Expert: Sharon Crandall - 1/15/2010

Question
ADHD, L R Handed, Long vision

Hi Sharon, My name is Tara, im righting from Australia. I was researching ADHD and L Hand and found your answers, which I found extremely interesting and would like to know your opinion on my symptoms.

As a new bourn my mum found me in my cot my feet where my head is meant to be and my head was under the blankets, my mum fort this was strange babies don’t normally move like this, then after 1 month old my mum could not use a change table any more as I would roll off, at 2 months old I would roll into another room, 7 months old walking holding onto the walls, completely walking by 9months old and refusing to wee in a nappy by 11months old I had to use a toilet then pull my nappy back up, also as a baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult the only time I am able to sleep during the day time is if im extremely sick or have been in the car.

Before I started school my mum was informed I my not me socially ready for big school, as I was so keen to learn my A B C’s and rite my name and was an extremely advanced child my mum could not let me stay home for a howl another year an play when im at school age.

Pretty much as I started primary school I started falling behind, as couple years into primary school I had completely fallen behind, I would be moved into special learning groups hence the work lode would be more simple and I would not learn any thing challenging. As I started to get through primary school I developed ways like cheating to be able to just keep up with the other kids, my teacher recommended a tutor when I was 12years old and the tutor had a brake down and told my mum she never wants to see me again as she was so frustrated I could not remember how to do the things she previously tort me.

My main problems are remembering what I have read, remember what I was just thinking about or an idea, pronouncing harder words, remember methods, spelling, hand righting, loosing my place when im reading and repeating lines. Home work was another issue it was just so hard to sit there and concentrate, it made me feel like I wanted to start hyperventilating and make me moody and extremely agitated, I am unsure if it was coz wasn’t interested or if it was some form of extreme anxiety from not knowing and remembering how thing are done and it makes me feel extremely dumb and it feels like some one had built a brick wall in front of you so you can do what needs to be done.

Even know I had difficulties I managed to get a Bin 10th grate science, a B in 11th grade math’s and have moved on to get a certificate in business administration and computer accounting but am not able to have a job as of my pore spelling, poor pronunciation, slow at completing tasks, forgetfulness. I have also attempted to obtain other certificates but had performance anxiety knowing im not smart enough to sit the test so did not obtain the certificates

I did have one job for 14months in reception, the boss couldn’t spell so on my 1st day he noticed I has similar problems and said he is willing to keep me on and help me. After the 14months I had to quit as I couldn’t take the pain in my right back in-between my shoulder and my spine,(using the computer mouse made my problem worse I tried using my left hand but the mouse is not designed for that hand), this area is a problem area for me. It hurts so much all the time, I was then diagnosed with having joint hyper mobility and the rheumatologist explained that’s why I was moving so young and explained it has to do with the central nervous system, he also mention as I have had my back manipulated my therapist when I was trying to seek help for my problem, the manipulation had also made the condition worse, he also mention he that the pain in experiencing is called fibromyalgia, he also mention that that the reason  I cant stop going to the toilet is because of my nervous system I can feel of my more bladder that what other people can,  he them gave me some medication he said along time ago it was used as an antidepressant but its not used as that any more it was a tricyclic antidepressants, it was ment to help sort out my back problems and help me retain my bladder for longer. After to weeks I was suicidal, yelling and screaming and taking train trips not knowing that I was doing. My mum said oh my god ring the doctor maybe its that medication, the doctor said its not likely the medication possibly  theses are traits you have coming to the surface, but stop the medication and come in as see me. He then put me on a Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, Paroxetine (Paxil), I was not informed at the tome by the doctor that the paroxetine medication he is prescribing me is an anti depressant (as I have no form of depression at all, only form of depression I have is my short fuse, as of my short fuse I some times feel sad if I was rude to some one as I didn’t mean it or feel like I don’t fit in to social or workplace get together but im not a doctor but in my opinion that is not depression) so I when home an has the medication as I was in pain my back has so much extreme tension. I started the medication, basically it make me high, it make me feel good it make me careless. But after time I realized I was extremely hyperactive much worse than what I am normally, it got to the point of drinking alcohol (I hate alcohol), getting silly tattoos (I always said would you stain your favorite shit? Then why would you stain you body, meaning I never considered ever being tattooed). My dad’s wife is a nurse and from what she could see, she fort I was using street chemical hard drugs. At one point I tried to quit the medication but I had such bad withdraw symptoms I was unable to feel any form of happiness for weeks not on the medication so then needed it to feel any form of happy ness. Then after approximately 1 or 2 years on the medication I decided to quit even know me doctor did not recommend, I was brain dead in the mornings and it dint make mach of a difference to my back problems so decided I would be strong in the with draw period, after stopping the medication I had with draw for 4 months constantly crying, crying for couple of days non stops at times, I had never experienced anything like this before I started taking the medication.
I am not managing my pain with nothing but my mind.

After so long of being un employed and job interview, after interview, after job trial. My mother asked me to be tested for dyslexia at the age 24. I had a series of tests done by a physiologist

Cognitive Assessment: Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, 5th Edition
-all categories fall in the low-average range, Working Memory stands out for verbal tasks
Reading: The Gray Oral Reading Tests (GORT)
-able to read quite fluently until she came to a word with which she struggled.  Then she would need to rehearse the word three to four times and in many instances would get it right, however, the effort of achieving this meant much of the meaning of the sentence had been lost.
-Reading performance is commensurate with Year 5 level and her Reading Quotient is well below her verbal skills as measured on the Binet (-1.4 standard deviations).  This suffices for a definition of Specific Learning Disability – reading (Dyslexia).

Reading: Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests (WRMT
-These results are for untimed performance, and it is clear that Ms Macpherson is able to attain better results when she has unlimited time to consider the words presented.

Visual Perception: Irlen Perceptual Rating Scale (IRPS
-Don’t need colour lenses.

Spoken Language Processing: Test For Auditory Processing Disorders In Children – revised (SCAN-C
-Although tests fall within normal limits, results need to be qualifies by noting that ms Macpherson took a great deal of time to answer and had to continually remind herself which was her left and which her right ear.

Dyslexia Screening Test
-Ms Macpherson’s score of 1.8 is very high.  This confirms the comments made above in relation to the disparity between reading and cognitive abilities and a diagnosis of Dyslexia is confirmed.

Also my Grandmother whom is a nurse, who recently passed away, always told me I was ADHD but my dad is weird and there is not much communication so the was never discussed with my parents.

At the same age I have also been seeing a psychiatrist and have been clinical diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and have been on dexamphetamine for 2 months and have had a dramatic improvement of remembering what I was about to say or do and the ability to be able to want to read and remember what I have read. As I am almost 25 and do not have a drivers licence only a learners permit to be supervised by come one who has a full licence the medication has helped improve my driving. Be for I was not able to turn my head to look behind or use the side mirrors to look when changing lanes, now im able to do so and I am able to hold the steering wheel steady now.

I have also seen a lot of optometrists in my time, as kid I fort I needed glasses so I lied to the optometrist at the end of the testing and pretended I couldn’t see small letters when I could, then said  my eyes are fine, Employer took me as I couldn’t reed what came through the fax, they said I have extraordinary vision and my strong rite eye makes up for my week left eye. The physiologist who diagnosed me with dyslexia sent me to specialist to see how my eyes connect to my brain, they said I have extraordinary vision an will not need the colour lenses or glasses. But a couple of weeks ago I had pulsating in my left eye and when to a optometrist, I had never experienced this before and though it would be a good I dead to cheek it out as I started the ADHD medication. They explained I have had extreme tensions, they asked if I every close my eye and use one eye, I said YES, before I started the ADHD medication I had sleep deprivation and stay up until my body starts to shut down, I then end up closing my left eye and using my right eye only when watching TV and using the computer, They explained the pulsation is extreme built up of tensions being released. They said its nothing to be concerned about but they have a feeling I my be long sited (long vision), they don’t normally treat long vision but in my case with having ADHD they will give me lenses as it will help me concentrate and focus on things that are close to me. I got the prescription sunglasses first as they can tell im squinting to much, I am to go back soon and get clear prescription lenses to help me indoors. The sunglasses help me so much when I am driving im looking at the car in front of me in stead of looking ages away in the distance.

I am now about to have a second lot of Cognitive Assessments and memory assessment done the doctor’s refer to it as a neuro test, but done with a more modern testing system  than the Stanford-Binet, It will show how well the medication is working and help find my strength and weaknesses.

Would also like to mention I use a microscope with my right eye, my right shoulder is bigger, my right foot is bigger and eat using opposite hands, I have the knife in my right hand and the fork in my left had.

Recently I have been interested in finding out about the left and right side of the body, I tried one to right with my left hand and it was about as good as a 1st graders hand righting possibly because it was the first time I tried. I also like to start a book from the back and reed the last page on the right hand side first. When reading magazines I normally start at the back and read to the front reading right page first.

Also I am extremely clumsy, I am not good as sports, the only thing sporty I can or like to do is ride a bike. I am constantly having assidents thought the day, im all over the place, I act before I think, as I this my mum didn’t let drive until I was 21 when the legal age to learn is 16.

I would also like to mention that my left arm is sturdy so I dint want to drive a manual car as you have to use your left hand to change gears and I wanted to keep my left hand on the steering wheel. I don’t think my left hand shakes, but I do know my right hand definitely shakes, people always ask if im nervous and say NO!, I did a diploma in Advanced make up artistry but found that I had to put 400% in it was to much effort trying to keep my hand sturdy to do the make-up so I never when into that field of employment, it was I joke trying to put all my energy into keeping my hand sturdy so I moved into administration work. Aslo at school my hand would get so sore and cramp up and it also played into a part of me falling behind at school as the teachers didn’t believe the extreme pain in my hand and I would spent the how lesson struggling to keep up with the righting, I would not get a chance to look and listen to what the teacher is saying, then as of my poor spelling I and my hand righting, I would not normally be able to correctly reed what I had to wrote, so it meant basically I learnt nothing and had a sore hand.
The teachers and other student would be annoyed with me as the teacher would need to rub out the bord to right more and every one would be waiting on just me.

I have lived a life as a right hander and do everything right handed and my right side of my back, shoulder, arm and hand experiences extrema pain of over use. I still find it hard to tell the difference between left and right the only way I know is to shake my hands, I can tell what the left one is when I shake them both then im able to tell the difference between the words left and right. I normally use the term your side, my side im able so say this automatically with out trying to work out the difference.

Sorry for righting so much, im really interested in getting to the bottom of what’s going on, I just want to be an employable person, and not experience any pain and frustration.

I have been seeing doctor for my back since I was 19, no one really knows what’s wrong apart from being hyper mobile, but there is not treatment for that, I am almost 25 years old and experience pain and im always having to click and crack my back. I am now wondering if possibly the reason why no doctor has been able to figure out why some one so young is experiencing to much pain and problems may be because I have over used my right side when possibly I my be ambidextres or left handed, its not just as simple to change hands as I have learnt to do every thing with my right side (the muscle are built up on my right side too) but as every thing I do is pretty much useless or clumsy.
But I don’t want to focus on using my left hand if possibly im not left handed at all.

Im also applying to university as on my long term um employment as im only interested in doing mind stimulating work but do not have the skills. Im very interested in working with ADHD as I lived almost 25years struggling and trying to cover up my problems I now what to work a with people that have ADHD and help them and also stop people with ADHD being prescribed anti depressants and mood stabilisers before a stimulant is even considered, and work with the behaviour management side of things, as being ADHD your medication wears off and at evening your not medicated which means your behaviour is some times uncontrollable, I have applied for prep year for Health Science, if I do the 1 prep year then its 3yreas after that to get a Bachelor in Health Science. Do you think that area of study would help me get into for form of employment helping and working with ADHD.
  
Think you so much for ready.
Kind regards


Answer
Hello Tara,

After reading your story I really think that your brain was not developed properly when you were a baby. In order for the brain to get integrated a baby needs to creep and crawl a lot and you started out walking and it sounds like you did not creep and crawl very much. I know there are exercises for people whose brains did not develop properly. I do not believe medical doctors can help you because all they do is use medications and do not get at the root of the problem.

I would go online and study everything you can find out about reprogramming the brain through brain exercises. There is one method, Brain gym, I believe, that might be helpful. There is one that uses music, too. I know that music can help balance the brain and if at all possible I would play the piano because that uses both sides of the body and both sides of the brain. I also would look for a chiropractor or practitioner who does Neuro Modulation. Neuro Modulation reprograms the brain and I feel quite strongly that it would help you.

Now, if you can find help then I do believe that it would be great for you to get into a field where you can help those with ADHD and ADD without medication.  Getting a medical background is always good but then learning things like Neuro Modulation would be great to help others.

The only thing medical doctors can do is perhaps diagnose something wrong with your nervous system itself, but even then alternative medicine would be the way to go, at least to supplement what the doctors do.

Anyway, one thing at a time. I recommend you do the above and also make sure you are getting a good vitamin B complex and a good mineral supplement, along with calcium/Magnesium to  help you nutritionally.

Please keep me posted. You can contact me through my website, www.personalityconsultant.com and I will answer you through my private email. As you go along, I might be able to recommend other things, as well. God bless you. You have had a lot of trials for such a young woman but I do know that all things can work together for our good and that our experiences help point the way for our personal purpose here on earth.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Sharon Crandall
www.personalityconsultant.com