On Our Best Behavior
On Our Best Behavior is a heartwarming podcast where Mom, Kelli and 16-year-old son, Maccoy delve into the complexities of school, life's struggles, highs and lows, and various challenges. With a blend of humor and sincerity, they navigate through these topics while sharing their own experiences and insights. Their conversations are not only relatable but also enlightening, offering listeners a fresh perspective on everyday issues. Alongside their engaging discussions, they welcome intriguing guests, adding a dynamic element to each episode. Tune in to join this duo on their journey of growth, learning, and discovery.
On Our Best Behavior
ADHD and IEP's
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Are you ready to dive headfirst into the intriguing world of ADHD and how IEPs can be the game changer? This episode is a tantalizing blend of humor, life stories, and in-depth discussions on ADHD, its impact, and the power of Individualized Education Plans. We navigate the multifaceted labyrinth of ADHD, sharing personal experiences and anecdotes that offer a raw and real understanding of this condition. Join us as we explore the nuances of ADHD, from its influence on behavior to its unintentional manifestation of selfishness.
Ever wondered how an IEP can reshape a child's educational journey? We're unpacking it all in this episode. Listen in as we discuss the vital role of IEPs, acting as a binding agreement between parents and the school district to set achievable learning targets and essential services. The transition story of our guest, from third to ninth grade and the importance of maintaining these support systems, offers a compelling narrative about the invaluable role of IEPs in an ADHD journey.
Ready for a laugh? We've got you covered! This episode isn't all heavy talk. We keep things lively and engaging with a relaxed chat about preferences and plans. From humorous tales of wearing shorts in winter to the age-old debate - Oreos or Chips Ahoy, we add a dash of fun to the ADHD discussion. As we wrap up, we delve into survival strategies, the vital role of IEPs, and yes, we even manage to squeeze in a pirate joke or two to lighten the mood. Get ready for some education, personal experiences, and plenty of laughter.
Hey guys, welcome back to our best behavior. I'm Mac and I'm here with it's me, kelly.
Speaker 2Hi Hello on YouTube. We're here. We're gonna try to start doing more YouTube videos so people can see our cute faces. Hey, I have a zip too. I see you have one Mac yeah no. Don't worry, after we're done with this, I'm gonna edit it and see if I can filter my face, and I mean, I guess I'll filter yours too. For you, I have a question for you. Yeah, did you do the dishes today?
Speaker 1No, I forgot it. I'm gonna do them after this oh what's up with your chores lately? I don't know you just I forgot to bro. I got to do the game. I will do it. No, not every day Most days. I did them yesterday.
Speaker 2So one of the things that I want to talk about yesterday is ADHD. No, like big factor To you for forgetting to be your door Hold up. It is yeah speaking of ADD Dan track.
Speaker 1I am but like.
Speaker 2And we had your IEP meeting this week. So I kind of want to talk about that and how much you've grown from your IEP. We've learned that you started out meeting a lot of things and I feel like most of them have been lifted and you're really going in the right direction to not need that anymore.
Speaker 1Okay. So, is there anything else?
Speaker 2you want to talk about before we get into it?
Speaker 1Huh huh no, I really know you have a story to tell me about anything that's going on. I broke my toe.
Speaker 2I'm kidding oh how did you get so funny?
Speaker 1Did you get it from me? Yeah, probably.
Speaker 2Are you gonna bring any stories to the table?
Speaker 1I have no stories Okay.
Speaker 2Okay, I was just making sure I don't want to cut you off. All right, so I'm kidding. I really want you to listen to this, because I don't know if you are gonna know all these things and I. When I was reading this, it made a lot of sense to me of why you are the way you are sometimes, because sometimes I get really frustrated with you. But then, when I read this I was like, oh, that makes sense, that makes sense, that makes sense. So today topic is ADHD with an IEP.
Speaker 1I don't like this?
Speaker 2No, why, I don't know. Okay, well, you tell me if you feel like it's relatable to you or not. I gotta fix my little nose. Thing wants to come out, okay. Adhd, which is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a mental health disorder that can cause above normal levels of hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Do you think you're hyperactive or impulsive? No, okay, interesting. People with People with ADHD may have trouble focusing their attention on one single thing, or also may struggle. If you are trying to sit still for an extended period of time, which if you're watching mek you have YouTube right now you will see how he is very unfocused and doing a lot of things.
Speaker 1All right, there's no also doing a lot of things like me, you move your hand everywhere. Let's do some, okay.
Speaker 2Okay, I mean, I honestly think I do have some ADHD. It's probably where you get it from, because it's very genetic. So there's no cure for ADHD, but there are available treatments that can help reduce your symptoms and improve your function, and your focus in some of those treatments include medication, which you take, uh, behavioral therapy, which we've done.
Speaker 1No, it does not work.
Speaker 2It doesn't work Well. I think, you were really young when you did it and I don't know.
Speaker 2I think you have to be in a different. I don't know how well therapy works in young kids. To be honest, I don't know. I feel like therapy's hard as an adult level on a kid. So, and then there's also education, training or a combination of treatments. So signs and symptoms of ADHD. Now let me tell you what. Why, when you first I'm not that good at diagnosed the school is really trying to push on me that some you know they won't come out and say like we think Mackie has ADHD, but they just kind of tip to it around it and tip to it around it. And finally, I remember being at one of these conferences or IEP meetings and I said do you think he has ADHD? Is that what you're trying to tell me? And I like, huh, yeah. So then we went inside your doctor and anyway, so science and symptoms of ADHD, they can vary from person to person. It's not always the same and they can also change based on your age. Here are some symptoms that can present with ADHD Difficulty listening.
Speaker 2So someone with ADHD might zone out at anything during a podcast, during class, during work. If something doesn't seem necessarily like super interesting to themselves, it's easy to zone out. I do that too. It's not for me to focus if it's something that's super not interesting to me, but I know I have to know how to do it. I have to ask a million questions to stay engaged. Are you engaged over there?
Speaker 1Mm-hmm. Thank you, babe.
Speaker 2Reckless behavior. So a person with ADHD may become reckless and not always think about the consequences. So sometimes you just kind of make a rash decision without thinking of what's going to happen. No, no. Starting tasks and not finishing tasks.
Speaker 1That's not me.
Speaker 2No, okay, are you in denial or are you trying to be funny? Uh-huh.
Speaker 1I finish my tasks.
Speaker 2Okay, we'll start to finish.
Speaker 1Most of them.
Speaker 2Okay, without being reminded.
Speaker 1Most of the time. Okay, good to know. It depends on where, like if we're talking about at school.
Speaker 2Yeah, and then people with ADHD will have trouble in interpersonal relationships. Sometimes people with ADHD appear to be selfish. That's not their intent. They may seem to not be listening to you and they forget things, and a lot of times that can make people so let's you have ADHD. Sometimes I feel like you don't listen to me. You seem selfish, but it's not your intent. You're not trying to act that way. It's just really hard for you to focus and remember things, don't you think?
Speaker 1No, okay, no, she came yeah, interrupting.
Speaker 2So you, when you were young, you interrupted all the time. We always be like raise your hand and you have to wait your turn, Waiting their turn. Same thing Like interrupting, difficulty, focusing. So same thing. You might zone out or seem uninterested in what's going on, avoidance. So you try to avoid like your chores and not do them and being forgetful. Also, I forgot. I forgot I got this C. I forgot. That's totally you. It is yes.
Speaker 2What causes ADHD? Despite how common ADHD is, doctors and researchers still don't know what causes this condition. It's believed to have neurological origins or also a genetics player role. So if your parents maybe have some treats of ADHD, then you are more likely to also inherit those traits. So I'm going to leave you. I think you got it on both sides. You're welcome. No, all right.
Speaker 2So ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It's usually first diagnosed in childhood and often last into adulthood. I see a lot of adults with ADHD and honestly, you can, it is such a. I was so reluctant to put that label on you, but now when I see people, especially grownups, with ADHD, it's like oh yeah, definitely it's so I feel like it sticks out very easily. Everybody can have difficulty sitting still paying attention or controlling impulsive behavior once in a while. For some people, the problems are so persistent that they interfere with every aspect of their life your home life, your academic life, your social life and work that you do. Do you think that that is true for you? Do you feel like your ADHD affects a lot of things? Are you just so used to always being this way that it's just normal? Normal? What about when you take medication versus when you don't take medication? Do you notice a difference? No, no, okay, you just you don't feel like you feel different when you take your meds.
Speaker 2It just makes it easier to focus. You don't know? No-transcript, alright. So ADHD affects 11% of school-aged children, and symptoms continue into adulthood in more than three quarters of cases. Adhd is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, and if you're watching this on YouTube, you will see McCoy demonstrating all of those symptoms right now.
Speaker 1No, alright.
Speaker 2I'm just tired.
Speaker 2While ADHD is believed to be hereditary, effectively managing symptoms can affect both severity of the disorder and development of more serious problems over time. Early intervention holds the key to positive outcomes for kids. The earlier you address your child's problems, the more likely you will be able to prevent school and social failure. Other problems like underachievement, poor self-esteem, and also people with ADHD are more likely to get into being delinquent, into more into juvie or having drug and alcohol abuse problems, which is also in your genetics and is whatever. It's just not in your favor. I just want to let you know I'm really proud of myself and my decreased amount of drinking. I went out to dinner tonight with my girlfriends and I had one beer and I'm ready for bed. Like it just makes me want to go to sleep. I have no desire to keep going. It was kind of a struggle to finish that, not going to lie Alright. Life with your child that has ADHD sometimes is difficult, absolutely Challenging, but we've really tried hard, maki, to create home and school environments to help improve you to have success.
Speaker 2Some of the things that you also struggle with are speech and language disorders. Also, you struggle with oral expression and listening comprehension, which means you don't always know how to get your thoughts out into words. It also means that when somebody is telling you instructions, you don't always you have to really hear them. Many times you can't remember everything. I'm a lot like that in the aspect that I could never be a waitress. I would have to write down everyone's order, everyone's substitution. When I see waitresses remembering every single thing that people ordered and don't mess it up, I'm in shock. Like how did they do that? Once again, if you're watching on YouTube, maki is demonstrating some of the ADHD for you, alright.
Speaker 2An expressive oral language disorder includes difficulty speaking with others and expressing one's thoughts and feelings. Listening comprehension can affect the way your child speaks as well as their ability to read, write and spell. They may drop the ends of words or mix up similar sounds. Kids may also find it hard to follow conversations, know where a sound came from, and this may tends to mean listen to music. Because I always ask you why don't you listen to music? Maybe it's because you just can't focus on it, I don't know. It's hard for you to remember spoken instructions, particularly if there's multiple steps. It's also if it's a loud place or more than one piece. At this time that kind of throws you off. It can be alright, so it can be hard for you to talk with other people. You may not be able to process what others are saying and coming up with a response quickly, which is something that we deal with at home, where I say don't impulsively answer. Take some time and think about your answer and how to get your words out Right. I do struggle with that.
Speaker 1No, yes, yes, yes, yes yes, so all right.
Speaker 2so our journey is that, in the regret I think they really were pushing for you to get tested for ADHD and finally I said, fine, fine, that's gonna help him academically, fine.
Speaker 2So then we went to your doctor, dr Prostrolow, and you know they do like a written evaluation of some of your traits and to see if that looks like ADHD. Your teachers fill it out, I filled it out, your daycare filled it out, and once I went to Dr Prostrolow and I said you know, the school thinks Mackey has ADHD and he's like do you? And I'm like I don't know, and he's like he does. So then you had to go to like a specialty place that deals with I don't like to say mental health, but they do like evaluations to give you a diagnosis. And they said you were gonna have to be there for like four hours twice, two days, four hours each. And they were there for like two hours, an hour and a half, and they called me and they said come get him. And I said I thought the testing was gonna take you know X amount of time and they said well, he already meets a criteria. He definitely has both types of ADHD.
Speaker 1Yeah, both types.
Speaker 2Yeah, the impulse and the hyperactivity.
Speaker 1I don't have hyperactivity on.
Speaker 2Alright. So then, once we decided, okay, it looks like you do have ADHD, then the school moved forward and they were able to set you up with an IEP, which is an individualized education program. It is a written statement it sucks. It does not help me, it is a written. Oh, my gosh, my wife, what.
Speaker 1It doesn't help me.
Speaker 2Your IEP. Yeah, why Can you barely do any of the IEP stuff at any moment? I?
Speaker 1don't know.
Speaker 2You have all A's and B's in school.
Speaker 1I know.
Speaker 2So what's wrong?
Speaker 1Nothing.
Speaker 2Why doesn't it help you?
Speaker 1Oh, that was too easy.
IEP, ADHD, and Halloween Chat
Speaker 2Yes, exactly, so that's where we're getting to here.
Speaker 1I need a higher level, so an IEP has two general purposes.
Speaker 2It is to set up a reasonable learning goals for your child and to state the services that the school district will also provide for your child. So it's kind of like a written contract, like these are the things we're going to do to help your child, and then every year you kind of reevaluate those goals, see if you made progress, see what you still need help with. And now I mean this started for you in third grade. Now you're in the ninth grade and we have pretty much reduced all of your modifications to nothing. I mean you're getting help in extra help in reading, whatever. No, you're not, but you're in a different class. And then you also do get speech.
Speaker 1Well, I take me on that. That's pointless bro.
Speaker 2They think it's good for you to have. Is it helping you with your comprehension?
Speaker 1No, no, but whatever you know, most of you just like, but next trimester you are going to go into mainstream.
Speaker 2English, and I'm really proud of you for that.
Speaker 1You should give me a speech next.
Speaker 2Well, they said, once you discontinue the services, it's really hard to reinstate them. So it's better to have it set up and not need it than to need it and then have to start all over again with the process. Screen is dirty, All right, so that's really all that I have for the IEP situation and ADHD. Do you want to talk about any of that? Do you have anything else to say? I don't think I do no.
Speaker 2Well, that wasn't a very long podcast, McCoy, because you didn't talk very much. I didn't talk. Okay, let's hear it. What do you got to say? Tell me.
Speaker 1Wait, let me finish it all, let me get on it, let me get on it.
Speaker 2Are you going to Trick or Treating tomorrow? It's Halloween. I don't even know You're going to wear your bear. I mean, I really want you to go Trick or Treating, so I can.
Speaker 1I'll go Trick or Treating. I'll get Logan to go with me, yeah, yeah, yeah, Will his parents let him go? I don't know. I'll text you right now. Actually you might be asleep.
Speaker 2Well, don't we're in the middle of? Maybe sleep is only 7.15.
Speaker 1No, he's not asleep. He goes to bed at 9.30.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, he's still up.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, I got something to talk about.
Speaker 2Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1They want to eat their clean.
Speaker 2Oh yeah they are.
Speaker 1Ah, you're the yellow. Wait, actually I don't even know what to talk about.
Speaker 2I can tell you some things. I got to guest on two podcasts last week and so I'm so excited for them to come out so I can hear.
Speaker 1I thought you said you already did a podcast with them.
Speaker 2I did, but it hasn't come out yet. They haven't released them yet. So what they do, my plan is to try to figure out how to upload them through our podcast so that our listeners can listen to that as well.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2And have some more guests booked to come on to On Our Best Behavior, so that's super exciting. And if this platform works that we're using right now, I'm excited because everyone can just use their computer and be on the call, like Me and Mac. You're in the same room right now, but we're each on our computer. That's cool. That's cool. That's cool.
Speaker 1So I hope you know I'm not like this at school. What do you like? I'm like an old person at school.
Speaker 2But you're not normal right now, nope.
Speaker 1Oh okay. Because, like, I'm like really tired as well, because I gotta be like 6, bro, 6? No, like 6.50. 6.55. So like I'm not really like I'm at energy until I get home because it's like my house, you know, I can do like anything.
Speaker 2So you don't wake up until about 2.30, when it's time to come home.
Speaker 1No, I just like I decide the, I decide the thing in the morning. I just decide to fully wake up. You know Jim poops me out. Bro, I seem more tired.
Speaker 2What did you do in gym class today?
Speaker 1Pick a ball.
Speaker 2Oh, are you getting good at that?
Speaker 1I am good at it. It's so easy.
Speaker 2Tell me what you're wearing today.
Speaker 1One of my uh what's this thing Can't see what it says. One of my Tiger Nike shirt. Yeah, tiger, tiger, nike shirt and then wearing some In shorts, nike shorts, yeah.
Speaker 2That's a funny story.
Speaker 1So this is, if you bring anything out of my sh, raging on my shorts again, I'm not raging on them. It's okay, it's not my shorts again. Guys, it's not my shorts again. She doesn't like that. I'm wearing shorts and 30 degree weather.
Speaker 2So I just think it's a little bit. Well, I think that you aren't good at checking the forecast.
Speaker 1No, I don't.
Speaker 2And you just think everybody is going to be warm enough for shorts.
Speaker 1Yeah, it is.
Speaker 2And this is Minnesota, and it is now winter, because there's no fall in Minnesota. It just goes from summer to winter. And so today, when you came upstairs ready to go to school and you had shorts on, I said hey, I just want to let you know that it's currently 22 degrees outside.
Speaker 1That's not even bad.
Speaker 2With a high of 35. Do you still want to wear shorts? You're like, yeah. Then we proceeded to go outside and you're like, oh, it's really cold out here. And I said once again, it's 22 degrees with a high of 35. Do you still want to wear shorts? And you said, yeah, it's not that bad. So then today I got home and I said, hey, you're going to wear shorts tomorrow. And you said, probably you won't.
Speaker 1I probably am.
Speaker 2Now you are yeah.
Speaker 1I mean, you just got a bet going on. I got to make it until that snowfall comes in Shorts every day until snowfall.
Speaker 2And then what do you get if you win the if?
Speaker 1you 100 bucks.
Speaker 2No.
Speaker 1I'm kidding.
Speaker 2You want to see my shirt?
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2This is my shirt. Do you know what it means?
Speaker 1No, I can't even tell what it says.
Speaker 2This is Gwen Stefani's makeup line. What is GXV? It's the name of her makeup line. So and if you know me, you know I love that. It's fun. It's one of the biggest inspirations in my life. I'm still going strong for many, many years.
Speaker 1Hey, I just met you. No, it's great, I know it's not, I know it's not. You know, who's saying that?
Speaker 2No, carly Rae Jepsen, you Can. You sing one, no doubt, or Gwen Stefani song.
Speaker 1I don't know what I think I want I was on is like Karma's a Karma's a boyfriend. That's what I'm saying, Bro wait, what Karma is my boyfriend? No one you're so good to, I don't know them.
Speaker 2I mean, I'm not addicted to it, it's just in my life. Karma has always done me good. Karma's a boyfriend. Karma's a boyfriend that I've never had, because it always has my back, like when something is going on with somebody. I'm like you know what? I see you and so does Karma. Karma's my boyfriend. Karma is a god. Karma is a breeze in my hair on the weekend. All right, do you have a wood? You rather for me. Those are my new mittens aren't they cute Ooh. Do you have a wood?
Speaker 1Yes, I do, it's an interesting one, you can take the tag off of that. Oh, they're so comfy, I know.
Speaker 2I wanted to. I was going to avoid them today. I forgot to grab them.
Speaker 1How would you rather you ready for it Right now? All right, are you ready? Yeah, how would you rather? Would you rather eat chocolate cake or ice cream cake? Chocolate cake, really.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1What about you? No, I don't know. Ice cream cake all the way like.
Speaker 2There's a thing about ice cream cake Number one. Where's the ice cream cake from? Because at Dairy Queen the only ice cream, the only part of the ice cream cake I like, is the chocolate caramel middle.
Speaker 1Okay, that's really good. But like chocolate, ice cream is like I get filled too fast and it's just too much. So there's too much.
Speaker 2And then the gold chocolate ice cream cakes. I'm not a fan.
Speaker 1Really.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's too cakey, what.
Speaker 1I got a lot of cakey Kidding. I'm so funny. Would you rather for?
Speaker 2me. That's what you put a lot of thought in for the last week.
Speaker 1I thought of it last second. I'm not going to lie, yeah.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 1Ready? Yeah, I'm ready. I've been waiting for this Oreos or chips away.
Speaker 2Chips away. I don't like Oreos. What? I like the popular opinion. I don't like them Everyone. I feel like I don't really know if I know anyone else who doesn't like Oreos.
Speaker 1I don't like chips away, but like.
Speaker 2Chips away.
Speaker 1Oreos is more loved.
Speaker 2I know people do like them, but I don't. The only Oreos I kind of like are the really thin ones.
Speaker 1Oh, oreo Thins. Yeah, I think Oreos are good because they taste better when you dip them in milk. They taste better than chips away. I keep on saying, oh, dip it in the milk. Yeah, I think it tastes better.
Speaker 2I don't like a soggy cookie. It's not my chips away.
Speaker 1I keep on saying cooks away, like what I almost said. That Cooks away. Yeah, I don't know why. That's what I keep thinking of when I think of chips away.
Speaker 2Oh, do you want to know something else exciting.
Speaker 1What's exciting?
Speaker 2Kentucky, less than two weeks away.
Speaker 1I haven't even told my teachers about it yet.
Speaker 2You have to do that.
Speaker 1I'm going to do it next week, okay. I'm going to do it on like Monday, okay.
Speaker 2Promise yeah, you're going to go to every class and say, okay, next week I'm not going to be Friday and next week I'm not going to be here, so can you give me my work?
Speaker 1Or what are you going to say? Give me my work. I was just going to tell them like can you like post, like the thing on Google classroom or something Like I don't know, something like that.
Speaker 2Did you put that sticker on your computer?
Speaker 1What sticker? No, it's been on there. Everyone got one.
Speaker 2Oh, everyone got it?
Speaker 1Was it already on there? Yeah, it was already on there.
Speaker 2I'm going to employ friends. What else is going on for you? Nothing.
Speaker 1No, nothing much. No, all right.
Speaker 2Are you ready for a really funny joke? This is kind of a fast episode because we're trying this new platform and I don't even, to be honest, know this podcast is going to come out right. So trial and error for.
Speaker 1We should not do this next podcast. I don't like this.
Speaker 2You don't like it.
Speaker 1No, I do not like this website.
Speaker 2I do, why do? You like this website I like to see your cute face.
Speaker 1I face ugly.
Speaker 2What's ugly about it?
Speaker 1Everything? No, it's not true.
Speaker 2That's not true. All right, are you ready for a funny joke? Yep, ready, ready, ready. How much does it?
Speaker 1cost. I'm kidding, here you go.
Speaker 2How much does it cost for a pirate to get his ears pierced?
Speaker 1I don't know. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2A buccaneer.
Speaker 1Oh, my God.
Speaker 2Get it Pirate.
Speaker 1Yeah, buccaneer.
Speaker 2Buccaneer $1 per ear. Buccaneer.
Speaker 1Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 2Pirate Arrrrr. Thank you for listening to another episode of On Our Best Behavior and thank you for our patience because we'll see how this turns out. And remember, you can find this one on YouTube if you want.
Speaker 1Bye, bye Okay.
Speaker 2Dang bro.
Speaker 1All right, I know I did it.
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