6 Y/o with ADHD

You might want to try a gluten free and casein free diet. Not an easy way, but it helped some kids with autism and ADHD. My son has recently been diagnosed with autism and is on this diet for a week now. I can't tell if it makes a difference by now, but we are giving it a chance for a few months.

Probably not what you were looking for, but consider homeschooling him. There's nothing you can't provide him academically OR socially. He's being set up right now for a lifetime of hating learning. You can keep him at home and undo some of the feelings he probably already has about himself as a learner. Good luck.

Metadate is a ritalin derivative, so is concerta. There are several medications that are not stimulant. I would also reevaluate the idea that he is alergic to ritalin, not that it could not happen, but in years of working with ADHD childnen and their parents, this is the first time that I have heard that.

I would suggest that you find a pratitioner who is very good at prescribing these medications (look for a board certified child psychiatrist) and find what works for him. If you are not also accessing therapies, then start now because medication alone is not the answer. Also, there is little data that the natural-diet based treamets work, and the miricle success stories you will hear are anecdotal and will most likely not apply to your son. Be very aware that anyone outside of the standard medical-theaputic community who is trying to sell you something may mean well, but is playing on your desperation.

As for holding your son back in school, please be very vigalant here. If he is behind in his academics, one more year of what did not already work is not going to help him any more, he needs something new. It will hurt him in the long run to be held back. He will not be elegible for specific intervention for reading, writing, and math until he is behind his grade level peers, and by holding him back you only delay appropriate, targeted, and effective intervention by one year. The school will refuse to look at his age. This is a MAJOR concern because the window for reading development closes at the end of his third grade year or so, and you want him to have one more year of targeted, effective reading intervention if that is what he needs before that opportunity for very effective remediation is gone.

Also, statistically, as an older teen he is far more likely to drop out of school, be involved in drugs, and have contact with the juviline justice system if he is older than his peers in high school. This is well documented, so please check out what happens later in life before you hold him back now.

Holding him back is easier for the school, but it is almost always the WRONG thing for kids.

Read anything by Dr. Mel Lavine or Dr. Russel Barkely. They have terrific strategies for helping ADHD kids. Check out www.wrightslaw.com and get him a speical education evaluation as soon as you can.

This is not just a matter of "maturity" and the school may be upset with you for not keeping him on meds, but you should point out that this is the very reason that they need to do a full evaluation, so request this in writing. You should get one too from a neruo-psychologist or developmental pediatrician, because you should NEVER know less than the school about your son and YOU should own the evaluation that holds his diagnosis.

Good luck,
M.

Go to www.feingold.org
Start watching his diet and try to cut out as many foods as possible with artificial colors and flavors.

I wish we would have been much more proactive and a stronger advocate for our son who is now 19 when he was that age. The diet does make a difference but I would NOT let the school influence your decisions. YOU are your son's advocate and biggest cheerleader!

If you want, message me privately and I'll tell you about our experience with the school system here.

Good Luck

Hi! My son also has ADHD and is now 9. We decided against medication and went with behavior modification instead. Some of his teachers are unsupportive but we are lucky and found some who are. We have seen a behavior specialist and an OT. We found that my son has some sensory processing issues and that leads to some of the problems. He is now on a "sensory diet" that includes joint compression, joint distraction (hanging from a chin up bar and jumping on a minitramp) as well as deep pressure. Yoga is also a great thing for them first thing in the AM! I have a great video that I got through a continuing ed program (am an in school physical therapist) that is being used in the New York School system that makes all the difference in the morning for my son. He is doing much better now and is getting straight A's in school now. Keep looking for the correct solution for your family as not all children are the same. Good Luck.

Hi M.-

Our son is 4 and has ADHD and we also decided not to medicate...we found a book online called "3 Steps to Conquering ADD-ADHD" by Jon Bennett that pretty much convinced us to try supplementing first. You can read the entire thing online for free, and all of the suggestions are things you can buy at any natural foods store. There was one product they recommended by name (which made me leery) called Neu B Calm'd and I thought I'd hold off on it and see how the other supplements went...since we saw such a great improvement from the other stuff, we never looked into the Neu B Calm'd...anyway- basically what we did was put him on Fish Oil, a Magnesium supplement (the one we got is called CALM for Kids-I've seen the CALM for adults at Whole foods, but the Kids version I haven't been able to find anywhere but online, its cheap though-like 15 bucks and a container will last like 6 months, you only use like a tsp a day), a good multivitamin and protein at every meal. The CALM, fish oil and protein were key...we saw a DRASTIC improvement. I'm not saying he doesn't still have his moments, (get him some protein FAST! lol) but he is much, much better. I have my sweet little boy back. I am also planning on trying some natural cleaning products and see if it makes a difference. And we are also trying to limit artificial dyes in his food. Good luck and hang in there. Feel free to msg me if you have any other questions.

Here is the link to the free book download:
http://3stepsadd.com/download/3%20Steps%20to%20Conquering...

My 9 yr old son has been taking Strattera, a non-stimulant, drug. He's been doing well on it. He didn't start taking it until a couple years ago. Previously, we had him drinking a powdered energy drink called Spark. It had all the vitamins like Emergen-C, but also contained caffeine. The hard part was that he needed a steady stream of it during the day, and since it wasn't a prescription and the school had a no food or drink policy in class, we weren't able to give it to him as needed. That's why we switched to more conventional drugs...it's a once daily pill, that I make sure he takes with breakfast in the morning.

Good luck, I know it's a struggle.

I don't have any experience with ADHD so I am not familiar with the medication, but my daughter does have mild Autism. She is in a regular classroom in a public school with the help of a one on one aide and special education/resource room services and she has an IEP. First of all, why does your son hate school already when he is only in Kindergarten? Ask him if you haven't already. His answers may help you determine where the problem is. Does your son have any educational issues? Is he a slow learner, trouble reading, trouble paying attention, trouble staying on task, etc.? If he does have any educational issues I would talk with his school about getting an IEP (individualized education plan) in place for him. The IEP is something that is made with the help of teachers, principal, school psychologist and parent. It is a educational plan for your child at school to set guidelines and goals for him to acheive which will help him become a better student and person. The goals will be geared toward the specific problems that your son has so that the teachers, principal, student and parents are all on the same page and will work together in helping your son meet the goals and become a better student. I would first talk to his main teacher about it to see if they can help you find out how to get that started, if they don't help, talk to the special education/resource room teacher or the principal. If you dont' get any help there you can go to the school psychologist or the district special eduction services. If your school or school district will not help you then I suggest going to another school. If they are talking about holding him back it may be a little late to start this process to save him from having to stay in kindergarten again but it will definitely help him in the future if you start now. Not only will it help your son, but it will make you feel better as a parent to know that your son is supported at school. Stand up for your son!

Here is a great book and link:

http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Guide-Stop-ADHD-Days/dp/097289...
I have the book..very good reviews.

1..Try eliminating Dairy, Dyes, processed food, and wheat...SUGAR, Soda..
you could see a dramatic change.

(Gabba Calm supplements, Niacin Non-flush, b vitamins..all explained in the book, calcium magnesium)

2. Find a health practioner to walk you through it (NMD)

Many good websites online. It will all start with diet...
I am on the same journey..my son gets distracted..
we will be juicing, eating whole foods, and have an entire plan implemented this summer :) EXCERCISE

amazing book to read: Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos
by: LUCY Jo Palladino AMAZING book.

God Bless!!

Yes. There are tons and tons of options.

My 7yo is adhd-c, and we don't medicate... and I'm adhd-c and out of the past 19 years since being dx'd I've only spent about 4 of them on meds. What you're primarily looking for is what is known as "coping mechanisms".

A *good* adhd counselor will be able to dial you in to several hundred coping mech's, and so will good books/websites. Also feel free to PM me for more ((like playing music while working, everything (schtuff) having a "home", drinking a mocha before school (and every couple of hours IN school), etc.)).

Check out:

http://www.additudemag.com/
"You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?!?" by Kate Kelly & Peggy Ramundo

R

((PS... If he's allergic to Ritalin family drugs, you are x'd out of about 2/3s of the meds out there... the most popular ritalin-family drugs being : Concerta, Metadate CD, Metadate ER, Methylin, Methylin ER, Ritalin, Ritalin LA, Ritalin-SR, Daytrana)). There ARE others out there that are not R-family, and not Adderall... but there are also about 1000 ways to cope and have a thrilling/grand life with adhd without meds as well.

A lot of good advice below.
My son who's almost 7 has ADHD. We also decided to try everything but medicating. A low dose of caffeine has helped (I've read that 100mg of caffeine is equivalent to 5mg of Ritalin without the risky side effects)- we do coffee in the morning and a bottle of Crystal Light energy mix for school. Occupational, speech and play therapy helped to some degree.
Our son was in a charter school and we had to transfer him to a public school so he could have an appropriate IEP and the supports he needed; that has been the best decision we've made. Make sure to get a school with a very supportive and competent team. They've provided him with a 1:1 aide for afternoon work (since that's when his attention worsens), I receive a daily report with goals (for attention, not hitting, work completion) divided into 30 minute chunks of time (he gets trivia cards for meeting AM and PM goals), instead of going to time-outs he goes to talk to the psychologist, he attends a small socialization group with the social worker, and 3 other kids, and so on.
The point is, the school is required to provide him with an IEP and the necessary supports to help him succeed in school. I doubt holding him back will change anything. They need to figure out the specific reasons he is not succeeding and make accommodations if it is diagnosis-related.
As parents, we just want to see our kids succeed. Find a school that will help him achieve that. Do not let the school give up on him or avoid addressing his specific areas of difficulty.
Please feel free to email me with any questions.

ADDitudemagazine.com is a good resource on ADHD. The site has all kinds of reputable information regarding treatment options and other issues related to ADHD. I also recommend that you contact CHADD. Google CHADD. The association that supports parents and children with ADHD. Check out Wright's Law for information regarding your child's educational rights under the IDEA Federal Laws. Your son should be on a 504 plan at school and the school should be providing special services to your son so that he can succeed in school. Under Federal Law the school cannot leave your son behind! Call an Advocate, you can find one by contacting the Learning Disability Association in your state, a lot of the time the Advocates will work pro bono if you cannot afford their fees. Do not let the school push you into a treatment you are not comfortable with. Medication is right for some kids with ADHD but it is not the right choice for every child with ADHD, that is a decision that you must make with your childs doctor not the school. The school will try to bully you, they will not inform you of your rights and they want you to stay naive to your rights, because the more you know the more they have to give and the more it will cost them. It is all about their budget. But don't forget that with the No Child Left Behind Laws the school is obligated to provide your child with the individualized educational plan that he needs. Be nice but firm and act knowledgeable when dealing with the school officials! Believe me I know, I have been dealing with this for the past 9 years. Good Luck

I have had some issues with concentration and focus but not a fan of taking the drugs. I found that plenty of exercise is a big help. I think that keeping kids active would help alot with all of the ADD and ADHD problems that there are. Think about how much more active we were when small. Its so easy for them to just sit in front of tvs, computers and video games.

Have you talked to your Dr. about Concerta? I have 2 sons with ADHD (now grown). There is also behavior modification.
I would do an internet search in your area and find somewhere around there that deals with it.
As for the school, talk to your school counselor about getting an IEP (Individual Education Plan) for your son. With an IEP, they have to work with your son on what he needs, and not just cookie cutter education.

I personally went through a stage in finding the right dose of adderall where I was tired and dazed. It meant my dose was too low still.

There are also a handful of other meds out on the market. Are you working with a psychiatrist to try medications? If not, start there.

There are ADHD focused schools in some areas if you can afford such things. The child isn't likely to just get on track without some sort of method to alter his brain chemistry toward normal.

In a subset of kids with ADHD symptoms, it's a result of food allergies and gut damage. You can try eliminating wheat and milk and most preservatives, and switching to organics and see if you get anywhere, but it only works for some children who are getting these behaviors because of gut problems that haven't been discovered.

One thing to express to the school is that he's bored, and holding him back is only going to make that worse.

Good luck with it. It's quite the challenge.

Two people- myself and my cousin. I am bipolar and will tell you right now that no meds is not a good idea. It is hard to find the right one for the right person. My cousin has ADHD and she goes on and off her meds. She is in her 20s now and goes on weekly disapperances while her mother takes care of her son. She is not stable and is out of control. That being said, that doesn't have to be the fate for your son. Maybe finding a school more geared towards children with learning disabilities would be the way. Another thing s my son, he was delayed in speech and before preschool here in AZ we had specialists come to the house. There are govermental programs becasue that was one. My son is in school now at age 4 and I am getting extra help for him by the state. You can too. You need to pursue it vigilantly but it's worth it. It's a real hassle but the alternative is that they don't get the education they need. I didn't have to pay anything. A little side note. Now they are findng that children are being misdiagnosed as having ADHD when they are actually bipolar. I would get a few more opinions by different doctors.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 5 and they wanted to put him on medication without trying any other natural therapies first. I believe the meds should be the last resort, not the first one. We took him to an OT that specialized in handwriting and she said that she thought that we should see a behavioral optometrist. She thought that my son might have CI (Convergence Insufficiency). I found a doctor in my area that my insurance accepted at www.covd.org, another site is www.oepf.org. I took him to the developmental optometrist for an evaluation and she said that he did in fact have CI and that she recommended vision therapy. We started the program in June just before my son began kindergarten. He has had the most dramatic improvements that I have ever seen. He went from the bottom of the class to the top of the class both academically and behaviorally. He even won the All-Star student award. I cannot recommend Vision Therapy enough. Send me a private note and I will send you my 5 page testimonial. I did the vision therapy with him to see for myself if it would work and I cannot believe the difference it has made for me as well. Before trying more meds, please take your son to see a behavioral or developmental optometrist! It will make all the difference in the world!!

S.