ADHD - New facial Tic Symptoms

[ryguysmommy]

Hello everyone - I have a 6 yr old son who has been expelled from 2 daycare settings over the course of 2 months (the first time was 2 wks before his 4th bday, where he has been since he was 8 wks old and the second time was after 1 mth at a new school) both schools expelled him saying he was a liability due to his behavior... with that being said, he was enrolled in an all inclusive preschool in our community and had some minor behavior issues, but seemed to do well, especially since there were only 10-12 kids in his classroom with 2-3 teachers. I took him to a pediatric behavior specialist and she thought he might have oppositional defiant disorder (odd) well at that time I was in denial - "There is nothing wrong with my son" .... even though he would have massive temper tantrums & night terrors... He has gone as far as trashing his train table, lifting it up and slamming it down to where it broke in pieces, throwing all his clothes out of his drawers, throwing chairs and glass picture frames across the the house & throwing rocks - After being expelled from the 2nd school, I was able to find him a private sitter - where he excelled - (note that she only watched a maximum of 10 kids at a time, if that - most of the time it was only 5 - 7 kids... Kindergarten finally started and there were 27 students and again we experienced him not getting along with his peers or teachers.. he was arguing, throwing toys if he didn't get his way, rushing to the front of the line, (as if he didn't notice children already standing there) spitting, getting up from his chair, trying to wonder from his class - I had him seem by a psychologist along with a psychiatrist - The psychologist said there is nothing wrong with him, while the psychiatrist said he has ADHD - all the while I am thinking he is AUTISTIC - especially since he walks on his tip toes, does not like ithcy tags, socks or underware, and seemed a little obsessive, as little things would set him off (if I moved his cup, or if I went up the steps a certain way and he didnt like the way I placed my feet on the steps), he was also a late talker & hard to understand - He was prescribed Aderal from the psychiatrist and Focalin from his regular pediatric, however I refuse to fill the scripts - I am not satisified with this dx - Now this past summer was wonderful - all behavior symptoms were gone - except for the ithchy tags and tip toes but now he has started humming, grinding his teeth and siffling - about 2 wks ago the humming, grinding and sniffling has subsided, but he is now having some type of facial tic - facial tics that are so noticiable that you can see them 40 feet away ..... I took him to his doctor this afternoon, who was out so we ended up seeing a resident Dr. who suggested that it was a form of behavior - and suggested we go back to the Psychologist - I am in shock - I am stunned and I am worried .... This facial tic started Sunday afternoon, when he came back from a 2 day visit with his father - I myself am thinking it's just a way of trying to control his impulses, however even when he is speaking to other parents, it is very noticiable - If anyone has any suggestion, or recommendations, it would be greatly appreciated - I know I have rambled, but I am just trying to avoid medicating my son if it is not needed - Also note that last year his Kindergarten teacher thought he was way behind his peers in learning, so the school psychologist tested his IQ and he was off the charts, very smart in retaining information and rhyming - but if I ask him to read me his spelling words, he can only identify 2 or 3 out of 20 (plus I can not get his full attention though I am still undecided if its because he doesnt want to study or if he can't pay attention or what .... I do believe something is going on, I am just not so sure it is a form of ADHD - Thank you for reading this and if you have any suggestions, I would be greatful to hear from you.

[Sandman2]

   A poster on the child behavioral forum just posted a some great information on SIDS.  You can check it out here - http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Child-Behavior/could-there-be-a-BIGGER-problem/show/1590406#post_7226976
    Its by Specialmom and was the last post as of Sunday morning.

[Sandman2]

    Wow, any time someone takes the time to post such a long letter, I can tell the level of concern.   And I can see why.
     Couple of initial thoughts.  
"his Kindergarten teacher thought he was way behind his peers in learning,"  but "psychologist tested his IQ and he was off the charts"   Yes, that is a real disconnect.  And it suggests that something is either wrong with his teacher or he has something that is hindering him.
    After all you have said, your psychologist said "there was nothing wrong with him".  I would definitely find a different psychologist.
  You have had two different doctors who have prescribed stimulant medication for him.  These meds are used to treat ADHD.  Hopefully, they also gave you more information besides just the meds.
    You mentioned he walks on his tip toes.  I've never seen that listed under Autism - but guess that is possible.  But that does need to be looked into as I have seen several posts, not to mention a good friend whose 6 year old had the same problem.  Its a physical problem that needs to be watched and corrected as soon as possible as it can lead to major problems later on if not corrected.  Your pediatrician should be up on this.  If not go to an orthopedic specialist.
    You also mention several things, "does not like ithcy tags, socks or underware,"  That sound very much like SIDS or sensory integration disorder.  It can have symptoms very similar to ADHD but is treated very differently.  A great site I have found for information on this is here -  http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-processing-disorder-checklist.html
    So those are the quick thoughts.  I would definitely look at the SIDS site because you do treat that differently from ADHD.   and he could have both.
    What is distressing to me is that he could have ADHD and the only help the doctors gave you is to prescribe meds?  I should add that if they are necessary - I have nothing against meds.  Millions of kids are on them.  But I would hope that parents and schools have tried other things first.
     So what to do?  The book I recommend the most is - "The ADD/ ADHD Answer book," by Susan Ashley.  Get it.
       There are numerous web sites out there.  For this age, my favorite at this time is -
http://helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_signs_symptoms.htm
        And I have several more that get even more comprehensive.
    In conclusion, ya he certainly does exhibit ADHD symptoms (and that is a lot easier to correct then autism).  Do check out the tip toes.  Definitely check out the SIDS - doctors are not real up on this so look at the web site and see what you think.
     If after checking out the site on ADHD - you think that is a possibility, then definitely get the book I recommended as that will also give you ways to help/make the school attend to his problems.  Hope this helps.  Please post if you have any more questions.

[Heatherm4]

If you suspect Autism or some form of PDD then you should ask to get him assessed for it!
I really can't say much because I'm not any kind of medical person but have you looked into taking a holistic approach to things? There are many behaviours and things you can change with diet and supplements. I teach a young boy with autism and his mother has him on a gluten free diet (most autistic children have problems digesting it) and she uses all sorts of supplements and things and I can see the change in his behaviour when he starts something new.
It sounds like you have a long road ahead of you, be strong and love him all the same!