Calling all ADHD 'Pros'

Amy - posted on 04/06/2010

Any good pediatrician will not diagnose ADHD until 7 years old or older...unless there are some severe behavioral problems.

It sounds like you are unsure, and you have a good benchmark to know what to look for. I'm not a big believer in trusting the schools for this diagnosis. Some are okay, sure, and they are truely looking out for your child's best interest, but so many are more concerned about making their day easier.

Whatever you do, make sure the professionals you are working with approach it from the standpoint of "what's best for your son" and "what's the lowest dosage med to help him cope."

I was like you... I thought almost all ADHD diagnoses were all about lazy parents. But it's NOT. It's worth checking out, researching, reading. If there are some behavior problems, but you don't feel it's worthy of medicating, I also recommend the Dr. Bob books. We tried dietary changes and supplementation before medicating. It did help some.

Good luck!

Stephanie - posted on 04/05/2010

If the school thinks he has ADHD, you need to have him professionally evaluated by a psychologist. There are several definitive tests they can run which will give you a better idea of what you're facing. My 15-year-old was diagnosed by a professional as having ADHD when he was 4. The medication was a life saver for me as a single working Mom. He had been thrown out of two day care situations because of his behavior. After the diagnosis and medication, we had no further problems.

KIm - posted on 04/03/2010

Definitely, their diet is very important. I have cut almost all surgar out her diet and candy is a no no unless I ok it. Also no pop. Its ok to do a lil but that is all. i also look in the canned foods or meets . Alot of stuff we eat on a daily basis people dont realize what is all in it.

Jen - posted on 04/03/2010

I think that teachers have a good idea when something isn't right. But they tend to go directly to ADHD or Autism. I had my son evaluated at a clinic in Minneapolis called the Fraser Clinic. They did tests and interviews with him that lasted 8 hours, 4 hours one day and 4 hours a week later. One appointment in the morning and one in the afternoon. I also had him see a CHILD psychologist. He agreed with me that my son is Bi-Polar. He also shows many of the symptoms of ADHD, especially hyperactivity. I think it is so important to make an appointment with a CHILD Psych. They see cases like yours over and over, and will recognize the symptoms that can be treated and the ones that can't. I think it's also important to make sure that the school does not put a label on your child. Lot's (not all, but many) of kids grow out of ADD in their teens.

Michelle - posted on 04/01/2010

Talk to the school find out what the behaviors are that make them think he has ADHD children at that age tend to mimic someone they idolize and being the younger of the 2 children he could just be copying his big brother....you may have to sit down with the school and come up with a discipline plan for the behaviors that you are all comfortable with and follow through....I guarantee you I have a son with both ADHD and ODD I knew he had it before I could convince others that he had it.....my daughter definitely does not.

Nicole - posted on 03/25/2010

ok so you saw a psychiatrist but did u see a psychologist? They can do the proper testing and not just watch your child and prescribe meds. Don't just brush aside the Risperdal, it is a good med! One of my kids is on it and it does wonders for him.Hope it all works out.

Nicole - posted on 03/25/2010

Check the CHADD website for more help. It may be possible that he has ADD not ADHD there is a difference. If maybe he's inattentive, and impulsive in school but not hyperactive. Take him to a child psychologist. There are many tests that they put the child through to determine whether he does or doesn't. And, armed with the report from the Dr. the school cannot argue with the results one way or the other. Good luck!

Susan - posted on 01/21/2010

Talk to your health care proffessionals being six the school can not rightly diagnose add/adhd these usually run in tandom with odd (oppositional defiance disorder) sometimes anxiety can cause add/adhd symptoms as can epilepsy and a few other things what are his symptoms that they say he is adhd

Vanessa - posted on 01/21/2010

Teachers usually have a pretty good idea that something isn't right. They deal with it alot more frequently than most of the people who come into contact with your child. My oldest was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 5. Strattera worked great for him for years. He's 13 now and off meds. My middle son was diagnosed with ADD and Asbergers when he was 6. We took him to a child psychiatrist. He was diagnosed on the first visit. The doctor hardly talked to him, but was watching him carefully when he spoke to us. After getting the diagnosis I did alot of research and the doc was right. When you see a child psychiatrist sometimes it appears that they didn't spend enough time to really understand what's going on. But these specialized doctors see the symptoms more frequently and recognize them much more easily. I had a great experience with Strattera for both of my sons. I would definitely ask the doc about getting a non narcotic med.

Denise - posted on 01/21/2010

A few years ago we were struggling with our now 10 year old son. He is very active and does have issues that we are working on, but ADHD was not one of them. His teacher insisted that he was ADHD and was pushing us to try medication. After doing a lot of reading and with the agreement of the child psychologist we started him on large daily doses of Omega. It has helped a great deal and he is still on this. This is not for everybody, but the psychologist read the articles and agreed that it was worth a try. It is possible that he was just very active and we know that he is immature for his age, so possibly it was the omega in combination with maturing. He is now doing okay in grade 5 and the teacher has no concerns.

Alison - posted on 01/21/2010

If "the school" refers to teachers, they are probably not trained to diagnose such things. However, a lot of teachers have good hunches. Take your son to a specialist and find out what they have to say. It is definitely worth looking into. If he does have ADHD, he should benefit from some form of treatment. It will make everyone much happier.

Kim - posted on 01/20/2010

My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was around 5 and started school. I thought he was a very active smart boy. He is now 13 and has been on many different medications. Certain ones would work for a while then stop and we would switch till we found another one that would work. We have been struggling for years. I've been doing a lot of research and have discovered that their diet is a big factor and it makes a lot of sence. I recently purchased a book called "Dr. Bob's Guide to eliminate ADHD in 18 days". It explaines a lot and I wish I had discovered it years ago.

Kevyn - posted on 01/18/2010

Okay - some of the symptoms I think everyone can agree on is impulsiveness and intrusiveness. He doesn't understand personal boundaries AT ALL. He is also has alot of aggression, appearing unwarranted more than half of the time. His pediatrician recommended a sleep study (because he doesn't sleep well) and the sleep specialist refused to do a sleep study, saying that he thinks my son has a personality disorder instead. The pediatrician also had me take him to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist spent about 30 mins with me and my son (in all his glory.. lol) and said he needs to be evaluated for 'autistic behaviors', that possibly he was adhd but she didn't think so. She also prescribed him risperdal on the spot but I was worried about giving him such a powerful drug. He is a very sweet and well behaved child and usually doesn't act like a total goof unless he is in a strange place or a place with a lot going on. Then he either gets upset or 'crazy' and he can't be reasoned with at all. It's very strange. It's like he's two different people. Anxiety runs in my family so I'm wondering if that could be it. I'm not even opposed to putting him on adhd medication to curb the impulsiveness, but I don't want him labeled ADHD unless he truly IS ADHD. He's behind in school. I recently got his CogAT scores and they were very low. I don't know what is going on and I don't know the best place to go or where to look for resources.

Gwendolyn - posted on 01/18/2010

Don't forget ADHD affects people differently, which is why some people struggle without help for years, especially if they aren't as boisterous. There are key difficulties folks with ADHD share, but from there, we're as different as fingerprints. ... And then there's the other challenges that tag along like luggage, like anxiety or "ODD" ... seriously, it's real, or innumerable other possibilities. The most important part about figuring out what's going on with someone is not to label, but to find the tools and adapting methods that might help your son.
Good luck

Brooke - posted on 01/18/2010

i kept a log... i mean its hard to know what your asking since u havent really listed any examples lol. Such as, my daughter from the time she was an infant..had childhood insomnia, i thought it was just being a baby, but by the time she was 2 and it didnt stop...then 2 then 4....i finaly took her to a psych. PLUS...her beahvior was very defiant...almost impulsiove with a side of im gonna cut ya if your dont back off...ya know? She could sit and watch a movie for sure (a lot of ADHD'ers can) but to do a small task like, eat....she would be up from the table 30 times in one meal....sleeping (when she did) she would toss and turn so much i could hear her all night..but then she would wake most every night after about 2 hrs..and just stay up tho. more ex: school...never stay seated, talk talk talk, interupt (more than normal kids) cry everytime she wasnt center of attention 9more than normal kids) go from subject to subject while speaking in 2 seconds....EXTREMELY intellegent...i mean scored 40 pnt highre than avg. in county entrance testing... but it took her longer because she couldnt stay seated..the list goes on...and the behavior..OMYYGGOODDNESS...she clearded out class rooms in daycare...hit teachers, threw chairs ect. and NEVER felt sorry. (ODD) it was terrible. So see we need some ex. She is VERY HIGHY functioning....even before medication were given...but even more so now that she is on med. She aslo has brain seizures.....not grand maul...just ones in her brain..its odd..she goes blank...and gets forgetful..then is fine. Its something I have noticed with a lot of ADHD kids. She is on Adderal for that. And clonidine for ADHD. best there can be.

Linzey - posted on 12/16/2009

I can suggest what I did. I noticed a difference in my son before he turned a year old. I first went down the path of testing and research of Autism. That opened my eyes to better pin point what my sons issues were and then place him in a category that I thought better suited him individually. While he wasn't diagnosed with Autism, I have molded my life and my reactions to him as if he were and it has brought him leaps and bounds from where most children end up. I researched pediatricians that have experience with children with his types of issues which helps us both treat him in the best way possible. My son is now 8. I wouldn't let the school system label him until you have got tests and doctors behind you.

Mira - posted on 12/16/2009

I am not sure of your son's symptoms that school is seeing so it is hard to make suggestions. Is he excitable, impulsive, etc. or is he a daydreamer, unable to focus? There could be a number of issues at hand and ADHD often comes in tandem with a lot of them so it is very easy for someone who is not an expert to label "ADHD" when in fact it could be ODD or something else. I even had a friend whose daughter was diagnosed with ADHD - it turns out a year later they found out she had a form of epilepsy - no grand mal seizures - minor seizures that only happened in her brain functioning so it appeared she was daydreaming when actually she was having a seizure. Talk to your health care provider, schools may have an idea that something is going on but are not qualified to diagnose for a reason! And, read, read, read to get an idea of the various ways ADHD can look. Good luck!