Anyway, I hated letting the last post just hang out in the wind like that because it sounds like I hate my kid, LOL. I don't hate him, I just get frustrated. Since that last post, I had tried experimenting with herbal and holistic remedies for Ross to take instead of the mind altering, pyschotropic drugs and amphetamines. I was running out of options because the ADHD meds ( amphetamines) were not working and the choices of medications was dwindling. Ross was becoming more explosive at home and more annoying and disruptive at school. His doctor kept telling me that I would have no other choice but to put him on Risperdol. UGH! I vowed to fight that as long as I could because I had heard horrible things about it. I just didn't want my son on any powerful drugs.
I put Ross on the herbal crap and it was just like I said - CRAP! Actually, I have to say that I was unable to really work the program because the school refused to give him the supplements because they weren't FDA approved. It turned into a battle with the school district! For one thing, *I* am the parent and *I* have total control and authority over the care of my son. I don't give a fig if district policy prohibits schools giving out herbal or holistic medicines (oh but they will allow me to give him heavy duty meds that have horrendous side effects with no problem - if the FDA approved it, it must be safe, right? Wrong!) So I was only able to give him the new stuff, which were mostly vitamins, in the morning and in the evening. He needed to take them after lunch, too, to receive the full effect but they said no. So I wound up going to the school board and the superintendent of schools to tell remind them of who is in charge of my kid and his treatment - ME! And I didn't go to the board for just my kid, I went for all of us parents that have come to the end of our rope when it comes to medications and schools. Not every parent knows to go to their board member or start calling the superintendent's office. Long story short, we agreed to have parents sign a waiver to hold schools harmless if a child had an adverse reaction to an herbal/holistic drug. There's a lot more to this story but I will post on more of that later.
Eventually, I had to put him back on the ADHD drug, Focalin. To my dismay, the Focalin caused some uncontrollable head bobbing in Ross and he couldn't make it stop. He would bob is head every 3-4 seconds and it was just terrible. This is exactly the kind of shit I've been screaming at my doctor and the schools over. Turns out, it was a reaction to the drug that ultimately means he can never take another stimulant medication again. So off of that he went. The bobbing didn't stop for several weeks. I'm thinking of a lawsuit against the manufacturer.
I finally broke down and put Ross on the Risperdal. We had our final blowup (well HE did) where he actually threatened his sister's life. Enough is enough. His doctor agreed there was nothing else to do but try the Risperdol so we started him on the lowest dose. I have to admit, there was an immediate difference. No more explosions, no more threats, no more running down the street, LOL, no more craziness. He still loses his temper but that's normal; I don't want him to be a zombie, but his moods changed dramatically. <deep breath> He did gain about 15 pounds but he's also almost 6 feet tall. Did I mention he had his 14th birthday in June? Yeah, he's a giant. More of a Baby Huey type for my friends that are my age, LOL. What gets me is the other day, Ross and I were having just a day for the two of us and went to eat lunch somewhere. He carried on a great conversation (and he even made sense), made jokes, acted like a regular kid. It was just a fleeting glimpse of what Ross may have been like if he hadn't developed autism. Sometimes, God gives me those little bursts of normalcy in Ross but they are very short lived and don't happen very often. It's almost like he's come out of the fog and he's here and present and just fine. I pray we have a lot more of those times to share in the future. We had a great meal together. <sniffle>
Unfortunately, the Risperdol does not help with the annoying and disruptive habits, the problem of concentrating or the inability to focus on a task for very long. I really don't want him on any more medications, either. Trying to get him to stop acting like a cartoon or making an irritating sound he heard on TV is like pulling teeth. He's looking forward to starting Social Thinking class again this fall and is asking about it. If I could just get him to act more like a 14 yr old and not like an 8 year old, things would be really good. Baby steps, right? Right....sigh.....hey, at least he says he can't stop thinking about boobies. I was kinda worried about him for a little bit, heeeheee!
So that's where we are. For any of you that need information on how to handle your school districts, your ARD meetings and any other problems you're having with getting your kid the right help, please let me know. I was elected to the Fort Worth ISD's District Advisory Committee for Special Ed services and I know how to work these people. Don't be afraid to take out your lady balls ( or just your regular ones if you're a dad) when you meet with them is my first piece of advice. ;-)
I will be updating this blog more regularly.
Before I forget: Rossisms from this morning:
"Mom, I am strangely hungry again. Hope I don't miss breakfast at school. I may have to start a cussing montage."
Well, alrighty....
