Link Reward System / ADHD

Question:  Does anyone have any suggestions of rules and responsibilities and rewards for helping a 9 year old girls with her behavior?  She has recently been diagonsed with ADHD

Answer:

Cayden, 6 years old, had ADHD also. His behavior is out of this world and we did go to medicine, however, the teacher worked with us on creating a “link” reward system and Cayden is allowed to chew gum during the day. It allows him to focus a bit better.

The link reward system is where for every time the teacher catches Cayden being good they give him a link (we use plastic colorful paperclips at home) after 10 links are earned he gets to go to the treasure box. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE RECOGNIZES THE GOOD BEHAVIORS BUT DOESN’T HARP ON THE BAD ONES. This is what Cayden’s psychiatrist has said. The teachers can turn it around. Also, we use the system at home, but a bit different because he is on one med at home and I know he has a bit of help so it is a little bit more difficult to get a link. Cayden gets links for being good at speech therapy (private), he gets one for being good that day ( I gauge the behavior based upon age and what I think he is capable of). The teachers and I also have a special “gotcha” reward and that is if they are behaving somewhere you have gone (shopping, doctor’s, dentist etc) then they get a link for getting caught being good.

After 10 links he gets to go to the treasure box. The treasure box contains all different types of toys, books, stickers. I let him pick out things at Wal-Mart, Target, Five Below and Dollar Trees so that I know that he will want them.

Another thing that the teachers do is give Cayden certificates of behavior (responsibility, great attitude, finishing tasks etc). You can get these at Dollar Store. If you can’t find them I would be happy to get them and send them so you can give them to teachers. I display these in my kitchen where everyone can see them and he gets another link at home for them.

Because Cayden is on meds it is easier to get through to him so this has worked out well. However, I did try a responsibility chart with him before the meds when he was three and that worked out okay.

Cayden was a “I don’t care what you do to me, I am not going to do it” attitude. It is very difficult to get through to them and you have to find what makes them “tick”.

Cayden was almost put in a behavior class because of his bad behavior at school, which is the WORST thing to do to a duplication child!

As far as school goes, you have a child that has ADHD and the school now has to provide exceptions. ADHD is now looked at no differently than an autistic child because it is a neurological issue (front lobe). Just a suggestion, I would call an IEP meeting and have them come up with ways to deal with Gabi’s behavior.

Some of the things they did for Cayden before the meds:

1. Had him carry bottles from one end to another. (he doesn’t need this any more)
2. Chewing gum
3. Had his own seat up front
4. Had a special place for him to go if he needed comforting
5. Gave him time on the computer if he was good (It has been proved that video and computer games stimulate ADHD kids. Cayden is very good at them. There are many advantages to them. (fine motor skills, coordination, learning games etc) 

Now that Cayden is on a med, only gum and a seat up front is what is needed now. His whole entire attitude changed when I put him on Abilify 2mg a day. Cayden has ADHD and ODD (oppositional defiance disorder).

I wish you all the best in trying to find that one or two things that work. It is a difficult journey and nobody knows exactly how difficult it is.

Take care,

Susan

* Other input from a mom on this post:  One note on videos, and especially computer games:  The evaluator who diagnosed my son’s ADHD told me that TV watching and playing computer games should be limited to no more than 20 minutes at a time, because that’s the point where children’s brains (especially children with ADHD) become overstimulated, and nerve cells start shutting down.  She said, “After 20 minutes, their brains start to turn to mush.  It’s just too much input.”  Scary – scary enough for me to schedule 20 minutes of computer time, then a break to play outside, play with Legos, read . . . and 20 minutes again later.

* Another mom said, "This will not apply to all but maybe can help some. My 5 yr old granddaughter can have bad behavioral problems, they just found out she has a strange food allergy that makes her aggressive (my son also had this when he was little) so far they know milk, bleached flour and red 40 make her like this. I don't think blood tests detect these kinds of allergies, she is getting tested in a couple weeks with an electro dermal machine, hoping that will show them all the foods. but she behaves so much better and can control herself better if she does not eat these foods, I have seen the difference."

ADHD and "Fidgets"

Hi,

I know that this is a very simple thing but it works with Cayden and it is in his IEP.

Another type of therapy:

Because Cayden has ADHD, it doesn’t mean the medicine that he is on completely gets rid of it, so the school has allowed him to chew gum during the day. This is a sensory issue. It actually REALLY helps Cayden to focus. I send sugarless gum all the time and it works. The teachers will say that it works and they can see a difference when he is out of gum.

Just an FYI.

Also, I know many kids have a hard time sleeping. I give Cayden .5 of melatonin in the evening so he can get to sleep. It is perfectly safe, but the most important thing is that Cayden gets the rest he needs to function better the next day. As you know ADHD kids seem to be more active if they don’t get their rest. Note that melatonin assists them in getting to sleep it doesn’t keep them asleep during the night so Cayden is NOT drowsy the next day. The melatonin is approved by Cayden Genetics, Psychiatrist and

Peds Neurologist Dr.

’s. They say that it is not harmful to him in any way.

These are a couple of tips and tricks I have found along the way.

Take care all,

Susan

ps - "Fidgets" are items kids can use to help combat their restlessness.  The gum Susan mentioned is one such item.  Sometimes therapists will have kids squeeze stress balls, texture balls, or bounce or sit on a large exercise ball rather than in a chair.  Other accommodations can also be written into an IEP.  For instance, if a child has a difficult time sitting, he can be allowed to pace the back of the room during "circle time" in a taped off area as long as he is quiet.  If he isn't quiet, he has to rejoin the group.  Often times these sensory output moments will help to refocus the child.  Let us know what helps your child!  Thanks, Jennie

Helpful Reading Material

(Contributed by Angela, mom to Jenna)

I am new to Duplication Cares and to posting to the blog so please forgive me if any of these recommendations are repeats!

First, as an introduction, my daughter, Jenna was recently diagnosed with the 7q11.23 Duplication Syndrome. She is already 13 so our worries are slowly turning from "figuring her out" to acceptance and thinking about her adult future.  

So, for the reason I am writing: I would like to recommend two books that I recently read that I could identify with in many ways.

 

The first is Laughing Allegra: The Inspiring Story of a Mother's Struggle and Triumph Raising a Daughter with Learning Disabilities.  It is written by the great granddaughter of Henry Ford, Anne Ford, and it's all about her journey from kindergarten through college with her learning disabled daughter. As the title indicates, it truly is an inspiring story. She stays with her daughter advocating for her every step of the way and somehow they keep their sense of humor through it all. Allegra may not be exactly like our kids as she is extremely social, verbal and extroverted, but she does struggle with making friends and the pain of social isolation. I found myself pretty emotional while I was reading, but at the same time the book offers concrete advice for us as well. I don't think Allegra has any diagnosis other than "learning disability", but she was raised before all of the improvements in genetics testing! I think she is currently around 36 and living independently.

Also, I am currently reading another book by Anne Ford, On Their Own, Creating an Independent Future for Your Adult Child With Learning Disabilities and ADHD. As we know, most disabilities do not disappear when our children become adults so this book gives us a roadmap for getting them up and out and then what to realistically expect when they get there!

Both books are loving tributes to Anne's daughter, Allegra.