Judith Waite Allee, author of "Homeschooling on a Shoestring", says I'm no expert, but I've picked up a few hints from working at a Mental Health Association and from dealing with family members. I just want to point out that bi-polar disorder (also known as manic-depression) can be overlooked in children and may be misdiagnosed as ADHD, depression, and/or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Previously the psychiatric community believed that bi-polar had a later onset. That theory is changing, but slowly.

Many (maybe most) of the adults diagnosed with bi-polar seem to go through multiple diagnoses before finding help, partly because bi-polar is difficult to diagnose, and partly because doctors seem to be leery about "labeling" a child with bi-polar. Part of the confusion is that kids with bipolar may have very different symptoms from adults. For example, they may cycle frequently in the same day.

Unfortunately, the meds for depression and ADHD can make bi-polar worse. If you feel like you're spinning your wheels, you might try seeing a child psychiatrist with experience in treating bi-polar disorder in young children to at least evaluate for it and rule it out--especially if you've been seeing a family doctor who is prescribing Ritalin, etc.

Meet the Author - Judith Allee
She is the co-author of "Homeschooling on a Shoestring" and began homeschooling to give her foster son relief from special education in public school. She is active in homeschooling and adoption circles as a writer and speaker and has contributed to two national publications Growing Without Schooling and The Mentor. In this interview, she helps you find creative ways to cut expenses so that you can live on one income, or 1 1/2 incomes and so much more, so don't miss it.

Comments

Bipolar Kids: A personal perspective
From: Debi Quinonez
As I have a Bipolar child, I can tell you that it is a psychological disorder, from chemical imbalance, which causes serious mood swings, manic depression and depression. It is treated with a variety of drugs, most school age children are given depakote for it. It can cause a great deal of hardship on the family, and normally the children cannot function in a school setting. It is often difficult to understand and misdiagnosis in children is very common.

My daughter is bipolar.
The earlier bipolar problem is discovered in someone, the better, but very often it is left undiagnosed. I have found that children who are bipolar can be destructive, out of control and often suicidal. My daughter who is now married, dropped out of school, at age 14, lived on the streets, was missing, etc, prior to our locating her and hospitalizing her. It does NOT go away, but can be handled through proper medication. It is almost like having diabetes or another disease where daily medication forever is required.

After diagnosis and treatment,
and pure daily hell for our family, my daughter received her GED through private one on one tutoring at age 16. I have since taken my son from the school system and as you know, I have begun home schooling him, not for the same reasons at all, but home schooling works well for us. Hope this helps.

Bipolar Disorder in Children
Who has it and what you can do
By Martha Hellander, J.D.
Bipolar disorder (also known as "bipolar illness" or "manic-depressive illness") is a treatable neurobiological brain disorder believed to occur in at least 1-2 percent of the adolescent and adult population. As many as one million or more children under 18 in the U.S. may have bipolar disorder (mostly undiagnosed and untreated). Children with bipolar disorder are at risk for school failure, substance abuse, and suicide. Children as young as 3 may talk of wanting to "make myself dead." What are the signs and symptoms of this problem and what can you do about it? Find out more.

Meet the Author
James D. Sutton, EdD, CSP
author of "If My Kid’s So Nice…
Why Is He Driving Me Crazy?"
hosted by Joe Spataro
with a FREE excerpt Chap7: The "Quick Fix"
He speaks to us about a variant on ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) called the "The Good Kid Disorder." As an educator, he has taught everything from grade school to graduate school. His interest in working with emotionally troubled youngsters motivated him to earn a doctorate in psychology. Today, Dr. Sutton addresses the needs of young people as a consulting psychologist, an author, and an accomplished speaker. Find out more.

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