Hello everyone.  Well I got Jonathon's diagnosis today and it has kinda
turned my mind upside down.  So I thought I would run it across you guys
and see if anyone has an opinon (won't hold you to it).  They told me 
onathon
is depressed and their opinion is that the ADHD diagnosis was wrong.  OK.  
They
said his ADD behavior is due to depression.  His depression stems from 
chool.
He is not functioning according to grade level or age level.  His IQ is be-
tween 71-82, and probably more likely around low 70's.  His achievement is
higher because of me and also because he wants to please the teachers which
is causing too much stress.  He needs special education.  Help in all areas
and his strong point is short term memory.  That is it.  Without a piece of
paper to help with the math he can not do it.  Meaning he needs visually
stimulation and other things to help him learn.  He still needs speech
therapy and psycho therapy because there is anger and resentment built up
from not having help in school.  OK.  Now I knew Jonathon was depressed.  
hat
I understood and I understood pretty much why.  What I can't understand is
if he is depressed and that is what is giving him his ADD behavior was he
depressed since he was 4 years old?  Well I should say before that because
he couldn't focus earlier than that.  And if school is the cause than head
start would have to be the cause.  I'm really confussed.  To me it makes
more sense that the doctor may have been wrong in diagnosing him ADHD and
that maybe he was only ADD.  He was put on ritalin and it worked.  He was
held back a year anyway and that next year he did very well without the
medication and with special education.  When we moved here to Lincoln Park 
they
took him off special education and he got steadily worse.  Partly I think
because he was off the medication and partly because he had no help in
school.  He just couldn't cope with ADD and no help. So it seems to me that
ADD and coping would cause the depression, not depression causing ADD 
ymptoms
since very early age.  And if he was depressed early on than it must of been
some kind of chemical imbalance to produce it.  Would a child get depressed
at 3 or 4 over speech problems?  There really weren't small children around
the house I had friends that had small children and we never ever made fun
of his speech. I don't want to play doubting thomas, but I am having a hard
time with the order of this diagnosis.  I am sure someone out there 
understands
and probably has read alot more than I have so any opinions or help in
helping me understand this would greatly be appreciated.  Now I did ask her
point blank if she felt the diagnosis the doctor gave was wrong and she said
yes and that she believes this diagnosis is the right one.  Now she is a
2nd year graduate psychology major and the diagnosis is supervised by 
professionals.
So there is more than one opinion there, unfortunately it is hard for me
to understand the order of this diagnosis---depression causing ADD symptoms 
n
a very young age.  I can see it in an older child, but not a child that young
where there is no abuse,verbally or physically, and plenty of attention and
a happy marriage.  Thanks alot as I have alot of thinking to do.
Regina
... ARRRRRGGGHHH!!!! ... Tension breaker, had to be done.
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