I have been most impressed with peoples views and their efforts to try and help Kathee. Kathee, have you tried the dietary solutions presented above? I have heard that Omega 3 fatty acids can also assist children with these problems. However, I bet Kathee has tried all the above methods because she is obviously a person who would do almost anything for her disabled child.

I know some parents with kids with just ADHD ... that is if you can ever use the word "just" in front of such a medical condition. They have tried all these things and yet they still are constantly in trouble. Their brains are effected by the chemical inbalances beyond their control, they have a medical condition!

Not so long back people with manic depresion (bi-polar), were institutionalised because we just didn't know that these people had - a chemical inbalance that could be assisted by a treatment regime.

The problems Kathee has are very similar ... and yet in todays modern world of educational understanding these kids lives are ruined by suspending or expelling them from schools. Amazing! They expel the sick kid and take away his future prospects in doing so.

Kathee is proposing a sensible, viable and responsible solution that helps the teachers, the students, the parents of the students, the school and the education system and the system says no!

So in these cases a more robust regime is needed. Who better to enforce a robust regime than a loving mother? Where are the so-called experts on this subject? Wakey, wakey a mother needs your help!

All you parents who have been harshly treated by the Education system as a result of your child's disabilities please state your case in this thread. Kathee needs to hear from all of you ... she is pleading for a fair go for her disabled son from a system that is flawed where her child and children like him are concerned.

alchemist, annecdotal evidence I've heard agrees with your comments. My former neighbours son was having ADHD issues and a change of diet made a big difference to his abaility to manage the behaviours.

ADHD managed can be something that can provide an edge, an abilty to push a bit harder than most. Same with some of the behaviour related conditions. It's not all bad news.

R0bert

RObert, I am a fitness instructor and deal a lot with diet. I too believe that Diet plays a huge roll in the behaviour of children. Additives and colouring etc can have an incredible impact on the way a child behaves. Having said that I think diagnosed ADHD is a different thing here.

Alchemist and Robert,

Thankyou so much for your comments, most of which I wholeheartedly agree with. Yes, my son's diet is very regimented - we have cut out as much sugar as possible, any red, yellow or orange food colourings, any additives such as msg, processed foods like white bread and white flour, any caffeine (cola drinks, chocolate, carob, etc.) and sauces such as tomato and soy. While we cannot eliminate these things totally, he has as little of these as is humanly possible to regulate! And opinionated, we have thought of the fish oils, but right now, until this battle is sorted, I don't know whether I could throw another variable into the mix!

We live in Victoria and have been refused funding for a teacher's aide so far. It is not class time tht seems to be the worst, although we have had our share of dramas there too. Having spent the weekend going over things with an advocate, we have come to the conclusion that there is a definite pattern to the behavioural issues, and that there may be other solutions that we can present to the school.

Thankyou so much everyone for your comments...please keep them coming because they are proving to be a useful way of making the ideas continue to flow!

katheedavis

Kathee...Snout is 100 percent right..labels are useless..
He is your son 1st and foremost and he has a problem..and like any problem can be worked thru..

Labels objectify and dehumanise..im sure you know that and maybe its just as simple as finding a nutritional expert and beginning there..
Medications do more harm than good and exacerbate the problem in many cases..

But I can only think that eduacting yourself in a wholistic manner, being open to alternative medicine(not quackery) and dieatery measures would go an awful long way too the path to recovery..

Wholistically speaking there is homeopathy..safe ,simple and not expensive.It works.
Naturapathy,acupuncture, Reflexology etc theres so much out there..and the safest options for your son..

Respite care?Occasionally so you can recharge your batteries?

Deborah58, I was hoping that I'd hedged my comments enough on that but maybe not. Part of the reason I asked about pediatric involvment initially. The anecdotal stuff I'm hearing suggests that many think some diet related issues may be being diagnosed as ADHD. In my friends case their son had been diagnosed with ADHD and had been on medication (I'm not sure which one). A change of diet changed things enough for him to manage his behaviour.

Having said all that I'm also aware that some of the medications can make a massive difference to a childs ability to get this stuff under control. It will probably remain one of those issues where parents have to find out what they can, listen to the advice of the professionals and make the best decision they can.

Kathee, my experience at my sons current school has been quite different to yours. His new school has bent over backwards to help and seemed overjoyed that I'm wanting to work with them to address some issues. Are there other schools nearby who may be better equiped to work with your child?

Can you afford to contribute towards the cost of a teacher aid (probably not viable over a sustained period but it might be worth asking what it would cost)?

I considered that at a critical period but the school was able to obtain funding. The headmaster indicated that they would be able to accept a contribution if necessary so I'll keep that option in reserve in case it is necessary later. I can't really afford it but the alternatives could be worse.

R0bert