[on the edge]

You might want to think about having him evaluated by your school district for learning disabilities. Even though he's not in school they still have a legal obligation to do an eval. If you look at the really good article on educational issues of bipolar children on the juvenile bipolar research foundation website you'll note that many subtle LDs can affect our bipolar kids. And this can lead to frustration which can lead to meltdown. IF there is an LD it would be really good to catch it early.

There's another board called conductdisorders.com which has a lot of parents of BP kids. You might find a referral to a dr. there.

[Dr. Art]

Getting a good private eval for learning issues...in fact, a good Neuro-psychological evaluation by a neuro-psychologist would be quite helpful in ruling in or out other issues that can make things difficult for your child. Below I've listed material from a handout I have posted on my website for teachers of children with Bipolar Disorder. If this is helpful, you may want to visit my website to get the entire article.

BIPOLAR DISORDER

What to say (and what not to say) to students with bipolar disorder:

Instead of: "I know you're not trying hard enough."

Say: "It looks like this is getting frustrating for you. Would you like some help?"

-Or-

"I know this is really hard for you right now. You're doing a good job. Maybe you need a little break from this assignment. I bet when you come back to it after you've had a break it won't be so frustrating."



Instead of: "I know you're not trying (or being lazy, not caring, etc.) because I've seen you do better work than this!"

Say: "I can tell you're having a tough day. I can see how hard you're trying and that it's just not coming together for you the way it usually does. It's okay to have a bad day. Let's try (mention a high interest or creative activity that would stimulate the student)."



Instead of: "I know you did that on purpose. I saw you, and now I'm going to make sure that you receive a punishment."

Say: "I'm concerned with what I just saw because (why). This would be a good time to use your behavioral management plan."



Instead of: "Why are you behaving like that? You're acting like a loser."

Say: "Hey, it looks like you need to calm down. Would you like to go to your "safe place"? Or would you like to draw or read (a favorite book) here in the classroom?"



Instead of: "Why did you just do that? You know better than that!"

Say: "Shoes are not for throwing," or "scissors are not for cutting the pages in your book."


Symptom: The student is experiencing increased thirst, frequent urination, drowsiness, sluggishness, and other side effects of medication.

Suggested accommodations:

Permit the student to have unlimited access to water, juice, and other fluids.

Permit the student to have unlimited access to a restroom.
If the student needs to take medication at school, make sure it can be done privately, not in front of other students and staff.
Inform all teachers and other school staff members who work with the student about how stomach pain, vomiting, and dehydration can be serious side effects for a student taking lithium, valproate medications, and some of the other medications used in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Provide teachers and staff members with the name of an emergency contact person in addition to the parent to call if the student is vomiting, complains of severe abdominal pain, or appears to be dehydrated. This person should be familiar with bipolar disorder and able to pick the student up from school if the parents are unable to.
Symptom: The student is experiencing an inability to awaken and attend school in the morning. This problem may be due to the side effects of medications the student is taking for bipolar disorder because the student is experiencing an episode of depression, or simply has a phase-delayed diurnal cycle that is common in bipolar illness.

Suggested accommodations:

Arrange for a delayed starting time (and shortened school day) for the student-perhaps an hour or two after regular classes have begun.
Schedule essential academics later in the day.
Symptom: The student experiences fluctuations in energy and motivation. These fluctuations may occur hourly, daily, in specific cycles, or seasonally.

Suggested accommodation:

Devise a flexible curriculum that accommodates these sometimes rapid changes in the student's ability to perform consistently in school. When energy is low, reduce academic demands; when energy is high, increase opportunities for achievement.
[b]