please help i dont know what to do

Teres - posted on 07/14/2009

I agree that ADHD takes more strength then you every thought you had, add being a single parent to that it must feel like more than any one person should be allowed to handle. Trust those of us who have been there and done that for many years and have gone through all the steps you speak of. We survided and I promise you will too. It just takes time, patience and the right support team!

Kerri - posted on 07/13/2009

Having a child with ADHD/Asperger's is difficult. My son is on Adderall XR 30mg and Zoloft 50mg year around. We had to go through several types of meds to find the combination that works the best. He has been on Ritalin, Concerta, Strattera and it takes time, especially when the drugs take a few weeks to kick in. He has been in to see a psychologist to help talk about his feelings, an occupational therapist to help deal with his hypersensitivity and impulsiveness, and he sees the school therapist once a week. It is difficult I know, but there is no quick fix and every child is different. I can say what worked best with my son, who is now 10, is structured activities, that includes sports where there is a coach, or group specifically trained to deal with ADHD children. Any time he was left to do something on his own, he got bored and his impulsiveness took over and he would not make the best decisions. Be patient, it will all come together and the older he gets, the more he will understand the way he feels. My son was diagnosed at 3 and he is 10 now. Talk with your school and see what options are available. Best of luck to you and your family

Kelly - posted on 07/12/2009

Summer holidays for medication are no longer recommended. I see the need for my son to have his medication each day. He is 9 also and he also can tell the difference between a med and non-med day. He is a happy and the arguing has decreased significantly. Owen also receives Behavioral Health Services while in school. These staff help him to stay focused and have been working with him to interact appropriately with his peers. Between the medications (Vyvanse and Zoloft) and the behavior health services we are pleased with what we see with Owen.

Before everything was balanced for Owen are home life was a nightmare. He gets extra support from school and I am vigilant about being in touch with his regular education teacher so she understands the ADHD, his learning support teachers who have been extremely supportive to us with homework and other school problems as well as the school principal. Although I cannot be at his school during the day and volunteering on the PTA is not do-able right now, I keep in contact through phone calls, letters and a lot of e-mail.

Try to make it a team approach. The more people that can be on his side the better it will be for him. Also don't be afraid to speak up to the doctor. I found that asking for the medication that we wanted to try to helpful. Our child psychologist listens and cares about our input, so does his family doctor. Good luck!

Helen - posted on 07/12/2009

apparently in 20 percent of children meds don t work, have 15 yr old with autism adhd where meds work and 12 year old with adhd odd where they don t , but just wear them both out with non contact sport such as swimming, bike riding and scootering bush walking and so forth, try not worry to much at school reports read mine today, after 20 years oh my god must do better, lack of concentration and so forth, something about being moody as well jeez!!

Rosemary - posted on 07/11/2009

odd oppositional defiant disorder. If the med you last had him on at school worked keep him on that,if not change. It takes a long time i know to find a med that works without side effects. my son was on several before, now on a form of ritalin, detroamphetamine.

Connie - posted on 07/11/2009

ODD is oppositional defiant disorder. And by the way it is not a stupid question.

Kim - posted on 07/11/2009

Jamie, seriously check into the celebratecalm.com stuff. It's helping us and lots of other families I know.

Jamie - posted on 07/10/2009

thank you lady's im goig to go to the health food store n try n find something that could possibly help him for the summer if it doesnt work they are going to try him on diff meds because he has to attend summer camp for the whole summer so i can work. oh and this may be a stupid question but what is odd

Rebekah Shelton - posted on 07/10/2009

First, find a good doctor that will check your child for any allergies. Food allergies are a major problem for kids with ADHD. I noticed when I took all sugar, refined wheat and anything with MSG or gluten out of thier diet, their medication sent from the highest to be prescribed to half and my youngest went all the way down to the lowest. Doing this really made a HUGE difference and they even lost a few pounds, as we all did by eating better.

Also, I have found that kids that suffer from this like to do things with thier hands, so if you get puzzles, marbles, making pot holders, this really helps them to learn to concentrate on thier own.

Karrie - posted on 07/10/2009

I know your feeling my son was 5 when I got him on meds. First it was ADHD then OCD and ODD. It's very diffcult to live with BEEN THERE DONE THAT. I also have a 10 year that is ADHD. He is taking Adderall XR 20mg and 25mg of Seroquel at bedtime. Trust me those combition works wonderful. I can't handle my son when he is NOT on them. I wanted to pull my hair out. His youngest brother is in a great place where they have him on great meds and not the BS I had to put up with at Mental Health place here. My 10 year old with ADHD and my 9 year old with Mental Retardation, ODD, OCD, TOURETTES SYNDROME, ADHD, BI-POLAR WITH PYSCOES, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST ATYPICAL ATISUM. So I know your pain and where you are coming from. But try the Adderall XR 20mg during the day and 25 mg Seroquel at bedtime. If you need to talk (cause trust me it's not easy to go thru and doing by yourself if worse) just email me at karriedooley@yahoo.com.

Dallass - posted on 07/10/2009

my youngerst daughter is on ritalin 10mg 3 times a day but her anger is getting worse but the dr has put my son on concerta and it has made a huge difference as he now can sit still and do his school work his reading has improved in leaps and bounds you could ask your dr if concerta is an option for your son anything is worth a tryit made the world of difference for my son

Ruth - posted on 07/10/2009

My doctor says, Keep him off the meds for the summer except if he has to do something that requires the meds, like Summer camp. I'm a single mom too and it's hard, you need to work and i'm trying everything i can to come up with different ways to help my son without using the meds but there has been no huge discovery as yet so i have to use the meds in situations like this. Use the meds for camp and then ween him off them for the rest of the summer. By the way my son takes Ritalin 5mg per tablet.

Kim - posted on 07/09/2009

ADHD takes every ounce of strength to manage! I feel for you! My son is on Concerta (36mg) and 75 mg Zoloft and that helps keep him on course. But w/o it, we are left exhausted! I attended a workshop recently here in NOVA (don't know where you are) by a man named Kirk Martin who is the head of Celebrate Calm. This man and his advice are phenomenal. Check out www.celebratecalm.com He works a BUNCH w/ kids like ours and those w/ other behavioral issues like ODD, Autism, etc. He's amazing!