Has anyone ever removed their child from the home temporarily?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DS (age 8), has been out of control at home for a very long time. He has been in therapy a while and additionally, we are pursuing medication. Meanwhile, the impact of his destructive behavior is really impacting our other children, who are younger than him, not to mention us. It is an unlivable situation. To say we are at our wit's end is an understatement. DH and I are strongly considering removing him from the household (probably DH would take him to live in a hotel or corporate apartment) for a while. Has anyone ever done this? If so, how did it work out? TIA.

What is his current dx?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't have a moment to read and respond completely right now, but I will tomorrow bc we were at almost exactly the same place this summer. I will say that you should avoid Shephard Pratt. We had a horrible experience there -- we specifically wanted our child off a med that we and his private neurologist felt was causing problems and they agreed. Then they kept him on it, doped him up on Risperdal, actually increased the dose of the med he was supposed to be coming off, and lied to me about it. All while never even meeting with us after the initial intake meeting. It was appalling. The nurses were lovely; the actions of the doctors bordered on malpractice. Will post more support/ideas tomorrow, I promise. The meds can definitely help (when it's the right one).

It does not look like OP has responded, a lot has been posted that may take time for OP to digest. I really don't want to hijack this thread but I feel the need to comment on the above post.
I am sorry that you had a bad experience at SP. We had a good experience with their Child Day Hospital. Each evening we received a notice of any medications given and any changes made to the meds. The social worker assigned to our case (they assign one to every family) met with us weekly to discuss any concerns. I was able to spak with the doctor in person and over the phone. The doctor stayed in touch with our private psychiatrist. You don't say whether your child was in the residential treatment program or the day hospital . . . I mostly want to comment on one thing that is written above. It does sound like your child's meds were mismanaged. However, you don't mention the medication that you and your private neurologist thought might be causing a problem but then you mention Risperdal in a way that sounds a disparaging (specifically your use of the phrase "doped up on"). For those who do not know, Risperdal is an atypical antipsychotic. It is one of the only meds of it's type approved for use with children. It can be used for a number of dxs including but not limited to Tourette's disorder, aggression in ASDs and ODD. For some children, including my DC, it has been life-changing (in a good way). There are significant side effects to look out for but as this is a discussion between people who seem to appreciate the balance that needs to considered (side effects vs. functioning), I feel that we all should be careful about what we may be saying to OP. As the above poster notes, "meds can definitely help (when it's the right one)" and I am going to add for your child.

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to send support to OP. I have no advice, but I feel for you and I can onnly imagine how difficult this must be. I hope things improve whatever you choose!

[Anonymous]

What is an ASD?

[Anonymous]

Autism Spectrum Disorder

[Anonymous]

First of all, OP, you have my deepest empathy. I am quite sure your entire family is completely distraught including the child you are trying to help. As others have said, removing the child to a hotel is really not helpful. It sounds as if residential treatment is needed, which will require a specific diagnosis from your doctor I believe. A nephew of mine has been at Dominion several times ... the hospital (or at least part of it) specializes in dealing with children so you are not just placing your child amongst troubled adults. This is a long haul solution ... residential treatment should be followed with outpatient treatment (day hospitalization) and probably an alternative school afterwards. If things have gotten this bad, then as helpful as the correct medication can be, it will probably be a more involved and ongoing treatment.

I wish you the best ... go get the help you need for the sake of all your family members. Best wishes.

[Anonymous]

I have a family friend who has a child who was placed in a special foster home after several visits to residential hospitals. He is bipolar and also has attachment issues. He was not adopted. The foster family he went to has been trained for children like him. After spending their all summer he came back different. Much better than the hospital settings.