So, here's the story. In 1998 I had the most beautiful baby boy. I kind of had my heart set on a girl, but hey, you take what life gives you. He was healthy, happy, silly and a joy. Truly.
At about 14 months, he changed into a screaming, crying, angry, difficult child. My husband (US Army) was in the field for a month and when he came home he couldn't believe the change in our child (we'll call him "Troy," because that is not his name).
While we lived in Germany, Troy attended the German Kindergarten. In many ways this was the best time of our lives. Troy was different because he was American, not because he was... well, different.
After starting the American schools, the teachers began noting Troy's "differences." We transferred him from one Kindergarten classroom because the teacher was basically an old grouch. She would not allow the children to play with any of the classroom materials because they were new and she did not want to see them get broken or damaged.
In the new classroom Troy was often in trouble for socially inappropriate behavior (mainly wiping his boogers on his friends' nap mats). His teacher approached his father and me saying that she was concerned because Troy was so different from his classmates. She cited the fact that he liked to smell everything as her main concern; mentioning that whenever they cooked a snack he wanted to smell it. This did not seem strange to me, because I like to smell things, too. She added that the first thing Troy did when reading a book was to open it and take a big whiff of it. Again, this was not an oddity to me, as I knew that all children develop differently and I also (still) love the smell of a new book.
Of course, I have been described as "quirky" and "out there" and even by a neighbor who lived across the hall at one point: a "nutjob." Now, I agree with quirky and unique sense of humor, but the nutjob lady was just mean.
Anyway, back to Troy. First grade was not easy for him. He always had lots of homework because he could not concentrate in class, so he had to bring all of his work home. Being a highly irritable child; Troy was not entirely open to the idea of being at school all day and then being expected to cooperate in the completion of his homework. This translates into: Mom got yelled at a lot, and sometimes kicked in the shin.
In the second grade Troy was referred to his pediatrician for ADHD evaluation. The doctor peered down at me over the frames of his glasses and said: "You DO know that ADHD is hereditary, don't you?" Well, actually... I didn't know that. I was over 30 years old before finding out that Attention Deficit Disorder was a part of my makeup. Surprise!
So much more happened during those times, but I am trying to keep this brief, as I am interested in moving forward with this blog! In a nutshell, we have tried many different types of medications for Troy, he has been seen by therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, physician's assistants, teachers, administrators, and whoever else happens to be on shift when we have an appointment (military doctors are not exactly the most stable).
Fourth grade was just the worst for our family. Troy's teachers were extremely uncooperative and while it was the first time we were able to obtain an Individualized Education Program (IEP); the program was not followed correctly and our family encountered an incredible amount of opposition from Troy's school in trying to meet his needs.
Troy's diagnosis is Combined Type ADHD while attempting to rule out Asperger's Syndrome. It is my goal to confirm or completely rule out (although I am pretty sure it will be confirmed) AS and move on with whatever resources we can obtain in order to ensure that Troy has every opportunity to become a successful and happy individual.
So, that is what this blog is all about.
