4 year old son - ASD & ADHD diagnosis

My son who is older says the medication helps him to concentrate. Regarding side effects, it affects his appetite during the day, but he makes up for it when he gets home.

Thank you so much for your reply Dawn. I think I will call our local cinema and speak to them. I feel terrible that he has never experienced it.

This is extremely helpful, thank yo so much for sharing.

I think we will need to go down the route of medication, although I will be happy with whatever he decides to do hen he is older, I do obviously want him to be able to get a basic education and I can't see that happening at the moment. 

I'm so glad it has worked for your son, I really hope we have the same outcome. 

He starts reception next week so he is only very young still. Pre school was a bit of a nightmare in terms of him lashing out at people constantly, they reduced his hours and managed to get 1-2-1 support for him but it didn't help much. It is 100% about his space being invaded! 

We are really trying to get him to 'use his words' rather than actions but it's just a losing battle at the moment!

Thank you so much for your reply. This is extremely helpful. I tried getting him to take Omega 3 as I heard this also helped (tasteless version) but he could taste it, even in chocolate milk. It's a real struggle to get him to take anything.

I agree, outdoors skill are also important and being outside is his favourite thing!  

I don't think there is an easy answer. I think much depends on how enlightened different organisations are. You can download an 'I am autistic card' from this website and note with the queuing problem. 

Mine helps me in medical situations when my communication collapses. I show it and it does produce a bit of extra help from folks pre-disposed to get it. 

Services like cinemas should make reasonable adjustments, but much depends on them understanding what adjustments they need  to make. You could try calling ahead and speaking to the manager so that when you get there you are ushered through. They want your return business, right? Just as much as your lad deserves a cinema trip.

My son takes a Concerta XL tablet once a day (usually before school as calms him down & helps him concentrate). Before he started the meds we were made very aware that it can cause a lack of appetite & were told that if he's hungry when meds wear off (usually about 5) to just let him eat away. Thankfully this has never been a problem for us & he takes it every day throughout the year. The doctors will also keep a very close eye & he will have regular check-ups. There are some horror stories but I suppose that's all u hear.  I'd think that this med wouldn't be available if the majority of users suffered from appetite suppression.

As regards sleep he has no bother and before the medication it was up about 5am so I'd say it's helped him. During the summer holidays you'd be lucky to see him by 11am.

My son would also have hit out but this has definitely eased during the years. I think it's  just that they like there own space & lash out at people who invade it. I think school has helped in this respect & perhaps has made him more tolerant. I actually think this was only an issue in nursery school & the start of Primary school. This hasn't been an issue for a long time.

Probably the best learning tool we had as parents was trial & error. What works for someone may not work for your family.

I hope this helps but if you've any other queries please post these questions & I'll try to answer them.

Everyone I've spoken with who take something for ADHD as adults say they've loved it. My cousin is on it and it apparently helps with regulation, but then I've heard coffee is great too.

I take a mushroom complex & I wonder it if that could be an alternative. 

As for learning - sharpening listening skills with audio books could be good. My son struggled with dyslexia but adventure games like Zelda were instrumental in helping him read and great for calming. There are so many things which active kids can learn like gardening and building, mechanics and such. Things we never seem to have time to do once in our 20s. Foraging, woodwork and Bushcraft skills. There's so much he could learn in the meantime! 

Hi,

Thank you for coming back to me, this is really helpful! Glad to know no proof is needed. Some websites state that you do need to provide proof, perhaps I will just carry doctors note with me at all times just in case. 

So the consultant advised that they don't medicate until the age of 5 so we have another year to wait. He is currently 'unteachable' and is behind what they would expect of his age educationally. He simply can't sit at a table and put pen to paper, he doesn't even sit to do colouring at home. 

I have read such  horrible stories about the side effects of medication but the consultant has said he doesn't see any way around it for my son. 

Do you think the benefits out weigh the risks? Did your son experience insomnia or lack of appetite? My son has such a limited diet and I am so worried about the medication effecting it even more. 

Unfortunately my son can also be quite aggressive or I like to say 'handsy' and will often hit, kick, sometime bite etc. Did you experience this with your son at all, if so, did the medication help? 

Sorry for all of the questions, I haven't spoken to anyone with children on medication before.

Thank you

Hi,

My 15 year old son has also ASD & ADHD.  I'm not aware that there is a specific ID as proof of SEN. Through the years I've found that most places don't ask for proof & it's usually enough to make them aware of his diagnosis eg. At the airport just request a lanyard from special assistance. No queues for him or the family, he is also 1 of the first on the plane (he wears headphones so the engine noise is not a problem). My son also loves the cinema but can struggle with the noise. I book all online so no queuing, I give him paracetamol (calpol) before we go & he has a set of earphones (which no one notices) if the noise gets a bit much.

I'm sure things have changed a lot for the better since my son was 4 but he's getting on well. He takes medication for ADHD & this helps him concentrate (Infact I took him off it for a couple of weeks as he was getting severe headaches, just to see if that wud help but it wasn't the cause of the headaches - anyway while off meds I forgot to say to school & tutor said to me he was unteachable). So hopefully your son is on meds for his ADHD & if not this might be worth looking into.

Sorry I'm straying a bit but I hope this is of some help!

You can get sunflower landyards, so others are aware he may need support.

I believe some people carry a card to show anyone of any problem their child has.

Not sure if you get DLA and carer's allowance. If you have a carer's card you can get a reduction to go in some places. My son went with his Dad to play crazy golf and got a reduction which helps if he can't manage the whole course. They also went early as he doesn't like to be there when it is busy. I guess the carer's card would be proof. Some local authorities do a card too.

This is fantastic, thank you so much for sharing! 

I agree, I am sensitive to loud noises myself (not diagnosed with anything) so I would probably really appreciate these. I very rarely have the radio on in the car during my commute as this is my only time to enjoy there being no noise around me! 

I use etymotic baby blues for smaller ears. They're specifically designed to block out certain frequencies, even though they look like other ear plugs, they're unique. https://www.audilo.co.uk/62-923-etyplugs-er20-ear-plugs-for-musicians-standard.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw6raYBhB7EiwABge5Kux7nhvoHG6aR6CGY1NHhOgtbRfOuukbGShkL1Sx18aPnLvEWa64thoCJbgQAvD_BwE#/colour-blue

They're made for musicians, but you could see if they work. If not for him, I'd keep them for yourself! The world is getting louder and specifically because people are walking around with earbuds in not paying attention. Sirens, for instance. I had a discussion with a train attendant who said this was the reason the voice over on trains was at an absurd volume. I emailed the company as I don't believe the rest of us should be punished for those failing to take notice of their stop. ;)

Thank you so much for your advice. I had no idea about decibel reader and a frequency readers. I will certainly download an app! 

We have tried ear defenders, he sometime tolerates them, sometimes doesn't. Although he is hugely effected by noise, he is also very sensitive to having things over his head/ears so it's a bit of a battle against the two! 

He did tolerate cotton wool in his ears recently, but obviously only muffled noises very slightly. I need to really look into if they do children's ear plugs!

I wear ear plugs to the cinema. The decibel levels are too loud. You can also download a decibel reader and a frequency reader as an app. It will help identify the level / loudness of sound and then frequencies which are piercing (these are separate things, as a quiet high tone can cause just as much impact as a loud firework)

For children, you can find Ear Defenders, which are easier for them to wear. The main cinema here has a day designed for children, but they won't need proof if you bring your own shielding mechanisms. 

Blue light blocking glasses could help as well, you should be able to buy them at any opticians.