I am new to this but my GP thought it would be a good idea to see if I can find other mums in the same boat as me.  My son has GDD and now they think he has ADHD.  He is 6 years old now and life has been tough, most days I think how am I going to get through the day !  I am so confused and tired with all the fighting you have to do, I am not sure if to try some medication for him! anyone else having similar issues ! Why do families with special needs children have to fight so hard to get the best for there child.

Hello I was wondering what traits your son is showing for you to think that he has ADHD as I work with a girl who has global development delay and I have been thinking lately that she shows some ADHD traits now and then. Some days working with her is a struggle as she will hit out at me and pull hair of other children for no apparent reason to me this dosent seem to link to GDD

I may not be a mum but I know how hard it can be as I face similar challenges with this little girl

I was in exactly the same situation 25 years ago.  It's very difficult at this stage, but you need to develop some coping strategies for yourself  (I always said that when I was in the bathroom I didn't even want to know if World War 3 had broken out!) .  Next, make sure you are getting every single benefit you are entitled to.  If you are on a low income, contact the Family Fund to get help from them, for a dishwasher, washing machine, driving lessons if you can't drive, and also a holiday.  They were our life savers.  Next, try to limit your use of the word "No" -  have a very few things when you use the word,e.g. crossing the road.

Try and get some respite care if possible, time to help you think without interruption.  Read up all you can on ADHD  -  my son was highly allergic to colourings.  He was a different child when we put him on an additive free diet  -  our whole family did this together and we all noticed a difference.

Then keep on, and on, and on at your local authority.  Try the Centre for Studies in Integration in Education  -  they were brilliant to me (I presume they are still going).  If you can find an older child with similar problems, make friends with the parents and ask how they coped.  Good luck, it's very tough.  Fortunately, as my son has grown up  he's slowed down a bit!

Hi, my son has severe ADHD, ODD, Dyslexia, Learning Difficulties and severe behavioural problems. He was diagnosed when he was 6yrs, he is now 11yrs old, he would also hit out when he was younger and for no apparent reason, he would also go between fantasy and reality and in his fantasy state would believe he was had super powers and would become superman, Batman etc, his psychiatrist referred him to a psychiatric unit at Alderheys childrens hospital in liverpool for an intensive emotional and behavioural and educational assessment. One of the things that came out of this was, as a statergy for fear he would use, 'fight or flight, he would become aggressive to ward off what he thought was possible harm to him, ie if he thought that someone was about to bully him, he would come across as very aggressive and at one point just lash out, this was when he was probably in his fantasy stage so it looked like this aggression came from nowhere. Overtime he has learned to cope with this but then he is highly medicated.

I hope you get help with this as it is very distressing to see your child go through this.

Good luck and take care.

-x-