what type of behavior interventions are recommended

[teachersareticked]

Hi,
My son is 14 and was diagnosed with Tourettes when he was 8. He was taking neurontin to help with his disrupted sleep pattern and Strattera for his ADHD. Since the onset of puberty last year we had to up his dosage for both but noticed he started to become depressed and was sleeping in every class. More recently he became severely depressed. We have since removed him from all medications because it was difficult to gauge which medication was causing the  depression. It was my understanding that during adolescence that finding the correct medication and dosage can be tricky, so we were not caught completely off guard that the decision to do so might present itself. It has been about 7 weeks since  he has been off all meds and is now having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep through the night and has already gotten suspended 3 times for behaviors at school. He is complaining that he can't concentrate in class and his frustration level is rising. It is so difficult with all of these different symptoms to delineate which issue to tackle 1st and which issue is exacerbating which. His Psychiatrist just unexpectedly retired and dropped off the radar, so we are in the process of finding a new one in our area. My guess is that a sleep study would be crucial at this point in time. In the meantime What type of behavior intervention would you recommend? The school is fed up, I am worried and tired and am in need of some practical ideas or processes that are not only for home use but more importantly, practical for the school to implement?

[trying2helpU]

I really hope it works out for you and your son.  I can't begin to imagine how all this has affected your life.  You seem like a phenomenal parent, looking out for their child's best interest.

[muppetfan]

Hi, My son is about to go through puberty, so it is nice to hear what I have to look forward to. LOL. His school was fed up last year. He was suspended 3 times for verbal outbursts,

Look into Habit reversal therapy.
Cognitive behavioral Therapy, and
Look into your major universities. I live in NC and Duke has an excellent program specific for those with OCD, Anxiety and Neurological disorders like Tourettes and Autism.
Make sure you know your rights for your son. Go to the Wrights Law website. That will get you up to date on all IEP and 504  plan things. The school should be putting supports in place for him. .IF not, then you need to request a meeting with the teachers to figure one out. Every state is different, so call the Public Instruction office or ask the school for your rights handbook and make sure if you feel uncomfortable you get an advocate to go with you, this could be another parent, a friend, or a specialist from an agency.
Good luck.