyone hears this. She is smart...sometimes we think to smart. She does ok in Sunday school and church but that is only 2 1/2 hours out of a whole week. She also does a music class for 1 hour or less on Sunday nights and seems ok...she loves to sing. To me this just is not normal...yes, I'm comparing her to the other 7.
I'm frazzled.

[JFS in IL]

Has she had a recent check-up by a developmental pediatrician or pediatric neurologist? Some of what you describe (ok, all of it) sounds like my oldest dd at age 2 and up before she was diagnosed as possibly bipolar by our ped. neuro. He put her on Depakene (Valproic Acid) - the wonder drug another of my kids took as a migraine preventative, and another is still on as an anti-seizure med. It is also used as a mood stabilizer for bi-polar! She might need this - or she might still be sensitive to something not yet uncovered in her diet. But I think you need more than our advice here to uncover it. Good luck!

PS - my oldest dd only needed to be on the meds for a year or so. She was able to wean off the meds w/o her symptoms flaring up too much. She is 14 now and a typical teen - although I am aware that the possibility of true bi-polar is there and might show up again someday.

[Laurie4b]

I agree with you that it does not sound "normal". It sounds like much more than you comparing her to the older child.

Besides the developmental ped eval, I would ask for a referral to an occupational therapist for sensory integration issues. These are present with many other conditions, and some think can be present by themselves. They are addressed by therapy that is FUN for the child, and the OT will take care of any behavior issues occurring during therapy. A lot of what is labeled ADHD is sensory-seeking behavior because the neurological system is not processing what is coming in sufficiently to maintain an optimal arousal status, so it seeks more and more. It was wonderful to watch my ds at age 7 transform into the sweet kid we knew he was once his sensory needs were being addressed. At age 4, you have hope for permanently affecting the brain wiring. The OT will help you work out things to do at home that can help her stay regulated.

Watch carefully for the activities that she seeks out, and for sensory input she can't stand (the dog was barking. What is she like about noise in general? Discounting the noise she makes, how does she react to noise?)

Some books to read; the Out of Sync Child and Raising a Sensory Smart Child.

[5knights3maidens]

Thank you. I'm calling the doctor right now to make an appointment.

[Cadam]

There are many things that have cross-over symptoms or similar symptoms. If your child has Add I would bet that isn't the only thing going on. The food allergies could be causing behavioral problems. Keep an eye on things that are not even on the lit of allergies. Some sensitivities don't come up on a test but can cause problems. Dyes and preservatives are an issue for some kids. I had a friend in High School who got seriously hyper if he ate anything with corn or corn products in it. His mom knew something was wrong when he was a toddler and fed him one thing at a time until she figured out what it was.

I am glad you are going to a Developmental Ped. In my mind they are like the generalist of the specialists and can do an eval and point you to the proper specialists.
:grouphug:

[5knights3maidens]

Katie has an appointment on Friday. Thanks so much.

[Cindyg]

If it's not too late -- be sure to tell them about her lining things up. That can mean something.

[mooooom]

My friend tried one with her 2yo who was hyper, slept very little, always woke up screaming and appeared to be seeing people who weren't there. After much trial and error, wheat and/or gluten appears to be the problem - she's like a completely different child.