A.d.d.

[Angie L]

I was wondering if anyone has a child that has a.d.d. My sons teacher thinks he has it and I am waiting on the doctor to call. Does it really help to put them on medication or not. I want to help him so he doesn't have to struggle in school. I just don't want to put him on medication if it won't help. Please respond and let me know if anyone has experienced this with their child.

[Sheryl]

Hi Angie,
What behaviors does your son have that makes them think ADD? I have worked one-to-one with ADD/ADHD children with the ritalin and all. What techniques have they used in the classroom to try and help him? I'm curious, then I'll add some extra information that worked for me in the classroom.

[Angie L]

He has a lot of trouble concentrating on the work when they do it as a group When the teacher is able to stand right by him he can do it but otherwise his mind seems to wonder. He has a lot of trouble sticking with one thing at a time. I went to the preschool he attended last year and asked them and they said the same thing if they were right with him he was fine. But if when it was done as a group he would just let his mind wonder. At home he has trouble concentrating too. Do you know if this can be heredity. My husband has learning disabilities and we wondered if that could be some of it. Thanks for any help.

[Angie L]

Well i just talked to the doctor he thinks it sounds like it is. I have to take a questionnaire to his teacher tomorrow for her to fill out. Then we will see what happens next.
do you know of anyone that choose not to medicate. and if so how did they do in school.. My husband is against the medication idea. Just wondering how any kids you know have done without medication

[Edited by Angie L on 02-13-2001 at 04:30 PM]

[Diane]

I had a child in my day care who was diagnosed with ADD and he was always quite hyper. At first his grandmother decided not to medicate him and although he did pretty good throughout the summer when he started school it just wasn't working. His attention span just wasn't there... he was always getting into trouble and disrupting the classroom. After the second week of school they decided to try medicating him and I couldn't believe the change in his behavior. He was a lot more settled... more willing to sit and work on a project more than a minute or two. He'd actually sit down and color... where before he'd do a quick scribble. He was taking his time, doing a good job and staying in the lines. He seemed to care a lot more about how his work looked. He was also never one to sit through a story and here he was, sitting through two or three! There was a big difference... but I think that each child reacts differently with whatever they put him/her on and how much. It took a while to get the right amounts... but it was a drastic change. I no longer have this child in my day care but when I've talked with his aunt she's told me that he's doing real good in school and that he was now very proud of himself and his accomplishments whereas before he would cry a lot out of frustration. Anyway, whatever you decide... good luck! :)

[Edited by Diane P. on 02-13-2001 at 06:04 PM]

[Sheryl]

Unfortunately, in most cases the children have to be identified/labeled before they can get any help in school. With the boy I worked side by side with, proximity worked great. I was there, always, even outside since he had some behavior issues too. At the beginning, we were out of the classroom a lot, just to let him think out loud while doing spelling tests and math tests. We slowly worked down to leaving only when absolutely necessary. I would rub his back to relax him during tests, even scratching his back was stimulating to get him to sit still. After a few months he allowed me to help other children in the room when I asked his permission (since I was there for him). In the spring, I was even able to substitute teach in our room and he was fine with it since we had a standing routine and he knew what was expected of him from me. We kept it simple and consistant. A few of the things that the school psychologist recommended was using a finger nail brush to brush the arms to awaken the senses. The problem is that they are needing more stimulation, not less to concentrate and keep their attention. It seemed backwards to me a first, but after you see it all in action, it really becomes clear. Another technique that feels GREAT is to do joint massage on your hands. Go through each finger and working every joint. It feels wonderful after typing a while.......LOL

GOOD LUCK!

[Angie L]

thank you very much for the answers He goes to the doctor on the 23 for the true diagnosis. then I will see if the school will help out or not

[Sheryl]

Angie,
Check out LindaM's post under Health & Nutrition.

[kat]

AngieL
I teach Kdg. and have seen alot. ADHD is a little more bothersome as far as classroom control goes. A child with ADD without the hyperactivity sometimes tends to get lost because they are not disruptive. I only recommend medication as a last resort and only if the child is having trouble keeping up with the academics. If grades are OK but behavior is a problem I try various behavior modification techniques sometimes a change in diet is helpful. I have also had students who started medication (of course you always have to give it time and play with the dosage until you get it right) but that I saw no change and suggested it be discontinued. If it's not working, there is no sense in continuing. But, in all honesty, most that have been in my class have benefited from Ritalin. I've seen some who, once the dosage was appropriate, made drastic changes (I'm talking: daylight and dark). From your comments, it seems that your child's problem is not hyperactivity just lack of focus or "stick-to-it-ivness". Again, if academics are suffering, medication can be a God-send. What the Ritalin will do is allow your child to "tune out" all the periphreal things going on around him and focus on the task at hand. Example: Listen to all that is going on around you right now - I can hear 6th grade leaving the lunchroom, cars passing by outside, a teacher talking in the hall, a wing door opening and closing, the heater coming on, the water fountain running, the computer running, the hum from the lights overhead, not to mention if my class were in here chairs scooting, kids whispering, pencils being sharpened, etc. etc. - you get my drift. However, with all that going on, I can make the choice as to what I want to pay attention to and can effectively "tune out" all the other and focus on typing this post. Your child, if he has ADD, can not "tune out" all the background noise. Everything competes equally for his attention and that is why he can't stay focused, why work is incomplete, why he didn't hear the teachers instruction, etc. I said all that to say this: I don't believe in medicating a child who can somehow adjust and manage to keep up, but I also think you do your child a dis-service to say "I'm totally against medication". Are there abuses? Yes. Does it always work? No. Will it help? Most likely it will, but you won't know if you don't try and please give it time to work. When used properly, like Martha Stewart says, "It's a good thing" I hope I've been able to help. Work closely with your doctor and the teacher. That way you will come up with a solution that best benfits your child.