InThisTogether wrote:
I haven't read everything. Need to state that up front.
My son has ADHD, NLD, and SPD. Many things you say sound similar, except that my son has a very laid back temperament and the only time he really has outbursts at all is when he is overwhelmed or over tired.
Anyway, I personally think that things like ADHD, ASD, AS, NLD, SPD, OCD, TS, etc. are all part of some broader continuum. I think they just overlap in different people in different ways. My son is ADHD with a component of NLD/AS, whereas my daughter is ASD with a component of ADHD. Two different variants of the same general wiring issue as I have. But it looks different in all three of us. Yet I am convinced that we are all atypically wired. If that makes sense. Even in terms of ADHD, my son is not like any other person I have ever met with ADHD, and my daughter is not like any other person I have ever met with ASD. And neither of them is like any NT person I have ever met either.
The reason I clarify this is because I am not completely convinced the specific labels are meaningful or even helpful sometimes, except that they give us the clue that this person is not wired like your typical person so typical expectations and typical approaches may not apply. I read about things for all of the conditions to try to monster-mash an approach that works for my specific kids (and me, too).
You might find Dr. Martin Kutscher's books on ADHD helpful. He does a good job of explaining why it's not really about inattentiveness or hyperactivity at all. ADHD: Living without Brakes is a good read.
Thank you for all of this. I definitely believe you to be right on about the labels. If I were to go on I know my son has tics (TS), etc., all overlapping symptoms in the same neuro region. It is confusing to me to be honest. However at the end of the day I know who he is and how he operates. I just need tools on parenting. Thank you for the book rec!
14 Mar 2014, 9:11 pm
