Just found out today that along with my son's ADHD Combination type diagnosis he also has Autism (type 2 high functioning) he's going to require a lot of support.. Im a single parent and have been doing this all alone whole working full time. How do you come to terms with this diagnosis as well as ADHD and ODD?? My son's 6 and on Ritalin 10mg in the morning 5mg at lunch time, he also takes catapress to sleep at night but he's having nightmares and not eating as much as he used to.. his paediatrician dropped him after he attempted suicide due to issues with his dad and now im on a waiting list to see another one... he goes to speech therapy once a week and occupational therapy once a fortnight but im just sitting here like "am I going to be able to do this??" NDIS dismissed my restbite application too and I dont really get a brake at all, between the melt downs, the anger and the Hyperactivity im just at a loss, im the only one who can calm him down too, so sending him to my parents is hard.. how do you do it? When do you find time for yourself? Is all this even possible?? It's not like I can actually give up, it's a little 6 yr old boy who only has me were talking about here.
6 yr old ASD, ADHD & ODD
6 yr old ASD, ADHD & ODD
Posted in:
Relationships & Marriage, Mental Health, Health & Wellbeing, Behaviour
6 Replies
It gets better. You'll find your rhythm and have times where everything's going ok and he'll be more independent. Nothing lasts forever, everything changes over time, especially kids growing up. It's hard to see it or imagine in when you're stuck in the hard times.
Single parent of a now 27year old. It does get easier. Things that helped me, was setting up our environment for success. For us that means making sure the house is tidy and a calm environment. Locking things away that were an issue and making sure he had a safe room, and I had a routine, even if he didn’t.
For me, a break was taking a coffee to a quiet fenced in playground and letting my kid go for it! Or packing his bike up and letting him ride around a track for hours.
There really wasn’t time for much but those breaks made all the difference.
If NDIA has rejected funding for a paid carer. Hot tip, don’t call it respite, refer to needing more care for your son for SAFETY. As your son gets older carer funding does get easier to get. There is also respite funding through other agencies. Contact your local CARERS support group for info.
For us the behavioural challenges got much better with time and although we had some rough patches things always improved over time.
My son has the same diagnosis and is 8. Ask for an NDIS review and to be self managed so you can link your child into the most appropriate services for you.
Behavioural therapy is probably the most helpful therapy at this age. But remember it’s about parent training so you can implement the strategies day to day.
Go back to your paed and request a medication review. Not sleeping and not eating are recipes for disaster. Get on top of these issues and things should improve. There are other choices than Ritalin and maybe another med would be more appropriate.
Lastly psychologist support for you and him - both available under your NDIS funds.
My son is now 17 and was given the same diagnosis at 6 as your son, plus he also was given conduct disorder diagnosis as well. For a long time I truly believed he would end up in jail and/or fall into drugs. He hasn’t ended up with either.
Not going to lie, it has been hard work. It didn’t start to get easier till grade 9.
Therapy was our best support - for him and myself.
He’s now only on anti-depression medication after years of trial and error for medications.
For a long time I questioned if I would have the capacity to support him. I cried - a lot. I’ve had to do things I never wanted to do (calling police and ambulance due to self harm and harm to others), but he’s finally started to calm down and is an incredible child. He always was, just struggled with finding his path in life and school and with friends.
Ages 10-14 were the worst - hormones going crazy, realising he wasn’t a little boy anymore. He needs to know you have his back - all the way.
Boundaries and consequences were also really important. Don’t just give in cause it’s to hard today but also learn to pick your battles. Not everything is worth the fight, but choose these carefully. It’s a fine line.
Can you try and go to a different pediatrician and change his medication. Not all medications suit all kids. My daughter has tried them all, there was one that made her worse, suicidal, depressed, all you mentioned. Maybe Ritalin isn’t for him and you need to try a different one.
You are now more likely to get NDIS with the autism diagnosis on top.
Make sure when doing the application to base it on his WORST day not a general or his best.