OT: kids and ADHD meds
- Thread starter jcm
- Start date
libra01971
Cathlete
HI!
My 9 year old son is on Ritalin. I was against it at first but when his kindergarten teacher told me he would not succeed without medication, I felt I had no choice. He is extremely smart and I could not let him be held back because of his attention span.
We tried several medications before we found what worked for him but I would say it's worth it along with the right therapist. Medication alone is not the answer. Honestly, I still have reservations about medication but I have seen so much progress in my son in the past few years that I would probably say it's worth it at this point. Also, one of my friends who admits to having ADD says that it helps calm the chaos in their mind and that ds will thank me for it one day. I certainly hope that is true.
My 9 year old son is on Ritalin. I was against it at first but when his kindergarten teacher told me he would not succeed without medication, I felt I had no choice. He is extremely smart and I could not let him be held back because of his attention span.
We tried several medications before we found what worked for him but I would say it's worth it along with the right therapist. Medication alone is not the answer. Honestly, I still have reservations about medication but I have seen so much progress in my son in the past few years that I would probably say it's worth it at this point. Also, one of my friends who admits to having ADD says that it helps calm the chaos in their mind and that ds will thank me for it one day. I certainly hope that is true.
We went through this torture when my daughter was diagnosed in the 2nd grade.
We had a NeuroPsych eval (8hrs) before coming up with the diagnosis of classis ADHD.
We eventually medicated her because we thought she would learn to self manage, she did by the 8th grade, but if we didn't medicate she would lose all of the basic skills taught in elementary school.
Pills alone won't work, a therapist is needed as well. We discovered that my daughter also is manic depressive and the Ritalin and Paxil that she was on a brief time almost pushed her over the edge, she tried to take herself out at 10 yo.
She is only on a maintenance dose of Welbutrin now and is embracing adulthood (18 last month) on an even keel.
The decision to medicate was eventually motivated by her pediatrician who asked if she were diabetic would we refuse her insulin?
Good luck with the decision.
Dave
We had a NeuroPsych eval (8hrs) before coming up with the diagnosis of classis ADHD.
We eventually medicated her because we thought she would learn to self manage, she did by the 8th grade, but if we didn't medicate she would lose all of the basic skills taught in elementary school.
Pills alone won't work, a therapist is needed as well. We discovered that my daughter also is manic depressive and the Ritalin and Paxil that she was on a brief time almost pushed her over the edge, she tried to take herself out at 10 yo.
She is only on a maintenance dose of Welbutrin now and is embracing adulthood (18 last month) on an even keel.
The decision to medicate was eventually motivated by her pediatrician who asked if she were diabetic would we refuse her insulin?
Good luck with the decision.
Dave
jcm
Cathlete
both of you have said pill weren't all of it. what did the additional support provide? she's also been diagnosed with pervasive development disorder and i'm waiting to get into an occupational therapist but this sounds different.
her dad is adhd and had depression and paxil was the worst thing he was on. it almost ended our marriage.
her dad is adhd and had depression and paxil was the worst thing he was on. it almost ended our marriage.
Author
Cathlete
These medications come with huge side effects. One of those side effects can be succide. That's why those ADHD drugs must now carry the black label on them. Many of the ADHD drugs are related to the cocaine family in terms of adiction and in terms of its chemical composition. Did you know that retalin (probably misspelled) is now one of the most popular street drugs?
If I were you, I would do almost anything to keep my child off medication. Testing on these drugs can leave a bit to be desired and the FDA is often too prompt on putting the the seal of approval on these things without sometimes all the evidence being to hand.
Many times the trouble is diet and not the child at all. Have you read the book, NOURISHING TRADITIONS by Sally Fallon? It's a cook book, but it's also a book that is a good education in nutrition. The trouble might be diet. But I would certainly explore other avenues before I did something I might regret later. Have you considered getting a second opinion from a ND -- a nutritionalist?
Please inform yourself carefully -- I'd get another opinion if I were you. Have you seem the new video on these drugs and their side effects from the Citizens Commission for Human Rights? Again, if I were you, I'd read, read, and read up on all of these things myself and not be pressured into making any sort of decision, but only make a decision myself after getting all the facts.
I guess another thing I might ask myself is if I wanted to be the one to start my child on the road to dependence on drugs. All drugs have side effects, some more than others, since all drugs are essentially poisons. On the other hand, whole foods, vitamins, minerals are foods the body needs in order to fuel itself and to run properly.
If you want to email me privately on this, I'd love to talk to you on it more. :7
If I were you, I would do almost anything to keep my child off medication. Testing on these drugs can leave a bit to be desired and the FDA is often too prompt on putting the the seal of approval on these things without sometimes all the evidence being to hand.
Many times the trouble is diet and not the child at all. Have you read the book, NOURISHING TRADITIONS by Sally Fallon? It's a cook book, but it's also a book that is a good education in nutrition. The trouble might be diet. But I would certainly explore other avenues before I did something I might regret later. Have you considered getting a second opinion from a ND -- a nutritionalist?
Please inform yourself carefully -- I'd get another opinion if I were you. Have you seem the new video on these drugs and their side effects from the Citizens Commission for Human Rights? Again, if I were you, I'd read, read, and read up on all of these things myself and not be pressured into making any sort of decision, but only make a decision myself after getting all the facts.
I guess another thing I might ask myself is if I wanted to be the one to start my child on the road to dependence on drugs. All drugs have side effects, some more than others, since all drugs are essentially poisons. On the other hand, whole foods, vitamins, minerals are foods the body needs in order to fuel itself and to run properly.
If you want to email me privately on this, I'd love to talk to you on it more. :7
melodygirl
Cathlete
Have you discussed Strattera with your child's doctor? It is not a stimulant. My son freaked on ritalin, concerta, adderall. He has since been dx bipolar and we're off on a different course now.
Do an internet search on Strattera...it did help my DS with his attention difficulties regarding focusing on school work and did not keep him awake at night. The stimulants put him on a very destructive emotional rollercoaster and he never slept, but the Strattera works on a cummulative effect and did not disrupt his sleep patterns. But his is a "different" story as I said we have since had the dx of bipolar.
Research, ask questions, and do what is best for your child.
Medication is often a necessary evil...a disruptive, chaotic life is much worse than medication.
Bless you and good luck.
Do an internet search on Strattera...it did help my DS with his attention difficulties regarding focusing on school work and did not keep him awake at night. The stimulants put him on a very destructive emotional rollercoaster and he never slept, but the Strattera works on a cummulative effect and did not disrupt his sleep patterns. But his is a "different" story as I said we have since had the dx of bipolar.
Research, ask questions, and do what is best for your child.
Medication is often a necessary evil...a disruptive, chaotic life is much worse than medication.Bless you and good luck.
ldy_solana
Cathlete
IMO, is to first try some other therapies, like occupational therapy. it helped only so much for viola, who has ADHD along with her autism. if YOU don't feel comfortable giving your child meds(and that is perfectly fine and normal, i would worry otherwise LOL) then see what other options are out there first and give them a fair shake. when all else fails dicuss the different meds. concerta is a new one so my doctor won't even consider it until more studies have come out and she has seen the pro and cons. she prefers adderall and ritalin. there so many kinds that fall under this two catagories and each have the LEAST amount of shown side effects for children under 12. right now my daughter is on Ritalin LA 20 mg suggested to be taken only 5-6 days out of the week. do a little research and see whats out there. don't let your doctor push concerta b/c its a new drug and not much is totally documented about it yet.
good luck.
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
good luck.
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
ldy_solana
Cathlete
>both of you have said pill weren't all of it. what did the
>additional support provide? she's also been diagnosed with
>pervasive development disorder and i'm waiting to get into an
>occupational therapist but this sounds different.
>
>her dad is adhd and had depression and paxil was the worst
>thing he was on. it almost ended our marriage.
BY FEDERAL LAW, whatever services your child needs(get your doctor to help push it) your school has to provide. occuptational therapy will help with sensory issues(very common with PDDs since the syptoms are similar and milder forms of austim)as well as how to transition through daily activities with use of pictures, charts, written schedules however way your child will respond. they try different things and stick with what works for the meantime.
have you done a search on PDD, i have some links to austim, that also cover some PDD info at http://www.angelfire.com/vamp/ldy_solana/Autism.html if that will help. there are some for info, treatments, and any news that they have made a breakthrough on. PDD,IMO, is milder form of autism. they are not so severe that they are years behind their peers, but development is slow(either in speech or social interactions) that is effects there learning,social interactions with peers, talking, etc.so its something that needs alot of attention. there is also a book that i have "THE WORLD OF THE AUTISTIC CHILD" by Bryna Siegal(the library has it) that goes over PDD and some known treatments and medical stuff as to how they diagnos it, the different spectrum of cases, and just understanding how the child works in the world dealing with disorders. there are several ppl on this board that deal with their childrens developmental disorders so if you want to post for more info or support we are here. and you are your child's best advocate, don't take their word for it unless you hve done the reading yourself and you know the pros and cons of things.
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
>additional support provide? she's also been diagnosed with
>pervasive development disorder and i'm waiting to get into an
>occupational therapist but this sounds different.
>
>her dad is adhd and had depression and paxil was the worst
>thing he was on. it almost ended our marriage.
BY FEDERAL LAW, whatever services your child needs(get your doctor to help push it) your school has to provide. occuptational therapy will help with sensory issues(very common with PDDs since the syptoms are similar and milder forms of austim)as well as how to transition through daily activities with use of pictures, charts, written schedules however way your child will respond. they try different things and stick with what works for the meantime.
have you done a search on PDD, i have some links to austim, that also cover some PDD info at http://www.angelfire.com/vamp/ldy_solana/Autism.html if that will help. there are some for info, treatments, and any news that they have made a breakthrough on. PDD,IMO, is milder form of autism. they are not so severe that they are years behind their peers, but development is slow(either in speech or social interactions) that is effects there learning,social interactions with peers, talking, etc.so its something that needs alot of attention. there is also a book that i have "THE WORLD OF THE AUTISTIC CHILD" by Bryna Siegal(the library has it) that goes over PDD and some known treatments and medical stuff as to how they diagnos it, the different spectrum of cases, and just understanding how the child works in the world dealing with disorders. there are several ppl on this board that deal with their childrens developmental disorders so if you want to post for more info or support we are here. and you are your child's best advocate, don't take their word for it unless you hve done the reading yourself and you know the pros and cons of things.
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
beautifulsoul
Cathlete
My son has ADHD, he also has motor tics and vocal tics. He just started on Adderall, he has only been on it for a month now and it's a very low dose. He does seem to do better with focusing but the real test will be when he starts 1st grade. He got in trouble disrupting the class all the time in kindergarten.
My ex-husband has ADD and it's hereditary, he refused to take his ritalin when he was younger and never graduated high school and to this day struggles to hold down a job.
My ex-husband has ADD and it's hereditary, he refused to take his ritalin when he was younger and never graduated high school and to this day struggles to hold down a job.
ldy_solana
Cathlete
He does seem to do better with
>focusing but the real test will be when he starts 1st grade.
>He got in trouble disrupting the class all the time in
>kindergarten.
i am sure if he is doing fine now, he should be okay. if there is an issue maybe getting a part time aide to help transition daily activities. viola hasn't been getting up and walking around(she walked around class like she was literally staring at the clouds)so the only trouble was getting her to transition from activity to activity during the day. it would help if schools incorporated "movement breaks" like my school does. every 20-30 mins. they bring the kids to the gym or outside to move around for 15 mins. then go back to work. they find this effective tool is releasing some energy that might otherwise bring anxiety in the classroom, which of course its hard to focus at that point. they also stick to a pretty rigid schedule in the class. and if there is a change they dicuss this with children prior to starting the school day(ie. if wednesday is music day but the music teacher didn't come in that day, they would tell them and then tell them about another activity they would do in place of it, instead of just saying few mintues before hand "no music we are doing this instead")
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
>focusing but the real test will be when he starts 1st grade.
>He got in trouble disrupting the class all the time in
>kindergarten.
i am sure if he is doing fine now, he should be okay. if there is an issue maybe getting a part time aide to help transition daily activities. viola hasn't been getting up and walking around(she walked around class like she was literally staring at the clouds)so the only trouble was getting her to transition from activity to activity during the day. it would help if schools incorporated "movement breaks" like my school does. every 20-30 mins. they bring the kids to the gym or outside to move around for 15 mins. then go back to work. they find this effective tool is releasing some energy that might otherwise bring anxiety in the classroom, which of course its hard to focus at that point. they also stick to a pretty rigid schedule in the class. and if there is a change they dicuss this with children prior to starting the school day(ie. if wednesday is music day but the music teacher didn't come in that day, they would tell them and then tell them about another activity they would do in place of it, instead of just saying few mintues before hand "no music we are doing this instead")
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
Author
Cathlete
A friend and neighbor of mine has a child who was born healthy and fine, but became autistic due to the mercury levels in vaccinations and mercury poisoning. It has taken years of work (close to seven or eight, I believe), but with proper nutrition and supplements, his child has recovered and no longer has autism.
Again, all drugs are essentially poisons and the body has a difficult time with them -- all the new psychotropic drugs have side effects, some of the worst are succide and death. The psychotropic drugs according to a recent FDA finding must now carry the black label, because they have been connected in no uncertain terms to violence and death.
Mild approaches, gentle handling, good communication and understanding, as well as good, nutient dense foods can go a long way to improve quality of life.
It it were me, I would think twice before I became the cause of my child being put on the road to chemical dependency.
My 2 cents. :7
Again, all drugs are essentially poisons and the body has a difficult time with them -- all the new psychotropic drugs have side effects, some of the worst are succide and death. The psychotropic drugs according to a recent FDA finding must now carry the black label, because they have been connected in no uncertain terms to violence and death.
Mild approaches, gentle handling, good communication and understanding, as well as good, nutient dense foods can go a long way to improve quality of life.
It it were me, I would think twice before I became the cause of my child being put on the road to chemical dependency.
My 2 cents. :7
ldy_solana
Cathlete
>A friend and neighbor of mine has a child who was born
>healthy and fine, but became autistic due to the mercury
>levels in vaccinations and mercury poisoning. It has taken
>years of work (close to seven or eight, I believe), but with
>proper nutrition and supplements, his child has recovered and
>no longer has autism.
>
there has been studies that show mercury poisoning(at least the thermosal in vaccines) cause syptoms of autism,but without special tests doctors can't diagnose properly so they just tagged austim. my daughter was developmentally disabled since birth. the only milestone she hit on target was walking and getting off the bottle at less then a year old. but PDD is not nesscarily anything that is treated with meds(neither is autism). with the brain scans and bloodwork shows my daughter has no high levels of mercury or anything like that. just a severse lapse in "wiring" in the brain. she will always be autistic, but she is high functioning so she can learn ways to adapt in the eviroment around her with therapy. with all the new diagnostic tools they now consider autism as autism spectrum b/c of the different reactions children have.
putting kids on meds is tough decision, out weighing pros and cons. but searching for alternatives FIRST is the way to go. i really don't think i am doing viola any harm. she is on a low dose, compared to others getting 4x what she takes, she has improved in her attention span(depsite having one on one aides and therapist in the class, she didn't do well before)and with that she is able to focus on work. its all personal really but i guess when you put "poisoning" your kids with meds, it kind of hit hard b/c i waited years before we did the meds, and i don't think i made the wrong decision and i researched and weighed everything out before i went with the decision. i also had a doctor that provied me the options inside of shoving them on me, so that i can research myself and make decisions with the family involved as to what is best.
ETA:my daughter was born the year they forced companies to remove thermosol from vaccines,but i pushed for the mercury tests anway and nothing came up.
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
>healthy and fine, but became autistic due to the mercury
>levels in vaccinations and mercury poisoning. It has taken
>years of work (close to seven or eight, I believe), but with
>proper nutrition and supplements, his child has recovered and
>no longer has autism.
>
there has been studies that show mercury poisoning(at least the thermosal in vaccines) cause syptoms of autism,but without special tests doctors can't diagnose properly so they just tagged austim. my daughter was developmentally disabled since birth. the only milestone she hit on target was walking and getting off the bottle at less then a year old. but PDD is not nesscarily anything that is treated with meds(neither is autism). with the brain scans and bloodwork shows my daughter has no high levels of mercury or anything like that. just a severse lapse in "wiring" in the brain. she will always be autistic, but she is high functioning so she can learn ways to adapt in the eviroment around her with therapy. with all the new diagnostic tools they now consider autism as autism spectrum b/c of the different reactions children have.
putting kids on meds is tough decision, out weighing pros and cons. but searching for alternatives FIRST is the way to go. i really don't think i am doing viola any harm. she is on a low dose, compared to others getting 4x what she takes, she has improved in her attention span(depsite having one on one aides and therapist in the class, she didn't do well before)and with that she is able to focus on work. its all personal really but i guess when you put "poisoning" your kids with meds, it kind of hit hard b/c i waited years before we did the meds, and i don't think i made the wrong decision and i researched and weighed everything out before i went with the decision. i also had a doctor that provied me the options inside of shoving them on me, so that i can research myself and make decisions with the family involved as to what is best.
ETA:my daughter was born the year they forced companies to remove thermosol from vaccines,but i pushed for the mercury tests anway and nothing came up.
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
libra01971
Cathlete
>putting kids on meds is tough decision, out weighing pros and
>cons. but searching for alternatives FIRST is the way to go. i
>really don't think i am doing viola any harm. she is on a low
>dose, compared to others getting 4x what she takes, she has
>improved in her attention span(depsite having one on one aides
>and therapist in the class, she didn't do well before)and with
>that she is able to focus on work. its all personal really but
>i guess when you put "poisoning" your kids with meds, it kind
>of hit hard b/c i waited years before we did the meds, and i
>don't think i made the wrong decision and i researched and
>weighed everything out before i went with the decision. i also
>had a doctor that provied me the options inside of shoving
>them on me, so that i can research myself and make decisions
>with the family involved as to what is best.
Well said, Kassia! A lot of people have strong opinions about kids and ADD medications. It's easy to have that opinion without having the kid to see the difference it makes. Everyone will react different to medications. It is the parent's job to monitor their children with each dose to ensure that the medication is working and not causing unwanted side effects. With my son, we tried several medications before we found the right one. The doctors put him on a small dose at a time. Changing his diet made NO DIFFERENCE at all. It was tough making the decision to put him on medication but therapy alone did not make a huge difference either. I avoided medication in the beginning. Now that he has medication and put him in the right school, I've seen a HUGE difference and I do not regret it.
I read up on everything before I give it to my child and weigh the pros and cons. I've read that the studies have shown the kids who do NOT have the medication for ADD are the ones who are MORE likely to become addicted to illegal drugs. I do not believe that by giving him his medication I am teaching him to be dependent on drugs. As someone else said, would you refuse your child the medication if they had a medical condition which required medication?
>cons. but searching for alternatives FIRST is the way to go. i
>really don't think i am doing viola any harm. she is on a low
>dose, compared to others getting 4x what she takes, she has
>improved in her attention span(depsite having one on one aides
>and therapist in the class, she didn't do well before)and with
>that she is able to focus on work. its all personal really but
>i guess when you put "poisoning" your kids with meds, it kind
>of hit hard b/c i waited years before we did the meds, and i
>don't think i made the wrong decision and i researched and
>weighed everything out before i went with the decision. i also
>had a doctor that provied me the options inside of shoving
>them on me, so that i can research myself and make decisions
>with the family involved as to what is best.
Well said, Kassia! A lot of people have strong opinions about kids and ADD medications. It's easy to have that opinion without having the kid to see the difference it makes. Everyone will react different to medications. It is the parent's job to monitor their children with each dose to ensure that the medication is working and not causing unwanted side effects. With my son, we tried several medications before we found the right one. The doctors put him on a small dose at a time. Changing his diet made NO DIFFERENCE at all. It was tough making the decision to put him on medication but therapy alone did not make a huge difference either. I avoided medication in the beginning. Now that he has medication and put him in the right school, I've seen a HUGE difference and I do not regret it.
I read up on everything before I give it to my child and weigh the pros and cons. I've read that the studies have shown the kids who do NOT have the medication for ADD are the ones who are MORE likely to become addicted to illegal drugs. I do not believe that by giving him his medication I am teaching him to be dependent on drugs. As someone else said, would you refuse your child the medication if they had a medical condition which required medication?
Author
Cathlete
I think that some of those tests for mercury are inaccurate -- my humble opinion. When my daughter was four, she got into some mercuricome -- okay I can't spell it -- the red stuff made with mercury -- at her day care.
She was very sick and obviously had mercury poisoning, and yet the tests came back negative. I never trusted that doctor again -- or their tests.
I understand your feelings on this and think you were wise to seek all other alternatives. However, it is true that all drugs are essentially poisons. A little of them acts as stimulants, a little more can act as a depressant and too much can kill. Coffee is a good example of this as it is a mild drug. We've probably all had this experience with coffee, although it would be extremely hard to drink so much coffee that it would kill.
This is not to say that now and again, a drug shouldn't be used. But to start a child out on the road to chemical dependency seems to me to be a little extreme -- especially because all drugs mask symtoms of something wrong. They cure nothing, and are simply symtoms suppressors.
Foods, nutrition, on the other hand are things the body needs to run efficiently and well. There's a book out there (I read almost constantly, as well as write) called WE WANT TO LIVE which documents the effects of a completely raw, natural whole foods diet. Not advocating any sort of diet, just a comment on what a healthy diet, rich in nutrition and whole foods can do.
Have a terrific day.:7
She was very sick and obviously had mercury poisoning, and yet the tests came back negative. I never trusted that doctor again -- or their tests.
I understand your feelings on this and think you were wise to seek all other alternatives. However, it is true that all drugs are essentially poisons. A little of them acts as stimulants, a little more can act as a depressant and too much can kill. Coffee is a good example of this as it is a mild drug. We've probably all had this experience with coffee, although it would be extremely hard to drink so much coffee that it would kill.
This is not to say that now and again, a drug shouldn't be used. But to start a child out on the road to chemical dependency seems to me to be a little extreme -- especially because all drugs mask symtoms of something wrong. They cure nothing, and are simply symtoms suppressors.
Foods, nutrition, on the other hand are things the body needs to run efficiently and well. There's a book out there (I read almost constantly, as well as write) called WE WANT TO LIVE which documents the effects of a completely raw, natural whole foods diet. Not advocating any sort of diet, just a comment on what a healthy diet, rich in nutrition and whole foods can do.
Have a terrific day.:7
ldy_solana
Cathlete
karen,
oh i whole heartly agree with diet, just b/c its better to live that way no matter what. but with all the options we tried and years of tests it was just a better decision to make. viola only takes it 5 and on rare occasions 6 days a week at 20mg, way less then an aspirin. in addition to meds we still do intensive therapies. just like someone with bi-polar, you can give them meds but they still need intensive therapy to control their actions. but its all personal and its good that we have a forum to explore all options
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
oh i whole heartly agree with diet, just b/c its better to live that way no matter what. but with all the options we tried and years of tests it was just a better decision to make. viola only takes it 5 and on rare occasions 6 days a week at 20mg, way less then an aspirin. in addition to meds we still do intensive therapies. just like someone with bi-polar, you can give them meds but they still need intensive therapy to control their actions. but its all personal and its good that we have a forum to explore all options
kassia
http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana
"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"
Karen,
I am a former alcohol/substance abuser (rehab 27+ years ago), I would not just hand my kid a pill. A lot of research and testing went in place before we resorted to a chemical therapy. A lot of well meaning people made us feel horribly bad about ourselves because we took "the easy way out."
My daughter suffers from ADHD & bi polar her twin brother is Autistic. His autism was not caused by thimerasol (the mercury derivitive in the vaccine). Though there is probably cases of autism caused by the vaccine preservative, but EVERY case of autism is not as the current publicity rush is pushing. My son was tested for a whole battery of heavy metals and came up lower than the "community average".
When my wife and I were learning about the various maladies that afflicted our children we were obsessed with "curing" their problems. We were taken advantage of by a lot of people offering services, products, natural herbal soutions etc etc all hiding under the Homeopathic "rock".
Bottom line.. Do you trust your childs doctor, do you trust the eval. Weigh the options, balance advantages and disadvantages. Make a decision and follow through. You cannot win a war against a developmental disorder, you have to choose your battles because in the end you will choose "the hill you die on."
If you don't trust your child's doctor about ADHD, autism etc etc, why do you continue to bring your child there for everything else?
The current increase in autism diagnosis is also balanced by the current decrease in the blanket diagnosis of "mentally retarded", I believe the DSM that is used by the MD's has changed to incorporate more people into the "Autism Spectrum Disorder"
One last parting thought, every kid is different, a practice that worked for one will not necessarily work for another, these kids cannot be compared. They need to be measured to themselves.
Dave
I am a former alcohol/substance abuser (rehab 27+ years ago), I would not just hand my kid a pill. A lot of research and testing went in place before we resorted to a chemical therapy. A lot of well meaning people made us feel horribly bad about ourselves because we took "the easy way out."
My daughter suffers from ADHD & bi polar her twin brother is Autistic. His autism was not caused by thimerasol (the mercury derivitive in the vaccine). Though there is probably cases of autism caused by the vaccine preservative, but EVERY case of autism is not as the current publicity rush is pushing. My son was tested for a whole battery of heavy metals and came up lower than the "community average".
When my wife and I were learning about the various maladies that afflicted our children we were obsessed with "curing" their problems. We were taken advantage of by a lot of people offering services, products, natural herbal soutions etc etc all hiding under the Homeopathic "rock".
Bottom line.. Do you trust your childs doctor, do you trust the eval. Weigh the options, balance advantages and disadvantages. Make a decision and follow through. You cannot win a war against a developmental disorder, you have to choose your battles because in the end you will choose "the hill you die on."
If you don't trust your child's doctor about ADHD, autism etc etc, why do you continue to bring your child there for everything else?
The current increase in autism diagnosis is also balanced by the current decrease in the blanket diagnosis of "mentally retarded", I believe the DSM that is used by the MD's has changed to incorporate more people into the "Autism Spectrum Disorder"
One last parting thought, every kid is different, a practice that worked for one will not necessarily work for another, these kids cannot be compared. They need to be measured to themselves.
Dave
melodygirl
Cathlete
Dave's post is excellent and better said that I. 3 of my 4 DS are by adoption. One lives with fetal alcohol syndrome and bipolar, another lives with high functioning autism and cerebral palsy, another lives with asthma and allergies. They are all very different and through trusted doctors from many specialty practices and guided by a pediatrician we trust their lives with, each receives whatever it is, meds and/or therapy, that works for each individual child.
I would never deny my asthmatic child the medication that enables him to breathe. I've recusitated him way too many times before the meds. My HFA/CP child has the most physical difficulties yet is on no medications, but he must be given anesthesia for surgeries which enable him to continue to walk and see. My bipolar child must have medications and family psych-therapy or he'd be dead and we'd all be insane. We've found the minimal amount of medication with the least side effects for each.
Find the doctor you trust without question with your child's life, listen, ask questions, research, research, research. And then it often comes down to tryinig several different approaches to find what works.
I would never deny my asthmatic child the medication that enables him to breathe. I've recusitated him way too many times before the meds. My HFA/CP child has the most physical difficulties yet is on no medications, but he must be given anesthesia for surgeries which enable him to continue to walk and see. My bipolar child must have medications and family psych-therapy or he'd be dead and we'd all be insane. We've found the minimal amount of medication with the least side effects for each.
Find the doctor you trust without question with your child's life, listen, ask questions, research, research, research. And then it often comes down to tryinig several different approaches to find what works.
jcm
Cathlete
I sincerely appreciate everyone's input. When you have kids and they head off to school you hear you have to be their advocate. This is certainly giving me a taste of what that means!! I just hope I'm up for the challenge.
My daughter is repeating kindergarten this year so in a way that gives me a little time to figure out what works. Or less time, depending on how you look at it. She exhibits none of the social/peer interaction problems that so frequently go with autism so I'm guessing that's how we ended up with the PDD diagnosis.
Two comments were interesting. One about leading your child into a life of chemical dependency, which of course has been a concern. But somebody else mentioned that ADHD kids who aren't medicated often end up using more drugs later. This could certainly be true. My husband was unmedicated until about 10 years ago and he certainly did his share of "self-medicating" in his early years. Good stuff to think about.
To all of you who are struggling with these things and trying their best - strength to you. Heaven knows I need some!
Jen
My daughter is repeating kindergarten this year so in a way that gives me a little time to figure out what works. Or less time, depending on how you look at it. She exhibits none of the social/peer interaction problems that so frequently go with autism so I'm guessing that's how we ended up with the PDD diagnosis.
Two comments were interesting. One about leading your child into a life of chemical dependency, which of course has been a concern. But somebody else mentioned that ADHD kids who aren't medicated often end up using more drugs later. This could certainly be true. My husband was unmedicated until about 10 years ago and he certainly did his share of "self-medicating" in his early years. Good stuff to think about.
To all of you who are struggling with these things and trying their best - strength to you. Heaven knows I need some!
Jen
libra01971
Cathlete
Best to you, too, Jen! It's tough but I'm sure you'll make the right decision for your daughter. She is lucky to have a parent who is putting time into deciding what is best for her.
Jen...I feel for you...as others have stated make sure you do your homework and if in that journey of information gathering you come to the conclusion that meds are what your child needs than don't feel guilty for that decision. I find it hard to believe that ADHD meds are going to lead a child down a path of chemical dependency and drug addiction. ADHD drugs aren't addictive. Also diet, while it can help, is not the end all be all for every case. Also I just had to point out that the reason ADHD drugs have such a high street value is because when taken by someone that doesn't have ADHD they act almost like speed, but with someone who has ADHD they don't have that same effect...they actually slow the brain down.
My advice regarding your particular situation would be to get a second opinion...and most preferrably from someone in your area that is well known and established in the area of ADHD. Many mental health programs have such professionals that deal specifically with this disorder. See if you can search them out. The diagnosis process for ADHD, when done correctly, is extremely time consuming, involving everyone around the child...their pediatrician, their teachers, their parents, and anyone else who has ongoing direct contact with them. It also involves a thorough and extensive workup by a mental health professional.
Being a social worker I have worked with many children who were diagnosed ADHD (some correctly, some definately incorrectly), along with working with many mental health professionals, and my suggestion would be to not simply rely on a diagnosis given by your pediatrician. They are not always the most thorough when it comes to diagnosing...this is why I feel we have so many kids that are now diagnosed with ADHD...many of which are not actually suffering from it. Just as a pediatrician shouldn't be diagnosing bipolar, schizophrenia, OCD, Anxiety, or any other mental health disorder they really shouldn't be diagnosing ADHD either. OK...off my soapbox now .
Also I just wanted to clarify that PDD stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder, which is what autism falls under. PDD and autism aren't two seperate things...autism is a form of PDD. The diagnosis for a lesser degree of autism is Asperger's syndrome (which would be another form of PDD), which is probably what some of the children mentioned above have if they didn't meet full spectrum diagnosis for autism. Just wanted to point that out .
Deni
My advice regarding your particular situation would be to get a second opinion...and most preferrably from someone in your area that is well known and established in the area of ADHD. Many mental health programs have such professionals that deal specifically with this disorder. See if you can search them out. The diagnosis process for ADHD, when done correctly, is extremely time consuming, involving everyone around the child...their pediatrician, their teachers, their parents, and anyone else who has ongoing direct contact with them. It also involves a thorough and extensive workup by a mental health professional.
Being a social worker I have worked with many children who were diagnosed ADHD (some correctly, some definately incorrectly), along with working with many mental health professionals, and my suggestion would be to not simply rely on a diagnosis given by your pediatrician. They are not always the most thorough when it comes to diagnosing...this is why I feel we have so many kids that are now diagnosed with ADHD...many of which are not actually suffering from it. Just as a pediatrician shouldn't be diagnosing bipolar, schizophrenia, OCD, Anxiety, or any other mental health disorder they really shouldn't be diagnosing ADHD either. OK...off my soapbox now
. Also I just wanted to clarify that PDD stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder, which is what autism falls under. PDD and autism aren't two seperate things...autism is a form of PDD. The diagnosis for a lesser degree of autism is Asperger's syndrome (which would be another form of PDD), which is probably what some of the children mentioned above have if they didn't meet full spectrum diagnosis for autism. Just wanted to point that out
.Deni