Dore Talk

Hi, My name is Julia. My two son's (14&10 yrs old) joined the programme in February at the Sheffield centre. My husband & I are gutted to learn today what has happened to this programme. We decided to put our boys on this programme as they both have issues with ADD & getting thru school. You can imagine the commitment & organization involved as we live in Switzerland. We prebooked flights & visits up until October. I just can't believe this is happening. Our 10 year old is going thru a really tuff time & was put off school indefinately from Friday due to the stress of his school commitments. He has fallen behind with his work & is struggling to catch up. The dr says he is an ADD child in depression who should maybe start taking Ritalin. We've explained all about the Dore programme & our hopes that he will be able to overcome his problems by doing it. This news comes as a shock as he was really getting on well & was so happy to be helping himself by doing his exercises. I just don't know how I will tell him. My 14 year old will probably be over the moon as he is not as commited. Should I tell them or not at this stage? Should we carry on as normal until we have more news of what is going on? Our next apt. is/was June 23rd. Please let me know how all you other disapointed parents & children are dealing with this blow. I just hope that the door of Dore does not close for good!!! Julia

Hi Julia - welcome to the forum. We are all in shock about the news, but I feel for you particularly, having booked your flights and only having started the programme recently.  We are near the end (15 months in, but still seeing progress). As far as telling my son - I have decided against that. He will become less motivated, I'm sure, and I am hoping for more news next week.

We had our next assessment booked for 2nd June, so I'm hoping we will hear something soon about where we go from here.

Hi Julia, I'm so sad to know the problems you have with your children. I have an ADHD child who has been on Ritalin (but came off last November). Please, I'm not a Doctor, but from my own experience I would not give my child this drug if there was any alternative... any kind at all. The Ritalin worked, without a doubt, but the evenings, when the Ritalin wore off, were hell for us and him. We have staked our son's future on the Dore programme and we are all struggling with the current situation. He has only been on it for just over 3 months and has shown such fantastic progress. If you can find any way at all to manage your childs ADD, without drugs, please try. The depression is part of the ADD and is probably caused by his low self esteem - another sign of the disorder - and we have watched our son go through this AT THE SAME TIME as he was taking the Ritalin.

We haven't told him about the current state of affairs regarding Dore, and I'm hoping that they (Dore) will come up with a workable solution for the children who are already on the programme so that I don't have to tell him. He is so committed to making himself better and any negative comments from me will knock him right back.

Hi, thanks for taking the time to read & reply to my msge. Having slept on it, I think you are right not telling your son. My husband & I are also staying tight lipped for the moment. Lets hope we hear more news soon. We do, however, feel very very sorry for all the staff at the various centres who now find themselves jobless.

Hi GeorgesMum, thanks for taking the time to read & reply to my msge. Your experience with the Ritalin makes me more determined to stand my ground against giving it to my son. I'm sorry you guys went thru that. It would be so easy to give in & take the 'easy' option to 'solve' our sons 'problem'. We (Hubby & I) have a meeting up at his school in 45 mins with the teachers, the Dr & the headmaster. I feel like I'm heading for the chopping block! I anticipate that we will be dangled the Ritalin carrot yet again.

Like you, we've decided not to tell our boys at the moment. I can so relate to what you're saying about negative comments doing so much damage.

Hi Julia I know how you feel, my sons appointment for today was cancelled at the last minute. Both my husband and myself were at work today when my daughter took the call to say the appointment was cancelled - no reason was given as to why so we decided to go to the centre to speak to someone from Dore.  We arrived to find their offices had all been cleared out - no sign of dore staff or equipment.  This was the first we heard anything about Dore closing.  As you can imagine we were very angry and wanted answers.  Unfortunatley our son who is doing the programme was with us at the time and he feels so disappointed and let down and is now refusing to do his exercises.   I just hope someone contacts us soon to sort something out.  At the minute I feel so shocked and gutted.    Ann.

I'm afraid to say that my sons doc is now insisting that we follow protocol & put him on Ritalin. He said that our son needs treating for his depression & that we need to at least try the Ritalin for about 2 weeks to see if there is a difference.He says that we are keeping his hands tied by not agreeing to him perscribing the drug to our son. If we do not agree, he want us to write him a letter saying that we refuse to let him treat our son, because if our son 'does anything silly' (if you get what i mean) he does not want to be held responsible. We still have not told our sons about the Dore programme problems. We are soooooo confused & do not know what to do. I know that dore have their mydore link up & running but I struggle to think how we can possibly continue until the end of the programme. We thought the 6-8 week check-ups were an essentiel part of the programme. How are DORE going to replace this? We've only been following it for 3 months. I do believe that my son has also been going through the '3 month' side effect part of the programme. We were warned that things could possibly get worse before better. Has all the hard work he's done with his exercises & the hard time he's gone through emotionally these past few weeks all been in vain?  The poor thing should have started back at school today but his class have gone on school camp for a week & his doc, teachers & us didn't think it a good idea that he went. He's hurting alot about missing out on this. I've suggested that I go & visit with him for a day but the headmaster doesn't think it's a good idea. It'll be hard for him going back to school next week & hearing what a great time they all had. We could do without this. We are due to fly back to England in 2 weeks for their check-ups which were scheduled for June 23rd. Haven't yet figured out how to bluff my way out of this one with the boys. What a awful time this is for us at the moment. I wish we could have some more news from Mr Dore as to whether or not we should all give up hope & abandon or dig our heels in as a solution is on the horizon. 

I'm sorry I've just dumped all our worries on this site, but we just don't know what to do for the best & for our son....................... 

Hi Julia my son Kieran only started in January this year so like you I have the thought of all the time ahead he will need to complete the programme. The MyDore site will continue till they know what is happening with the insolvency issue. Once they know that they can plan ahead to sort out the assessments for the future.

I feel as long as we have the site then our children are still doing the exercises and benefitting form the programme. I am sorry about your problem with the Dr and prescribing Ritalin for him. There is nothing worse than being backed into a corner and feel you are being pressurised into something you do not want to do.

I must admit like you I had already booked my flights for the next two assessments, so they will have to end up as shopping trips if nothing transpires by then. At the moment Julia I would carry on with Dore with the MyDore site. The ritalin issue is not an easy decision because it sounds as though it has been taken out of your hands, all I can say there have been children that have continued on Dore with taking ritalin, but have reduced the doses as they have developed over the programme.

So is the ritalin being prescribed for behavoural or psychological issues Julia as you say it is for the depression? When the Dr says "if he does anything silly" has a multitude of meanings is he a danger to himself or to others, you know him more than anyone Julia do you think there could be a danger or is the Dr looking at the worst scenario and covering his back using the protocol guidelines? Keep posting Julia you are not alone in this Ellie XXX

Hi Julia, hang in there with the Dore exercises, at least until we hear further.......

As far as medication, deciding to medicate can be a tough choice, but only YOU know your son well enough to know if he may benefit from it as far as his overal countenance. With Ritalin, you would know pretty quickly how he is responding to it, unless there might be some dose changes necessary.  I made the choice to medicate my son at first for his own personal safety (he was in 5th grade at the time).  Dore, if he is able to keep with it, has the potential to lessen the need for meds, but everyone is different. 

I do think that is weird that you are getting pressured by his doctor in that regard.  Are things like that in Switzerland?