ADHD child(ren):
Samuel, 8 years old, 3rd grade
NON-ADHD child(ren):
Serafina, 5 years old, kindergarten
Matteo, 3 years old
AJ, 10 months old |
I am a stay-at-home-mom, married to my high school sweetheart. Graduated college and then in the same year we welcomed our first born, Serafina into our lives and we also welcomed Samuel, both whom changed our lives forever. I grew up in a nuclear family of four and now I am raising a family of six along with living with my parents and grandfather. Nine all together under one roof (we are just thankful it is a big roof!). You can read a lot about me and my family on our blog:
www.regusci.blogspot.com.
Describe your ADHD child using only ONE word: creative
What about your life makes your ADHD story uniquely yours?
We live in a multi-generational house. My son with ADHD came to us when he was two and a half in a foster-type situation. He spent the next year of his life bouncing between our home and his original adoptive family, finally landing with us forever at age four. From 4-6 we battled RAD (reactive attachment disorder), sensory issues, speech problems and then when he was diagnosed ADHD at age seven.
How did your ADHD child come to be diagnosed?
After struggling in school for a year and a half, and having his first grade teacher insist on having him tested, we took him in to see the doctor. The pediatrician was shocked we hadn't come sooner! But given all the other problems we had dealt with up into that point, the focus issues and hyperactivity seemed small.
What are your ADHD child’s strengths/gifts/talents? Weaknesses? Obsessions?
It seems like they change daily!! But really, reading was a struggle for him in the beginning and now it is one of his strengths. If we can get him to sit down and start a book, he gets fulling engrossed! One of his gifts is his eye for color and lines. I think he might have a artist side just waiting to burst forth!
What sports or extra-curricular activities does your child participate in successfully?
Sam has successfully participated in soccer since he was five. He has a love for the game and we have had great luck in getting him on teams where they allow for a little distraction and goofiness from him. I am also very excited that a local gym just started a
parkour class and we are going to give that a try. For us it is like the perfect ADHD sport.
What strategies do you employ to cope with ADHD?
We use a lot of
Love and Logic in our home. In the beginning we relied heavily on this program and the work of Nancy Thomas to help with the attachment disorder. I attended many conferences and even trained to teach the early childhood class. A lot of the techniques I learned work well with ADHD needs, but we have also had to implement behavior modification techniques, especially with homework.
If you could give one piece of advice to a parent of an ADHD child just diagnosed, what would it be?
It is like a roller coaster ride. There are dips, there are climbs, there are unexpected turns and there is also sheer joy. So buckle up, hold on tight, and enjoy every moment because it goes by fast.
If you could have a free 60-second spot on a public broadcast station, what would you share, show, say?
I am not anyone special. I am a mom. I have good days, I have bad days. I cry for my children. I laugh with my children. I pray for my children. But mostly I love them. I want to see each one grow up to be awesome adults who love others and give to society. Through moms sharing their stories, success and faliures through things like this blog, we can help each other. We can shine light for one another on those dim days! I/we can help, and that is huge -- that makes us special.
Does your child take medication to manage their ADHD? Is so, what medication and at what dosage? How does it work for them? What side effects do you see?
Yes, he is on Ritalin LA, 20mg. He has been on this for about two years now. It has been working great. I do believe it is time to up the dose slightly as lately I have been seeing more of his ADHD behaviors (lack of focus, change in handwriting) coming though when on the meds. He definitely does seem to eat a little less but nothing scary, he is still growing and gaining weight.
Does your child attend public school or a special school? Does he or she have an IEP or a 504 Plan? What kind of accommodations do they receive?
We are blessed to have Sam in a private school. He only has 11 kids in his class. We attempted public school for about six months and it was an epic fail. The only thing he seemed to learn was socially inappropriate behavior. We do not have and IEP or anything like that, but the teacher works well with us. She allows him to stand to do his work, gives him extra time, etc. We are also in communication daily via e-mail so I know exactly what is going on in the classroom. We have been very blessed with a great school.
What else would you like to share with other parents on this similar journey?
I have spent years feeling alone on this journey. But that is not the case. Just because there might not be a family out there that shares your unique individual story doesn't mean there aren't others out there who understand parts and want to help, whatever that may look like. I have learned over the past few years that ADHD is not something you can tackle yourself, you need a team, you need others' thoughts and answers. You need to feel supported! And this is a great place to get that reassurance.
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