Today I am going to continue on my blog about my children and their challenges with ADD and ADHD. Previously I was speaking about my daughter who was diagnosed with ADD. In middle school she was put on a drug called Concerta. They slowed her down to a point of being able to concentrate but she also has anxiety issues with the ADD. When her annual PPT came about (Parent Teacher conference to discuss her IEP(independent Educational program) it was very interesting that the school intern psychologist mentioned that she thought my daughter was very depressed. Depressed, she loved school, even though she had a challenging issue. She was even seeing a therapist, one of the recommendations from the psychologist that diagnosed her. After this meeting nothing was ever done. She did have "unusual" issues, for example, she had such difficulty working with her lock on her locker. She kept getting the turns and numbers wrong, to an extent the teachers changed her locker near one of their's so they could help her. She had quite a bit of issues in Math, problems that required comprehension were always challenging, but again the teachers got her through it, this is what I thought they were doing. In her final year of middle school, 8th grade, different issues manifested, she began making up stories, big issues with other girls, they wouldn't want to play with her. She was seeing the school psychologist, but she would just tell my daughter to work with it. The friendship issue became more pronounced to an extent that when someone asked her for lunch money she helped, and thought these kids were her friends, after numerous times of asking for money, she began to take money from me and not eat lunch. Now this became bribery with the kids to my daughter. The breaking point was at the end of the school year she stole $40 from my wallet, I noticed this while she was in school. I called the school and asked them to hold her at the guidance office. When we confronted her she told us that boys told her not to come to school unless she gave them money. She was so afraid she stole from us. We went to the principal of the school and he got the boys and confronted them, but because no one saw my daughter give them the money he let them go without any punishment. This was very upsetting to my husband and I. The therapist would talk to my daughter about it but she never divulged any information. Finally in 9th grade everything exploded! She was on such a stressful overload she threatened to hurt herself in the school. We were devastated. This brought us to our current Psychiatrist, who is the best thing that has happened to my daughter. He sent herto a group of neuro psychologists that gave her a battery of tests. She was on huge amounts of antidepressants, (by the way, this medication makes them gain a large amount of weight). She gained 30 pounds in 6 weeks. This was not my daughter. After the testing she was diagnosed with NonVerbal Learning Disability. I had no clue what this was, but what I did find out is that 98% of the time a learning disability accommpanies ADD/ADHD. What an eye opener!!!! Now my recommendation to everyone, have your child tested between the ages of 9-12 if they have ADD/ADHD. This psychologist gave me information that was INVALUABLE!!!! She told me to hire an advocate for my child whenever I deal with the school system. She saw documents that the school had testing information that suggested an issue and they never brought it to my attention. That depression she had, THAT'S A HUGE CLUE!! What did I know I've never had to deal with this. So we hired an advocate to help us get the assistance my child needed. My battles had just begun!!! To be continued....