ADHD Family in Crises!

Hi T.;

There is some evidence that ADHD is related to lack of certain elements of nutrition in the diet. Let me know if you would like to know more. I can put you in touch with mothers who have had great success in this regard.

TRY CHANGING THEIR DIETS! I would start with eliminating sugar, gluten, and dairy from their diet. If you see some improvement (anywhere from 1-4 weeks)you can slowly add things back in-such as dairy first, then gluten, then sugar. I think you will be amazed at the results. I am a holistic health counselor who specializes in the health of women and children.

If you have time, read Driven by distraction. It is a book about ADHD. Written by a doctor who has ADHD. When I read it I thought this is exactly how my oldest son is and it has helped me know whats going to happen before it happens and how to deal with these situations. I bought my book on e-bay.

Hi I'm I've just sent some else this artical, strongly believe in natural products my self. If you have any questions My web site is www,healthyhart.usana.com
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
List All Recommendations

It appears, at least on the surface, that ADD and ADHD has become epidemic. Attention deficit disorder is just like the name implies-the patient or child has a very short attention span. In other words, they are able to concentrate or focus on any particular subject or project for only a very short period of time. ADHD is associated with a child who is very active and can rarely sit still. Obviously, these children are not able to focus on anything very long.

When it comes to schoolwork, this disorder leads to poor performance and class disruption. This is especially true if the child has the hyperactive form, which means the child is continually in motion-literally. When these children come into my office, I leave the exam room exhausted after the child has all but disassembled it. I have certainly gained great respect for the parents and teachers who have to deal with this day in and day out.

However, I also realize that many children are being improperly diagnosed as having ADD/ADHD, since it is almost a "fad" diagnosis today. This makes it imperative that physicians and parents follow strict protocols in the making of this diagnosis by making sure there are no physical disorders and then following a battery of neruopsychiatric testing. This testing should be done with a clinician that has experience in this disorder.

Traditional therapy for ADD/ADHD involves the use of psychostimulant drugs like Ritalin, Cylert, and Adderall. Although these drugs have been shown to have a significant clinical effect in these children, they have their own set of side effects and have even been found to lose their effect over a couple of years. This is why many clinicians dealing with this disorder like to give their patients a "drug holiday," especially in the summer. I also find many parents showing up in my office sharing with me that they would like to try and get their child off the medication permanently because of the terrible side effects, saying they want their child back. Parents will often state, "My child's attention is better but his or her personality has totally changed on the medication."

I encourage parents to make the lifestyle changes I recommend below and hopefully over time their child will be able to come off the medication and still do well socially and educationally. If a child can be started on this program in the winter or early spring, I suggest giving him or her a "drug holiday" (only with doctor's approval) during the summer. Then in the fall, I advise the parents to "drag their feet" in starting the medication again. Many are pleasantly surprised to see their child doing well in school, having increased attention span, and relating better to their classmates while not taking any medication.
Minimal support for Cellular Nutrition
My minimal recommendation for creating cellular nutrition is to simply take an Antioxidant Tablet and Mineral Tablet that contains as close to the recommended nutrients you can see by clicking on each particular nutrient or tablet. Several nutritional companies are now combining most of these nutrients into one or two different tablets, which makes it much more convenient to get the cellular nutrition that I recommend. The Antioxidant and Mineral Tablets need to offer the cell ALL of the antioxidants, B cofactors, and antioxidant minerals needed by the cell at ideal levels. In order to achieve the best results, in general I recommend taking 2 Antioxidant Tablets and 2 Mineral Tablets in the AM with breakfast and in the PM with your evening meal. Now the exact amount may vary with the particular nutritional company you choose; however, nutritionals should always be taken with food because of better absorption and better tolerance.
Optimal support for Cellular Nutrition
For the most favorable results for basic cellular nutrition, I also recommend adding to the Antioxidant Tablet and Mineral Tablet some additional Calcium/Magnesium Tablets and essential fats. You are able to get additional essential fatty acids from high-quality Flax Seed Oil or pharmaceutical-grade, filtered Fish Oil Capsules. These recommendations provide all the nutrients at their ideal levels creating the cellular nutrition I recommend in my book, What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutritional Medicine.
Enhancers
It is critical that you know the necessity of adding Enhancers, which contain additional potent antioxidants, to your foundational cellular nutrition for optimal results. Patients who are suffering from a chronic degenerative disease or illness are producing more free radicals and are under more oxidative stress than the average healthy individual. Therefore, adding potent Enhancers to the basic cellular nutrition I recommend offers you the best chance to bring this oxidative stress back under control. The synergy and increased potency created by this approach to nutritional medicine is why I’m able to get such consistent improvement in the health of my patients.
However, in order to suit each individual’s unique financial situation, I always offer both an optimal and a minimal plan for cellular nutrition and for adding Enhancers. Obviously, one’s improvement of their health will be more consistent with the optimal recommendations; however, a minimal regime can still produce significant improvement in your health.
Recommended Enhancers:
Optimal:
• Grape Seed Extract - 2 tablets daily
Minimal:
• Grape Seed Extract - 1 tablet daily
Optimal Recommendations
Nutritional Supplement Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Antioxidant Tablet
2 2
Mineral Tablet
2 2
Calcium/Magnesium Tablet
2 2
Grape Seed Extract
1 1
Flax Seed Oil 2 tsps.
Fish Oil Capsule (may substitute for Flax Seed Oil) 1 1
Minimal Recommendation
Nutritional Supplement Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Antioxidant Tablet
2 2
Mineral Tablet
2 2
Grape Seed Extract
1
Choosing High-Quality Nutritional Supplements
One of the most difficult aspects of being involved in nutritional medicine is the fact that nutritional supplement companies are basically an uncontrolled industry. The FDA looks at supplements like foods. Nutritional companies are really not required to put in their tablets what they say is on their label. The quality of products that is placed in most supplements is of inferior quality and their manufacturing processes are generally suspect. People who have read my books or used this web site will sometimes go out to their local chain stores, drug stores, or health food stores and try to put together my recommendations on their own. The frustrating thing about this is that they think that they are doing what I am recommending only to either not get any health benefits from their efforts or very marginal results.
When you look at my nutritional recommendations for the Antioxidant tablet and Mineral tablet, you will quickly realize that you cannot get this amount of supplementation in a simple daily multivitamin. However, some companies are now putting all of the needed nutrients together in one or two different pills. In order to achieve the optimal levels I recommend, you will most likely need to take several (four to eight tablets) daily. The more antioxidants you take and the more variation your supplement provides the better. Also be sure that you are getting all the recommended levels of the minerals and the B-cofactors.
You need to spend a little time investigating the nutritional company you choose. You can locate information on the company’s website or you may need to call the company directly. Most importantly, you want a company that follows pharmaceutical-grade Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). This means that they purchase pharmaceutical-grade raw materials and then follow pharmaceutical-grade Good Manufacturing Practices in producing their supplements. These companies produce what is called pharmaceutical-grade supplements, meaning similar guidelines are followed for manufacturing their products as companies making over-the-counter or prescription medications. The government does not require the manufacturers of nutritional supplements to do this; still, some nutritional companies put this extra effort into the manufacturing of their products to provide their customers with the assurance that they are getting what is on the label. These high-quality manufacturers will put the actual amounts of the nutrients found in their products on the label and give full disclosure of all the ingredients. You also want to find an expiration date on the bottle and the company’s full address.
Another aspect of quality that needs to be considered is whether or not the manufacturer of your nutritional supplements follows what are known as U.S. Pharmacopoeia (USP) standards. These are government guidelines that assure consumers that their medications and supplement tablets are of the highest quality and will dissolve properly and be readily absorbed into the body. Pharmaceutical-grade GMP’s would be rendered worthless if the company does not also follow USP standards for the dissolution of their tablets. If the tablet does not dissolve properly, it does not matter what they put in them. Choosing a company that follows the USP guidelines is certainly a step in the right direction.
Balance and completeness is another very critical aspect of choosing a high-quality nutritional supplement. Just like there are drug-interactions, there are also nutrient interactions that can create poor absorption and poor interactions. This is probably the most difficult aspect for the average consumer to really know or understand. Therefore it is critical to choose a company that understands completeness and balance in their products.
Another aspect to consider when you are researching a particular company is where it markets its products. A company that markets internationally usually has to follow higher standards than those who market only in the United States. Canada, Australia, and Western European countries have the highest standards for the manufacturing of nutritional supplements. Canada and Australia presently have some of the most restrictive requirements for nutritional supplements.
Starting Your Nutritional Program
Over 80 to 90% of my patients are able to start taking their nutritional supplements with absolutely no problems. The cellular nutrition that I recommend provides nutrients that you get from foods but at levels you just are not able to obtain from your foods. These are not herbs nor do they have any pharmaceutical properties. They are merely nutrients that our bodies need to function at its optimal level. My cellular nutritional recommendations have been developed to provide all the essential nutrients to the cell at these optimal or advance levels that have been shown to provide a health benefit in our medical literature. The level of the nutritionals provided in these recommendations are all well within safe parameters. However, you will be nourishing your body more effectively than you have ever nourished it before. The medical literature has shown us that when you supplement your body with these high quality, complete and balanced nutritional supplements that there are several health benefits. Remember, taking supplements is about health—not disease. Over time of supplementing a good diet and exercise program, you will not only optimize your body’s natural antioxidant defense system, but also, its natural immune and repair system. Your body will also now be able to begin to remove waste products (toxins) more effectively from the body. A small percentage of my patients (less than 10 to 20%) may experience some mild detoxification reactions.
Detoxification
The most common detoxification reaction is mild muscle aches and/or mild headaches. These symptoms will usually pass within a few days to a week or two. If the discomfort is not unbearable, I simply have my patients continue their nutritionals as I have recommended. However, occasionally there is a more severe reaction. The patient is not in danger; rather, the amounts of nutrients are just too much too fast. In this case, I have my patients quit their supplements for a few days until the reaction subsides. I will then have them start back on their program but initially at lower doses (approximately one third of the recommended dose). Once they are tolerating this amount of supplementation, I suggest slowly building up to the recommended doses.
Some of my patients actually develop a "detox" skin rash somewhere on their body. As you know, the skin is an important route for ridding the body’s toxins. This rash is a dry, red rash that looks almost like a mild sunburn. Some people confuse this with an allergic reaction to the supplements. I have never seen an allergic reaction to the high-quality nutritional supplements I recommend.
Patients may also experience some aspect of loose stools or even diarrhea. This again is a common "detox" reaction because the GI tract is another prime route for eliminating toxins from the body. This symptom will usually diminish within 7 to 10 days. It is an important part of the detoxification and healing process. Therefore, I usually encourage my patients to continue the supplements as recommended unless their bottom gets too sore. I will then again recommend lower doses of the supplements until they feel better and then begin adding the supplements back more slowly until the recommended doses are reached.
Natural Relaxation Response:
A small percentage of patients develop a natural relaxation response when minerals are absorbed into their body. This is of great concern to those patients who have just been told that nutritional supplementation may potentially improve their energy level. They take the supplements as recommended only to find themselves more fatigued and dragging themselves around throughout their day. If you experience this response, I recommend that you take all of your minerals with a light bedtime snack. This allows you to take advantage of your body’s response while getting a good night’s sleep.
Stomach Upset
A small percentage of patients have difficulty tolerating vitamin C. It can cause an upset stomach that will usually become evident a couple days after starting their nutritional program. The vitamin C I recommend usually is found in the Antioxidant Tablet. If you are experiencing significant nausea, I suggest taking just one Antioxidant Tablet with the largest meal. Once this level of supplementation is better tolerated, I suggest slowly adding another Antioxidant Tablet to the next largest meal. I anticipate building them up to the recommended level of supplementation, but sometimes this is just not possible. For those extremely sensitive, I advise just taking the amount of Antioxidant Tablets that they can tolerate even if this is just one or two per day.

Hang in there! I am a teacher, and I know what it is like to teach students with ADHD. In fact, they are almost always in my classroom! One great thing about ADHD kids is their energy. When they get involved in something, they really shine. Try to find what your children are interested in and help them pursue this. For one of my students, it is art. For my husband who has it, it was playing the drums when he was growing up. They really helped him focus.

Make sure that you stress the teacher placement for your children. You can get a 504 plan for modifications that goes with them from teacher to teacher. This allows for modifications in the classroom such as breaks, reduced number of problems, as long as they can show their understanding, and extended time for state testing.

If you wnat to talk about how to help in schools, let me know. I have my certifications in elementary ed, special ed, and reading.

Good luck and remember that you know your boys best.

I have two boys 16 and 10 they have both been diagnosed w/ADD. I understand your frustration. I wanted to point out a few things that may be helpful when dealing w/the school. First my oldest was on Adderall, he didn't like the way it made him feel and he wasn's sleeping well. We have since (maybe 3 yrs ago) switched to Metadate CD(my spellings may be off). We looked at the recommended dosage for them and then divided the dosage in two (even though they are already time released). They take one in the a.m. at home before school and one at lunch in school. This helps greatly with getting them through the afternoon and homework time. Understand I really hedged with medicating my children, felt ADD was a huge dumping ground diagnosis, etc. I have done a lot of personal research and not only loved their pediatrician(they now see a general practitioner), but even took my oldest to an ADD specialist and discussed medications. My oldest son has ADD w/o any learning disabilities. I am happy to say he is reaching an age where maturity has enabled us to reduce his meds. I believe statistically it is like 1 or 2 out of 3 children will outgrow this. With him I put him on a 504 plan at the school. This plan is monitored through the Special Board of Education. Because he was diagnosed by a doctor a 504 applies in that he has a medical condition that requires special accomodations for his learning plan. This is a plan his teachers MUST follow. Remember he sees like 6 different teachers a day, but this plan enables me to call them on it if it isn't being followed. This can follow him onto college as well. Specifically for him in highschool he must sit in the first row on an end seat (less distractions). He does not go to study halls, instead to the learning center where there is an adult supervising and his homework actually gets done, or they help if he needs it. He goes to the testing room for tests, too much going on in the classroom for distractions. His teachers must sign his assignment pad every day - this helps to keep him organized and on task. ETC. But these are some of the things that you can do. Most schools do not have any school employee whom oversees the 504 kids. It really is up to the parent and child to see that it is implemented. I am fortunate and I have a liason at the school who is awesome in working with my son and I to keep things where they need to be. Honestly I didn't take no for an answer and I held each and every teacher accountable as we all did my son. In the end the person who oversees the IEP's either was asked to or elected to oversee that my son's 504 was being followed. Some teachers are great and really want to see children succeed and some are of the opinion that it's not really their "job to babysit at this stage".

MORE IMPORTANTLY IN YOUR SITUATION.....I am assuming that you also live in NY, as I don't know if and how the 504 or special education laws are in other states. I know you children are younger, but I wanted you to know the difference between a 504 plan and an IEP which my younger son has. An IEP falls under the special education laws. I feel this give me as a parent more leverage with the school district because they are legally required to follow it. There are numerous organizations available to help you advocate for your child. The Learning Disabilities Association of Western New York is awesome. With their help I have not only educated myself, but one of their advocates is available to go with me (if I want) to meet with the school!!! This organizations services are free of charge. They run through a grant through I believe the United Way. There is also another youth advocate that I was put in touch with, again that is free of charge. Our school district was not offering to do anything beyond testing him for his reading level. Through this organization I learned of some other avenues I could take and rule out. I was very fortunate our doctore worked with us and our insurance covered the testign we had done. Granted it was some leg work on my part and travel, but in my opinion it was well worth it. Besides you are entitled to have independent testing done and in some instances can request the school district cover the costs. For my son and his issues we first had CAPS - central auditory processing - testing done. We then had his speech and language assessed. He was good on all accounts except his language where it contains reading and the phoentic breakdown ( I know my spelling is off on these things). Then he went for a full neurological work up. Again each of these tests gave me information about where his breakdowns were occuring, but also what his strengths were. Also I received a detailed written report and was able to sit with the specialist and go over that report. It turns out my son is dyslexic. Well this explains a lot!!! But there is a lot I didn't know about this. There are many different forms of dyslexia and we are currently working to immplement recommendations from the specialists. BUT with these reports I went back the Special Board of Education (requested a meeting in writing because they have 30 days by law to respond) and now he has a consultant teacher in the classroom each day for 40 minutes, he has individual reading services 2 times per 6 day cycle, speech 1 time per 6 day cycle. He meets with a peer group. Also there was a program I found at one of our state colleges that master's students were conducting in reading and literacy. It was costly and even though I provided all the transportation, I still got the school district to pay for this program for him. Based mostly on the fact that he was (the numeric values they assign based on testing) so behind.

If you have any questions, or want any contact information, please let me know. I would be happy to pass along anything I have that could be helpful. We have seen a great improvement in my son's reading ability this year and it is so awesome to see his confidence rising!

Dear T.,

I am a professional with a strong background in nutrition, and I wanted to share what I know about the PUFA (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids) connection with kids and ADHD. Please read this clinical study from Australia (one of many out there) that showed great improvement with the addition of something natural...fish oil! I personally know of some parents who have seen a change very quickly. Before you say there's no way your children could swallow those horse-pill sized capsules, I need to tell you that I use a lemony flavored liquid product for my daughter no problem. Will be glad to share that with you. Here's the study- copy and paste, won't be a clickable link. Feel free to get back to me, T.!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17435458?ordinalpos=1&...

Hi
I would like to offer some help. You have more than your hands full and I am sure that the school should, by law be doing more for you.
I am a retired special educator with Brain tumors. I need to keep a sense of helping others. I have beeen working with a family and helped them change many things. I would really like to try and help you too.
Do the children have an IEP at school? Or a 504? To get them the mocifications they need. Who is providing the medication? How often is this being evaluated? Getting boys on the right medication and dosage is a challenge, and I am not sure if they consistnetly take their medication on a daily basis. Do you give it to them on vacations and weekends?
I know of no way to write all the things we need to talk about in this note so I would welcome you to call me. ###-###-####. THen we can talk about what is going on and what needs to be done. I am very upset tohear that they may be failing this year at school. How would this help them? What would be done differently? Do you have an advocate? I kknow that my friends son was getting all the school thought he needed..."Preferential Seating!" WHat does that mean? No one really knew.
Then I got involved and many things changed.
It is still not perfect, but he no longer feels like a bad stupid boy! Your guys do not choose to have this condition. People often do not understand if they can sit quietly one day why they can't the next.
I would be happy to try and help you. Otherwise contact your school and ask for your rights handbook. All schools in the USA must give this to you.
Be calm and strong.
A supporter,
K. Simons

I am assuming (which you know what that usually says), but I am, that the children are in some form of a private school. Since they do not have a program designed for your children then you might want to try a public school. If they are in public, then they should have at least accommodations through a 504 Plan. This means that they are in the PPC committee in your district. If you are having that much trouble at school, they should be helping you through behavior plans and environmental changes to help them succeed. I work as a social worker in a school, contact you local district for help. LeeAnn

please go see a naturopath dr. .....they will get to the root of your children's issues and heal using natural methods. it's well worth it.

i have little to no experience with ADHD, but wanted to comment about a recent book that i looked at.... the theory was that one aspect of ADHD is a lack of connection with nature.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/jv_adhd.html

i obviously do not know you from adam... but if your boys don't get much outdoor free play time... or time to just find a frog or play in a creek, perhaps adding these activities into your regular schedule may help them with their symptoms.

i also have no clue how much outdoor/nature time they get at school... but perhaps it can be suggested to teachers or specialists that work with them?

i will try and find the title of that book, so that this isn't just me blowing smoke!

HTH

You got a lot of good advice about health, nutrition, diet, etc. Most kids don't need meds if these lifestyle changes are put in place. I can add one thing to it: an inexpensive natural product that gives most of us energy but has a calming effect on kids with ADHD. It also helps them focus. As a wellness coach for 20 plus years, I have helped MANY kids get off meds using the methods the people who responded have iterated. I find that this one product that most people don't know about is a good test of whether or not your children have medical ADHD or just the troubling symptoms that disappear when you change the diet, get rid of the chemicals, and take the right supplements. If this product calms them down, now you know that in addition to all those other things, this will help because they have true ADHD.
For more info, I can be reached at ###-###-####.
K.

Hi T.,

My name is A. Zeledon and I am a mother of two.I have a practice a Holistic Nutrition and Health Counselor. I have worked with Many moms with similar challenges as yours. Diet and lifestyle are dirrectly corralated to ADHD. In the 70's Dr. Finegold did a study putting children on a whole foods diet and documented dramatic improvement in the behavior patterns in children. I work with women who want to learn to have a more balanced life, who want to learn about better foods for their family and how to improve their childrens health through diet. I would love to offer you my support and offer you a free phone consultation. You can go to my website to learn more about my approach in working with families and how this could really benefit not only your children but all of your family members. www.spiritwellness.net and you can call me to schedule your phone consultation to talk about your health concerns and goals ###-###-####.

Have you thought about homeschooling? You could be very flexible with the boys and work with them during each of their "good" times, and when they get antsy, send them out for a little play.

Traditional school is a lot of sitting still and being quiet, with not so much "recess".

Dear T.,
I can only imagine the challenges that you and your family are experiencing.
What many doctors and therapists do not know is that DIET can play an huge role in ADD and ADHD. Often times children with these challenges have numerous food allergies and related gut disbiosis (which means their digestive tract isn't working that well.) There is a website http://bodyecology.com/autism.php and Donna Gates has done a lot of research into the relationship between gut health and ADD/ADHD. This is not my expertise but I'm happy to help you out with this as I am a holistic health counselor and assist people in whole food nutrition education.
Bless,
K. Hara
HARAtherapeutics
###-###-####

Dear T.,

You've gotten some great advice here; I especially second the nutritional recommendations. Sugar just adds fuel to the fire.

I just want to suggest one more thing: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

Your situation sounds unbelievably stressful; I can't even imagine. But it's when it seems most impossible to take care of ourselves that it's most important to do so. With your sons' diagnoses, you may qualify for respite care, which (if I understand correctly) will enable you to hire a well-trained/licensed caregiver to watch your kids while you take a few hours to decompress . Your pediatrician should let you know if you qualify. You don't have to do anything major -- just get a cup of coffee with a friend, go to a movie, even get your nails done. Whatever you'll do, you'll be modeling self-care skills that your kids will also need to learn. You might also look into a support group for parents of kids with ADHD.

Best of luck,

Mira

Hi T. -

I can relate to all those symptons in ONE child! My son has been showing all these symptons since he was 3 yrs old.

I have found an alternative way to eleviate a lot of the symptoms w/o medications! It is a natural alternative and about getting to the root of the problem and why they show these very frustrating actions, not just supressing with meds.

I started out by going to a certified natural homeopathic and then went 'green'. After reading much and researching and trying different things, I can honestly say this works. I now represent a Wellness company that sells chemical free products at wholesale prices that have changed our life.

I would be happy to give you more information. You have nothing to lose, its risk free, if you dont like the product and it dont work, send it back for a full refund.

I would love to talk more about how this works, and Im sure typing 3 pages here wouldnt be fun to read. Feel free to contact me and I can give you all the details on why this works.

Take hope! There is help!

S. M.
###-###-####
www.EmpoweringWomenForSuccess.com

They need a good diet - refrain from sugar products - candy, sweetened beverages, gluten free, carbs free. These foods distort their concentration levels -- speed them up and make them tired after they just ran around and drove you nuts. If you can afford to do so, get them to an Allergist - maybe they have allergies to certain foods which does cause ADHD. You might want to get them to a pediatric neurologist to see if the compulsiveness might be something along the lines of Aspberger's syndrome.

T.,
My heart goes out to you, I can't imagine what you have to struggle with every day. Don't give up! My only 2 cents is that there are some foods that make kids worse, there is a strong link between ADHD and the foods they eat. There are some food dyes that make things worse, for some kids it's milk, for some it's gluten. They may not be allergic to them but just respond poorly to them. Maybe try taking one thing out of their diet for a week and see if you see any changes.
Also, maybe your ped. can recomend a support group in the area for moms with kids with ADHD.
Best of luck!
W.

Tell me what they eat.
Most of these cases can be attributed to food.

My daughter has ADHD and is 7 years old. She is in a small school too only they have about 100 students Pre-K thru 12th. Her teachers work well with her but if it was real severe we could get help from the public school system even though she is in private school. Call the school district that they would attend if in public school and talk to their services coordinator. They should be able to tell you who to contact for help. My daughter has the behavior problems and can't sit still. We have found that cutting out certain foods: red dye, white sugar,etc help her. She almost got kicked out of PRE-SCHOOL! Not proud just been there!!! Also there are some people that believe ADHD can be helped (not cured) with certain diets. You may have to find a nutritionalist that specializes in that. My husband is ADHD so we know his "triggers" and found that our daughter has some of the same. Your school system is obligated to help and help the way that is best for YOUR children NOT the best for them OR the cheapest for them. You must be there best advocate. As a single mom you have lots to do but this is one fight you have to get in and stay in. Don't let the "professionals" force any thing but get help. Good Luck! A.

Hi T.,

Take a deep breath and let out slowly. First thing you need to know....there isn't anything wrong with your boys....they just learn differently. You have to think of it that way.
It does tend to run more with males...but, I think because there quickier to disagnose (?). Girls get it too.
Now, you know the short coming in each child but have you checked out there grand side?
Let me explain. Ususally with any learning disorder (ADD or ADHD) there is something that they excell for there age group.
No I am not an educationer, of in health services. Just an
older parent.
My oldest has it. He taught himself to read by learning all the english language laws/rules! Because he wanted to read. He would have the information today...but was losing it as he was storing it. They all have it in different degrees.
I was dealing with the one...not 3/4 at the same time.
But I believe god only gives you what he knows you can handle.
Even if you think you can't.
Your going to have to teach this school/teachers how to teach children like them. First of all...find someone in your area
....educationer, doctor, health services. There are people out there. Ask your peds. for asst. here. I am lucky, our peds. are married...and one specialize in this area.

Ex: I learned that smaller class rooms are a plus. Having
the child sitting in the middle towards the front is
a huge help! My son, used an index card taped on the
corner of his desk...and every time he slipped away,
he would mark it because he was realizing and pulling
himself back (he was in 3 grde). He would get
so many checks at first...then it went down. This was
between the teacher, child and me. He earned special
treats for this. I used a chart method at home...so
many stars IN A ROW he would earn a token which he
could use towards special outings (Libary, park visit).
I was a single parent during this period of time and
had gone back to college....so time outs where special.

How did things turned out? We have a huge school. The High School alone there are 600 kids or better. I had a high school Guidence Consultor told him..."Don't bother fill out any application for colleges...your not college matieral"! Needless to say, I had a problem with that. Colleges now have awlsome support groups for students...if there average slip they use these support groups to pull you back up. His H.S. grades where a C+. At College he lowest semister was a B- average! His gifted area was math and science. My oldest is 6 ft. tall Marines with an Assoc. degree!! Wants to be an H.S. English teacher. He wants to help young boys deal with what he has....and I pray that he gets that chance. He leaves
for desert training....off to Iraq in Sept. to relieve other troops who haven't been home in awhile.
I do have 4 kids. My oldest will be 22 yrs. old this Nov., my
borrowed one..my step-daughter is 20 yrs.old....then our younger who will be 11 yrs.old the 27th of this month. He had
to be re-conditioned when he was younger. They had him go thru
pre-first grade because he was shy and they weren't sure if he was getting it. Turns out...he's advanted. Like having a 26 yrs. old trapped in a 10 yr.old body. I am 5'3 ft. He is as tall as me...wears sz 7 in men's shoes at the moment.
Like I said, when gifted in one area, something lacks in another. He had tough time dealing with emotions. School wanted to label him "troubled behavior". Wanted domanary teachers to keep him in check. I finally got him thru one building and on to the next. An older kids libary ect...
He read adult books of Harry Potter in 1st grde! Where I help
him to escape was learning things because he was bored. I was
afraid he would hurt someone. He felt like he was wasting his
time. Now, he is doing much better. Because maturity comes to everyone differently. My youngest turned 9 yrs. old in Oct.
My All-Star cheerleader!
So, it can get crazy at times! LOLS!

Your 11 yr.old sounds like he has trouble turning off the thinking machine. Mine does too at times. I got one of those
natural sounds cd's and play it. It's the part of shifting down from an overload. Mine has gone to bed at 10 p.m. and back up at 5 a.m.! Any music as long as there is no talking.
Elavator music more or less...can use a cd player. Bright lights out...have given a light pen or sm. flashlight and given a calculas book to read or a med-evil poem/play book.
Something that you yourself have been put to sleep by!

You need to find what will work for you. Meds. aren't the sole solution. But maybe alittle for the boy who can't sit still. To give him the chance to learn something new.
AdHd children are angels one day and little devils another.
There isn't an inbetween for them. But they have dreams and they can go as far as they want. You would be surprised how
many famous people have learning disorders. You could have the next world's famous chief, artist, author, sports player!
Hang in there!
J.

I know how you feel. I have two boys and a husband with ADHD. Is there a university near you that has a special ed program? My boys went to one that was a soccer camp, but really an ADHD treatment program. It helped. My kids are on Adderall too. We have charts that help them with routines and rules. These kids need lists that can be visual reminders. Also at school, I had the teacher put them on the corner of the room so there is less people around to bother them. Make sure they do their homework as soon as they come home from school before the Adderall wears off too. Then have them do something physical to wear them out before bed. I hope this helps! Remember to stay positive and not compare yourself to moms whose kids are not ADD. They have it easy.

They would qualify for special help and services on a 504 plan, and it should be developed for all of them. They could get behavioral management aide, out of class time, plans. etc. Please ask your pediatrician about it and tell them to write a special note saying they need it. Also ask your school, though they may try to talk you out of it, I would call and speak to advocate personally

Hi T.,
I would like you to listen to a call about ADHD and other diseases in relation to the home. Go to my website and sign up to listen: www.LiveTotalWellness.com/L.
My son also has ADHD and I appreciate your situation.
L.

Terri,

I understand! My oldest (14) is fine, my daughter (11) is ADD, and my youngest (9) is ADHD with behavior problems (and a few other issues as well). It sounds to me like they need a medication adjustment. Talk to the doctor and either try a stronger dose, or a different med. We've found that its kind of a trial and error thing, some meds work better (or worse) for some kids than others. My son had bad side-effect problems from Adderall and Concerta, but does well on Dexadrine.

Good Luck - M.

T.
I can definately feel your pain. My son is eleven and he has ADHD and a undiagnosed learnign disorder, that nobody will diagnos. It is so frustrating to see him struggle and not know how to help him fully (because we dont know). I know you said that they have tutors, I am not sure what kind of tutor but one thing that a teacher told me I could do for my son is call a local college and see about a tutor from someone going for teaching. His teacher said that it is the best thing because since they are still in school they are up-to-date with all the new things for them and they are also cheaper than a tutor. I have not tried it as of yet but once money turns around I plan to.
I wish you the best of luck,
J.