Children with ADHD. Your opinion please

Hi, I am not a parent of an adhd child, I am a paraeducator, which means I work in the school setting with kids who have special needs. Not all adhd and add kids fit that description, but some of the kids I work with do. I have seen medications work, and I have seen them be disasters, because that was not the problem. Seven is an appropriate age to have that diagnosis made, and it sounds as if you had good testing. I trust you are having regular blood tests to monitor liver funciton and therapeutic levels of meds. Lets face it, the people who would offer the most advice often are the ones totally lacking in experience. What people do not understand is that adhd is not about the "hyper" behaviour as much as it is about impulsiveness and inability to function or pay attention.If the child needs the meds, give him the meds. I think it is more hurtful not to, sometimes. Have you seen improvement, how about the teachers? If you are seeing an improvement, then you are doing the right thing.

It sounds like you have done your homework, trusted the professionals and gotten good results. If your child was diabetic you would give him the medication to correct his condition, treating a child with ADHD with medication is no different. I had a student in my class last year, I teach in a Montessori school, so this child had been in this class for a year. He had every classic symptom of ADHD/ADD as told by the school therapist. The teachers before me as well as myself tried every behavioral therapy possible, mom tried the vitamin/diet route, none of it worked. Mom was against medicating her child. And he was BRIGHT! But he couldn't complete a task unless you were sitting on top of him and that was on a good day. Finally mom agreed to medication, she wobbled a bit and would take him off, finally got the right or better dosage of a medication and he was better. The problem in the classroom was not only academic it was social. No child wanted him in their group. No child wanted to be partnered with him. No child wanted to be around him because of his behavior. It was heartbreaking as both a teacher and a parent. It wasn't until after he was medicated and it started working that kids actually started accepting him. They wanted to work with him. That is probably the hardest thing for a teacher to tell a parent. And it may be the only thing that truely gets a parent to listen. Telling that mom that no one wanted to be around him was one of the hardest things professionally I have had to do. How would any parent on here feel if they heard that? Would you want to mess around with the what ifs? This child was a beautiful, clean, but clearly ADHD/ADD child and the children in the class wanted nothing to do with him because of his behavior. It is just something to chew on. It is hard to admit as a parent that something might be "wrong" with your child. But it is worse to ignore it and pretend it will go away on its own. I applaud you for being so proactive and sticking with the medication. Dosing and medication can be so difficult and it is usually where parents fall off of taking care of the ADHD, they get frustrated with the process. Your child may not say it, but their body thanks you for calming down their insides so they can function!

As you probably know, each child has their own personality. You have to find what works for you and your child.My sisster have that and she enjoys the extra sleep and we enjoy the moment of peace and quiet. Usually she gets up in a better mood. This is the one thing that works everytime without much complaining from her. But this is what works for us. What works for you? Is your child in counseling as well as on the meds? This is important. The best advice is experiment with what works and what doesn't. Also, talk to the doctor if you feel too many of the issues are still there. Good luck. I hope you find what works for everyone involved.

My mom's fiance's little boy has this. He is 10 years old. He has to take medicine or he gets so hyper you can't stand it. He is also dyslexic and he has a hard time in school. His teachers can tell if he hasn't had his medicine. So I don't think it's bad if they have to be on medicine for it if it helps them. He will play the xbox and jump around the whole time while he's playing too. He is really a sweet boy though.

i have add i used to take medicine for it but after a while it wears off and its all good not

I dont like to judge and we can help children that have ADHD.I had a friend who had ADHD,but these children need love,must talk with an dr.I'm not agree with medication,because these medication could make feel better on this way but on the other side not so good.The medication created dependence and sleeplessness(medication in this case,ADHD).

e is your child and if the medication helps then feel free to choose whether to use it. When he is a little older ou can make the decisions together. My son has Autism and ADHD, I do not medicate him as when I tried it had disastrous consquences, my choice not the Dr's. He is a little boy complete with a personality, if people cannot deal with him they can learn new ways be trying to understand him. He is not naughty for the sake of it and is not a bad child choose what popular opinion states. He just has too much energy and panic built in, apart from the more subtle problems of course. As for criticism by other adults - do they live with your child, do they know how he can be, of course not, you are his mum and would do whatever you could to protect and help him, how dare they judge your family? If you have a medication that helps then use it, it just doesn't work for everyone.

Most cases of ADHD are treated by primary care doctors. Because there's no test that can determine the presence of ADHD, a diagnosis depends on a complete evaluation. When the diagnosis is in doubt, or if there are other concerns, such as Tourette syndrome, a learning disability, or depression, a child may be referred to a neurologist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Ultimately, though, the primary care doctor gathers the information, makes the diagnosis, and starts treatment. ADHD used to be known as attention deficit disorder, or ADD. In 1994, it was renamed ADHD and broken down into three subtypes, each with its own pattern of behaviors: 1. an inattentive type, with signs that include: inability to pay attention to details or a tendency to make careless errors in schoolwork or other activities difficulty with sustained attention in tasks or play activities apparent listening problems difficulty following instructions problems with organization avoidance or dislike of tasks that require mental effort tendency to lose things like toys, notebooks, or homework distractibility forgetfulness in daily activities 2. a hyperactive-impulsive type, with signs that include: fidgeting or squirming difficulty remaining seated excessive running or climbing difficulty playing quietly always seeming to be "on the go" excessive talking blurting out answers before hearing the full question difficulty waiting for a turn or in line problems with interrupting or intruding 3. a combined type, which involves a combination of the other two types and is the most common Although it can often be challenging to raise kids with ADHD, it's important to remember they aren't "bad," "acting out," or being difficult on purpose. And children who are diagnosed with ADHD have difficulty controlling their behavior without medication or behavioral therapy.

Hello, My brother used to have ADHD when he was younger. He used to be very hypo. The doctors ended up putting him on Dexies. Years went by, and about probably nearly 2 years now, he has taken himself off it, as he used to get massive headaches, make him aggressive and was up all night. Now he is a beautiful loving, caring young man (16). I personally dont think young children should be on Dexies. I think its more of a need for attention, love and affection... (not saying you don't do that) You will know within you what you think is best for your child..goodluck:)

I have a couple neices who two of them have ADHD and one of them has ADD...now I do think that SOME doctors are very quick to diagnose without doing a proper evaluation and in some cases no evaluation at all really but I know that ADD and ADHD both exist and are very real...As far as how testing works...I think it can be sketchy at times really...i think taking all things into account is important and again SOME doctors cant be bothered with that...Kids on meds...well if the doc and parents have gone aobut it the right way and there is really no other solution I see nothign wrong with it...My oldest is on Prozac and has been for many months now and even though ppl are shocked by that and even make silly comments like "He's a kid what could he need prozac for?" fact of the matter is, he does and it works very well... If the medication your child has been prescribed is working...dont question it...and dont let others get to you..they just dont get it because they're either not educated on the subject and have never been in that position or they are far too stubborn to even let the thought enter their minds etc ya know....

i am a parent but i do'nt know much about this disease,but i think you are not doing any thing wrong with your kid.i will just check if any body in my circle have better knowledge for this.

Everyone tells me that my 7 year old has ADHD and that I should go get him diagnosed so he can be put on medication, so all of their lives can be easier, but Im so afraid of having to put him on medication that might make him a completley different person. I know that could be a good thing, but thinking of my child on any medication is scary. What should I do.

My son is 4 years old. His teacher(s) claim that he may be adhd. His pediatrician on the other hand says that he is very smart and is like other children his age, in fact she referred him to be tested to see if he is gifted/talented.His doctor says that many teachers claim that children are adhd because they cannot control them when in fact that sometime the students are actually bored in class. I did some research on being gifted/talented and adhd and the symtoms are quite the same.Maybe youshould try doing a lil research also and see what you come up with.

hey there, theirs a girl in my class whos got ADHD, i think she takes some good meds cos shes normally no trouble, buts shes a bit full of herself.

My son was diagnosed in Kindergarten. It was very hard for me to believe, because he was always very calm when at home. I fought the school system for many months because I did not want to put hin on meds. The school ask me to volunteer for one week in his class room so I could see what they were talking about. The first 2 days were fine, but by the 3rd day I could have sworn they had someone else's child in that room. He was like the tazmanian devil. It was aweful to watch him and see he could not control himself. I had no choice but to put him on meds. Which I found out from extensive support groups, Drs. and other parents, this is so much better for the child. It does make them calmer than normal, but it gives them an opportunity to learn to control themselves. I was asked to be tested too and they found I too was ADHD. I had always been tagged very ambitious, busy, and a handful. I was treated with meds too. My son and I both are off the meds, we still have ADHD. Now we are both able to control and recognize when we start spacing out and losing the focus of things. So yes I whole heartly belive the meds are very important for the child and the parent.

I must have had this confused with another discussion, I was thinking your child was a girl. I apologise for any mis leading info in the discussion.

As long as it was a thorough workup that produced the diagnosis, you are correct to help him with medication. Parents that make the "every child is hyper" comment have NEVER really met a hyperactive child AND hyperactivity is only PART of ADHD. You do need to be sure he is routinely monitored to make sure his dosage doesn't need to be changed and he is not having any side effects. (My son had ADHD and Asperger's, so I know what you are going through.) Counseling, behavior modification, diet changes, and physical exercise can also be helpful. Taekwondo helped my son's concentration and self-esteem. I would talk to the people who made the diagnosis about these avenues also. He may be able to reduce his dependance on the medications that way (needing a lower dosage or eventually not needing any meds at all). It is your family's right to decide the best type of treatment (and this includes your son's feelings on the matter - my son wanted the medication because it helped him "behave" until he was able to learn how to "behave" without it).

I do have a 10 year old who was diagnosed with ADHD. It took several year to have him diagnosed. I went to his doctor, the school and finally psychiatrist. I think there should be a better way of testing, because instead of treating the child immediately, there is alot of waiting and wondering. I believe if a medicating is necessary, I would do it. The psychiatrist that I took my son to felt that he does not need medication but I think it would greatly help him. I am happy to her that you son is going great on his medication. What is he taking?

i saw a show about this 60 minutes i think where the actual cause of this is a sleeping disorder!! check out cbs's website they have lots of stories about adhd including deaths a patch and narcolepsy...someone even say's snoring in children increases risk's? wow didn't know that

I have two sons with ADHD and one with ADD. It was necessary to put the two with ADHD on medication, in order for them to function in school. The older one now 19, has been off of the medication for a couple of years now. The one with ADD is not being medicated for this, although it was requested by one of his teachers. He has a very hard time focusing, but at least is able to remain seated and is not a distraction to his entire classroom, unlike his brothers. With some children the medicines are truly necessary. With others it is not. When my youngest son went to school and his medication was forgotten I would get a phone call from the school within his first hour wondering why he was acting the way he was. I would have to hurry to the school with his medication and get him settled down so he could return to class. I know my children need the medications they are taking, and I'm sure that you know what your children need much better than someone who has never had to deal with the situation. Don't let them get to you. They are your kids, and you know best!