Advice for 7 Yr Old Son with Possible ADD?!

I don't have a child with ADD but my nephew who is 10years old has recently been diagnosed. He is taking Concerta which has made a world of difference. He has gone from a D student to an A, B student, He hasn't had any side effects and actually reminds his mom to give him the med because he can focus so much better and says it makes his mind feel less busy.

I just started my son on medication. This was not something that I wanted to do but the first day of 2nd grade I got a note home about him not paying attention and disrupting the class so I made a doctor appointment the next day. I didn't go into it wanting medication but that is how we left. We got a prescription for Focalin and it has made so much of a difference. We might have to adjust for him though because it seems to only work through lunch. As far as the altered personality, I have not noticed any difference. He is still the same little boy as before. I gave it to him over a 4-day weekend and noticed no difference besides paying attention a bit more.
Yesterday I got a phone call from the school because they said "he was crawling out of his skin", turns out we forgot to give him his pill yesterday morning.
I really did want to wait until at least 3rd grade but I am happy now with the decision we made. He tells me how much better it is when he takes his blue pill.

The very best evaluation you can get is from a Developmental Pediatrician. You can find them at childrens hospitals. Next best, and still very good, is to get a nureopsychological evaluation and seek treatment from a board certified child psychiatrist, this route may be quicker. You can see the psychiatrist and get the referal for the evaluation from them; while they may be able to make the medical diagnosis without the evaluation data, you want this to confirm the diagnosis and to use to get good educational interventions.

Medication is only one part of treatment, but it is a very important part. It is a tool that you use to make all his therapy more effective. He should be in some combination of Play therapy, Congnative Behavioral Therapy, Social Skills classes, speech therapy, occupational therapy, medical intervention, and school based educational and behavioral interventions.

Proper medication does not alter anything but the undesireable effects of ADHD. I say ADHD, becuase what most people call ADD is actually ADHD-I (inatentive type.) There is no way to tell you which drugs will work for your sons case of ADHD, but if there were an udesired side effect, your medical professional would change the medication. There are many, many choices and one, or more, will probably help your son a great deal and he will benefit much more from all the therapy that you will be paying for, which is important; it can be expensive, even with insurance, so if you can maximize his progress, that will benefit everyone.

If he is having trouble in school, write to the school and request an evaluation. Children with ADHD can have comorbid learning disablities that are more than just a problem with attention. A full evaluation by a Developmental pediatrican or a nueropsycholgist will identify this too. Use your private evaluation to keep the school honest. If he qualifies for intervention, always provide your own services so that he is maximized. The school is not requried to make him anything more than functional. Go to www.wrightslaw.com to learn about advocacy.

Read about ADHD- anything by Mel Levine or Russel Barkely will help. They have great strategies and advice, and can describe what is really going on. CHADD should have a chapter in your area, join their support groups. NAMI offers great caregiver resource classes.

Finally, Natural remedies are not shown to be effective, and many are not safe. Save your money if you decided not to provide standard medical treatment with the many different choices that are very safe and effective. Any time you are under a doctors care, you should have easy and quick access to them, and this is one time when you need it more than ever. If you can afford it, find a psychiatrist who does not take any insurance and file it out of pocket. A doctor who is not under any obligation to insurance plans can see you more often. If you can't see the psychiatrist every few weeks while you are trying to get the medication right, you are not going to be as happy with his care. Find someone he can see when he needs to.

We have had nothing but good experiences with our doctors. Not every drug helped our children, but we did find very effective help. Night and day help. First and foremost, ADHD is a medical condition, and we don't stress about our treatment for other flesh and blood systems of the body when something goes wrong. There is no shame in having this disorder, so keep your head held high and get him the treatment that he needs, and don't feel the slightest bit like you are giving up, coping out, or doing things the easy way. There is going to be nothing easy about all his, his therapists, yours, and his teachers hard work for him to get better, it will just be a whole lot harder, slower, and less effective without the medication.

Good luck!
M.

Hi JM,

Many years ago when I was a Nanny my 5 year old charge was diagnosed with ADD and put on medication. She had HORRIBLE side effects, so the Mom and I researched alternate ways to manage the symptoms. She is not 13 and has been off medication for 7 years. She does well in school and at home.

We first understood HER symptoms and made sure we focused on making her life easier with our actions. An example, she would get wrapped up in what she was doing, (hyperfocused), and was unable to hear other things. Knowing this, I would walk over, touch her on the shoulder and the tell her what I need.

We also ensured we provided her with short clear instructions, often written down, so she could clearly process what she needed to do.

Lastly, we provided her with protein rich breakfast and supplements, like fish oil, first thing in the morning. We would also provide protein rich lunch & snacks with complex carbs, so her blood sugar remains level.

I would recommend ADDitudes magazine. I have received it for a year or so, and it's great. Also, the book, No More Ritalin by Dr. Mary Ann Block was excellent!

After my experiences, I wanted to learn more about medication free treatments for ADD/ADHD, so I've been studying and reading all I can about ADD/ADHD. I now help parent with medication free treatments. I think it's important to know alternative to medication.

Good Luck

R. Magby

This book was very informative and wonderful. I know the address is long but it takes you right to the excerpt pages where you can overview it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Gvqgnw5RRnMC&pg=PA7&...

My advice would to first get a neuro pysch evaluation. They will do a thorough exam and find out exactly what your son will need help with and they go over all the medications and such.
I had wished someone would have told me about the neuro pysch early on in his treatment. Hope this helps.

Our Dr. suggested we get our son tested to see if he was allergic to any foods. Being sensitive or allergic to some foods can result in behavior issues. The tests showed he is sensitive to gluten & dairy. He is now on a gluten and dairy free diet. Might be worth checking out foods to help behavior if you don't want to go straight to meds.

Dear JM:

This is more of a medical question and you may want to take it to www.anatomystery.com

Good Luck

Kim