Adhd-medicate or Not Medicate

I have a lot of people tell me their ADHD child's behavior improves with dietary changes such as no refined sugars/grains, no food dyes, preservatives or additives, and no foods they are allergic or intolerant to such as wheat, dairy, soy (differs with each child). They tell me that exercise has helped too.

First of all, Best of luck!

I know you said you are getting tight with money and all, but consider trying a blend of antioxidants. I have seen it work wonders in overall health. It has worked for me and my son. I know several families that were able to give this supplement to their kids, and stop using any medication, with better results! You can message me if you want to know where I get the antioxidants. It's always worth a shot, I think!

Hi!

First off we have alot in common. I'm a sahm to 3 kids. Married for 4 years , 10 year old twin boys,4 year old girl. And my sons bio. Father passed away when they were 2 1/2.
Besides that, my sons have an attention problem too. As far as being hyperactive, they're boys...lol. Although they never ever had behavioral issues in the classroom they too had adhd pushed on them from 1st grade on. I'm right with you in thinking it's overdiagnosed. I personally think that the parent knows best. Input from teachers and dr's can be very helpful but only you truely know your child. It's funny how years ago when there wasn't all this adhd hype and medication there weren't as many kids that had it. Now with new meds and labels "everyone" has it. Attention deficit can also be a symptom of soooo many other things. We had our boys tested and turns out they are gifted. Because of this they have a hard time staying focused on one thing at a time, or they are hyper focused at other times. It's more like a learning disorder in it's own way. Sadly the school systems are so overwhelmed that kids that need a little redirection or extra help can't get it. I have friends who are teachers so i can see their side too. There's only so much one person can do when they have a class full of kids. I have a family of 5 and go crazy multi-tasking sometimes myself, never mind 15 to 20 kids...lol. I would do alot of research. There are a bunch of books out there about adhd and alternatives to meds. My dr. Wasn't too crazy about some of the ideas but then again a dr's job is medicine so of course thats what they are going to side with. I can look up some of the titles if you like, (i can't think of them off the top of my head.) there are alot of other resources online too. Plus support from parents in the same situation is always very very helpful. If you have yahoo there are multiple groups for add/adhd parenting. In the long run we turned to homeschooling. This has been our first year and it has been the best school year ever :) i hope some of this helped. Feel free to send me a message anytime. :)

J. f.

Hi there,
As a teacher, I see the HUGE difference in kids who are on ADHD meds. I have 26 kids in my class... but still, I would never say "this kid needs meds" just because it would be easier on me. I have seen two very severe cases in my teaching career, one child who is currently in my class, who absolutely could not function without them. I can tell within 30 seconds if my student is not on his meds. He can not learn; he cannot contain himself and follow procedures. One of my past students used to flop around like a fish when not on his meds. So, while I truly believe that meds. should be a last resort and that they are being overprescribed, I've also seen the benefit they can have to some kids who would otherwise not be able to function in school. You will have to figure out if your son is one of those non-functioning kids w/o them or if alternative methods will work for him.

And FYI, teachers should never be saying that your son needs meds. Their job is to report behaviors and leave it to a doctor to make that call. They may have their opinions, but they should not try to push you into medicating your son.

I know that many people have seen good results with diet and behavior plans.
Goodluck!

Hi G.!
I agree with you..ADHD is way over diagnosed and I feel like it is used as an excuse for teachers who can't handle certain kids. I have 2 sons that have been "diagnosed". My oldest son was on medication for a while but back then I didn't know better. I have chosen not to medicate my youngest son and am very happy that I haven't. There are some great books out there on ADHD medical alternatives. Also read anything you can find about Indigo, Crystal and Rainbow children as there are theories that ADHD is really an evolutionary change in the human species. I have my son on a routine of supplements that I tweak as needed. Right now he's on blue green algae, flax oil, B6, C, calcium and a multi. I also feed him an organic diet and limit his wheat and dairy intake and make sure he gets lots of protein. I make salad dressings using Walnut Oil as much as I can as it is great for brain function as well. I also had some luck with Pycnogenol (a supplement) but it was a tiny bit expensive so I looked for other alternatives.

Then lastly, after years of frustration with the mainstream school environment I finally was able to enroll my son in a charter school and that has made all the difference in the world!!! At first he was very resistant but now wants nothing to do with his old school. He now enjoys going to school and has gotten better grades than ever! After 8 years of hearing him complain about how much he hates school its so nice to have him say he really likes it!

When you do decide to stop medication BE STRONG!!! You will have alot of people trying to change your mind. Don't let them sway you!

Hi G.!

It is not the school, or the teacher or principal's choice as to whether or not your son should be on meds - it is yours! Don't allow the schools to "bully" you into medicating your child. It is you who should debate the risks vs. benefits, the school has no say. Personally I feel the school is overstepping their boundaries.

I have done a lot of personal research about AD/HD - Many times the best treatment for AD/HD is a combination of meds and/or behavioral therapy. If you can't afford therapy, there is a TON of information and books out there on the internet on behavior modification and AD/HD. AD/HD kids tend to thrive better in as structured an environment as possible. This is no easy task for some, but it does work.

Keep us posted and good luck to you!!!

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Cedarvale Qld 4285.
20/11/2003

My Son Jacob Virtue Personal Story.

I was introduced to the Health and Wellness Store and all their products in February 2003. My son Jacob age 9 yrs was suffering from ADD/ADHD and I was very keen to try the children vitamins range of products. I started him on the Children Chewable and the ProVex.

After just 4 weeks I could notice a change in his behaviour, and the teachers at school also could notice a big change in him. The only thing that I change in his daily routine in that time was to give him the children chewable vitamins and the ProVex tablets. I had found something that worked and was helping him every day with his schoolwork and his behavior at home.

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Thanks to everyone involved

Joy Virtue
I have signed this Testimonial and I have given permission for Charles McDonald to use my son testimonial to help inform other families who may know of children suffering from this illness.

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Terry Lutz wrote:
Hi I am Sherri Lutz and my 18 year old son, Bryan is ADHD and about 2 to 2 a half weeks ago we began using the Provex Plus and about a month ago he began using the vitality life for men supplements. He says he feels more alert, not sluggish and is about to be more awake at his 4th hour Algebra 2 class. He is not hyper that I can see and he is rather calm, pleasant, focused and attentative. I have noticed he is more sociable with me when he comes home from school than he was when he was on the Adderall XR 30 mg which he took only once a day probably for about 5 or so years now.

We are continuing to progress the change for him and I will keep the support group posted. This was the change that I was reluctant to make because we had been through "HELL" finding something that would work for this kid earlier in his school years and I could remember the nightmares we dealt with. And we seen the medication was working and why change it???? Well job status changed to part-time back in Oct and we lost health care and the 90 day prescription ran out and we said ok????
Here the cost for Wellness Store supplements that ADD/ADHD customers uses verses the cost for the prescription at full price. So we opted to give The Health & Wellness Store a try and so far it has won my loyalty at 100%.

~~~~~~~~~~~~M.

Hi G.,
Deciding to medicate your son is not an easy decision, but I don't think you "gave in". You gave your child what he needed at that time. I bring my son to a psychistrist to prescribe his meds, not because I don't trust his pediatrician, but because this is the psychiatrist's specialty. There are so many meds with varying side effects, I need to know that my son is on the right med for him. In the beginning, we had to go every month, but now that he is stable we go every 2 months. It still is a copay for the visit and the meds, but I know he needs it for school work. (I have tried to work with him not on meds: picture total frustration on everyone's part!) He has been on meds since about the age of 5 (he's now 16). In the last few years, he has noticed how much easier school work is for him when he takes his meds. I usually do not give him the meds on school vacations and weekends (with doctor's okay), because the biggest side effect for him is the lack of appetite. We have tried other meds, but this seems to be the best one for him at this time.
By the way, I have been a classroom teacher as well as a special education teacher and what I have noticed is that children with ADHD can get by in the early years. After 4-5th grade when the material gets more difficult and more abstract is when they have more difficutly.
There are a lot of "natural cures" and diets, but look carefully at the research. Are there any long term side effects? Who conducted the study and on how many people?
Again, to medicate or not to is a difficult decision, and only your family can decide what is best. Most of the research I have read is that medication along with counseling (to develop strategies) works best.
Good Luck,
M.

I am in that boat with my 5 year old. I can't handle him when he is not on meds. He not only has ADHD but Anxiety & OCD and when his anxiety kicks in WOW that's when it all spins out of control. I am in the situation where my son is brilliant and if we can keep him calm so he can learn he won't be a disruption to the rest of the class. I am going to Children's Hospital in Boston but I have also heard that Mass General in Boston is great for kids with ADHD. Maybe you can see if you can receive some kind of public assistance or aid -- I would talk to the Dr.

Also, I have heard some big things about diet, not sure if you have a Wholefoods near you but I have known a few people that have been to workshops there on Diet and ADHD. Keeping kids away from Die Red 40, sugar and even putting them on a Wheat Free/Gluten Free Diet can sometimes help. The Sugar from the Wheat can stir them up but you might want to look into that. I have almost tempted it but I am okay with meds. My husband is 41 and has it as an adult and was never medicated and I feel had he been on the right meds he would have been a very successful man. My husband is successful in his own way but it's sad to know that someone had the potential because they are so bright and didn't have the opportunity and has self medicated his whole life (if you know what I mean)

It's a tough place to be but certainly look into the diet piece.

Hello G.,
This is a favorite subject of mine! I also hesitated to put my dd on meds and finally in 4th grade I did. By the sixth grade she had tried 4 or five different kinds and of course doses. I do not recommend telling anyone you are taking him off but I suggest that you do! You need to do it as slow as he was upped on doses. If it took three levels you should use three levels, one level every 5 days to come down. Watch him closely and don't tell anyone (ok family). I would probably bet that no one will even notice. I believe you have to do it slowly for health reasons. My dd was hiding hers in the sofa! She did not like feeling tired and ucky. I also agree ADHD is the (kids label)like PROSAC or CYMBALTA. Lets get the kids on drugs too. Everyone has ADD it seems. Seems to me that the world needs a quick fix so a pill should do. We are the product of "60's". I was personally born then so stuck in the middle. lol One Dr. once told my husband and I "There are low maintenance and high maintenance children - guess which one you have.?" Ok - I love everything about her. She is going to be a challenge but she is loved and knows it. #1 in my book to keep them healthy.
I also want to share that the drugs DO stunt their growth! She grew 6 inches and gained 20 pounds like a weed. I do believe that the drugs were stopping her - she was off the charts until the meds and then not much took place until she got off.
Good Luck hun & take care of yourself too.
Feel free to contact me if you like.

Please don't let your son be another victom.

Hi G.,

My son has some behavioral issues and I refuse to put him on meds. because of the effects that I believe that they have on the body and mind. I have found that with changing his diet, it has made a huge difference in him. There are so many chemicals in almost everything that we eat that it really affects us in many ways. By removing fast food almost totally and changing to a more organic diet, he is like a different person. It took about 2-3 weeks for his body to detox to where we could see changes, but in all it was a great and necessary change. I still allow him to have fast food about once a month as a treat and he really doesn't miss it too much as time goes on. I've seen first hand how some of the meds. can be so bad for us and with so many more natural options out there, I wouldn't think about putting him through the side effects that can last a lifetime in some cases. Good luck with whatever you choose.

-M. C.

my son has adhd we finely started to give him meds what a diffrince he has stoped with his hitting and has made the . honor roll on the 3 report cards . and he also has ot.and consling once a week sometimes he can be very sentive.we give him the med called metadate cd they have 10-20-and30mg doses it seems to help alot.the touching of the shoulder help my son to ask about brushing my son had 3 times a day it help calm him down .he also got breaks to give he a break he brought stuff to the office.came back and finshed his work.he all so loves to be held tight it calms him down.check with your school see what help they have to help your son.good luck hope to here from you a gain maybe i can think of more things to help you.

My son would be classified as ADHD if I didn't change his diet. He is gluten, dairy, soy, and artificial stuff free. Whenever he gets one of the three in his diet he gets hyper. With all of them, he is "tigger". One source to check out is www.feingold.org. I refuse to medicate my child - though he refuses to take any medication. He will only allow me to give him is vitamins and homeopathics. All the other meds out there have artificial flavors and colors in them which some of them make him on the violent side. Most of the doctors out there don't believe that a change in diet works, but I have seen it in my child. Hope this helps!

Hi G.,
I agree with you totally Doctors are over medicating these children. And the teachers are having a difficult time teaching because many of the students are on medication today for behavioral issues, physical or emotional issues.
Have you considered homeschooling. I homeschooled for 8 years right through high school it was the best decision I made. Although my children were not diagnose add or adhd if either one had been I would have pull them out in a heart beat.
You said you are a stay at home mom honestly I would consider it. There is absolutely the best curriculm out there, that never gets mentioned. The time you spend together creates a strong bond. It may not be a cure all for add, adhd but it surely gives you more opportunity to watch, teach, train, listen, evaluate, kiss and hug.

Just my opinion!!!

Have any of the Doctors you've seen said anything about behavior therapy? Sometimes it can be used instead of medications, and most researchers advise against using medications without some sort of therapy. There are problems with the medications, so if I were you I would avoid them if at all possible... The National Institute of Mental Health has a good site that goes over ADHD, how it is diagnosed, and treatments:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd/complete...

The NIMH article doesn't discuss sports and the arts, but I have seen child involvement in sports, art, and/or music go a long way towards helping mediate ADHD. You might also want to check out the ADHD section of "The Gift of Learning" by Ronald D. Davis.

I don't have a child with ADHD, but I used to teach and have two siblings with ADHD (who went unmedicated, both college grads today with good jobs and happily married with children) - I do agree that it is over-medicated but have seen situations where the medication was a lifesaver.

For school, you might try asking that they keep your son in the front row of the classroom - that way there are fewer distractions so it will be easier for him to focus on his work.

Good luck!

I am a public school teacher and I totally agree with you that ADHD is overdiagnosed and overmedicated. I never suggest that parents put their children on meds and when parents ask me if I think there child needs it, I always tell them that this is a truly personal decision that only they can make. That being said, I have seen kids that meds have done nothing for (probably not really ADHD) and meds they have worked wonders for (that would be ADHD). I had one particular boy who went from a C/D average to an A/B average in just a couple weeks when he went on meds. Wow! Some people feel that is a way to test for ADD -- if they respond to the meds they have it.

What I do support is diet changes and good communication with the school to see how he is doing. Avoid preservatives and dyes but also some natural sugars and things can be problems. There is a diet called the Feingold diet which is great for ADD. It has been around for a long time so it is tried and true -- my brother was on it in the 1970s and it is still in use today.

Good luck

I recommend trying dietary changes - I have seen this work! There are some great books on Amazon regarding diet for ADHD - you need to cut out processed foods, sugar, artificial flavors and colors, and add good stuff like fish oil (they make capsules for kids that don't taste bad). Definitely worth a try and so much healthier than medicating!
Is your son on a 504? He should be able to get accommodations at school to help him.

I can only tell you that it solely depends on what YOU feel is best for your son. What your child's teachers and doctors tell you is their advice... but the decision is solely yours. It can't really be about the money for the Rx's, or his teachers insisting to make their jobs easier. My friend has a son on ADHD med, and he's 8 1/2. It works, but every month, they've been having to increase his dosages or they stop working. The meds are also addictive. Personally, and this is NOT to judge you, but if you are able to control his behavior through his diet and/or behavior modification tricks (reward/punishment, behavior chart with stickers, etc) then you ought to do that. Again, this is only my opinion.

If you don't have the insurance, you can apply your children for state funded health insurance, which would pay $100 of their medical bills including Rx's.

One thing you can try is reducing/eliminating Red Dye 40 and Green Dye from your child's diet. An intolerance can show up as ADHD behavior, because children's bodies can't process it, and it goes through their brains. They respond as if they are hyper-active, angry, mood swings, etc. I've seen this with my own childrren and my best friend's children. Therefore, we cut out cereals like Froot Loops, Trix, Trix Yogurt, Hawaiian Punch, etc. We also drastically reduced high fructose corn syrup for the same reasons as the dyes. I guarantee, if you haven't already eliminated these things from your child's diet, you will see an improvement in behavior within 1-to-2 weeks of eliminating those things (it takes that long for those chemicals to get out of the system).

Hi G.. I can imagine how difficult this is on you. First of all, I must tell you that I am a teacher. Secondly and most importantly, I am a mom. I, myself, have ADD and wasn't diagnosed until adulthood. I wish I would have been though because my life in school would have been much easier. I am someone who believes in medicating, if it is necessary and only if the person feels better while on it. Personally, I feel so much better when I take medicine. My mind is at ease, I can focus and I don't feel overwhelmed. Anyway, I don't know your son and I don't know the situation. How does he feel on medication? Does he feel more in control of himself? Can he get more of his school work finished? Does he get in trouble less? Think of it in terms of helping HIM and not the teacher.

As for the comment of babysitting, I can't imagine the teacher that said that. We are there to teach children, but sometimes in a classroom full of children, all with different abilities and needs, it is very difficult at times to manage, especially when you have some that are not able to control themselves. I would encourage you to go into the classroom to observe what is going on, how many children there are and what the expectations are. You are your son's one and only advocate and you need to do what is right for him. Only you can make that decision, but make sure that you weigh all the options and be sure that you have all the information that you need before making the decision.

Good luck to both of you!

Hi G. ...
I have 4 children .... 2 boys, 2 girls ... the boys both have ADHD .. however, their diagnoses are VERY different ... one has ADD and is considered Gifted/Learning Disabled -- there's not much of the "H" in his stuff, but he has other learning and neurological problems that attribute to his problems in school. He IS medicated (though I, too, fought it for a long time) and it does help him focus in school -- that's all it does though ... his other issues are still ever-present and we have a 504B plan in place to deal with those issues with the school.
My other son is also ADHD, but in a very different way .. he doesn't have the same neurological stuff that his brother has and his "H" is much more physical. He's very, very active and simply cannot stay focused on anything. He needs redirection, too, and doesn't respond to being yelled at. I fought medicating him, too. We've watched him medicated and non-medicated and he does MUCH better in school when he's medicated. He also has a plan in school that helps to meet what his learning needs are.
The meds don't take away from who they are at all. They help them focus in school. They've both been thoroughly tested ... not just physical, but neuro-psych, too.
Everybody's situation is different ... if you feel that your son can attend to school without medication, then by all means do that. HOWEVER!!! Make sure you have a plan in place with the school to meet his learning needs. And, just because the school is good with him now, doesn't mean they will be as he gets older and into the upper grades ... that's when it's going to be toughest for him.
THE BEST THING WE DID was to hire an Education Advocate ... they're expensive, but they're worth their weight in what they charge. Because of hiring this person, the staff in the schools where our sons attend are required to do specific things to meet the challenges that they face with the ADHD. It's the law. ADHD is considered a disability and, therefore, you can get a plan in school under that auspice.
Good luck with your decisions ...
Take care,
B.

Try taking your son to a chiropractor who practices SOT chiropractic. My husband is an SOT chiro and one of his colleagues, Marty Rosen in Wellesley, Ma. has had great success w/ADHD. You can call chiros from the phone book or do a search on SOTOUSA.com
Best of luck.
M.

Hi,
We are just starting down the road of finding alternatives to medication. I wish others would also suggest specific practitioners, so here goes: We are using Dr. Frank Cucolo in Talcott CT, who is a kinesiologist-chiropractor, who uses whole food supplements, Dr. Donna Peano in Old Saybrook, a homeopath, Dr. William Weiss in Middletown, a neurological chiropractor, and Dr. Susan Danberg in Glastonbury who is a vision therapist. Sometimes vision disorders present as inattention. There is also Dr. Jackie Germain and her naturopathic medicine practice, in Middletown. If anybody knows of a good acupuncturist in this area I would be grateful. So far we are doing quite a lot and seeing small results; still waiting for the big pay-off but with natural processes it can take time. Hope this helps.

Hi G.,

Medicating our kids is such a difficult decision! When my son was in 3rd grade, we went through the process of having him tested for ADHD at the advice of his teachers. I didn't see it at all - he was just an active boy in my opinion. He had some trouble focusing in class and struggled with reading and spelling. Ultimately, we realized that he was dyslexic - which can also accompany many of the same symptoms identified with ADD.

My husband was dead-set against medication, so we had to look for alternatives. We ended up giving him a Davis Dyslexia Correction program (which offers a medication-free solution to ADHD) for kids ages 8+. The program taught him how to self-monitor his focus, energy levels and stress levels...in addition to giving him wonderful, creative strategies for learning. He is now 13 and doing extremely well in school - socially and academically. He has never been medicated.

I actually went through the training for the Davis program and have been a facilitator of it for almost 2 years now. If you would like any additional information on the program, you can give me a call ###-###-####) or visit my website at http://www.ne-dyslexia.com. You can read the Davis article on ADD/ADHD at http://www.dyslexia.com/library/add.htm or read more about it in The Gift of Learning by Ronald D. Davis.

I hope you will find this information helpful. Don't hesitate to contact me directly if you would like additional information.

Warm regards, K.

My son is 11 and has ADHD as well. It was obvious since he was young that he was very impulsive. We tried several meds and for the last 5 years he has been on Adderall XR. The change was gradual but he is able to control his impulses and his true personality shines through. I always knew there was a sweet boy underneath all that aggressive behavior from way back when!
If you don't have health insurance, check out the HUSKY plan. My son was covered through that until I got remarried and we were able to afford health insurance.
By the way, when he is off his meds he is very hyper and finds it difficult to control his actions and words. He tried to wean himself off of them but made the decision to stay on them bc he felt in more control and calmer with them.
I hope this helps.

Hi G.,

You need to be your son's advocate. In my BC (before children) life, I was a public school teacher. I always thought that ADHD was (1) over diagnosed, and (2) over medicated. That being said, there are children who really do benefit from the treatment medications--if they truly need it. I think that only you know whether your son is in true need of the medication. Trust yourself. His teachers are experts at teaching--NOT diagnosing a medical condition! They can inform you of your son's observed behaviors in their classrooms/hallways/etc., but it is not in their job description to diagnose ANY child. It may require a lot of work/time/attention on your part with the teachers and other school staff, but it can be worked out. How does your son behave at home? Can he concentrate on a given task?--or, are his symptoms based on whether he is really interested in a given topic? He may have to work a little harder to concentrate during those times, but does he really need the meds throughout the school day (or longer) just to get through those few times?

I found during my years of teaching that it was so very easy for members of the medical profession to prescribe a drug to get the parents out of the office. It really is a vicious cycle. They think that the parents want their kids on meds, so they give it to them to keep them quiet--which is true, some of the time. Teachers frequently just want something that will quickly get the child in line and meds seem like the (easy) answer. It is true that your son may need the medication, and then he should get it and his parents should do whatever they can to make sure that he has access to it--BUT, you have to make the final decision as to how helpful it is and how it balances with the other priorities in your family's life.

Hope this helps to some degree. This is a very controversial subject and I am only offering the advice that I would follow if I found myself in the same situation. Good luck.

i woudl talk to your physician regrding unable to pay for th emedicicne maybe the pharmacy rep has some samples???? or maybe there is a generic alternative adhd is very difficult to manage and it doesn't go away. as kids get older the tend to self medicate with other things alchol drugs if you aren't careful. Maybe he needs some consuling behavior may be a way of getting attention... with the loss fo your husband.... just a thought good luck K.

I am the mother of a 13 yr old girl with adhd. I at first struggled with the decission to medicate her. It wasn't until I was able to see her interact in class and also watch her struggle with her grades that I finally gave in. We had a hard time finding the right med as well, but did find a fit. After she was on it for 6 months her visits went to every 6 months and we got prescriptions to mail in every 3 months. A 3 month supply was way cheaper then doing it monthly. She went from borderline staying back to an A B student. I knew it was the right thing when she was asking for her meds cause the helped. We medicate her for school only. Weekends and vacations are what they call drug holidays. My thought is that she will have to learn to live with it and that is when we work on those skills.I know that MA has programs like children's medical security that will allow a 1 $ co-pay for the meds. The income guidelines are realisitic.

My son is almost 9 and he was not diagnosed with ADHD until he was in Kindergarten. I didn’t know what to do because at home he was a normal kid, but at school he was so hyperfocused, that the teachers couldn’t get him to pay attention in class if there was something else going on, like other kids fooling around. So I put him on medication because I felt it was the only thing I could do. I first put him on Ridalin (I would NEVER recommend that…) and then he was put on Metadate. But since that is a stimulant, it only lasted about 8 hours and the time spent at home after the meds wore off were just awful, he would be on such a down, that he wasn’t enjoyable to be around anymore. So we went with Stratera, a non-stimulant that was in his system 24/7. That worked wonders. However, each summer when school let out, I would stop the medication for his summer camp and start it back up for the new year. I did this because I felt VERY strongly about only giving him the meds when it was absolutely necessary. I also felt that he needed to know that he didn’t need medication to feel “normal” that we were only using it to help him focus on his school work. But two years ago we changed insurance companies and I had a baby so we could no longer afford the medication. So I asked him if he felt he NEEDED the meds for school or if he thought he could do it without. He said he would try school without the meds and he’s been through 2 years of school now med-free. He did stay back in 2nd grade, but the teachers felt it was more because he was not mature enough for 3rd grade, not because of his ADHD. His birthday is in August so he was the youngest in the class, and this year he’s one of the oldest. Another thing we have done since quitting his medication is to cut out sugar as much as possible. It contributes to a child’s ability to stay focused and take in information so he has sugar free foods all week long but can enjoy things like candy, ice cream, cookies, on the weekends. We’ve only taken out sugar from his diet this past year and I’ve seen a HUGE improvement. I hope this has helped you – and it’s good to know there are other people out there going through the same things we are!! Good luck!

G.,
I can offer a view from many sides of this. First, with a brother and father who are ADHD, myself and my husband are ADD, and so as a parent I am concerned about my children developing ADD or ADHD. As a teacher I had other concerns, and with a degree in psychology I had yet another perspective... so I've become pretty well rounded on this subject.

I can't agree more that every child and every situation is different. It is also well known that ADHD is over diagnosed. Generally speaking children who are diagnosed ADHD are lacking full consistency in their lives and are often exposed to too much TV at a young age. This leads to a misdiagnosis. Children in this situation need some behavioral therapy and sometimes a modified diet, but should not be placed on medications.

I am of the opinion that medications have their place. Used outside of "their place" they can do more harm than good. I'll use my brother as an example.

My brother was hyperactive at a very young age, but he always had respect for authority until my parents divorced and we moved to a new area. We went from living with both our parents to living with my mom and step dad and seeing my dad and his girlfriend on weekends... 2 hours away. It was a huge adjustment to make, and he didn't handle it well. That is when his bad behavior started. He lacked consistency from then until many years later. While growing up we also lost our mom while he was 11 and I was 13. When we moved in with my Dad and his new wife my brother began having very bad behavior in school. He went from causing minor disruptions and not paying attention to literally giving his teacher a heart attack.

The school insisted that my brother be medicated or he could not attend school there, so off to a psychologist my brother went. The woman did not listen to his full history and came to the conclusion that he had ADHD and Opposition defiance disorder (ODD). Well my brother is in no way ODD, he was just going through a rough time and needed some proper attention. They also stated that he was severely depressed and started him on an extremely high dose of Ritalin. When my brother started becomming suicidal they never even thought to try taking him off the medication or changing the medication dosage or trying a different medication. They just insisted they knew that was what was right for him. Well after a few weeks of him being suicidal I convinced my parents to take him off the Ritalin and take him to a different doctor. The new Doctor threw us a life line. My brother needed medication in the proper dosage to be able to help him control his behavior and then while slowly weaning him off the medication all our family members and his teachers and doctors worked with him on ways to help him have control over himself without the medication. It worked! It took about 6 months for the full "weaning" but he was back to being my wonderful little brother and did very well in school. I won't say he became an angel, I could tell you stories of the trouble he got into, but I attribute that to normal guy mischief.

I learned a lot while helping my brother, and its part of why I decided to study psychology. The other reason I studied psychology was because while studying for a teacher I became very famiiliar with IDEA 97 and figured there was no way I could implement it properly without more training.

Something that is difficult to understand is the amount of pressure that is put on teachers to perform an immense number of tasks. Next to mothers, teachers are some of the most underpaid workers in the USA. A teacher is expected to give the students a lot more than just a quality education. Often a teacher must do her lesson planning and paper correcting at home, they also have to spend their own money on teaching resources since often schools do not receive the necessary funding, teachers are also expected to recognize the social and psychological needs of their students and provide for them, they are also required to go to classes to keep current in their field, and most schools require teachers to be actively involved in student clubs, sports or other recreational activities. IDEA 97 also states that all students have the right to an equal education no matter the limitations of their disabilities. While I wholeheartedly agree with the principles of IDEA 97 I find that the majority of schools do not implement it properly and the weight of it falls directly on the teachers. For example, in one school they put all the IDEA 97 kids in a classroom together with all of the behaviorally challeged inviduals. That meant that 1 class of approx 35 students had 12 mentally handicap students, 1 blind student, 1 deaf student and the remaining students either had a psychological or medical diagnosis that impeded them or a behavioral challenge (including students who were part of juvenille detention or paroll). I am sure that you can imagine that no matter how much effort went into teaching that students often did not learn much in that class. Had they been spread out between the other class groupings each class would have had about 3 to 4 students that needed extra attention at a time. Since it was middle school and the students rotated classes, it would have made a big difference in the quality of learning that ALL students received.

The good news is that the school cannot force you to medicate your son. They can enforce that he follow certain behavioral guidelines and they may not be as cooperative as they should be in helping him in the areas he needs most, but they cannot force him out of school for lack of medications.

My suggestion would be to discuss with your Dr the possibility of getting him off the medication slowly. Also look in your area to see if there are any resources that offer free or low cost counseling to students with ADHD. If you live in the Scranton PA area I have some excellent resources I can share with you.

By working on behavioral interventions at a young age, it will help him for the rest of his life. It can be rough at first, but it is worth it. My brother is now in charge of a 32 million dollar company and he's only 25. I am so proud of him! Not a drop of medication needed.

Now, keep in mind that because every child is different that your son may indeed need medication, however, it is best to try other alternatives that are available. The benefits of the medication must strongly outweight the risks/harms of the medication.

If you decide to do a trial weaning, some things that could help your son while transitioning to life without medication, and in doing things without medication later on are as simple as letting him play with silly putty or doodling while listening to his teacher. The teacher may not like this, she may feel it is more of a disruption than a help, but there is actually evidence to support that students that have ADD/ADHD that doing simple tasks helps them listen and pay attention much better. My husband paces while on the phone. It drives me nuts but if he doesn't do it he has no idea what the person on the other end stated while on the phone with him. For me doodling or taking notes worked well.

With ADHD the hyperactivity comes from the brain trying to connect with what is going on. While we see it as a disruption, those with ADHD have little control over this activity when they are attempting to pay attention.

You will also find that your son most likely has a very high IQ. People with ADHD are incredibly intelligent, they just have a hard time focusing their energy on their tasks. You would also find that your son would learn best kinesthetically (hands on). So, your sons strengths would be in areas where he can learn by doing rather than listening/watching.

His teacher should have resources available to her to help her know how he would learn best. She won't be able to use a lot of them for the entire class, but if you find specific things that work that can be done in a way that won't disturb the class, she will be more open to them.

I have a lot of resources available if you need some more help, or if you just need to talk I can listen :).