Add - South Gate,CA

i don't really believe in diagnosing kids with ADD. I think their brains are still growing and forming, and that there are other ways to handle it. change diet, take away tv etc.

Dear A.,

When a child has ADD, then he or she has a hard time staying still so that they can listen to you. First, make sure that you are talkig to him face to face, not from your standing position to his standing position. After that you will need to remind him about whatever it is that you want him to do. Remind and remind over and over. If he refuses, then put him in his room, and let him scream/cry. Do not do a lot of fussing, just show that you expect to be the boss. That way you can evaluate whether he is just difficult or really doesn't remember what you told him to do.

The school can test for this disorder and you may have to insist that they do, according to his age, of course. If he is very young, maybe he is just finding it hard to do things that he doesn't want to do. I know that my great grand daughter is a very stubborn child, and her parents have to follow through everytime she doesn't mind them. They find time out very effective, and it calms down the situation too.

Good Luck, C. N.

How old is your child? I understand where you are coming from, I have a 3 yr old boy who at times I think might have ADHD. But most likely they are rebelious and testing the water so to speak.
Depending on the age there are always the classic signs.
Let me know because I would love to be able to share with you :)

Alot depends on how old your child is....We thought my oldest son had A.D.D., but after talking with the school councelor, and going to regualr counceling (wish we could of kept that up, lol), They said, the dont see A.D.D. He did how ever have signs of O.D.D. (opositional defiance disorder), usually this is kind of a tag along problem. In most cases (but not all), kids diagnosed with O.D.D. also have A.D.D. or A.D.H.D.. I have a link some where if you'd like more information?
So far my son, who is in 4th grade has had only 2 melt downs at school this year, and managed to mature a enough to finally retake the G.A.T.E. test, and he made it!
As I said in the begining, how old his your child? Also what would help, is know the kind of thing, persay, that he is doing?
Hope this helps some ;o)

Hi A.,
I have to agree with Kristin S. The school, your child's teachers, even your pediatrician should not be diagnosing your child. If you're really concerned, see a psychiatrist who specializes in working with children. ADD/ADHD are often misdiagnosed and overmedicated, which can lead to other problems, but it's also harmful if it goes undiagnosed and as a result affects your child's self-esteem and ability to be productive in school. There are many new innovative ways to deal with this disorder. And if he's not ADD/ADHD, getting professional help can set you on a great path now that will also help to avoid future difficulties. There are many counseling agencies/therapists that will work with you on a sliding pay scale if you need it. Make sure you get recommendations. Good luck!

A.,

It depends on how old your child is. If he's under 3, you can call early intervention services and they will evaluate him. If he's between 3 & 5, the school district should have a special needs preschool program and they will evaluate him to determine if he needs services. If he's over 5, you should still be able to get him evaluated by the school district. You could also ask your pediatrician. My son is 3.5 and autistic. We've used both the early intervention services and the school district preschool program and both are very helpful (and free!)

T.

ADD/ADHD can have a varitey of symptoms. ADD (without the hyperactivity componant of ADHD) can have kids "daydreaming" or not paying attention to things and seeming to be in their own world. They can also have short attention spans.

Kids with ADHD have hyperactivity thrown into the mix...it is commonly said that these kids (I have 2 of them) feel like they are being driven by a motor that they can't control. They tend to be very fidgity (they must be moving, tapping their hands and feet, tapping with pencils, picking at fingers) and always "on the go". They climb and move around, even when they know it's not appropriate...they can't help themselves.

A big factor in determining if your child had ADD/ADHD is age (usually doctors won't diagnose it until school age) since very young kids are all extremly active and they could all easily fall into ADD/ADHD behaviors. Also, for behaviors to be considered ADD/ADHD they have to be a problem in MORE than one setting. For example, if your child behaves at school, at sports, at church, etc., but is horrible at home, it's probably not ADD. If the behaviors are problems at home AND at school AND at sports AND at church, it could well be.

Make sure you talk to your pediatrician and that they have you and your childs teachers fill out an ADD/ADHD evaluation. It could be eye opening to see if the ADD behaviors on the list match the issues you are having. It's also usefull to see if your childs teachers are having the same issues. My younger son was just diagnosed ADHD last month and it was surprising to see that his teachers seemed to have even more of his ADHD issues at scholl than I do at home.

Best wishes in dealing with your child! If you want to chat about ADD or have other questions, feel free to drop me a note.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD, in fact, most kids are. The US is mainly the only country that diagnoses children with ADHD. India, Asia, NEVER diagnose children in this way. The doctors here jump to conclusions too fast and are too quick to put the child on medication. Why? It involves many many follow up visits to the doctor. Visits = $$ Also, keep in mind school is set up for one type of individual. Someone who is going to sit in there seat, raise their hand and do their homework. TEACHERS BY LAW CAN NOT DIAGNOSE A CHILD AS ADHD, they are not doctors, they did not go to school for this. They like to tell parents this so they will rush and put them on medication to ease their teaching. There are some kids that are just plain BORED in school. By all means do your research on the medication for ADHD. Its terrible. Its a quick fix, but the long term is the most dangerous part. There are other methods you can use instead of medication. The body is mainly lacking a zinc or iron. Please consider other options.

Just explain your child's behavior to the doctor. The Dr. will be able to determine if it's serious enough for medication or not. Try not to view it as a sickness. Lot's of children, even adults have ADHD and it's very treatable, so try not to worry too much. :-)