Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Geenie

Has his diet and any allergies ever been looked into? I only mention this, because I know someone who had a child acting aggressively, and it turned out she was reacting to all the squash, fizzy drinks and sweets she had consumed since little. This lass was sensitive to all the colourings and additives, and completely changed when they were removed, though it was hard work to wean her off them after so many years.

PolishBigSpender

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Most sensible schools won't let someone with only 5 grade Cs do a full A level course. Is he planning to stay in the school where he is now and will they let him do so?

Why on earth not?

Unless my understanding of the UK system is completely wrong, aren't schools judged on how many people achieved 5 passes at A-C?

In relation to the post above - please, do not get hung up about his diet at this time. It's highly unlikely that it's the cause - in fact, this kind of thing can often be used by parents as an excuse for bad behaviour, so please don't take this kind of 'red herring'.

Geenie

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

Why on earth not?

Unless my understanding of the UK system is completely wrong, aren't schools judged on how many people achieved 5 passes at A-C?

In relation to the post above - please, do not get hung up about his diet at this time. It's highly unlikely that it's the cause - in fact, this kind of thing can often be used by parents as an excuse for bad behaviour, so please don't take this kind of 'red herring'.

Even if diet isn't relative in this case, and it may well be down to other factors you mention, I don't think it is a 'red herring' at all, and you are very unwise to dismiss it as not impacting on a childs behaviour.

There have been studies that have shown that there are links between things like attention deficit hyperactive disorder and artificial food colours. I have seen my own kids when young go manic after being given a tube of Smarties and fizzy coloured drinks by relatives, hence why I never allowed such stuff in my house.

PolishBigSpender

Geenie wrote: »

Even if diet isn't relative in this case, and it may well be down to other factors you mention, I don't think it is a 'red herring' at all, and you are very unwise to dismiss it as not impacting on a childs behaviour.

It is a major red herring when he is on the verge of exclusion and has important exams coming up. Fashionable things like blaming sweets is fine and well when your child is 7 and badly behaved - but it simply doesn't cut it when a child is 16. It's also wise to dismiss it - think of the time that could be wasted on dietary issues when the child needs help - now!

There have been studies that have shown that there are links between things like attention deficit hyperactive disorder and artificial food colours. I have seen my own kids when young go manic after being given a tube of Smarties and fizzy coloured drinks by relatives, hence why I never allowed such stuff in my house.

And many of the studies are scientifically flawed.

Many parents ban such things as 'fashionable'. Yet Polish children are better behaved despite not being subject to such trendy bans - why?

TurnaroundSue

Many thanks for all your help and replies. We tried the diet thing when he was little and I spent hours in the supermarkets checking to see what was in each food group, downloaded what e numbers were safe and which ones weren't and for a while it worked. I haven't had coke in my house for years and the only lemonade I found was okay for him was Sprite. We have only had natural orange juice since he was about 7 and since then have never bought the concentrated stuff. I cook the majority of our meals from scratch (but this is not always possible due to time constraints). For a long while it helped his behaviour (although it didn't irradicate it completely) but he was able to get through the days with less rows at school then he had had before ........... and then he went to comp.

With all the junk they offer, the machines which were accessible etc etc and having money to be able to buy these things, my OH and I noticed a rapid decline. He was able to buy himself all the rubbish sweets we had not allowed and as he has got older we have had less and less control over what he spends his money on. We have explained to him how eating certain things will affect the way he behaves and at this age he has to learn to control what he puts in his mouth. But he is like any teenager who doesn't want to be different from his friends and when he goes out he buys junk, but having said all that I don't think that this is the one and only contributory factor to the way he behaves.

If he stays on to do A levels then he will not be going to 6th form. He will do his A levels in college. There was an open evening there last night and we were going to go along and see what was on offer, but after being excluded this week, he said that there wasn't much point at the moment as it didn't look like he was going to get his GCSEs anyway, so there was no chance of him doing his A levels. I tried to make him see that he still has a chance of staying in school if he just behaved and got on and did his work. Until next week, when he returns to school he has one last chance before complete expulsion. I was hoping that seeing what A levels were on offer might have given him the spur to try and knuckle down in school, finish his GCSEs and then look forward, but with all the coaxing, will in the world there was no way he was going to go!!

Once again many thanks for all your replies and advice.

maggiem

Hello,
Sorry to hear of your difficulties. i wonder if it is worth contacting your Local Authority directly and asking for the name and telephone number of the Educational Psychologist who works with your son's school? Many services will either contact you or at the very least raise your child with the school and ask what is being done to support your son.

There are also other good advice on websites such as Parentline Plus - if you google them they have some specific advice re teeneagers - sorry not very good at posting links!

Good luck

kaya

"Many thanks for all your help and replies. We tried the diet thing when he was little and I spent hours in the supermarkets checking to see what was in each food group, downloaded what e numbers were safe and which ones weren't and for a while it worked. I haven't had coke in my house for years and the only lemonade I found was okay for him was Sprite. We have only had natural orange juice since he was about 7 and since then have never bought the concentrated stuff. I cook the majority of our meals from scratch (but this is not always possible due to time constraints). For a long while it helped his behaviour (although it didn't irradicate it completely) but he was able to get through the days with less rows at school then he had had before ........... and then he went to comp.

With all the junk they offer, the machines which were accessible etc etc and having money to be able to buy these things, my OH and I noticed a rapid decline. He was able to buy himself all the rubbish sweets we had not allowed and as he has got older we have had less and less control over what he spends his money on. We have explained to him how eating certain things will affect the way he behaves and at this age he has to learn to control what he puts in his mouth. But he is like any teenager who doesn't want to be different from his friends and when he goes out he buys junk, but having said all that I don't think that this is the one and only contributory factor to the way he behaves."

now im confused, when he eats rubbish food his behaviour is poor(as you state above), when its removed from his diet his behaviour improves, as above, so he buys nasty food and eats it to "fit in" which in turn changes his behaviour, am i being really thick here or are you just intent on labelling your son with behavioural difficulties despite the fact that it is clearly and obviously caused by his diet(please re-read your post)??
Maybe going to visit a nutritionist with him would be time well spent

TurnaroundSue

No I am not intent on labelling my son at all (if so, he would have had one by now!!) - if you re-read my thread it actually states that his behaviour did improve to some extent but it wasn't the miracle cure for all his behaviours. I am still trying to keep some control on his eating where I still cook most of our meals from scratch, don't buy anything that has the relevant e-numbers, no coke, only sprite (and this is very occasionally I might add), no squash - it fact my ds and dd mainly drink water as that's all we have the majority of the time, but what I have NO control over is what he eats when he is outside the home. He has his own money (from his paper round) so we cannot tell him what not to spend his money on, we can only advise him.

But maybe seeing a nutritionist might be an idea - thank you

Mandles

I dont know. I thought my son had dyslexia as his behaviour was similar to another child with it . Turns out that he has aspergers. I didnt want a label but i am a bit glad now as i know how to act with a child with this and how i can help him. Your child might already be labeled by other kids & parents as i naughty child. By the way, i just looked it up and it practically describes my son also. Has your son no sense of danger aswell? this was another symptom of his.

Time is running out.You yourself can officially request a statement(statutory assessment) from the educational pshycologist(look on internet for your local one and give them a ring for details as you have to send them a letter requesting this) and he will be tested by a whole range of people. This is what i have just gone through. If he has a "label" teachers at school and collecge will probably treat him in a more understanding way as opposed to a naughty student which will make him get along better and no one needs to know if you want to keep it under your hat.

Just wanting to add when i first found out about my son i gave him omega 3 daily, less tv , cut out cows milk(the one i think it was and worth a try(try goats milk or soya) and he was a different child , no more massive tantrums injuring me or himself etc)


Edit. I read that he is on the verge of expulsion.Well i would inform the school that you have asked for a statutory assessment for your child and that you want it officially noted that you have told them that you believe that your son may have something like Aspergers and you wish him to be helped as a child with such until it is proved otherwise. I would also be very clear that if they do not recognise you telling them this then you will be taking this matter ALOT higher than the headmaster as they are really letting your son down and especially as you have told them this in the past.....I totally would do this and if your son gets a statement you are allowed to send him to any school that you wish as they HAVE to take him. Maybe he can stay on an extra year. I know a child that used to be in my sons year left to go to a special school and ended up back at his high school in a year lower than my son so you possibly have another year if you want.Let us know what happens but please ring the educational psycologist and don't be put off by anyone.You have the right to do this.

Kids often do not "perform" in front of these specialists so i often have videoed my sons behaviour on my mobile phone for them to see. I believe this has helped.

The dyslexic child that i was talking about who had horrendous behaviour finally got diagnosed despite his mother constantly telling teachers throughout his school life that there was something wrong. Trouble was they finally acknowledged this when he was 14 (10 years too late). He now does part school and part practical work for the trade he wants to do at college twice a week as this is what the school does for some kids .So this may be another avenue to look into.

gerad_way

Don't wait for your school. As a parent (parental assessment) you have a right to contact your Ed Psych and request him to be assessed. Don't wait for your school as they have to provide evidence etc. I wrote to the Ed Psych for my son and they replied to me within 2 weeks and my son was assessed the following week. DON'T WAIT. If he is considering going into fulltime education when he finishes school he will be given help etc like at school with support staff.