ADD/ADHD with children

[Jena Macato]

Anyone have to deal with ADD/ADHD with your children? Especially with meds. To medicate or not? Challenges and tribulations with right meds and dosages? Carrying ADD/ADHd into adulthood? Or any general knowledged on the subject.

[Jena Macato]

But in response to Brenda,. No, absolutely not too much info. I appreciate the response. My sons been battling ADD for a long time. We've tried our best to use alternative methods, natural herbs, structured home environment, social skills classes, parenting classes, etc....... Anyhow, he's 12 now and for a while things were going great, and I don't know if hormones are changing or what, but we've been having a lot of diffuclties at home and at school lately. We've come to the point where medication might be his only hope for a successful future. The only apprehension I have is that I've read that the ADD/ADHD medication may cause depression, and severe depression runs in both sides of the family. But my son cannot concentrate even for 2 minutes let alone a whole school day. His grades have fell from B/C's to F's. He hates school, feels insecure, gets very anxious, and has difficulty keeping friends. We (our household) understand he is who he is and have accepted it, but when he meets strangers they get so frustrated with him sometimes and then he gets upset with himself. We have a dr's appt. next week and will be trying out the first round of medication. The dr. forwarned me it may take six months to a year to get the right meds and/or dosage just right. Did you have the same experience?

[Brenda Rogers]

The first two meds that didn't work, I could quickly tell weren't working. I don't know that he was on them for an entire month before I said that it wasn't going to work. I had a very happy little boy who was turning mean. That just wasn't going to continue!

The Risperdal worked really well. I can't remember the name of the first one that worked well. I *do* remember it was a whole lot less money! Attn problems go hand in hand with autism, so it did help. We tried going off the meds the year before, and the teacher said that redirection was needed every 5 mins or less, as you described. So back on.

It was about 6 or 7 months after the first meds we tried that we found Risperdal, but only about 2-3 months that we found the first one that worked. I would have had the dosage adjusted sooner had I known sooner how sleepy he was at school. So close communication with teachers was very important.

As far as the dosage, I really didn't consult the doctor after I discovered that Benjamin was sleeping in the morning at school. I cut the dosage in half. I think we upped it just a touch after that, to 1 1/2 pills. I just kept in close touch with the teacher and we determined what worked. One of the last times I took him in for a checkup before a refill, doctor said with his age and weight, he could handle 4 a day. FOUR! OMG . . . At that point, he was doing very well on one a day.


Good luck!

[Jena Macato]

Thanks for the feedback, Brenda. I"m happy to hear everything worked out.

[Brenda Rogers]

Jena, I haven't read this, but I found it on my Yahoo news page. http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20090105/ts_usnews/howtomakethemosto...

[Jena Macato]

Great article and resources. Thanks, Brenda.

[Shelly Scott]

Although my daughter was diagnosed as not having any disorder, I found that cutting out all artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, as well as high fructose corn syrup, took away almost all symptoms, even her ecsema (sp?).

Dr. Seares, a well-known pediatrician and author came to our school and did an amazing talk on how sugar and especially HF corn syrup latch onto brain receptors and affect insulin levels, etc. Regarding artificial colors, he advocated avoiding anything with a number (red #7, etc.). The funny thing is that most foods targeted for children are high in all these things.

I'd also read studies that pointed to preservatives and artificial colors and hyperactivity.

[Amy]

Jena, I can somewhat relate. My son is 13 now. He was originally diagnosed (at age 4) with ADHD, but as he got older when found out he was actually Asperger Syndrome (which is high-functioning autism). He also has bipolar. It has been a rough road, but I've been lucky to have a flexible job like CR and understanding people for whom I've worked for (I'm a freelance CR). My son is on medication and it's constantly changing. He often gets in trouble at school and has been suspended to which I have to go and pick him up. I know if I had a regular 9-to-5 job I would eventully be jobless due to my son's needs. My husband is also a big help. My son has even been hospitalized in a residential hospital twice for three months at a time, which was extremely hard. And now that he's 13 the hormones definitely make it worse. I have lately, through Facebook and other groups, found a number of other parents who have been a huge support system for me. That makes it easier, knowing that there are others who know firsthand what you're going through. My only advice would be to make sure you trust the doctor. If a doctor is willing to change meds all the time just to be changing, it's not good. You want a good doctor who will prescribe the meds that they need but to do it in a careful and conservative way. The doctor you go to will make all the difference in the world. Trust me cause I've been through quite a few with my son. And once you find one you like, stick with them. Not to overstep my bounds, but your sons seem to be very similar to my son, especially with the social skills. Most people don't know it, but Asperger's mimick many of the same symptoms and traits as ADHD. It might be worth having them evaluated by a developmental doctor or neurologist.

[Jena Macato]

Amy, thanks for the info. You know, I've heard of Aspergers, but never have looked into it. I was in a parenting class a while back and met a woman who was going through the same trials and tribulations I was with her son. I recently ran into her, and she told me her son was finally diagnosed with Aspergers, but I didn't really ask any questions. I think I'm going to talk to my son's psychologist and see what she thinks. He is currently on ADD medication and it seems to be helping some to sustain him in school to complete his classwork, but he definitely still has the social difficulties. The meds don't help much on that aspect. If you have any other info to pass on or know of any Web sites I can look up info on, it would be greatly appreciated. If you want, you can send it to my personal e-mail ([e-mail]). Thanks!

[Amy]

Jena,
The problem with Asperger's is that is often misdiagnosed at first. My son has been on meds since age 4. As he got older the social issues became more apparent. Like I said, he was finally diagnosed with Asperger's at 8. ADHD is often the diagnosis when children are younger because the social issues are overlooked. My son is now 13, but mentally he's only about 6. He throws a lot of temper tantrums, just like if he was a childer much younger than him. If you have a Facebook account, look me up. I have a lot of info and lots of friends I've met on there from all over the world that have been a huge support to me. The other problem with the diagnosis of Asperger's is that they are very intelligent and high-functioning. When people think of autism, they automatically associate with "Rain Man." They talk and functionn physically normally. This causes a problem when being around people that don't know him or us because they will just stare and make rude comments cause they don't understand the behavior issues. They will jump to conclusions and think that we as parents just don't discipline them. I have been through hell and back with my son and don't have enough room to write it all, but I'll be more than happy to help you in any way I can. I've become sort of an "Autism Awareness" advocate. I strongly suggest you have your daughter tested. And the test really should be done by a developmental doctor or a neurologist, not a psychologist. They have some knowledge, but most of them are not well versed in the diagnosis of autism or the austism spectrum. Like I said, if you don't already have a facebook account, you should register and get one. I have been so relieved to be able to talk to other moms who have walked in my shoes and know what I'm going through cause nobody else will ever understand how hard it is to have a child like that.

[Brenda Rogers]

Good points, Amy. My son was labeled autistic at 3 1/2. Last year, when he was 16, he was reclassified as Asperger's due to how high functioning he is. He's always been a very attractive child, and people expected more out of him, until he spoke. That's improved over the years.

The school district is the one that first came up with the diagnosis. Based on their suggestion, I had my son tested by a child neurologist and then in treatment with a pediatric neuropsychologist who specializes in autism. It was a good experience, but always remember, Jena, YOU know your child best. YOU are her only best advocate. The neuropsych wanted me to learn sign language because Benjamin didn't speak much at age 3. The doctor wasn't listening when I said that my son hears fine; he just can't speak in response. After a couple of visits, he got it.

Parents seem to be listened to last. But keep swingin'! YOU know best. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Get all the information you can and apply it to your situation. You'll know what will and won't work for you. Don't be bullied into something you don't feel comfortable with.

Amy, just wanted to let you know how my nearly 18yo is doing. He takes the public bus to school on his own, transferring at a busy street. He goes to the store by himself to buy pop or chips, handling the money or gift card perfectly. He will be spending half of his senior year in high school working at a job, he hopes at McDonald's.

He's growing up into a very independent young man. I'm very proud of him, and it's been well worth all the effort.