How to deal with a child that may have ADD or ADHD ???...anyone have any secret weapons???

Hallie - posted on 02/25/2010

L theanine is a natural amino acid and it has been proven in clinical studies to help children with add and adhd to focus and stay calm. it works by calming them without making them tired. no neg side effects that i have heard of and i have done tons of research for my 5 y/o son. he has started it recently and it kicks in after about 30 minutes definitely recommend this instead of prescription drugs with all the negative side effects (not to mention addiction issues and coming to rely on the drug so early in life) I believe that in all but the most extreme situations add and adhd can be managed through diet, vitamins and learned behavior. There are a lot of really good books that i found very helpful: Is your child's brain starving? or The ADD/ADHD Diet was also very good. GOOD LUCK to you and try not to rush off and medicate your child there are better solutions in most cases!

Shannon - posted on 02/17/2010

My son is 5 and 1/2 and we are pretty sure he had ADD/ADHD. We just noticed an increase of behaviors in the classroom that are not interfering with his learning. On of the things we are doing is segmenting his day out so that way if he has a problem in school and has a bad morning he can still have a good day at day care and at home so we do a sticker chart with him earning rewards like time with his DS or getting to pick a cartoon with watch with the parent he chooses and little stuff like that to try to focus on the positive and make his time more managable.

Julia - posted on 02/17/2010

First, your chiid needs to be tested to determine if or which condition they may have. Secondly, you can decide if you want to utilize meds or some type of behavior program to assist your child.

Alicia - posted on 02/17/2010

I hear ya there on the 5mins i cant get her to look at me for a couple seconds let alone 5mins...shes always destacted by something even if its me and her in a room by ourselfs something always catches her attention...ohh and to get her dressed ohh my i can get me and my youngest dressed and she still wont be dressed...i guess im goin to have to try to take her to the doctors i just afraid of the fact of what you said their going to tell me that there is nothing wrong im just to worried about it...but i see it even when shes playin with her sister she gets too excited and i dont think she relizes it...

Katie - posted on 02/17/2010

It is hereditary. My son's father has ADD. I knew from the time my son was 3 that he had ADD/ADHD. Like all kids you can't get them to focus much on anything at that age for a long period of time but with my son it was a battle for even a 5 minute time span. I took him to his pediatrician and she said that I was an "over worried first time mother." I'm sure you know as well as I do, being a parent (first time or not) you know when something is wrong with your child. So I switched pediatricians and unfortunately was told, children can not be tested for ADD/ADHD until about the age of 5. Luckily, my son's new doctor did see a probelm and had him tested. My son has to take Concerta every day for his ADD/ADHD. The way Concerta was explained to me by his doctor was its like Tylenol rapid release. It rapidly releases the medication. It helps him stay focused and not act as if he is driven by a motor while in school. Come dinner time, close to bed time he has a rush of energy but nothing compared to how it was before he started his medicine. As far as the fish oil helping, I can honestly say I have never heard of that before.

Alicia - posted on 02/17/2010

How early were you able to tell that your son had the ADD/ADHD??? I have heard it is passed down from parent to child and her father does have it...I looked up online that fish oil is suppose to help it have you heard such a thing???

Katie - posted on 02/17/2010

I have a nine year old son with ADD/ADHD. This was the best advice given to me by one of his doctors. Hopefully it can help you the same way it helped me.

Your best assets for helping your child meet the challenges of ADD/ADHD are your positive attitude and common sense. When you are calm and focused, you are more likely to be able to connect with your child, helping him or her to be calm and focused as well. Remember not to scream or yell at your child. This only makes the situation worse and will not help. Keep in mind that your child’s behavior is related to a disorder and most of the time is not intentional.

Children with ADHD are more likely to succeed in completing tasks when the tasks occur in predictable patterns and places. Follow a daily routine. ADHD children need constant and consistent rules that they can understand and follow. Be sure to explain what will happen when the rules are followed/broken. Stick to your guns and don’t back down. If your child starts to throw a fit, walk away and let the fit happen. Do not talk or acknowledge this fit. If they realize they are being given attention, the fit intensifies. Stick them in a time out, or sit them down in the middle of a floor (my son hates this), let the fit happen. Be sure to make it known you will not talk to your child until he/she decides the fit is finished.

Once you establish consistent structures, keep in mind that children with ADHD often receive criticism. Be on the lookout for good behavior—and praise it. Praise is especially important for children who have ADD/ADHD because they typically get so little of it. These children receive correction, remediation, and complaints about their behavior—but little positive reinforcement.

A smile, positive comment, or other reward from you can improve the attention, concentration and impulse control of your child with ADD/ADHD. Do your best to focus on giving positive praise for appropriate behavior and task completion, while giving as few negative responses as possible to inappropriate behavior or poor task performance. Reward your child for small achievements that you might take for granted in another child.

One of the most important things to remember in having a child with ADD/ADHD is that you don’t have to do it alone. Talk to your child’s doctor, therapists, and teachers. Also, always remember to stay calm.