ADHD In Children

My son was diagnosed just over a month ago, he's not even 5 yet, but the dr said she was certain he has ADHD, as well as ODD. He was given a medicine called Intuniv, which she started him on the lowest dose. after a week we had to up his dose because we werent getting the stabililty. but now 3 weeks into the 2mg dose his teacher has seen a HUGE difference in him as far as his wanting to do his work. he also is just in a better mood all around. i read the response about brain balance be careful about them the try to hook you in to a center and they cost over 5,000 for a 12 week program! yea i looked into them.

(((hugs))) You are a great mom and whatever you choose to do for your son will be what is right for him and for your family.

That said, my five year old son was recently diagnosed with ADHD combined type. I ALWAYS thought I was against medication for this kind of thing, but he was struggling to the point that it was making HIM unhappy (he's also highly intellegent/likely gifted and very aware). He started a new nursery school and could not make friends, it was just really hard on him.

Anyway, I decided to try the medication and ... OMG... he is doing so well. He takes Adderall XR (started on the regular then switched to extended release when he had a good dose) every morning. He is still totally himself... none of the zombie stuff I was afraid of. He describes the Adderal as "it just quiets my body and quiets my mind and I can make choices." It breaks my heart to think that prior to that HE felt like he was not in control of himself. He doesn't break/lose his stuff all the time, he can participate in his soccer class, he is SUPER popular in his class, he finished art projects he starts, he reads books from start to end... I could go on, but mostly he's HAPPY.

Anyway, we've been happy with it... plus it confirms the diagnosis, because Adderall is amphetamine, so if the Dx was wrong, it would do what amphetamine does to "normal" people (ie jittery, sleepless, hyper etc.).

HTH
Good luck with everything.

T.

I am not familiar with "action tremors" so you will certainly want to be coordinating any treatment he gets for ADHD with the doctor who is helping you with that issue.

The best advice I have for you is to let go of what you "want." Treatement for any medical disorder, and ADHD is basically a flesh and blood issue of neurotransmitter dysfiction, but any medical issue that requires treatment should be treated in the way that is going to be most effective, and not in a way that makes Mom and Dad feel better about the stigma, if that is what is driving your dislike of medication for this particular medical disorder.

Medication is a tool. It helps the basic brain disfuction on a molecular level so that he can count on his neurotrasmitters to either be produced in enough quantieis, or such that his damaged neruotransmitter receptors are alble to up take the electro chemicals with sufficuent reliablity that your son can count on the information in his brain on a consistent basis. Medication helps him process thoughts, ideas, impulses, and processing more effectively.

Some people have mild issues, and they can benefti from thereputic interventions without medication, but many cannot. The treament program should be many hours per week of some combintaion of: cognative behavioral therapy, play therapy, social skills classes, speech and language therapy, Occupational therapy, behavioral and educational interventions in school and at home, and medical intervetnion. You will find that medication is a tool that is very helpful to some kids so that they can benefit from all the therapy and attend to it, because, for the most part, you will be paying for this yourself, and you will want the most for your money, and in the long run, so will your son. Some kids can benefit without any medical intervention, and some kids never benefit from the thereapy without it. One thing is for sure, medication without a full evaluation by either a Developmental pediatrician, or a Nureopscholgist-psyciatrist combo without therapy is never appropriate.

You should be asking for a full educational, nuerosychological, developmental and medical evaluation. You should be asking what the numbers in the subtest data means. You can find many answers at www.wrightslaw.com, espeically in an article called "Understanding tests and meausrements for Parents and Advocates." This article will help you be able to pin point where your son's needs are, and how to help him get the most from school and therapy.

Good luck!
M.

I raised 2 sons with ADHD, and daughter who is borderline. There are behavior modifications you can work on. It depends on your child and the severity of the ADHD whether medication is necessary.
I wouldn't dismiss the idea of medication. He may not need it, but what if he does? Talk to his doctor and see about counseling. I think it's too soon to make any hard and fast decisions.

Take a deep breath and realize that we live in one of the best places on earth for you son and that he will grow up to be a great person. EVeryone has obstacles to overcome - this is a tiny bump in the road and you'll get past it.

My son's 1st gade teacher suggested that I have my son evaluted for vision, hearing, etc and assuming they were all normal then to have him eavluated for ADHD. I cried at that parent teacher conference, and cried as I drove home. But I went ahead and had him evaluated by pediatric neuro something specialists at the children's hospital about an hour away. He took a test on the computer that evaluated his response time and whether he actually thought about his responses or if he jsut jumped to answer things. Since he was only in 1st grade the computer test was pictures and shapes on the screen, some moved, etc. He was off the charts for ADHD.

We did a number of things over the years - we did go to medication which helps enormously. WE've always used the lowest possible dosage and the medication that only was designed to last about 7 hours. There are many that are time released for 12 horus - but that can interfere with bed time. 7 hours get him through school and homework. We also only use the medication on school days - not during vacations and weekends. his ability to focus at school and learn what he needs to learn has improved so dramatically.

We also did the Feingold diet - which essentially removes artificial ingredients from your child's diet. It can be really difficult to follow - especially at school and at other kids' houses. But it was somewhat helpful - but very expensive. We found that the artificial stuff that triggers my son's craziness is more artificial colors than preservatives and other stuff. So we no longer follow Feingold rigidly but we avoid artificial colors as much as possible.

Do some research - what you'll find is that people with ADHD are generally highly intelligent and can be very high acheivers in life. The trick is to channel their skills and energies into the things that they are best at. There are some books by Mel Levine and Cynthia Tobias that are very helpful and there are a few other books about ADHD that are enormously encouraging.

What I've learned about my son (who's now in middle school and doing very well) is that he learns best when he's in motion. So we used to do homework while he jumped up and down, or threw a ball back and forth. When he'd complete a longer task he'd run a lap around the house bwefore starting the next one, etc. I would tell the teachers in the beginning of the school year about his learning style, etc. The problem is that schools are designed for kids who have a learning style to sit and listen. ADHD kids have a tough time sitting and listening. So read up and learn about your son's learning style and strengths and encourage him in those ways.

He will do really well if his parents and teachers understand him and his strengths. If ADHD is ignored that child will be frustrated by the education process, his teachers will find him to be a trouble maker, or a difficult student, etc and he'll have a negative experience with school. If it's addressed and his strengths are addressed and nurtured he'll do really well.

Some of the best sales people, corporate executives, dynamic youth leaders, and other "successful" people dealth with ADHD as a child. While it's tough to deal with in the education system we have they can have wild success in life. (think about society 150 years ago when a kid worked side by side with his father as an apprentice blacksmith, shopkeeper, farmer, or rancher - ADHD was the PERFECT education tool for that!)

You go mama - get that kid what he needs and watch him thrive!

Here is where I suggest you start:

Google-ADD and loving it. It is a great website and their is a DVD you can purchase, ($$, but it's often playedon PBS), and they discuss the meds issue in detail. One thing I learned is that the meds being used to treat ADHD have been around since the 30's...they are tried and true and there is a great deal of misconception related to 'drugging' your child where ADHD is concerned.

You can also visit the CHADD.org website-it is dedicated to children with ADHD.

A great book: Driven to Distraction-written by a psychologist with ADD.

Also-Try the Hank Zipzer books by Henry Winkler-they are written for kids who have learning disabilities and struggle in school...and point out that the 'Fonz' who has Dyslexia has done quite well-including attending Yale, producing, directing, and of course was the FONZ!

And finally I would talk to a therapist or dr who has strong knowledge on the subject. Finding someone how can relate is huge.

Personally-I take Focalin, Citrolopram and Wellbutrin...I'm 39 though I am not exactly sure what the combos are for kids.

You have some great advice below. I also recommend joining CHADD and subscribing to ADDitude Magazine if your son does have ADHD. Both are great resources. The PBS show, "ADD and Loving It" was fantastic and definitely a good primer on the condition and treatment. A light, easy program to watch (the focus is on a comedian who has ADHD, so it's not a boring medical program).

No one starts off wanting to use medication. However, it's worth the leap of faith and giving it a try. It completely transformed our son's life. I can't say enough about all of the benefits for him. He's doing excellent in school and at home when the medication is active. We're also doing medication with behavioral therapy. As Martha mentioned, you're likely to want to combine medication with therapy to get the best results. The fact is, medication won't be active the entire day, so at the very least, you need coping strategies for the hours when it's not in the system.

I don't know about action tremors, so you'll definitely want to address your concerns with the specialist. He/she will be in the best position to discuss treatment strategies with both conditions.

My big tip is to get the name and phone number of someone on your specialist's team -- typically a nurse -- who can be reached should you have any questions or concerns about the condition or treatment. Often, the specialists themselves can be extremely hard to reach. I am in contact with the psychiatric nurse all the time about our son.

Best of luck to you!

try researching Disconnected Kids and researching the Brain Balance Center we are going to a seminar tonight for our 4yr old with "sever adhd" it the book and theory makes sense to me.

Does he have sensory issues too? Has he been evaluated by a pediatric Occupational Therapist to evaluate the possible sensory issues? A GOOD pediatric OT trained in sensory integration and therapeutic listening MIGHT have some strategies/ "Treatments" to offer BEFORE trying medication. Just a thought, especially if your insurance covers it. We have seen fabulous changes in kids thought to have ADHD...As another post said, be sure you get THOROUGH evaluations before starting medication. Meds might very well be the answer, but I would refuse until full diagnostics are completed!

I don't know about the tremors.Please see a specialist.

Pediatricians are generalists who may or may not know that there are at least 5 indicators of ADHD. Not being able to sit still in class (pretty typical for a 7 year old boy in a class led by a female teacher), is just ONE of the symptoms. Before going on any drug, which may have negative consequences when he reaches adulthood, make sure he really has all the symptoms of ADHD.

I recommend you check out this book from the library and read it cover to cover. Boys Adrift by Dr. Leonard Sax (I did for the boys in my life.)
http://www.boysadrift.com/factors.php

Good article: http://www.boysadrift.com/blog.php (Drug companies are really pushing doctors to prescribe meds where they are not needed. I think doctors are mostly well-meaning. But they are human and strongly influenced by pharmaceutical companies and parents who want their "kid fixed now.")

Sorry- I sympathize with your situation. But I really want you to make very clear that this is truly a case that calls for medication. There are alternative ways of dealing with this (different schools, different teaching methods, etc.) Meds scare me because there are too many permanent, long-term consequences that don't show up until your son is a grown man living in your basement too unmotivated to do anything.

My step-daughter is now 23 years old and doing alright. She is ADHD, but with the help of good teachers, she graduated. She was on Ritalin for awhile, but it made her like a zombie. They finally put her on Wellbutrin and she did well with that. There are some very good books out there on ADHD. Don't give up hope, just keep a lot of patience. She now lives on her own in an apartment and really doing quite well. She still has some problems with money and being too gullible, but otherwise does very well. She does all her own cooking, cleaning, hygiene and washing clothes. We are very proud of her. We still help her quite a bit, but she's happy. Unfortunately, when ADHD children are young, they are very impatient and moody. Our daughter also has FAS and borderline retardation, so that makes a difference. Good luck with the problem.