Hello All. I am Linda Hansen, also known as Artcraft. I am a new blogger here and I’m excited about beginning my new journey with families.com. I will be blogging on special needs parenting. My husband and I are permanent custodial guardians to biological brothers, ages eleven and fourteen. Our fourteen year old has been diagnosed with ADHD, Alcohol Fetal Syndrome, learning disabilities, and impulse/reaction disorder. Our younger child has Attachment Disorder and emotional issues stemming from his past environment of parental neglect. We have worked hard to learn all we can about the necessary care for children with special needs. It has been an interesting two years and we have covered a lot of territory in this area. I am looking forward to sharing my learning journey with you and along the way enjoying the ride.
Our oldest, Randy, was the child we worried about the most in the beginning. He came to us with multiple disorders. He had a psychiatrist in place, who was familiar with his case. She had been treating him for several years prior to his arrival. Randy’s symptoms were overt and obvious. He had all the telltale signs of ADHD. His conduct included irrational behavior, violent tendencies, impulsive reactions in any given situation, nervous tics, and hyperactivity. He was not passing in school and did not interact well in even the most basic conversation. Randy had not been administered medication for several months.
His brother Daniel had no obvious tendencies at first glance. He had not been diagnosed with any emotional or physical disorders. After becoming familiar with his behavior pattern, we quickly realized Daniel also had issues that desperately needed to be dealt with. He hoarded food and personal belongings. I found clean clothing neatly folded and hidden in the corner of his bed. Daniel would hide food in the back of the refrigerator or freezer. He would overload his plate and eat very little at mealtime. Our youngest displayed benign behavior to a degree, but insisted on arguing over the smallest detail, having the last word, and drawing attention to mistakes made by others. His actions pointed in the direction of Attachment Disorder with passive/aggressive tendencies.
So the work began. Randy resumed his medication regimen. I began at the easiest place to work with them, at the dinner table. We have worked on diet and a daily routine. It has been quite a journey so far. At this point, Randy and Daniel are consistent A and B students. They have a structured schedule and know exactly what the house rules are and what is expected of them. This was a good start. They thrive on consistency. We have enough history with the boys now for them to know that we love them, care about their wellbeing, and they can count on us to be there for them. This is the foundation that we have built the beginning of our strong family unit on. So far, it is working very well.