Medicating young children with ADHD
This topic recently came up with a friend of mine who has been working on some behavioral issues with her son. He is currently four, throws a lot of tantrums and is a generally unpleasant child to be around at times. Most of the time, this doesn't seem to be the case. However, she's gone through several bouts where his behavior seems to increase and then level out, or "get better" then all hell breaks loose again. She'll call me and say "Matthew has been great!" a few months later complain about what a little demon he's been.
From my perspective he's a regular four year old, and she's simply being met with new behavioral challenges as he progresses in intelligence and his curiosity with the world. But again, I don't spend my entire days with him so I wouldn't know.
She's pretty sure he has ADHD or how she puts it "something worse..." and as soon as he's old enough she's putting him on some kind of medication because she can't deal with him like this.
Everytime she talks like this it rubs me the wrong way. Millions of kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD, and the chances of being misdiagnosed increase the younger the child is. She wants him on meds by 5-6 y/o when he starts school, but I think she should try alternative methods first. See if she can possibly get him into a special program in school or get more help since she's a single mom.
At the end of the day it's her kid, her choice. Just wondering what some of you ladies would do - how far would you go before jumping to medication for your kid? Do you think medicating that young is right?
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