Re: Just joined and have questions

[Guest guest]

I am in Manchester NH you can contact me directly if you wish

.royer@...

Just joined and have questions

My daughter is 5 and during the past month we are coming to the

realization that something is definately not right with her. My

best friend has a special ed. background and suggested we look into

OCD. She has noticed from the time my daughter was two some

indications that she might have OCD. We have not yet sought any

professional advice. We are homeschooling and are therefore not

part of the traditional school system. My friend suggests going

through the special ed dept to get her evaluated and see what

services she qualifies for. She is on NH state medicaid and I have

yet to get through to a person to find out what they cover for

mental health benefits. I also got online to the OCD Foundation and

have two referrals, both a long distance away. (1 hr and 2 1/2 hrs.)

Ironically the 1 hour is Maine and my guess is that NH Medicaid

wouldn't cover it.

My question is has anyone had any success with going through the

school system, or would I be better off to drive a long distance to

see an OCD specialist?

Anyone in NH or southern Maine have suggestions for who to see?

We are all struggling with the fact that our daughter is in constant

conflict and that this is not what we had hoped for her. I just

want to help her the best that I can. I would appreciate any

responses. Thank you. Heidi

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[Guest guest]

I am near Lebanon NH. Anything I can do to help? Or am I on the

wrong side of the state from you?

> My daughter is 5 and during the past month we are coming to the

> realization that something is definately not right with her. My

> best friend has a special ed. background and suggested we look

into

> OCD. She has noticed from the time my daughter was two some

> indications that she might have OCD. We have not yet sought any

> professional advice. We are homeschooling and are therefore not

> part of the traditional school system. My friend suggests going

> through the special ed dept to get her evaluated and see what

> services she qualifies for. She is on NH state medicaid and I

have

> yet to get through to a person to find out what they cover for

> mental health benefits. I also got online to the OCD Foundation

and

> have two referrals, both a long distance away. (1 hr and 2 1/2

hrs.)

> Ironically the 1 hour is Maine and my guess is that NH Medicaid

> wouldn't cover it.

>

> My question is has anyone had any success with going through the

> school system, or would I be better off to drive a long distance

to

> see an OCD specialist?

>

> Anyone in NH or southern Maine have suggestions for who to see?

>

> We are all struggling with the fact that our daughter is in

constant

> conflict and that this is not what we had hoped for her. I just

> want to help her the best that I can. I would appreciate any

> responses. Thank you. Heidi

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the link Chris! I will look it up.

The appointment went pretty well. I think we are going to give it a

try. She brought up PANDAS, wants to rule out a few things like

mercury and lead poisioning. She spoke about CBT but talked about

needing to adapt it as my daughter is only 5. Any info of treatment

for a very young child with OCD? She was very caring/empathetic. I

think my daughter will open up to her, and seeing as how she has

currently available (and will accept Medicaid) we are going to give

it a try.

This weekend has been pretty good, not to many episodes. I have

resigned myself to going back to helping her in the bathroom so that

things don't get out of hand. This seems to be helping. The

confessing/apologizing was also decreased. I wish I understood the

swings from intense OCD symptoms all day to mild symptons randomly

through out the day. I just thankful for the reprieve.

Anyways, thanks for your concern.

> >

> >

> > Thanks for the input Chris. I actually made an appointment

today

> > with a psychotherapist who is local. She seemed knowledgeable

about

> > OCD treatment (although I am still learning a lot myself.)My

> husband

> > and I will go tomorrow and then make a final decision. She was

> > recommended very highly by a close friend who has been seen by

> her.

> > When I asked about prescribing medication, she said she couldn't

> but

> > that my pediatrician might be able/willing to do that.

> >

> > Any suggestions on questions to ask?

[Guest guest]

Hi Heidi, I suggest that you take your daughter to a private child

psychiatrist for evaluation and if indicated, diagnosis and treatment. This

would be the quickest and probably most effective route to finding out what

your child's trouble is and beginning effective treatment.

Evaluation services through school systems vary widely and most

psychiatrists and psychologists I have spoken with have indicated they can

be subpar though that may be a bit of a professional turf war. Neither the

counselor nor the school nurse in my child's elementary school had even

heard of OCD. In any case school evaluations are done to determine what if

any special support services a child may need to successfully access her

education. The school is unlikely to diagnose her with anything, or suggest

treatment, that is the responsibility of a doctor (psychiatrist, sometimes

the pediatrician). Apparently in some states school personnel can

provisionally diagnose for education purposes, this is usually with children

with suspected autism-related disorders so they can more quickly access

school-supported early-intervention programs.

If your daughter does indeed have OCD, the two proved treatments are a

certain type of behavior therapy called Cognitive Behavior Therapy with

Exposure and Response Prevention, and a class of medications called SSRIs.

You will need a doc (psychiatrist usually) to prescribe and manage

medication if that's needed, and it is unlikely that the special type of

therapy that's effective to reduce OCD will be available through the school.

I'm sorry to read that your child is struggling but if she does in fact have

OCD, it is a very treatable disorder and she has every chance once

effectively treated to enjoy the type of life you wanted for her. My own

daughter had an overnight onset of severe OCD a month before her fifth

birthday, she's 10 now and has taken medication since onset, and more

recently successfully completed CBT/ERP. Her symptoms have been very low

for a long while now, and she enjoys a full and blessedly normal life with

only occasional intrusions of OCD.

Take care,

Kathy R. in Indiana

----- Original Message -----

> My daughter is 5 and during the past month we are coming to the

> realization that something is definately not right with her. My

> best friend has a special ed. background and suggested we look into

> OCD. She has noticed from the time my daughter was two some

> indications that she might have OCD. We have not yet sought any

> professional advice. We are homeschooling and are therefore not

> part of the traditional school system. My friend suggests going

> through the special ed dept to get her evaluated and see what

> services she qualifies for. She is on NH state medicaid and I have

> yet to get through to a person to find out what they cover for

> mental health benefits. I also got online to the OCD Foundation and

> have two referrals, both a long distance away. (1 hr and 2 1/2 hrs.)

> Ironically the 1 hour is Maine and my guess is that NH Medicaid

> wouldn't cover it.

>

> My question is has anyone had any success with going through the

> school system, or would I be better off to drive a long distance to

> see an OCD specialist?

>

> Anyone in NH or southern Maine have suggestions for who to see?

>

> We are all struggling with the fact that our daughter is in constant

> conflict and that this is not what we had hoped for her. I just

> want to help her the best that I can. I would appreciate any

> responses. Thank you. Heidi

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

> We began homeschooling for many other reasons a few months

> before the OCD began. I was a little frustrated that the Special Ed

> Director told me that because we were homeschooling that they were

> not required to provide services for our daugher. That doesn't seem

> right.

*****Hi Heidi again, I'm behind on posts and just responded to your first

one before seeing that you've already moved past that point...oh well :-)

just delete.

I don't think it is true that your school has no obligations toward your

daughter because you homeschool. If this is a tax-supported public school

they are responsible for your child's education whether you choose to

homeschool or not. I suggest you call your state education office if you

want to follow up on this. Time and again listmembers have been told this

or similar, and it has turned out the school representative was wrong.

Take care,

Kathy R. in Indiana