It's been a while since I posted, I've been feeling a little overwhelmed. We are following the NR program and seeing some improvements in their forms. I feel guilty because we are only averaging therapy about 4 times a week, instead of daily. Although they don't actively fight it, they do moan and groan. Doing the work with them (especially Tom) is so frustrating for me, sometimes I just can't muster the energy. We will see Sarge at the end of the month for a re-evaluation and program update. I need to shake off this funk and get motivated again.
We are having difficulties with Harry's teacher and team at school. He hates school and his work is sloppy and careless. He is so bright, but can't seem to utilize it (classic dysgraphia). I don't think his teacher 'gets' him at all and she seems unwilling to bend her teaching agenda to accommodate him. With his input they are creating a school contract which I think will be helpful.
After seeing the pediatrician just before Xmas we increased Harry's Concerta dose with positive results. In the Dr's office he was unable to sit still and focus and was (literally!) climbing the wall. I didn't realize he was still so impulsive on medication, but he seems calmer and says he feels better on the higher dose.
He also shows a lot of anxiety symptoms which I worry about. Sarge believes this will be greatly relieved once we get to work on integrating the Moro reflex. We have to hang in there until he's ready for that work, but I have high hopes for improvements once we get there.
I met with Tom's teacher and she told me how he is struggling academically in class. He is very sweet and has lots of friends, but he avoids work whenever possible. The little stinker even had some of his classmates doing his worksheets for him! His work and penmanship especially has taken a nosedive since the Xmas break. She sees a lot of inattention and adhd symptoms and we're seeing a lot of this at home, too. The teacher wants to have more tests done to see if he can start receiving special ed. It makes me sad that he needs it, but glad to get him whatever help we can. She can see that he is bright and doesn't think he'll need it forever, just until he is able to work on his own. In my opinion, he is very smart, but just can't seem to easily access or output the information. How sad and frustrating for him.
After talking with the teacher I contacted the neurologist who we saw in Nov and are scheduled to see again in May. I asked him about a possible medication trial for Tom and we went in to see him last week. He agreed that we have been conservative so far and a med trial is a sensible option. Tom cannot swallow pills (I have tried working with him on it, but it seems to be a sensory problem he just can't handle) so the Dr wrote a Rx for Metadate. You can open the capsule and sprinkle the little beads on food. He has done very well taking it with a spoonful of yogurt.
The first day at home I noticed a subtle overall calming of his body. His teacher had a great report after his first day on medication:
"There was a marked difference in Tom today. I gave a math test at the end of the day and he was able to follow along. His handwriting was also neater. Tom still had his toys in his hands but he handled them better. He aso participated in a discussion about Venn diagrams. I'm interested to see how he does with guided reading on Tuesday."
I was really happy to hear this and can't wait to hear another report after a couple more days at school, however I didn't really see much behavior improvement this past weekend. After my recent experience with Harry's medication I wonder how do you find that "sweet spot" where you get the most benefit from medication without the negatives? I am supposed to report back to the neurologist after a week and I am going to ask him this.
I am sad that we have to take the next step to medication with Tom, but he is just not able to succeed in school at this point in time and it may make a big difference. My hope is that medication (for both boys) will just be a crutch until the NR therapy resolves their issues and they no longer need it.
No comments:
Post a Comment