Son is failing 6th grade

Julie - posted on 03/02/2010

Have you taken him to a neurologist yet to rule out a seizure disorder? The behavior you described sounds like a possible psychomotor seizure (with him walking and putting the paper down and forgeting) or he's having abscence seizures. Any signs of learning disbilities or problems with the teachers (changing the rules?) or connecting to his peers at school (bullying, not being able to read social cues, etc.)? In some ways you are lucky - your school system is working with you. I've been fighting ours for a year for my children, who are both very smart also and don't appreciate being forced to be "normal" when they are bored in school and just trying to survive it. Do your research, have all the evidence possible to present to the school so they can't refuse services, but even that may not help if they see no "academic impact". It didn't help in my case - my children have already compensated. Make sure everyone you ask for at IEP team meetings/504 meetings is notified and in attendance, otherwise cancel it. I just posted these websites to another post, but here they are again for you.
http://www.autism-society.org
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.h...
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?...
http://www.aspbergersyndrome.org
www.cetag.org check out giftedness vs. aspbergers, twice exceptionality, etc.
http://www.nagc.org/
www.efa.org
You can also check out the U.S. Dept. of Education website for information on IEPs, 504s, IDEA, FERPA, HIPPA, other public laws that affect your child in school and the Congressional website to see what issues are being discussed that will effect your child in the future (education reform, restraints in the school, insurance reform, health care reform, etc.). Good luck on your research and/or possible home schooling (my son has asked me 4 times this year to home school him).

Tessa - posted on 03/01/2010

My son takes Vyvanse for ADHD and Prozac for OCD/anxiety. I have noticed that the Prozac made him more hyper after it was added, but he was more "in the world." Increasing his Vyvanse dosage does make him withdraw into himself more. However, we did notice a lot of improvement in his schoolwork after he started the medications.

Elizabeth - posted on 03/01/2010

I would definitely pursue the second opinion. A 504 plan is a good plan especially for right now if your son does not have any other diagnoses other than ADHD. In the 504 plan I would have it where the teachers have to go pick up his classwork from him and not have him bring it to them. This way it'll help him with the forgetfullness.

Tasha - posted on 03/01/2010

I would get the second opinion like the counselor suggested. AI have read a lot of stories on here and generally ADD ADHD go hand in hand with a spectrum disorder or at least there are a lot of them on here. I have a 7 year old daughter who has ADHD, and she does seem to have some anxiety issues there too. My son is 5 and they are testing him for Autism. So I know what you feel like wanting to help but not knowing exactly how it is frustrating. Have they tried to see if there is a medication that would not interact badly with an anti-anxiety pill? My daughter is on Metadate Cd 40mg she take sit once in the morning, then he prescribed her a 10mg short release methylphenidate to take when she gets home so that she can get her home work done. But he had suggested setraline it is like a zoloft for her anxiety that she has. I mean it is to the point now where I have to walk her to and from the bathroom and all hours of the day so it is not just like a scared of the dark thing. I hope all goes well with you and your family and that you found a little help in what I posted.