Not exactly sure if this is appropriate for this site but here it goes my eldest son was diagnosed with ADHD this week on top of this he has autism cahms is looking to put him on medication I've read that the side effects ain't great but if his diet was changed medication wouldn't be needed
so just would like your thoughts and advice would be much appreciated obviously I want the best for him
Again apologies if this ain't the usual topics you get on here |
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I'm sure it has been a very difficult time for your son and both parents, I believe a diagnosis helps explain what has been going on with your son. Others however believe that a diagnosis is a label and that often goes hand in hand with denial from parents.
How old is your son? Have you attempted diet change prior to diagnosis? How severe is his condition?
Most schools and colleges here in the north can't accept children who aren't medicated, as they can often become extremely frustrated and lash out.
You should probably get as much knowledge about this as you can and perhaps join a group of other parents who have children with the same condition.
Good luck OP xx |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Hey, sorry to hear the news.
Hunnytoes is really wise and all her advice is 100%.
A little bit from me - watch "The magic pill" on Netflix. It is a documentary about different diets, it may be useful to you x |
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"I'm sure it has been a very difficult time for your son and both parents, I believe a diagnosis helps explain what has been going on with your son. Others however believe that a diagnosis is a label and that often goes hand in hand with denial from parents.
How old is your son? Have you attempted diet change prior to diagnosis? How severe is his condition?
Most schools and colleges here in the north can't accept children who aren't medicated, as they can often become extremely frustrated and lash out.
You should probably get as much knowledge about this as you can and perhaps join a group of other parents who have children with the same condition.
Good luck OP xx"
He's 10 he lives with the mother along with my other 3 kids communication with the mother isn't great but I am doing a bit of research I'm not exactly sure what the severity level of it is but it's I know it's not on the high end I got a consent form to send back to cahms to give them the go ahead to give him medication perhaps see how it goes and if it does make things worse then stop it if it's as easy as that this year is not good whatsoever just bad things happening everywhere 
Thanks anyway x |
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"Hey, sorry to hear the news.
Hunnytoes is really wise and all her advice is 100%.
A little bit from me - watch "The magic pill" on Netflix. It is a documentary about different diets, it may be useful to you x "
Thank you x |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
Don't believe the interenet. Stop right there. my daughter is autistic. Diagnosed at 3years old.. shes in her late teens now. She went to cahms only after i threatened with public exposure to their lack of services and not wanting to see her.. autism is seen as an intellectual disablity and so you need an intellectual disability psychiatrist which i believe there is none in munster/limerick ..well not up to 2 years ago.. good luck.. you will need it.. btw meds helped her depression and isolation due to lack of friends and her autism immensely.. shes in a very good place now, being a happy girl.
Pm me if you need.. |
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"Hey, sorry to hear the news.
Hunnytoes is really wise and all her advice is 100%.
A little bit from me - watch "The magic pill" on Netflix. It is a documentary about different diets, it may be useful to you x "
Thanks for your vote of confidence Missus  . I'll look that up on Netflix too, things like that interest me a lot xx |
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"I'm sure it has been a very difficult time for your son and both parents, I believe a diagnosis helps explain what has been going on with your son. Others however believe that a diagnosis is a label and that often goes hand in hand with denial from parents.
How old is your son? Have you attempted diet change prior to diagnosis? How severe is his condition?
Most schools and colleges here in the north can't accept children who aren't medicated, as they can often become extremely frustrated and lash out.
You should probably get as much knowledge about this as you can and perhaps join a group of other parents who have children with the same condition.
Good luck OP xx
He's 10 he lives with the mother along with my other 3 kids communication with the mother isn't great but I am doing a bit of research I'm not exactly sure what the severity level of it is but it's I know it's not on the high end I got a consent form to send back to cahms to give them the go ahead to give him medication perhaps see how it goes and if it does make things worse then stop it if it's as easy as that this year is not good whatsoever just bad things happening everywhere
Thanks anyway x"
By research I don't mean the internet, I mean real research from specialists who work in the field of Autism and ADHD. There are various medications and Mr Google is not the place to read up on them xx |
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"Don't believe the interenet. Stop right there. my daughter is autistic. Diagnosed at 3years old.. shes in her late teens now. She went to cahms only after i threatened with public exposure to their lack of services and not wanting to see her.. autism is seen as an intellectual disablity and so you need an intellectual disability psychiatrist which i believe there is none in munster/limerick ..well not up to 2 years ago.. good luck.. you will need it.. btw meds helped her depression and isolation due to lack of friends and her autism immensely.. shes in a very good place now, being a happy girl.
Pm me if you need.. "
 |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
The lack of services and support for autistic people in this country is shocking. No joke.. the services given like occupational and speech therapy are non existant.. waiting lists too long.. waiting for state assessments is a joke.
Private assessments if you can afford them are some peoples only option to get a full proper diagnosis.
We homed schooled my daughter for 6 years using sonrise and aba..
Its a long road
|
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
best advice is to talk to a medical professional who has experience dealing with both issues (i can't think of a better word so if it offends i'm sorry)
if you start looking stuff up on the net you will get sucked into some serious rabbit holes that are not healthy for anyone especially your child and you |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"best advice is to talk to a medical professional who has experience dealing with both issues (i can't think of a better word so if it offends i'm sorry)
if you start looking stuff up on the net you will get sucked into some serious rabbit holes that are not healthy for anyone especially your child and you"
Very true |
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"Don't believe the interenet. Stop right there. my daughter is autistic. Diagnosed at 3years old.. shes in her late teens now. She went to cahms only after i threatened with public exposure to their lack of services and not wanting to see her.. autism is seen as an intellectual disablity and so you need an intellectual disability psychiatrist which i believe there is none in munster/limerick ..well not up to 2 years ago.. good luck.. you will need it.. btw meds helped her depression and isolation due to lack of friends and her autism immensely.. shes in a very good place now, being a happy girl.
Pm me if you need.. "
Sound man |
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"I'm sure it has been a very difficult time for your son and both parents, I believe a diagnosis helps explain what has been going on with your son. Others however believe that a diagnosis is a label and that often goes hand in hand with denial from parents.
How old is your son? Have you attempted diet change prior to diagnosis? How severe is his condition?
Most schools and colleges here in the north can't accept children who aren't medicated, as they can often become extremely frustrated and lash out.
You should probably get as much knowledge about this as you can and perhaps join a group of other parents who have children with the same condition.
Good luck OP xx
He's 10 he lives with the mother along with my other 3 kids communication with the mother isn't great but I am doing a bit of research I'm not exactly sure what the severity level of it is but it's I know it's not on the high end I got a consent form to send back to cahms to give them the go ahead to give him medication perhaps see how it goes and if it does make things worse then stop it if it's as easy as that this year is not good whatsoever just bad things happening everywhere
Thanks anyway x
By research I don't mean the internet, I mean real research from specialists who work in the field of Autism and ADHD. There are various medications and Mr Google is not the place to read up on them xx"
Oh Google isn't my friend then  I'm gunna see if I can have a chat with someone from cahms and see what they say |
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"best advice is to talk to a medical professional who has experience dealing with both issues (i can't think of a better word so if it offends i'm sorry)
if you start looking stuff up on the net you will get sucked into some serious rabbit holes that are not healthy for anyone especially your child and you"
|
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By *ateniteCouple
over a year ago
Youghal |
"The lack of services and support for autistic people in this country is shocking. No joke.. the services given like occupational and speech therapy are non existant.. waiting lists too long.. waiting for state assessments is a joke.
Private assessments if you can afford them are some peoples only option to get a full proper diagnosis.
We homed schooled my daughter for 6 years using sonrise and aba..
Its a long road
"
Yep, state assessments are abysmal. We went private for occ therapy, best money we ever spent,but we appreciate that not everyone has it. 2 years after we went private we got a state assessment, 4 sessions of therapy, a few leaflets and see ya later. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"The lack of services and support for autistic people in this country is shocking. No joke.. the services given like occupational and speech therapy are non existant.. waiting lists too long.. waiting for state assessments is a joke.
Private assessments if you can afford them are some peoples only option to get a full proper diagnosis.
We homed schooled my daughter for 6 years using sonrise and aba..
Its a long road
Yep, state assessments are abysmal. We went private for occ therapy, best money we ever spent,but we appreciate that not everyone has it. 2 years after we went private we got a state assessment, 4 sessions of therapy, a few leaflets and see ya later. "
Believe me i know.. we started our autism journey in 2003.. back then it was no where it is today, there was nothing. All the supports were in the cities, thereapists coming to see us once a month.. we got our private assessment at the solas centre in clontarf dublin. It cost us €1700.. i know some can't afford it, but the wait and loss of time is crucial to early intervention |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Diet is not everything here...I was advised of that and it can work out very expensive...there is a book out yellow with road signs on it...worth a read...have my child on a cocktail of vitamins instead recommended by dietician |
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"The lack of services and support for autistic people in this country is shocking. No joke.. the services given like occupational and speech therapy are non existant.. waiting lists too long.. waiting for state assessments is a joke.
Private assessments if you can afford them are some peoples only option to get a full proper diagnosis.
We homed schooled my daughter for 6 years using sonrise and aba..
Its a long road
Yep, state assessments are abysmal. We went private for occ therapy, best money we ever spent,but we appreciate that not everyone has it. 2 years after we went private we got a state assessment, 4 sessions of therapy, a few leaflets and see ya later.
Believe me i know.. we started our autism journey in 2003.. back then it was no where it is today, there was nothing. All the supports were in the cities, thereapists coming to see us once a month.. we got our private assessment at the solas centre in clontarf dublin. It cost us €1700.. i know some can't afford it, but the wait and loss of time is crucial to early intervention "
Yeah that's some amount of money to pay out alright but it is unfortunate we have to fork out the cash to get the best treatment it's great if you have that kind of money but for those who are struggling has to stick to what's available and accept it and and I'm not saying services should be free just more affordable apologies if I'm just talking nonsense |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"The lack of services and support for autistic people in this country is shocking. No joke.. the services given like occupational and speech therapy are non existant.. waiting lists too long.. waiting for state assessments is a joke.
Private assessments if you can afford them are some peoples only option to get a full proper diagnosis.
We homed schooled my daughter for 6 years using sonrise and aba..
Its a long road
Yep, state assessments are abysmal. We went private for occ therapy, best money we ever spent,but we appreciate that not everyone has it. 2 years after we went private we got a state assessment, 4 sessions of therapy, a few leaflets and see ya later.
Believe me i know.. we started our autism journey in 2003.. back then it was no where it is today, there was nothing. All the supports were in the cities, thereapists coming to see us once a month.. we got our private assessment at the solas centre in clontarf dublin. It cost us €1700.. i know some can't afford it, but the wait and loss of time is crucial to early intervention
Yeah that's some amount of money to pay out alright but it is unfortunate we have to fork out the cash to get the best treatment it's great if you have that kind of money but for those who are struggling has to stick to what's available and accept it and and I'm not saying services should be free just more affordable apologies if I'm just talking nonsense "
I suggest you contact the ADHD Ireland organisation who will direct you to recognised private practitioners. Medication can be a game changer, it fixes what someone with ADHD never realised was a problem as they know no different. |
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This is not a diagnosis but confirmation your boy is an amazing individual. I have 2 kids both on spectrum and every day is a learning experience for me. Find what works best for him and include him in all decisions. We stopped meds as kids felt like it just made them numb in school but this is not for everyone. Made a leap 2 years ago to homeschool and this changed them so much, totally different individuals now because of it. Take the good from this now you have a level base to start from. You can build a structure and adapt things so he gets the most out of everything. Check out some groups on Facebook there is some fantastic support groups |
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I'm a parent of 2 kids with autism, it affects them both differently. The diagnosis process was straight forward enough for my son but long and arduous for my daughter. I'm in N. Ireland so things might work a bit differently to where you are, but feel free to fire me a message if you need any advice or guidance |
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"This is not a diagnosis but confirmation your boy is an amazing individual. I have 2 kids both on spectrum and every day is a learning experience for me. Find what works best for him and include him in all decisions. We stopped meds as kids felt like it just made them numb in school but this is not for everyone. Made a leap 2 years ago to homeschool and this changed them so much, totally different individuals now because of it. Take the good from this now you have a level base to start from. You can build a structure and adapt things so he gets the most out of everything. Check out some groups on Facebook there is some fantastic support groups"
Oh don't doubt that one bit you can learn alot from your kids by interacting more with them my son is the type of child that would chat to you all day sometimes surprise you with the answers he would give 
but yeah íl look into these support groups the more knowledge the better appreciate your post man |
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"I'm a parent of 2 kids with autism, it affects them both differently. The diagnosis process was straight forward enough for my son but long and arduous for my daughter. I'm in N. Ireland so things might work a bit differently to where you are, but feel free to fire me a message if you need any advice or guidance"
Thanks |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"This is not a diagnosis but confirmation your boy is an amazing individual. I have 2 kids both on spectrum and every day is a learning experience for me. Find what works best for him and include him in all decisions. We stopped meds as kids felt like it just made them numb in school but this is not for everyone. Made a leap 2 years ago to homeschool and this changed them so much, totally different individuals now because of it. Take the good from this now you have a level base to start from. You can build a structure and adapt things so he gets the most out of everything. Check out some groups on Facebook there is some fantastic support groups
Oh don't doubt that one bit you can learn alot from your kids by interacting more with them my son is the type of child that would chat to you all day sometimes surprise you with the answers he would give
but yeah íl look into these support groups the more knowledge the better appreciate your post man "
Sounds like hes high functioning aspergers |
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By *sexyoneWoman
over a year ago
Northside |
I had it all my life and just learn to deal with it but my case is not to sever i just cant stay still so always on the go is very hard to concetrate most people who have it suffer from autism of some kind some more sever then others.I never need medication diet is a big part of it and exersice. And dont worry about him i actually think is a gift and he be an amazing kids always full of suprises and he never be bored . Best of luck |
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"I had it all my life and just learn to deal with it but my case is not to sever i just cant stay still so always on the go is very hard to concetrate most people who have it suffer from autism of some kind some more sever then others.I never need medication diet is a big part of it and exersice. And dont worry about him i actually think is a gift and he be an amazing kids always full of suprises and he never be bored . Best of luck "
Great to see diet and exercise is a big difference.
Not speaking from a learned point of view but I live with a Hippy wife and, despite the lack of sex, some of the stuff she sbows me about changing diet is amazing!
Hope it's an upwards improving road OP |
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"I had it all my life and just learn to deal with it but my case is not to sever i just cant stay still so always on the go is very hard to concetrate most people who have it suffer from autism of some kind some more sever then others.I never need medication diet is a big part of it and exersice. And dont worry about him i actually think is a gift and he be an amazing kids always full of suprises and he never be bored . Best of luck "
Yeah some people say kids make you look old but I feel its the opposite effect on me so being bored with them around me just don't exist lol see life deals you some dodgy hands but you make the most of what you have i appreciate your kind words thank you x |
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"I had it all my life and just learn to deal with it but my case is not to sever i just cant stay still so always on the go is very hard to concetrate most people who have it suffer from autism of some kind some more sever then others.I never need medication diet is a big part of it and exersice. And dont worry about him i actually think is a gift and he be an amazing kids always full of suprises and he never be bored . Best of luck
Great to see diet and exercise is a big difference.
Not speaking from a learned point of view but I live with a Hippy wife and, despite the lack of sex, some of the stuff she sbows me about changing diet is amazing!
Hope it's an upwards improving road OP "
Yeah surely 2021 has to be somewhat better right this year my god has it changed so many lives we live in hope things do get better and thanks |
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Op it is a bumpy wild road at times with the most amazing highs and the most awful lows but always remember YOU know your child better than anyone and trust your instincts.
There are some fantastic support groups out there with the most amazing parents.
|
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Hi OP
My youngest lad has ADHD but not at the severe end. He was diagnosed 2 yrs ago and we tried to do it for a while without ritalin. He was seriously struggling at school and the school was useless at getting supports for him. We decided to try the ritalin route and it has been hugely beneficial for him. We took the advice from CAHMS over it. Even talking to him about it he says he can concentrate more when he is on ritalin. We only give it to him when going to school which was what we were advised by CAHMS.
We really notice the difference in him now when not on medication. He is a much happier child since starting on medication. The mood swings are not as severe and even when he is down he very quickly bounces back.
What I would say is regarding schools you may have to battle hard to get the resources that will help your kid.
If you ever want anyone to chat to about it you can message me and I'm more than happy
Pete |
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"Op it is a bumpy wild road at times with the most amazing highs and the most awful lows but always remember YOU know your child better than anyone and trust your instincts.
There are some fantastic support groups out there with the most amazing parents.
"
Thank you x |
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"Hi OP
My youngest lad has ADHD but not at the severe end. He was diagnosed 2 yrs ago and we tried to do it for a while without ritalin. He was seriously struggling at school and the school was useless at getting supports for him. We decided to try the ritalin route and it has been hugely beneficial for him. We took the advice from CAHMS over it. Even talking to him about it he says he can concentrate more when he is on ritalin. We only give it to him when going to school which was what we were advised by CAHMS.
We really notice the difference in him now when not on medication. He is a much happier child since starting on medication. The mood swings are not as severe and even when he is down he very quickly bounces back.
What I would say is regarding schools you may have to battle hard to get the resources that will help your kid.
If you ever want anyone to chat to about it you can message me and I'm more than happy
Pete"
Yeah it seems school tends to be the place where it affects them more like they can be fine at home but then be a real struggle at school contending with potential bullying which he has suffered and still sort of going through it and then dealing with unhelpful teachers and principals can be very stressful
My son was diagnosed with autism back in senior infants and ADHD only this week he is now going into 5th class and only getting the help he needs now like we was in the dark with the school with the odd reports oh he's had a bad day constantly being paired with those who would antagonise him it it was only when we got help from barnardos 2 years ago that finally got the wheels in motion he will be going to a different school that has the facilities for him so I guess it's only onwards and upwards from here now
You make a good point giving the medication to your child for when he goes to school definitely something to take note of
Apologies for rambling just really appreciate the feedback and thanks |
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My son is Autistic I used alternative therapy I found medication had him zombiefied he is a happy young lad school is great has sencery room when needed and great resources at school. All children differ its trail and error with meds you won't know till you try best of luck to your young lad.  |
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"My son is Autistic I used alternative therapy I found medication had him zombiefied he is a happy young lad school is great has sencery room when needed and great resources at school. All children differ its trail and error with meds you won't know till you try best of luck to your young lad. "
Yeah I've read about the zombiefied side effect it's something like that concerns me but your right all children differ in their own little way I guess trying something is better than doing nothing
Thanks for your post x |
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"I’ve a son on the spectrum he’s on the waiting list which I was told is 29 months for early intervention it’s a joke not enough is being done by the government "
Sorry to hear that have you tried people like banardos to try help push things along a bit quicker mind you with current events things are even more slowed government do need to wake up a bit in fairness |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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It's really not the best place.
If he lives with his mother she would be best placed to gague if his behaviour warrants medication to help him focus more etc.
It's not given out willy nilly so if it was proposed it was because he could benefit from it. I'd talk to mum and camhs and generally not get my info from the internet in a matter like this (irony noted). |
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