Reply to What to do next? Elopement and aggression with first grader

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Hi OP,  I'm so sorry you're going through this.  Your situation reminds me of where we were when my son was in 2nd grade.  He had similar outbursts and eloped from the school twice.  It got so bad to the point he was suspended at 7 years old (it was later expunged because they weren't following his 504).  His behaviors were really situational and teacher-dependent.  He had a terrible 2nd-grade year, a fantastic 3rd-grade year, a pretty bad 4th-grade year, and 5th grade was completely remote which actually worked out really well for him and our family.

He was diagnosed with ADHD initially.  He's now 11 years old and the diagnosis has changed to anxiety and depression.  Pre-Covid he went through the KKI Behavior Management Clinic and Alvord Baker Resilience Builders. He's currently in weekly CBT therapy, sees a psychiatrist every 6 weeks, and is taking Guanfacine and an SSRI.  It really is a struggle and seemed insurmountable at first putting his team together.  Meds have really worked as well as consistent therapy.

I have to say he's improved tremendously though it's been a long road.  What used to be external outbursts are now manifesting as physical symptoms like stomach aches and chest tightening.  He's at a small mainstream independent school in DC and is doing well in 6th grade.  He's very bright and does well academically.  He is also really adept at hiding his anxious feelings so most teachers don't realize he's struggling until he either feels "sick" or they observe some behaviors (which are rare at this point, knock on wood).

I would definitely recommend looking into something other than public school if it's feasible for your family.  Good luck OP!  I wanted to share because oftentimes it can seem so hopeless at first.  [/quote]

Hi there, it's OP. I really appreciate you sharing this. I am so glad that your son is doing better, and that things have slowly improved for your family. Thank you for your encouragement. We could possibly manage private school but would probably need financial aid as we have two younger children as well who are currently in daycare. And, we'd need to extinguish the aggressive behavior first.

I know there were mixed reviews on the Weinfeld group but they got back to me quickly and recommended an educational advocate who specializes in behavioral issues, Paul Livelli. So I think we are going to try working with him. So grateful for all the advice here. Hoping that the school won't see this as us trying to be hostile, because I genuinely believe that they are working incredibly hard with him and dealing with an extremely challenging situation - I just need my hand held through the process as we figure out what to do.

Thank you again to everyone who has responded - I truly appreciate you all taking the time to share your experiences and advice as I muddle my way through this situation.[/quote]

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