Hello all, (apologies in advance for the length)
My DS14 was dx this past summer with mild ADD (basically inattentive type) and dysgraphia (I did it finally Polarbear!).
He tested HG back in 3rd grade. Was dx this past summer and we started him on low dose Concerta then up to the next dose (36 mg) during the first week of school. The neuropsych work up showed a steep drop off in IQ on the WISC-V(which he took unmedicated and tested at around 134). The tester said he was all over the place and just would not keep on task.
He's enrolled in a small private school with small classes and is taking 4 Honors classes (he had to test into those). I frankly thought things would be better now that he's on meds. He started off okay but he's failed three tests (two in Bio and one in Spanish). He claims he did not know how to study for the Bio tests but claims to understand now (we will see). Spanish he claims he failed b/c it was a pop quiz. He's received some middling Bs on Geometry H tests. The teachers are really organized so there is little surprise as to what is being tested.
He has so much work every night that it seems all he does is homework and study for tests and my husband and I work with him a lot to keep him on task and on track. He's at 3 As and 3 Bs but I don't think he can hang on to the As and is on the brink of Cs and I see the real possibility of a semester report card of Bs and Cs. I'm not looking for him to graduate with some kind of amazing GPA but I do want to help him carve a path to some upward progress.
We have not asked for accommodations. Why not? I don't really know why. Maybe I don't know what to ask for yet. I know part of the problem is that it takes him likely 2x as long as any other kid to do the work because he is slow. The other part is the work, especially the bio, requires a deeper level of thinking that I am not certain he can access yet. English 2H he is managing but it's because we review the material together a lot and I make sure he's at a good understanding. He's has not forgotten any homework assignments and is much more organized than he was in the past. We sit with him every week and plan out the week's homework and tests.
Possibilities are dropping 1-2 of the honors classes which may hurt him in the long run with colleges, but really, maybe that is not the point anymore.
There is just reconciling myself to the fact that it will be a long slog and no one will come up for air for a few years.
Or letting him swim or (likely sink) for a year or so until he adapts. But will that happen? Can ADD kids learn to deal with this?
I don't want him to have to work every minute when he's not in school as I don't think that is healthy for him.
I'd consider a higher dosage of meds although he already does not eat much and is just about 6ft 1 and very skinny.
On the good side, his social skills have improved remarkably to the point where he's made new friends and asked someone to go to Homecoming with him.
Anyone have any advice to help me the see the big picture when trying to help an ADD kid make it through high school? I know I am missing what's important but I'm so exhausted, I'm having trouble seeing it.
Thank you.
