We just got word from my daughter's Kindergarten teacher that she may have to repeat next year. She has been a great and supportive teacher since Sept. The teacher said that we have until July to decide, hoping that her ADHD is under better control by then. She had a bad reaction to Adderall and have a Dr.'s appt next Tuesday to discuss other meds. My dilemma is this - should we ease off on the major homework issues right now, and just enjoy our time together and repeat next year, or should I keep pushing and pushing now hoping that she can move on to 1st grade? My real question to all you out there is: Is it unrealistic of me to think that we can have the whole medication problem under control by July? She was only on one med so far and that was a real nightmare. Any thoughts on repeating Kindergarten? Thanks

[This message has been edited by MaryC (edited 03-20-2003).]

My son had to go to a class called Prefirst. It was a stepping stone before 1st grade. It consisted of repeating kindegarden the 1st half of the year and preparing him for 1st grade the 2nd half of the year. It helped a little.

My opinions are that it so much easier for a child at age 5-8 to adjust to being held back then at a later age. Think about a 5th grader that has all his/her freinds advancing & they are not. My son today doesn't even remember that he had an extra year of school as we just told him this was the normal step in schooling for him. We didn't make a big deal out of it and he is just fine. I truly beleive it is harder on the parents to accept this and to implement it. I think you couldn't go wrong if you did.

I wish I could give you better advice on the meds. than what I am about too, but I can't. We have always had nightmares with the 3 kinds my son has been on thru the years. I have recently took him off all meds.and are trying many different things now, but keep in mind he was ADD w/LD not ADHD. I have heard alot of parents say that concerta, & strattera are working well for them. Look back at some of the older post. They can help you more in that area than I can.

Good luck http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Susan

Thank you, Susan. If our school had a pre-first it would be no problem. I checked and there isn't one close in the area. She's in Catholic school, and I'd like to keep her there if possible. My gut feeling is telling me to repeat next year, because Olivia has the visual perception problem also. (Isn't your son the one doing visual therapy, or was that someone else?) We are trying Occupational Therapy for now to help with eye-hand coordination. It sure seems like a long road with trial and error, but it could be worse! Thanks for sharing! MC

yes, we are trying the vision therapy or at least I hope to. We have our consultation Monday. I have no idea what it will cost, or how much time he needs to invest in this. The original findings blew my mind. I think this is a major part of his problem. Or maybe I am just hoping like heck it is.

I'll let you know how that goes!

We also held our son back in kindergarten. His birthday is at the end of August and it was recommended that he repeat because he had such a rough year. The teacher was horrendous!!! We are very glad that he repeated, the second kindergarten teacher was so much better and very sympathetic and respectful to my son's feelings. Since you already have a good rapport with his teacher I would follow her recommendation and go with your gut feeling regarding your daughter. I agree that it is much easier for a younger child to repeat a grade than an older one. She just may need the extra year to mature and adjust. The meds. will come in time. Don't pressure yourself too much by trying to find the right med in such a short time frame. Let your daughter relax for the rest of this year and enjoy the extra time! Have fun.

If I could do it again, I would hold my son back in Kindergarten. He was born end of August and with cut off date of Sept. 1 he is always the youngest in class. When he struggled in Kindergarten, the teachers told me, he could only advance to First Grade if I let him take special ed classes. They told me, he would socially suffer, because he is very tall and looks three years older than he really is and holding him back a year would make him probably very uncomfortable around the "little" kids. I wish I didn't listen to them. Yes, my son is very tall, but also very immature for his age. Due to his ADHD he really didn't grasp the basics that were taught in Kindergarten. I wish I had trusted my gut feeling and not listened to the teachers. It would have given him an extra year of more playful learning, instead of the demands asked of him now.

I would repeat Kindergarten. Esp if your gut instinct is telling you to. My son had just turned 5 when he started kindergarten and he had a terrible year. If I could go back I wouldn't have hesitated to make him repeat it. He just wasn't mature enough for it yet and he's had trouble ever since. Now he's in 6th grade and we are having to consider holding him back. I don't want to because he is so much older but we may have to as he is failing Math and English. He is also the youngest in his class and he hates that....!

My daughter is 7 yrs old and has been on Concerta for a year now. She was failing 1st grade and by April she couldn't read AT ALL!! It would take us an hour to get her to write 1 sentence and she had been sent to the principal so many times that I can't remember. Her teacher was very supportive and concerned about her but when she was unconrolable and openly defiant she had to send her to the principal. I finally convinced my husband that she needed to go to the doctor. He also is ADHD. We started her meds on a weekend and the first day back to school she was a completely different child. She could concentrate she went from not being able to read in April to reading fluetly by June. She had to go to summer school to catch up on what she had missed but now she is in 2nd grade and a very happy child and a great student. she has not lost any of her zest for life and she has friends now. Last year kids made fun of her and she had no friends at school at all. I was very sad for her. This is the best thing for her. Her doctor who has been dealing with this ( he is a specialist reffered by her ped.) for many years about 30 yrs says that this is a life long problem that won't go away at puberty. Looking at my husband I really believe it. Sorry to ramble on but hope this is helpful. do a little research on concerta it is a time released caplet so 1 dose a day in the am is all she needs. She doesn't end up with the ups and downs that some of the meds out there can give since you have to give it a few times a day. Hope this helps someone! Good luck to you and your child

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It's too bad that kindergarten nowadays is akin to what first grade was 15 or more years ago. I was fortunate to have an old fashioned kindergarten teacher for my son, who was recommended to enter the "prekindergarten" class ( I insisted on regular kindergarten for him. he finished kindergarten but did LD classes from 1st to 4th grades) He had a developmental disability plus add without hyperactivity and I don't think the extra year would have made much difference ( and he would lose one year of earnings, think of it that way). However, with the wy kindergarten is today, you may have no choice but to hold him back.

I went through the same thing with my son. But he was able to take summer school to pass. I beleave Kindergarten should be a fun time in ones life. I was for me. Thats where I learned my ABCs and how to count. But my children were tested before they could take Kindergarten. They had to know there ABCs and count to 10. I'm glad we did the summer school. Because he had to be held back in the 6th grade..