ADHD

allwildgirl

allwildgirl

Cathlete
Does anyone have kids who have been diagnosed? Can you please tell me about your experience? What your kid's behaviours were like, how they did the diagnosis, how they are now, what treatment you used?

Anything at all would be helpful.

Thanks:)
 
give the girl some protein powder and make her do chin ups until she says "yes ma'am" ;)



"you miss 100% of the shots you never take"


Debbie
 
Hey shelley,

Not my kids but my oldest brother has this. He is 32 now. When he was five is when we found out that it was more than being a little child. When my my took him to KG screening, he backed up the schedule for everyone. What should have been a 30 min. process, took a hour and half. It was like he would try to evaluate them. He was just not easy to have focus. I remember him just being into everything when he was eight and he wouldn't listen. I would cry because nothing I did seemed to phase him. He was impossible to teach and finally they told my parents he need to be checked into a institution. They put him there for six months and he would cry everytime we would leave. They put him on medication and I think it helped him,but he finally got off it after he was older. This may not help you much but this is what I've experience with him. alot I can't remember,but I know that it isn't easy. At least with him it wasn't. He at times you could see he was very smart in things,but never could focus very long. He would never watch tv long, as soon as he would hit the couch at night he was out asleep. He is like this now.


This I know would not be the same for another child with this, but this is some things that I experienced. He quit school in the tenth or eleventh grade and got into alot of trouble with the law and by age 25 got his act together. He now owns his own Landscaping company,has a wife and two beautiful kids and they live real comfortable. So he did make somthing out of himself after everything. I just wished doctors and and institutions knew more about this condition back then as to they do now.


I brother was a extreme case,but there is more help for ADHD patients today. They also not so quick to medicate.



Sorry so long!

kim
 
> This I know would not be the same for another child with
>this, but this is some things that I experienced. He quit
>school in the tenth or eleventh grade and got into alot of
>trouble with the law and by age 25 got his act together. He
>now owns his own Landscaping company,has a wife and two
>beautiful kids and they live real comfortable. So he did make
>somthing out of himself after everything.

hi kim, this sounds exactly like my husband. he's been diagnosed with ADD since he was a child. he's 36 now. he's been on ritilin for many years which helps him focus. he's very creative and talented (he's a master carpenter) but without ritilin he can't get anything done. he just goes in circles. sometimes the medication is necessary. every case is different though.
 
Hi my son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in kindegarden. First by his Dr then several psychologist just to confirm it. My son behavor was a little out of whack but after trying different medicence we finally have him like himself again:) I don't know how the they diagnose him because he was in the room for over an hour with the psychologist + the fact when he is in school he had a hard time sitting still. I guess it's a little of both what the parents says and the school says and then the psychologist takes it from there.

My son now goes to a behavoral modifacation (sp) private school because the regular school was having a hard time with him with the way he was behaving + at that time this is where the psychologist was trying different medicence to see what he would do best on so I thought IMO that the public school did not give him a chance. But now I am happy that he is going because he has change for the better:) HTH
 
Hi Shelley -

I am a school nurse and have seen lots of children diagnosed with ADHD. I have been at the job for ten years and, at that time, the kids were treated with Ritalin which I administered during the school day. These days I don't medicate too much for ADHD because of the newer drugs on the market (like Concerta and Strattera) which are long-acting and given at home in the morning and it medicates for the entire day.

I have seen different types of behavior with children with ADHD. Some kids would be considered "bad" and are always getting into some type of trouble. I have also seen wonderful kids that you would never know had any trouble concentrating and behaving - the medication worked that well. I've had parents tell me that their children were "failing" in school and were now "A" students. I have also seen children not do much better (at least academically) with medication. It really all depends and sometimes you have to play with the different medications to see what the child responds to best.

I am afraid that some children (especially boys who are typically more active than girls) are diagnosed with ADHD just because they have a hard time sitting in a classroom and so they act out. Some people aren't meant to sit that long (it's not their best way to learn) or they may have a learning disability and this is their defense mechanism to disguising the problem without even realizing what they're doing. I don't know how they're truly diagnosed. I also think that some parents may push for this diagnosis, unfortunately, hoping their child will improve.

I don't know if this has helped at all. I don't have any personal experience with ADHD, only what I hear from parents and working with the children. Has your child been diagnosed with ADHD? Who did the diagnosing? Could it be just ADD? I believe ADD responds better to medication.

I'll hope for the best....:)
 
Thanks for your input. Nancy, it would just be ADD. She's not showing any symptoms at all really of hyperactivity. The teacher says she's very bright, scored top of the line on everything at the beginning of the year, but she's having a really hard time paying attention. We are just now beginning the next steps to diagnosis, so I'm not even really sure where we stand right now, but I thought I'd get as much info as possible.
 
>I am afraid that some children (especially boys who are
>typically more active than girls) are diagnosed with ADHD just
>because they have a hard time sitting in a classroom and so
>they act out. Some people aren't meant to sit that long (it's
>not their best way to learn) or they may have a learning
>disability and this is their defense mechanism to disguising
>the problem without even realizing what they're doing.

Nancy, you are so right. A Montessori teacher told me, "Your son has ADHD and should be on Ritalin." I didn't see how a non-medical professional could make a diagnosis just from observing my kid's behavior in only one kind of dynamic for such a short time, but I said, "I've read so many books on ADHD but my son doesn't fit the profile." She looked at me with this very insulting expression, as if saying, "You're his mom. Of course, you're in denial." I wanted to punch her lights out. We got our son tested and found out he has SI dysfunction, a disorder of the nervous system that has symptoms very similar to ADHD, but which requires a very different treatment.

Having said that, Shelley, I think it's important for you to find a therapist you are comfortable with and is WILLING to be your partner, instead of a professional peering down on you from on high (because I have met some of those). I believe testing is important. My boy could've been just diagnosed with ADHD just based on his behavior at home and in school, but testing proved I was right. He didn't have ADHD, but he needed help just the same. Maybe it's not ADHD, maybe it only LOOKS like it. And if testing proves it IS, then you go from there.

Here's a book I wish I still had. I read it from cover to cover in a day when I thought Andrew had ADHD and I was desperate for help. But I'd sold it so I could buy the books on SI dysfunction that I needed.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684801280/102-2538909-8510546?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance

It's the best book I've read so far. Both authors themselves have ADD. It's a very optimistic book. It shows you that people with ADD or ADHD CAN have lives, and very successful ones at that. Even those who never had early intervention.

If you need to talk about therapy, what to expect, and things like that, you know where to reach me.

HUGS,
Pinky
 
Shelley, My oldest (20 Now) has ADD and ADHD.. The testing was basically Me , and his teachers .Kinda taking notes on him and his behavior .... Then he took some written test.Then they did some stuff on the computer screen . Plus A shrink was invovled .And his Medical Dr ... Basically all that put into one pile is how he was diagnosed . ... Behavoir ... Well He wasnt on the "Bad" List . More the class clown .... All thru school K- about 7th grade he did great . He was a total slob (His Desk/locker)It all kinda fell apartAt this point .. It took til 10th grade for us to finally test him .he was failling and it was truly affecting his self esteme.We got him on Meds ..Adderral ... And he was an A student before we knew it ... Not to say he didnt always have ADD/ADHD... but Hes also very smart ..very smart .. Always was the first one done with his work ...therefore he had time to be the clown .... The teachers didnt know what to do with him so they gave him extra work ..he would get that done ... Almost like he knew the stuff before they gave it to him ... Then suddenly like I said it changed in 7th grade ... Almost like now it was time to really learn and he COULDNT do it .. They tell me we Had good coping skills for his ADD/ADHD , and we needed new tools as he progressed in school . And just in his life ....Lets see ..Stuff like telling them to take out the trash ... Well thats fine as long as theres only one trash can . Two they cant handle .... Ummmm Cant keep school desk clean... Cant manage to bring a pen/pencil to class . Cant keep bedroom clean . Takes like hours to do the dishes .... Oh They LOVE LOVE computers / playstation games ... I think thats cuz everything moves real fast kindalike thier Brain. !!! Pm me if you wanna know more this is only some of it ... Oh Kids with this do really good with a NOTE system To cross off stuff as they go ..My child is acutually very lazy..Its his brain thats Hiper active just goes and goes ... I gotta get hope I helped
 
My now 14 year old DS was diagnosed at age 5 as having ADHD. The doctor prescribed ritalin which I gave to him only during school hours and on school days (no weekends/holidays) from kidergarten through 3rd grade. The teachers loved it. I hated it. It was simply drugging him and masking the real problem he had. He was finally properly diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome when he was in fourth grade and thank God for that. Had I not been persitent in getting to the real issue he would never have had the success he's had due to not receiving the proper services available to him.

Based on my experience I have a strong bias about children being diagnosed with ADHD and then drugged.

If you're concerned about your daughter, I'd advise just doing LOTS of homework before settling for that diagnosis.

Edited to add that perhaps your DD is very bright and maybe somewhat bored?
 
Hi Shelley. You might want to ask Shaklee Robin for some info - she has a very informative CD on ADD/ADHD that I found fascinating.

Lorrie
 
> She's not showing any symptoms at all really of hyperactivity. The
>teacher says she's very bright, scored top of the line on
>everything at the beginning of the year, but she's having a
>really hard time paying attention. We are just now beginning
>the next steps to diagnosis, so I'm not even really sure where
>we stand right now, but I thought I'd get as much info as
>possible.

Dear Shelley,

Your daughter sounds like me. I had these symptoms as a child, but was not diagnosed with ADD (not hyperactive) until age 38. If you want to e-mail me ([email protected]), I'll tell you everything in detail.

One problem is that ADD/ADHD shares symptoms with many other disorders. That's what makes the diagnosis tricky. Based on your post, your daughter has some of the symptoms, but that may or may not mean ADD.

Good luck and take care. You are doing the right thing by starting the process now; and your daughter will be better for it.
 
Hey Shelley. I sent you a personal email about this. Just let me know if you are interested in that CD and I'll mail it off to you!
 
Shelley,

You might find these resources helpful.

Understanding Girls With AD/HD (Paperback)
by Kathleen G. Nadeau

YOU MEAN I'M NOT LAZY, STUPID OR CRAZY?!: A Self-help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder by Kate Kelly, Peggy Ramundo (Paperback)

www.additudemag.com/ A magazine with a lot of good readable articles on add and an option to order back issues.

http://www.managingyourmind.com/ A website by an author of ADD resource books, Geri Markel

http://www.ricklavoie.com/ A website by an experienced educational consultant, Rick LaVoie. Many resources here. The video How Difficult Can This Be? is excellent.



There are many roads to helping a kid's behavior back on track. Sometimes meds can be useful as an intermediary measure. Sometimes meds are absolutely necessary. Sometimes meds really aren't needed and parents can do a lot to provide organizational help. It's a different thing for girls than for boys, as girls take it pretty hard if a teacher tells them that they are not "together" in any way. Each kid needs to be evaluated individually and carefully.

Mistakes can be made in either direction: underdiagnosing and overdiagnosing ADD
Sometimes teachers want kids medicated so their job is easier. But sometimes teachers really key into a problem a kid is having and are doing a kid a favor pointing out a "glitch" that may be holding them back.


Hope this helps,
Barb
:)
 
I can't find it now, but when I was taking courses for SLP, they gave us a form that teachers use to evaluate students that might have ADD/ADHD. It was rather open to interpretation of observed behaviors... I'll try to find it, but I remember being a bit sceptical.

L
 
Awwww, Shelley,

I have no advice to give other than to echo what the fine women on this forum have already suggested. I just want you to know that you and Sophie are in my thoughts and prayers. The love and devotion you have for your little girl is so apparent and I'm confident that you'll figure out what what has to be done and you'll do it, and you'll find out what she needs and you will provide it for her. You're a good and loving mother and I wish every good thing for you and Sophie. Hugs to you :+

Michele
 
My 13 year old nephew and my exbf, a 28 year old, both have ADHD. They were diagnosed by a psychiatrist. I don't know the details of the testing (I can ask though), but I remember their behavior before they were diagnosed. Basically they could never stay quiet. They were always moving, even while sitting, always had to say something, always were demanding the attention of everybody around them, but when it came to their study skills and listening skills they started daydreaming and couldn't remember a word they read or heard. I think they were both prescribed Ritalin. My nephew has good days and bad. He hates being on medication so he doesn't take it as he's supposed to. My sister is trying combination therapy so if he doesn't take Ritalin he can go to the doctor and talk. My ex is doing really well; even with ADHD he became a lawyer and he's doing pretty well in life. I don't know if he's still on medication though, but I know he goes to therapy often. I hope this helps.
 
"One problem is that ADD/ADHD shares symptoms with many other
disorders."

I agree with your statement. My son was born with a viral condition that caused a neurological damage to his auditory nerves. He has a significant hearing loss in one ear and has lost the ability to discriminate and filter dominant from non-dominant noise. (i.e. Dropping a pencil will change his focus away from the teacher.)

I also had a preschool teacher tell me he was mentally retarded because he couldn't stay focused. My first impulse was to smack her but I resisted. Then it went on to kindergarten and 1st grade with the school getting after me that he was ADD. They gave me attitude about not being a good mom because I wasn't putting him on meds. So, I had to jump through hoops with the school psychologist just to keep them from putting negative things in his file about his family.

Fortunately, I found an ally in my pediatrician. We did determine that he was borderline ADD but he did not require medication. His Doc told me that about 30% of his ritalin patients really shouldn't be on medication. He said they could all be managed with behavioral modification. However, schools are so pressured to achieve a certain level of academics each year that they have no patience for a child that takes even an ounce of extra attention. I opted not to medicate him and I worked with the teacher on optimal seating and extra communication between them and us. He's a graduating senior this year with above average grades. I'm glad we fought back and would do it again in a heartbeat.
 
Hi Shelley,

I have a brother who has ADHD and I have also worked with children who have had ADHD (I am a speech-language pathologist).

Here is an informational link that I hope will be helpful:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm#diag

You were given a lot of great links to books and websites. If you have any questions about anything, I'd be more than happy to try to explain it to you .... or to talk to some of the teachers I know to find out for you ...

My email is: [email protected]

I think Michele said it so well. Your love for your daughter shines through in your posts. I know that you will do what is best for her :).

Cath :)
 
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