[Cherry73]

Hello all. Haven't been in here in minute mainly because things have been going well. As per usually when you get comfortable in things being positive for a spell the **** hits the fan. It is never just one thing when things go bad they go really bad. First thing was my leg gave out on me and bit it in the parking lot of the public library. Went to er to have MRI and check for more spinal cord damage and of course there was more damage. Need to see back surgeon to find out if I can still wait a while for the surgery. Having to go to aquatic therapy to try and stop the nerve compression. Tuesday evening my grandmother was standing at the kitchen sink and woke up on the kitchen floor. She thinks she had a mini stroke and at the very least she just passed out but either way at 80 years of age with health issues she should has had herself checked but she didn't. My pop does a few years back and she has never gotten over it and is extremely depressed the majority of the time and her primary dr put her on Effexor for the depression and Ativan for the panic attacks well they think it had the opposite effect and she couldn't stop shaking and just wanted to die and took herself to the hospital tonight and is now in the psychiatric ward. My daughter has also been having difficulties at school. She has ADHD and ODD and I think she has some learning disabilities. I received a paper that the math facts she was supposed to have mastered by end if last year and that we have been working on all summer on a daily basis she still doesn't know. She scored 8 out of 12 for addition and 7 out of 21 on subtraction. She also is behind in reading and has a hard time with phonics especially. She currently has a 504 plan based on her ADHD and we have a 504 meeting soon and I am going to submit in writing a letter of referral for testing in basic math and reading. I also applied for SSI for her in hopes I can pay for a tutor and would be able to take her to her therapist on a weekly basis which I can't do know because I can't afford it. Well in closing I am pissed and sick and tired of the same **** day in and day out for way too many years. Sometimes I really don't see the point in continuing this knowing full well this is as good as it's going it. Going back to the losses of dark place I know all to well.

[BlueInanna]

I'm sorry you're going through such hell. It's coming at you from every direction and I can relate.

I don't know much about SSI...
But I know a lot about 504 Plans & IEP's in our public schools. There are even some special ed teachers here in our forum.

All 3 of my children have IEP's, the 1st 2 started as 504 plans. The school really did everything they could to bully me into believing my children would not apply, that I did not want to label my child, that they could not help - that it was my problem to find the right school for my child, that it was caused by problems at home. 3 children in a row, they did not test within the 60 days. That's illegal.

I paid thousands of dollars to do testing on my own, something was not right, and it was not because I was a young single mom, something was not right and the school didn't care.

My angel was the Director of Special Ed at the school, who lost her job sadly over telling me and other parents the truth about our rights.

Your daughter has the right to an IEP, which becomes a legal document, any teacher choosing to not abide by it can be held personally responsible.

If she has a mood disorder which ODD I believe it is one, she could have the right to an E.D. classroom (Emotionally Disturbed - it's horrible wording they chose). I never really told my children they were in an ED classroom (I think I told them it meant Emotional Disorder), but the one at the high school was amazing. Such a low student / teacher ratio , a therapist at the ready , they could go to a "regular" art or English class , or several each day if they could handle it. There were couches & guitars to play. Every chair & desk had noise buffers under them.

Please put your request for testing in writing. Test for visual processing disorders. Even if she is absent , they are required to make the testing happen , they have to come to your home if necessary. Be the squeaky wheel. Speak up if they try to do humiliating testing like they did to my older son - tried to make him push a swing back & forth in 5th or 6th grade on school grounds with a physical therapist who happened to be the mother of the girl he liked. He SO obviously had no large motor skills deficit , I think they were trying to make me go away.

So the reason we keep on - for our kids. Or so we may get well and be able to stand up for others like us who need someone to help or understand or just listen. I so feel for you and what an overfull heavy plate you're carrying. I really hope the SSI will agree to offer help, I hope they see it as a serious emergency, you guys need help pronto. How old is she? How long have there been problems? My daughter now 19 had adhd dx & was called willful & defiant & how dare she speak to teachers with large words as if she were their equal, as young as kindergarten... I'm sure she was not an easy student, but she deserved help earlier - as do you and your daughter.

hang in their

we're all here if you need to talk

[Cherry73]

I called Kennedy Kreiger Pediatric Developmental Disorders Clinic and they agreed to take my daughter as a patient. She goes next month for her intake interview and then we will be on our way to have the full psychological and IQ testing. I was so very surprised to get an appointment in less than a month's time. I am very excited that she will be getting the help she so desperatley needs.

[BlueInanna]

Good to hear that!

[Cherry73]

BlueInanna my daughter just turned 6 in July and has ben having issues for years. I first took her to a psychologist at 2.5 years because I knew some of the behaviors where not normally for her age. After 2 months of observing and interacting with her he said she probably had ADHD and ODD. That early on there were issues as things went on I refused to medicate because I was honestly kind of scared to and since she was at home with me I just thought I could deal with it. It wasn't until she started school and was having a lot of issues that I finally agreed to medicate.

[BlueInanna]

I tried a lot of medications for my kids too... Nothing helped enough, my son grew a left breast fatty tumor from risperdal the hospital & cps kind of strong armed me to medicate them.
What meds are you doing for her? Do they help? I hope things are going better!!

[Cherry73]

They push and push for these medications because they say its in your childs' best interest but they don't really know. Not all children are the same. ONe could excel from the meds and the other could take a giant leap backwards. My daughter is currently taking adderall 10 mgs in the morning, 12pm, and at 4pm. The adderall helps tredmendously with school , the first day the teacher called and said please don't stop this it is helping so very much. She also takes 5mg of abilify to help with all the anger and aggression and I have noticed some change.