Treat the ADHD. It is just as serious an issue as the dyslexia.

Successfully treating the ADHD will also make it more likely that she will be able to get the most out of the specialized dyslexia instruction.

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks for all the advice ! I'm struggling with this because dd also has dyslexia and we're likely changing to a school for dyslexia next year. I'm just not sure how much is dyslexia and how much is ADHD. I'm wondering if starting stimulants now may be premature. However, her self esteem has been affected by all of this.

The bolded above is why I would give meds a try. You only have to try it for a few days and you will know. I have a DD with dyslexia and ADHD and I agree that it has been hard to separate out the effects of each. Because of the dyslexia and how hard it makes school, I feel like why make it harder with untreated ADHD? For my DD, the meds weren't the panacea, but they do help so it's worth it for her.

I have a child with dyslexia/ adhd who we ultimately moved to dyslexia-specific school. We tried everything before medication and I am glad We did. But the first day she was on her meds with her tutor- I got a note sayin she had made 3x the usual progress. I regret that it took me so long to see how interrelated the dyslexia/ adhd/ emotional regulation/ anxiety/ self-esteem issues were.

We calibrated her medication for her school setting. Once she was in better fit for school and her dyslexia remediation was going faster, we were able to stop the afternoon dose because the structure of the school supported her success. Her teachers worked closely with us to monitor because the impact on her appetite was huge and she was tiny already.

When she is medicated is a good time to teach the skills she needs to manage her emotions etc. Once she started to learn those skills, we saw progress when medicated.

Now she is a tween hitting puberty and we have chosen not to increase her medication because although she is bigger, she is doing ok and only takes her medication for the reading/ math part of her day.

I know our journey isn’t typical, but for some kids brain maturation, physical activity, self-regulation skills and structure can be used in conjunction with medication. We evaluate that on weekends when we can closely monitor.

Anonymous wrote:We're considering starting our 9yo dd on stimulant medication for ADHD (inattentive w emotional dysregulation). I have mixed feelings about this - anyone started their child on stimulants and now regret ? TIA !

Yes, huge regret. Tried several and dc presented with suicidal tendencies. Made dc too emotional and when the doctor started with wanting to balance with anxiety meds we put the brakes on. Dc was never anxious or had social issues before meds but had these problems with the change in personality after going on meds. We needed these for attention issues but have chosen not to use them. Dc is maturing and when given the option would rather work extra or with a tutor rather than take the meds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks for all the advice ! I'm struggling with this because dd also has dyslexia and we're likely changing to a school for dyslexia next year. I'm just not sure how much is dyslexia and how much is ADHD. I'm wondering if starting stimulants now may be premature. However, her self esteem has been affected by all of this.

You mentioned emotional disregulation. That's common with ADHD, but not so much with dyslexia.

Op here - Good point. She only exhibits emotional dysregulation at home. She holds it together at school and is not disruptive. She just doesn't do her work because she says it's too hard. Is it worth medicating in this scenario ?

Refusing to do work is classic ADHD behavior. And yes, people medicate for avoidant behaviors due to ADHD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks for all the advice ! I'm struggling with this because dd also has dyslexia and we're likely changing to a school for dyslexia next year. I'm just not sure how much is dyslexia and how much is ADHD. I'm wondering if starting stimulants now may be premature. However, her self esteem has been affected by all of this.

You mentioned emotional disregulation. That's common with ADHD, but not so much with dyslexia.

Op here - Good point. She only exhibits emotional dysregulation at home. She holds it together at school and is not disruptive. She just doesn't do her work because she says it's too hard. Is it worth medicating in this scenario ?

I have ADHD and only exhibited tantrums and emotional upsets at home never at school. For me school was much easier because the expectations, routine and rules were clear whereas my home life was a free for all. Keeping it together at school was easy but at home, not so much. Also, most kids feel more comfortable being themselves at home.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Op here - thanks for all the advice ! I'm struggling with this because dd also has dyslexia and we're likely changing to a school for dyslexia next year. I'm just not sure how much is dyslexia and how much is ADHD. I'm wondering if starting stimulants now may be premature. However, her self esteem has been affected by all of this.[/quote]

You mentioned emotional disregulation. That's common with ADHD, but not so much with dyslexia.[/quote]

Op here - Good point. She only exhibits emotional dysregulation at home. She holds it together at school and is not disruptive. She just doesn't do her work because she says it's too hard. Is it worth medicating in this scenario ?[/quote]

It's worth a consult with a psychiatrist for an assessment. Some kids put so much effort into staying together at school that they have nothing left when they come home. If that's your kid, anything that makes her days easier will help her at night too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks for all the advice ! I'm struggling with this because dd also has dyslexia and we're likely changing to a school for dyslexia next year. I'm just not sure how much is dyslexia and how much is ADHD. I'm wondering if starting stimulants now may be premature. However, her self esteem has been affected by all of this.

You mentioned emotional disregulation. That's common with ADHD, but not so much with dyslexia.

Op here - Good point. She only exhibits emotional dysregulation at home. She holds it together at school and is not disruptive. She just doesn't do her work because she says it's too hard. Is it worth medicating in this scenario ?

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks for all the advice ! I'm struggling with this because dd also has dyslexia and we're likely changing to a school for dyslexia next year. I'm just not sure how much is dyslexia and how much is ADHD. I'm wondering if starting stimulants now may be premature. However, her self esteem has been affected by all of this.

You mentioned emotional disregulation. That's common with ADHD, but not so much with dyslexia.

Op here - thanks for all the advice ! I'm struggling with this because dd also has dyslexia and we're likely changing to a school for dyslexia next year. I'm just not sure how much is dyslexia and how much is ADHD. I'm wondering if starting stimulants now may be premature. However, her self esteem has been affected by all of this.