Sensory Intergration Dysfunction and ADHD

Both of my children were initially diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction. I didi all the therapies, brushing, sensory diets, etc. I will never forget the last day my daughter had OT. She was now tan-truming ½ of her waking hours and hyper as all get out! I came to pick her up. She was bouncing and fidgeting next to me. I asked the therapist, “How’d it go?” She said, “great! She is regulated and done with all therapy”. I couldn’t believe it. She has a horrible day at school. She was not regulated! Back to the doctor I went.

The ADHD diagnosis of my kids came 1 year apart, but the experience was the same. I think by now you know I had tried a myriad of alternative treatments. The school was at its wits end, we were at our wits end and the kids – uh! So guiltily, feeling like I was taking the easy way out, I went to the doctor seeking the diagnosis and the meds. I got both.

I know more than I care to about meds. For my son, the second one we tried (Daytrana) was the charm. I love this med. It has a smooth uptake and level med all day long – 14 hours. It does take 2 hours to kick in. Sometimes he takes a shot acting Focalin for the morning. My daughter was a different ball of wax!
 
We tried 4 meds over the course of 6 months. Nothing worked and now she was tan-truming 10+ hours a day. I couldn’t wash her hair. No one could touch her. She was a Jekyll and Hyde. If you have a special needs child you know what I was experiencing. I would literally tell myself, “You can make it one more day, hour, minute”. My husband and I would hand her off to each other for 10 minutes at a time. It was 8 months of sheer hell. There is no other way to describe it.

I remember going to the doctor in February and she said, “We have tried all we can. You need a child psychiatrist. If you cannot handle it call 911 and have her admitted”. All the child psychiatrists on our medical plan had over 6 month waiting lists. This was the hardest 8 months of our marriage. 85% of parents with special needs children divorce. I can see why.

I finally found an out of network child psychologist who would see our daughter.