I’ve been a special needs parent for roughly half of my life. I’m so used to the challenges that I face on a daily basis, that I don’t always remember that they are there.
Sometimes you can get so used to something that you simply don’t know anything else.
Over the years I’ve become quite acclimated with Autism but ADHD is something relatively new for me. It’s been over a year since both Elliott and Emmett were diagnosed officially with ADHD.
I’m honestly not sure what I struggle with more as a parent, Autism or ADHD. They both present their own unique parenting challenges but ADHD is much newer to me and I’m still trying to figure it out.
There are many overlapping symptoms and it’s sometimes really difficult to tease the two apart.
I honestly don’t know which is more challenging… They’re both exhausting for me as a parent and they’re impacting my kids daily life, so neither are easy for them either…..
What’s your experience been with Autism, ADHD or both? Just looking for some insights. 😀
My fiance was diagnosed with ADHD the week before last. His new pyschiatrist was really pissed off, because he’s been in tratment for mental health concerns for ten years and nobody picked it up when he’s practically a textbook example of undiagnosed adult ADHD. It’s really exciting, because he hasn’t been able to focus enough to work for about a year, and now there’s a completely different treatment plan that will hopefully lead him back into work.
I don’t really have anything helpful to say, except to be glad your kids are getting treated for this now, not in 30 years after decades of misery. My Chris had a very difficult childhood and spent most of his teens and twenties drunk and high, prior to becoming an alcoholic in his thirties. With therapy and medication from an early age, your kids may drive you round the bend sometimes, but they are talented little boys who have a bright future to look forward to :-)
From what I’ve experienced when you say someone has autism it’s met with a head shake & an “oh” like that explains everything. When you say your kid has ADHD people are just like “why can’t you control your kid”. Since a lot of people haven’t experienced either they think autism is a “disease” that you can’t “control” but ADHD can be “controlled”. Both are true & untrue. A lot of symptoms & behaviors are the same in both. The worst part is the meltdowns for either!
No good answer, we were diagnosed with ADHD first and autism second. The hardest part is that treatments/parenting strategies for either never quite fit. So you have to experiment to figure out which combination of autism/ADHD you are. The ADHD mess are a real challenge, but I’m also more surprised about the little things with autism because it can be harder to see (physically then ADHD).
Our son has both which makes evert thing more difficult
My fiance was diagnosed with ADHD the week before last. His new pyschiatrist was really pissed off, because he’s been in tratment for mental health concerns for ten years and nobody picked it up when he’s practically a textbook example of undiagnosed adult ADHD. It’s really exciting, because he hasn’t been able to focus enough to work for about a year, and now there’s a completely different treatment plan that will hopefully lead him back into work.
I don’t really have anything helpful to say, except to be glad your kids are getting treated for this now, not in 30 years after decades of misery. My Chris had a very difficult childhood and spent most of his teens and twenties drunk and high, prior to becoming an alcoholic in his thirties. With therapy and medication from an early age, your kids may drive you round the bend sometimes, but they are talented little boys who have a bright future to look forward to 🙂
Our son has both which makes evert thing more difficult
From what I’ve experienced when you say someone has autism it’s met with a head shake & an “oh” like that explains everything. When you say your kid has ADHD people are just like “why can’t you control your kid”. Since a lot of people haven’t experienced either they think autism is a “disease” that you can’t “control” but ADHD can be “controlled”. Both are true & untrue. A lot of symptoms & behaviors are the same in both. The worst part is the meltdowns for either!
No good answer, we were diagnosed with ADHD first and autism second. The hardest part is that treatments/parenting strategies for either never quite fit. So you have to experiment to figure out which combination of autism/ADHD you are. The ADHD mess are a real challenge, but I’m also more surprised about the little things with autism because it can be harder to see (physically then ADHD).