ADHD in Kids

Just curious if anyone in the forum has been diagnosed with ADHD or has a child with ADHD?

My six year old was recently diagnosed with severe ADHD. He has been struggling with reading / writing (although is pretty good at math) in school. We think it has been exacerbated by the school shutdown as well as he has been struggling with remote learning on Zoom. My son is quite vivacious but he's always been extremely hyper active compared to other kids his age to the point that his personality can be a bit overwhelming.

Fortunately, our school system has a ton of resources so we are getting some individualized assistance from the school in regards to tutoring and additional help. We have also engaged private occupational therapist to assist.

Our pediatrician has recommended medication to help him focus in school. We generally aren't keen on medicating him, but in our discussion the pediatrician feels like there aren't any other great options that might be as effective given the school closures right now. He responds well to 1 on 1 instruction even on Zoom but it isn't possible to have that for the entire school day.

Anyway, just look for some advice from those who may have been through something similar either directly or indirectly.

Thanks,

Ed.

a reply to: Edumakated
I do, but wasn't diagnosed until my mid 20s, along with aspergers, can't help much with school, though it would have helped alot if I had recieved proper care then.

As for medication, how severe is it? I'd avoid it until it interrupts his life severely.

Is he just distracted and needs someone to help him direct his focus? Or is he completely unmanageable?

Edit: A role model or mentor can help immensely. Not like spiderman or something, but someone, an adult or older sibling that they look up to, who can make him feel like their important to that person.

Not trying to sound harsh, apologizes if it comes that way.

a reply to: Edumakated

Is your child able to do anything for more than 20 minutes? Like read a favorite book, watch a favorite video or play a video game?

If they can self manage to focus for 20 minutes on something they like to do, then they can also learn to focus in short spurts that you increase over time for things that he finds it difficult to focus on.

For school where he may require longer than 20 minutes he may need to be given permission to quietly read a book of his choice, write a story, or even go to the bathroom and get a drink of water to help him reset his focus when he returns.

I also recommend your child get plenty of sleep and stay hydrated. Probably more than recommended for his age.

I wish you both the best. It can be done!

a reply to: Identified
Good point, I realized for me, my issue was starting something on my own.

Normally once I get started on something, I'm fine by myself.

a reply to: Edumakated
I was diagnosed with severe ADHD as well when I was 29. I struggled a lot with school growing up. I remember several teachers meeting with my parents to recommend that I get checked out but my parents refused. Long story short, my parents let me fall through the cracks because to them the condition didn't exist. It took me five years to graduate high school, not something I am too proud of.

My wife (did her undergrad in psychology) suggested I get checked out, so I did. After some very good therapy sessions it was determined that I had a very severe case of ADHD. They didn't necessarily just throw meds at me but they did put me on Concerta, along with continuing to see a therapist. I eventually learned that I wasn't stupid and that I just had a condition. The diagnosis changed my life, a couple years ago I graduated college at the top of my class and I now have a better idea of who I am.

You need to do what's best for your child, my situation might not be right for your child. My advice, meds work if they are used properly, along with good therapy. It never hurts to get a second opinion and please don't do what my parents did and just not listen to the pros.

a reply to: Edumakated

Eliminate everything else first. ADD/ADHD is supposed to be a diagnoses of exclusion, ruling out everything else first.

1st grade is about the time that learning disabilities begin to manifest. Check that he's not having trouble with reading/writing in terms of dyslexia and/or dysgraphia or other learning issues. Make sure his hearing and sight check out, and I'm not just talking about the gross mechanics of his ears working, make sure the full process - ear to brain, eye to brain is functioning. Make sure his ears are draining right so that he can balance correctly.

I am bringing all this up because there are a lot of things, both physical, mental (brain-based), and psychological that will lead a kid, especially a boy, to act out and be wiggly and hyper like he has ADD/ADHD and that will often be the default because it's easy.

Our son was/is like that.

He is active to begin with, but ... he has a hearing problem that's based in his brain, not his ears. His brain struggles to reconcile auditory information from the two ears and synch them up, so he makes frequent mistakes in what he's hearing and has to concentrate extra hard. It's fatiguing and makes him anxious which makes him act out hyper the longer the day goes on.

Additionally, he has struggled with fluid build-up in his ears. It's affected his overall balance and to some extent his hearing. I think our jaws about hit the floor and stayed there at his first martial arts practice after his tubes went in. His balance looked as good if not better than the other kids' whereas previously he was like a literal drunken sailor. His confidence levels shot up too. He also has been finding it much easier to simply sit and be still because he's not fighting his balance.

He has dysgraphia in addition, and he gets super anxious about having to do anything with writing because it's embarrassing for him both how hard it is and how ugly his handwriting is. So he acts hyper and can act out to avoid it. It was worse when he was younger, and we did have teachers subtly suggest he needed ADD/ADHD help rather than look at the obvious issues with handwriting.

The other thing is when you live with a kid you will also know. Understand that you can't judge based on how absorbed they get in TV or video games because those are rewarding to hyper, no attention kids, but in his regular interactions with you and others. If he's so off the charts active that he just can't interact normally, then maybe you have issues.

a reply to: Nivhk

I'd agree with you on the medication thing.

The psychologist who assessed ours for learning disabilities noted that he may have mild to moderate ADD/ADHD said that his would be more like a quirk and that the things we were already doing for his hearing would be all she would recommend for him unless he just started failing all over the place and that's really only the point where she started to recommend medication.

a reply to: Edumakated

Some things you can try if you're worried and don't want to go with medication:

1. Structure! Get a routine, stick to it. Don't vary it.

2. Look into diet. There are diets out there that are supposed to help some.

3. Exercise. Get him on a regular exercise program to help him bleed out energy. Ours gets about 20 minutes before he gets on the bus and takes martial arts which he really loves. If his problem is severe, team sports might be difficult, but there are lots of individual ones you can look into.

a reply to: Edumakated

Medication as a last resort.

Six year old have a lot of energy. We educate young kids in the US the wrong way.
We expect them to be able to sit for long periods of time like adults. They aren’t built that way.
My daughter was in the gifted program and they taught completely different. Lots of hands on learning, not too much boring sitting around. I suspect a lot of ADHD and ADD kids would flourish in that kind of setting.

No drugs and stay away from children's orange flavored Bayer aspirins. NO ASPIRINS I truly believe there is a connection when the mother is pregnant and uses aspirins and a child's behavior later in life, as stated the child can at any age show a strange behavior pattern, but I think it starts to show up around 3 years of age. By 4 th grade it is apparent the child has a learning disability ( slow learner ) .
Just my thoughts.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Right now, education in the US is more suited to how little girls tend to behave and not active little boys.

a reply to: musicismagic

Yeah, but the warning signs of learning disability start much earlier and with some, early intervention is key to good outcome.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: JAGStorm

Right now, education in the US is more suited to how little girls tend to behave and not active little boys.

I have an appt to go to but I want to elaborate on that an totally agree. At the lower grades boy and girls and so different and many teachers can’t stand little boys energy. More later...
I do have an ADD kid that is an adult now.

a reply to: ketsuko

Thanks.

He was diagnosed with dysgraphia. He sees an OT once a week to assist with that and the hyperactivity. He does find writing and reading frustrating and has a general dislike of school right now.

He needs constant supervision or he will not focus on the school tasks. I literally have to sit next to him all day. If he is not the center of attention, he will lose focus on the task. He does pretty well with a 1 on 1 instructor. The school has provided a tutor that works with him about 30 minutes a day and he does pretty good when he is directly engaged.

He can focus when he is interested in something. He is great with video games and building things. I've never seen a kid his age build lego creations as complex as his - robots, cars, etc. He even plays chess.

We've been wondering if home schooling is the answer or maybe he needs a different school environment that is less structured (like Montesorri) so he feels more creative and less constrained.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: Edumakated

Medication as a last resort.

Six year old have a lot of energy. We educate young kids in the US the wrong way.
We expect them to be able to sit for long periods of time like adults. They aren’t built that way.
My daughter was in the gifted program and they taught completely different. Lots of hands on learning, not too much boring sitting around. I suspect a lot of ADHD and ADD kids would flourish in that kind of setting.

Yes, I agree.

I wonder if it is his personality that doesn't mesh with traditional learning structures. He seems to do well when engaged directly. I've always felt kids spend too much time in a classroom doing rote things instead of letting them flourish with hands on things.

This is a struggle for wife and I as both of us were academically gifted in traditional learning environs.

You're probably not gonna like this response, so...

[shields]
This is almost always diet related.

Eliminate all processed foods, especially sugar of any kind (especially HFCS and related), fruits and especially fruit juices.

This will be hard, especially if your child eats a lot of this kind of crap.

Start them on a low carb high fat moderate protein diet.

Investigate high dose niacin (not niacinimide or 'flush free' niacin, pure, regular niacin) - google on 'high dose niacion for ADHD', and start reading. Here is one good such article.

Good luck!!!

a reply to: Edumakated

Have you had his IQ tested?

Sometimes an inability to focus on school tasks my hint at higher intellect or ability. He could simply be bored with some of his work and doesn't see the point. The converse is that if he does have ADD/ADHD his ability to focus on building long-term with LEGO, for example, can be an expression of hyper-focus which is also a part of the problem. When ADD/ADHD kids find something they can engage with, they can focus to the exclusion of everything else for long periods - that may be his LEGOs.

However, with a learning disability, I'd suggest you seek out someone who is experienced with kids who are potentially gifted and learning disabled. It's called 2E or twice exceptional because the disability can mask the exceptionality.

See if you can find a good neuropsychologist to really feel him out and find out what's rattling around up there.

The downside is that kind of analysis will almost certainly come out of pocket, so it will not be cheap.

I have heard anything whole wheat is a problem. Eliminate all whole wheat from the families diet along with reducing or eliminating all processed foods that you can. Oh, stay away from raw spinich, it has an enzyem that stops the absorption of calcium into bones, oxalic acid.

a reply to: tanstaafl

Wouldn´t do that for growing child, adults are different they do not grow anymore. Children needs carbs too among other nutrition. Brains needs and every other organs too glucose to to maintain their work. No carbs at all is not good for growing child.
This is what makes internet dangerous. ( For example there have been parents who has took advice from internet for their diabetic children to not eat carbs at all and disease is "magically cured" and no insulin needed, which inteed had left their child in ketoacidosis and death.)

There are nutrition charts and pyramids which gives a idea of decent meals.

Hi Ed, I feel and know your pain as a parent. My now 9 year old was officially diagnosed 2-3 years ago by a teacher he had. She was very good with her approach as she has a kid with ADHD as well. At first, my wife and I were just against any meds and the stigma behind it. We just didn't want him to be a zombie. After talking with our Pediatrician we started off with low dose of methylphenedate (generic). We saw an immediate improvement with him in school and knew what we did was the right choice. As he's gotten bigger we've had to up his dosage but he's still rather low (27mg, 1 pill a day in the morning) compared to a lot of kids.

We are going to start some therapy sessions this year so he can learn to cope and handle some of the situations that drive his ADHD more than others.

It sounds like you guys are on the right path. You'll notice what does and doesn't work. Good luck!