ADHD

Usually I post on things going on around our Babcock world and they tend to have a bit of humor in them. Today, however, I am asking for your prayers as we begin a journey that many have traveled, but it is new to us. Several years ago we started Occupational Therapy with Cooper and a wonderful friend Mrs. Robbie Dunn. She has done wonders with Cooper and with us regarding some of the special needs that Cooper has. In the beginning I was learning about Cooper and why he was so driven in everything he did. If it was something he liked he strove for perfection. If it was something he disliked, he disliked it with enormous amounts of passion. When he was forced to do something he disliked, or when he made a mistake on something while striving for perfection, he would meltdown. I don't mean just throw a fit- we are talking 30-45 min of wailing, screaming, crying, stomping, running, hiding, destructive behavior that was hard to deal with much less understand. Since seeing Mrs. Robbie, most of the time he is able to tell us what he needs in order to not meltdown and stay in balance. He is a textbook case for Sensory Integration Disorder. After learning more and more about it, I have learned that the apple doesn't fall far from this tree. (me) We recently had him tested by an educational psychologist to see what the realms of his issues were. Those results showed that he also suffers from ADHD. As a teacher, I had many students who struggled with adhd but having one of my own was not what I was prepared for. Now we come to the question of what to do. We are not opposed to medication. If he had a problem with his heart and medication were the best route -he would get it. If he had kidney problems the same thing. As Dr. Chappell explained to us those who suffer from adhd do not have the same amount of neurotransmitters that non adhd children have in order to stay focused. So the medication helps with that. Still we know that things in the house will have to change as well. A steady routine is crucial. Sleep is crucial. I guess what we need is the support of our friends and family as we help Cooper learn to cope with his diagnosis. We want him to be comfortable and well informed enough to be able to talk about it and at the same time we don't want him to use it as a crutch. We want him to feel loved and wanted as he always has been. We covet your prayers and ask that you pray for strength and wisdom for all who are involved. We know that God chose us to be parents to Cooper and I wouldn't trade that for anything in this world. We are thankful that he is our Cooper!