Having an older kid with adhd??

Question

My daughter is 5 and they are starting to look into her having ADHD. I don’t want to medicate her. And I am afraid the school will treat her differently or put her in special classes. How do other parents handle having a child with adhd? What do you do to make life easier for them??

Answer

My son is 11 and has ADD, he went unmediated till 9. When I got a message from his best friends mom saying my son was thinking of killing himself because he felt he couldn't be who he needed to be. It nearly broke me. He had always excelled at school and he had never shown signs of depression or slipping. I was cooking dinner and I hit the floor when I got that message. I instantly took him to the psychiatrist and a specialist. He said it was like being in a room with 300 tvs and wanting to watch all of them. A week after meds he said it was like having 3 tvs in the room and being able to pick one. My conclusion is it doesn't matter what YOU want, it's always what is in the best interest of your child. My son is only on meds school days. Weekends, holidays, and summers he is au natural. He is now 11 and in advanced math, a school patroller and Vice President of his grade 6 class. Good luck!!

Answer

My son has ADHD and ODD (oppositional defiance disorder).  He was diagnosed when at the end of 2nd grade/beginning of 3rd.  We tried conservative treatment for about 6 months—counseling, therapy (individual and family), individualized education plan with accommodations at school, tutoring, and everything else you can think of.  At the end of all that, his grades improved one point... from a 69 to a 70. 
We decided to try medication, and his grades improved 10 points.  He also responded positively to the therapy and accommodations we were giving him.  Everyone could see he could focus more and he could see himself actually being successful. 
It’s on a case to case basis, but remember you have to do what is best for your child.  Everyone is different and you and the mom, so you know best.  There are no wrong answers when it is to help him.  If it doesn’t work, then try another one.  Be patient and give it time to really sink in before making the call that it doesn’t work or works.  Sometimes they cannot adapt as quickly as everyone else.  I know what takes others a few days to understand and learn takes my boy two or three times longer.  
Bottom line... get to know YOUR child.  Try everything you can; listen and try to understand.  Sometimes it’s difficult to listen to what they have to say or express, but it’s so important. Sometimes they can’t express what they think and feel, so be aware of that and try to help them, no matter how difficult.  
Good luck and I hope things get better soon.

Answer

My 9 year old was dx with ADHD, Mood Disorder, sensory processing Disorder and adjustment Disorder from the age 5 till now. I didn't medicate him at first but... it got to be really hard for him in school . we did therapy... we did occupational therapy. the truth is... watch your child... some don't need meds at all... maybe adjust her diet? talk to her drs. but if it makes her life hard.. look into it. ask your Dr what options she has. the school CAN'T place your child in special classes with out your permission. mine is in special classes but has a general education teacher who gives him his work bc he's smart. he only needs the special setting bc he can't concentrate in a normal setting with 26 other students. so he's in the class with 10 students where he can have quiet and work better. his grades  went up and he behaves better. but you know what's best for your child. 
good luck

Answer

I recommend you throwing yourself into research and trying to find someone in your area (a counsoler) who spealizes in it. for both you and your child. not really for medication purposes but to understand and help it in a more proactive way. my husband is and has always been ADHD. his was undiagnosed (his mom refused to "label" him and medicate him) until 2 years ago. he almost failed out of highschool. it affects him detrimentally daily. it was seriously affecting our marriage (because it was to the point that he couldn't get things done, no time management, and so on). I found a counsoler and they explained it so I could understand. We both went to a counsoler to help manage it uneducated and he also didn't want medication. he eventually tried it and it is a world of difference but he only takes it as needed. not daily. because he says basically the meds help him focus but because he is so disorganized because of living with it for years it's easy to focus and stay focused on the wrong things.

Having an older kid with adhd??

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