Adhd - Cerritos, CA

I don't have a child with ADHD but I have seen many patients diagnosed with it at my chiropractors office. My best friend decided to forgo medication as her son was not "that bad" either. She treats him with diet, exercise and chiropractic adjustments. As she put it..."there aren't any side effects to those and I wanted to exhaust every possible avenue before drugs." It seems to be working. He's improved considerably after two years. It's not a magic pill but it works for some. I wish you all the best in this difficult time.

How is his grades, and did you ask the school for an IEP assistment, ADHD is now considered a disability and in the schools they can modify his lessons so that he can concentrate on them. I am against the meds unless the ADHD is very bad and he or she is failing all classes or coarses in learning,. My son has Cerebral palsy, mild Autism, ADHD plus some, we tried the meds once, he was so out of it that he couldnt be himself, plus the meds lsow the growth rate of kids.. modify his schedele, keep him on a schedule routine cans make a huge difference. Submit a request in writing to his teacher to have an IEP evaluation done, it takes 30 to 45 days must be submitted in writing keep a copy of the letter for you . This way the school has to help its the law.

Good luck

This is a tough decision. I understand as I myself (54 yrs old) am ADHD. As a child I struggled, ended up always thinking I was stupid. But I am not. I am highly creative, a shaker and a mover, I get things done while multitasking cause focus is difficult. I make a list to help me in tha area. I am presently on meds to help me through cause at this age, hormones start being a part of the prob. For you, I encourage you to get all the info you can. ADHD, ADD, are a result of a chemical imbalance. The connectoers at the stem of your brain are not making the proper connection. Find a support group, prayer group and a good therapist to help you get through. Consistancy on your part is VERY important. CHAD is a great support group. Meds are not bad. They help the connecting in the brain, which results in focus. Yes there are bad side effects. Yes there are positive ones too. Yhis is your part to figure out your priority on this. It can be managed through diet and brain exercises. But this takes A LOT of consistancy, strength and support. Get all your facts to help you. Tere is a docter who specializes in this. I believe his name is Dr. Ahmens, or Amen's, not sure on the spelling. You can get all of this info on the internet. Mosy important. Hug that kiddo many times and let him know how special he is and how much you love him and praise him as much as you can, even if he is just sitting quietly. Praise him for that.
Hang on tight!!!!
Also, my son is ADD and my daughter is ADHD. Neither take meds and they drive us crazy. Depression, obsessive, compulsive, very moody. Not at all stupid, just can't focus well and get irritated a lot. Both adults. Wouldn't cooperate with me and I didn't have the strength and support, as this was not very well studied out 25 plus years ago. I do love them and build them up in their strengths, much!

Consider homeschooling if at all possible. Get him out of the "normal" dayschool setting, it is probably making the situation worse. DON'T put him on meds unless he is a severe case with no other options, which does not sound like the case for you.
Auditory processing disorder runs in our family, and we were told one of our sons probably has it mildly as well. (From the research I have done, I agree...) He has improved as he gets older, but I could go on and on about the funny quirks and challenges we have faced with him, even though he is a very easy kid to discipline and extremely bright as well, and it really hasn't been all that hard.......just worrisome at times for us. But we do call him our "Wiggly Willy", after a learning style we read about in a homeschooling resource book. And my husband has always been a "Wiggly Willy" too, and is now an amazing youth sports coach, because of his active, always on the go personality, he really understands kids :) People would have considered both of them ADHD if we sought a diagnosis, but since it hasn't led to any discipline issues for our son, it really hasn't been necessary.
Our son was in private preschool at our church, homeschooled him for Pre-K, and he is now in public school for K. He does incredibly well in class (the school called to let us know they wanted him to skip a grade, but we said no). BUT, I have seen his attention span and behavior change SO MUCH for the WORSE in just the few months we have had him in public school instead of homeschooling! He is learning really bad habits from all the other kids in his class. He is learning that "no" doesn't always mean "no", and if no one is looking, you can just keep doing what you were doing until they really tell you to stop. He no longer listens to directions from me on the first go, because he just kind of has to do his own thing at school, while the other kids are goofing off and not listening to the teacher at all. He is learning how to talk out of turn and interrupt until he is heard, instead of waiting or saying "Excuse Me", because this is how things are at school, the loudest one "wins" in public school.
All the things we worked so hard with him, listening habits and manners, are going out the door each day because of the way public school "works". They have him for more hours each day than we do.
Anyway, all to say, that for a kid who already has some ADHD type personality traits, and tends to be hard to focus, having him in public school is making it much much worse than it ever was. And if at all possible for us next year, he will be homeschooled again. (I had to take a break this year for health reasons.) He learns so much more at home, and the attention issues are hardly an issue. Not to mention, he gets to eat healthier too. It's a lot easier to serve more of a variety of healthy foods, when it isn't something that has to stay cold in a lunchbox. Which of course, diet plays a huge role in any kids' ability to focus!
Hope that helps.
If you have any questions about homeschooling, I can refer you to some wonderful people / resources.
Also, research sensory integration disorder on the web if you haven't already....both my kids have issues (the one with auditory, the other with touch and taste, definitely runs in families). It helps to be aware of it, not cater to it, just be sensitive to it.
Tara

Hi E.,

Check out these links to an interview with psychiatrists and therapists and that they have to say about medication for ADD/ADHD and other "disorders". You will be surprised at what they have to say!

#1 Video:
http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf=http%3A//s.ytimg.com...

or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73SRn1gdAdM
(8-1/2 minutes):

#2 Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcvCtxaiOGg
(7-1/2 minutes)

#3 Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58UZqr3fiZI
(6 minutes)

Wow!!! You just gave my son's story when he was that age. (he is 19 now) I did not opt to put him on any meds. Instead I sent him to an NILD therapist for three years.
http://www.helpmykid.us/3/30/Mary_Sue_Miller.html
My son was diagnosed with auditory processing disorder with adhd as well.
He was not even reading at a 1st grade level in 3rd grade. When he was finished with the techniques that mary sue used after 2 years he was at grade level and beyond his grade level after 3 years. I home-schooled him that entire time due to many reasons. When he reached high school we put him in a part-time school. It is designed like a college where they only go to class for a brief amount of time for a lecture and then do the work at home. He began to struggle there and I had him tested to see if he needed an IEP and some additional assistance. He tested great and was not eligible for any help. So, we realized that it was the style of classes and we put him into a regular school and he made A's and B's with no problem. My point is that.. after therapy without medication.. he is a normal guy, learning at the same level as everyone else and about to start college. The main website for the program and a link to some of the offices is found here:
http://www.nild.net/

Hi E.,

Before you start medicating your son, I'd like to suggest that you try modifying your son's diet to get rid of most, if not all, of the processed, overly processed and sugary foods that he may be eating right now. And try to especially avoid any foods that have any type of artificial colors in it. Those artificial colors are believed to cause hyperactivity in children. You may be the naturally health conscious sort so this advise may not be needed but, just in case you aren't, really start taking a look at the labels on foods your son is eating throughout the day and maybe keeping a diet and behavior diary for a few weeks to see if you can see a correlation between what he's eating and any reactions he may have.

I would also suggest reading the book Healing the New Childhood Epidemics by Dr. Kenneth Bock. It discusses the role of environmental triggers possibly have in causing the increase the we are seeing ADHD, Allergies, Asthma and Autism currently and what you can do with regard to diet and vitamin and mineral supplementation to help chldren heal whatever is going on with them internally that is causing the symptoms that we see with each of these diasnosis.

Also, with regard to your son's auditory processing disorder, a good speech therapist should be able to help him with this. Our ST used the Lindamood Bell system to work on this issue with him and he seemed to catch on to it pretty quickly. Maybe it will work for your son as well.

Wishing you the best of luck.

For effective, convenient and affordable instruction using the Lindamood-Bell® programs, consider R.. www.readingboosters.com

Boys are naturally hyper! The schools just want all little robots. I wouldn't put him on meds. Concerta, at third grade? no way. Don't be shy to access the sp ed department for auditory processing. It's all confidential and you'd be amazed at what's out there nowadays to help your son (which is our job as Moms. Not to subdue them and force them to fit the box). Take the smart way and get an evaluation on his auditory processing ability/disabiltiy. Then give it to the school and force them to help him. Get the ball rolling mom!

Hi E.-

I ended up putting my daughter in ADD meds when she was in 5th grade. I had tried Homeopathic remedies and Neurofeedback withour success. Her self-esteem got so low because she couldn't concentrate in school and was losing friend's. The teacher's told me that if school ended that day, they would not be able to pass her. So we started meds. We started with Concerta but it made her have severe mood swings. We then tried another med which caused her to stop eating and sleeping. She now is on Strattera and is doing well on it. A child in my son's class is on Concerta and is doing great, so it just depends on your child.

Hang in there!

If it's mild, he may not need medication at all. Explore all your options. We found that Omega3 helps - you can give it to him as a capsule of fish oil or flax see oil. And we found that eliminating sugar & whey products and giving him a higher protein breakfast and a mid morning snack helps.
If he does need meds, Concerta is good.
My son was diagnosed at about 6 - with an extreme case. We tried everything and finally gave in and did the meds. We tried ALL of the meds with different results - insomnia, lethargy, lack of appetite, hypersensitive, overly emotional, upset stomach, headache, etc. We finally ended up on Concerta - it works great with no side effects.
Good luck and God bless!

Hi E. I have 2 Grandchildren with ADD and one is 13 and is doing ok without meds the other is 11 and is Straterra once a day.It took me a long time to go for the meds because some are control drugs and can cause a habit if not watched. strterra is a non control drug. theres also some natural items out there that work well and I have the older one on the natural items.I also have the youngest one going to counseling and it does help him and I.

Hi
You might want to try this first: http://www.feingold.org/pg-overview.html
Good luck

E.,

I am not anti-medication because my husband has ADHD and he's on Concerta. It has been like a miracle for him. He's gone from not being able to focus on anything to actually being able to function. My 5 year old has autism and is very hyper. I was against medicating him for the longest time (wanted for him to learn to control his behavior to whatever extent he could before trying a medical route). We did try adderall a few months ago and within a few days he went from hyper to manic so we took him off it and haven't tried anything else. So I say, if you want to try it, try it but watch carefully for side effects. If you really don't want to try meds as your first course of action check out www.feingold.org. The Feingold Diet/Program is an absolute miracle for some kids (and doesn't do anything for others). But, in my opinion, is worth a shot because the only thing you are risking is a bit of inconvenience and there is no risk of side effects (other than positive ones!). I'm a big proponent for trying all the lowest risk stuff first and only medicating after you've tried everything else.

Good luck,
T.

Clinicians using homeopathy for ADHD have reported good results.
http://www.healing-arts.org/children/ADHD/homeopathy.htm#...
or check out this book on dealing with ADHD without damaging overall health:
http://www.ritalinfreekids.com/

There is so much controversy over giving children medication, especially for ADHD, that it is very hard to know what is the right thing to do. To that I say, it depends on the child. I know that your doctor wants to use Concerta, but ask about all other methods first, especially if he is not that bad. Get a second opinion if you have too. I know some people will tell you how horrible medication is and how child's personality changes drastically (this is a big fear regarding using meds). And they are correct yet wrong. Once again it depends on the child, the med, and the dosage. I was on Ritalin for several years and my parents swore by it. They also watched my diet and enrolled me in a lot of extra activities to exert energy but didn't require a lot of attention. (Swimming was my favorite). Everything improved. They also worked out the dosage so that during school breaks and weekends I wasn't on anything at all. Anyway, no matter what you try, just pay attention to your child's behavior, grades, attitude, and any changes so you can know what is and isn't working.

Good Luck.

please use meds only as a last resort. his is so young still and i know a friend who was told her son had adhd and should medicate him and she did not. he is now in the gate program with no behavior issues. good luck.

Hi E.,

My brother has an auditory processing disorder too. He was not ADHD (at least, not when he was diagnosed 20 years ago) and was not low-performing enough to have special classes. He did have a 504 plan though. In high school, he tried a drug to help him focus. He didn't like it and said it didn't make much of a difference, so my mom had him stop taking it. Instead, he saw a tutor weekly (he'd been doing this since he was in elementary school, but in high school he went to a more specialized one). School was a struggle for him--but he graduated. However, it has always been my opinion that his greatest struggle was his low self-esteem and low self-confidence. It still affects him today. This makes me sad not only because I am his sister, but also because I was a teacher too.

Since you are a teacher, I am sure you know that kids will succeed no matter the difficulty as long as they are willing to persevere. ADHD is so complex and kids are so different. If I were you, I'd build on your son's successes and help him build up his self-esteem (if that is a problem). He just might need longer to accomplish certain tasks--and that's okay. Talk to his doctors and teachers and see how they can help you help your son--but remember that you know your kid best. You know what he can do alone and with what he needs help, and eventually he will have to learn to be his own advocate--that's half of the battle right there (you won't be able to follow him to college, after all)! If a kid can advocate for himself, he'L. be just fine--special needs or no. You know that--you're a teacher! If your son can do this, and accept that certain tasks/subjects might pose more of a challenge to him--he'L. be be a much happier and well-adjusted adult.

Only you and your son know if he has been trying his best in school and has been given the environment that he needs to succeed. (I'm sure you also know that third grade is where these issues crop up if they weren't seen before, as school gets more and more academic at this point). If you've tried everything else, then perhaps medication is appropriate. If not, maybe start with other approaches. Do you think he needs medication? You're his mom and a teacher. You're the smartest person in the room! You already know the answer in your heart.

Good luck to you and your son!
:-) D.

I recently read that running around outside for 15 minutes is almost as effective as using medications for adhd. I am an adult (53) who was not diagnosed with ADD as a kid, but clearly should have been! I have, over the years, developed wonderful coping skills that have served me well. For instnace, I do best when I multi-task rather than try to force myself to concentrate on one thing at a time. I am glad that I wasn't given drugs as a child. The only thing I would change was that no one took the time to help me develope the ability to pick up on the social cues of others. I lack verbal speed bumps! I think that if you are an involved parent who can take the time to clue your son on boundries (us ADHDers have a hard time with that issue) and appropriate social behaviors and then ask the school to develope an educational plan THAT INCLUDES SHORT (10 min.) SPURTS OF INTENSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (like running around the playground) before a task that requires concentration; your son will do much better than if he is drugged.

I will add that every kid I knew in elementary school who was on ritalin did recreational drugs in high school.

Good luck, L.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD as well, in October. I too have always thought he had it since he was 4. My son is constantly running around not paying attention to his schoolwork, he pays more attention to video games and such. When I took him to the doctors, they prescribed him Concerta, I didn't give him the medicine, because when I asked them 4 x's if it would be addictive.. they responded NO.. I looked up on the internet and it can be addictive.. I have him taking a all natural medication for his focus abilities. It's called GABA. It seems to be working well. If you don't want your son to become addicted to the meds, I suggest going the all natural route, if you want to risk him with the pills, then that's your choice as well.

All the best of luck for you,

K. Gonzalez

E., while I am not a mom I frequently scan these messages my wife gets. I am a therapist for couples and families. About your kid: I have heard that "Green Walks" are helpful with ADHD people - kids or adults. Try taking him to forests, camping, and big parks and the like for hours or even days if you can. My bet is that we're going to soon be finding out that the absence of consistent green in our modern lives is depriving us of a calming element that our ancestors enjoyed and adapted to for millions of years. Please consider this. Mark Gery

Please E., do not go there with the medication before you try SO MANY other options first. it should be the last resort. There are things like diet, supplements, exercise, therapies that will take YOUR time and consistency and follow thru. It will take work but it can be done and a much better and healthier way to go.

Diet - remove all preservatives, dyes. No sodas. Reduce sugar dramatically and replace with natural sugars (NOT artifical sweetners as they are one of the worse things). Look into removing diary and wheat ingredients.

Supplements - what is happening in the brain that it is not getting what it needs. There are amino acids that are much needed nowadays because of the toxins in our environment and the vaccines that we have had injected into our kids. These chemicals are the probable cause of the asthma, adhd, autism, depression, ..... that we are seeing everywhere.

Exercise - make sure that he is getting it and daily.

Therapy - Drake Institute (excellent) and Amen Clinic (excellent) are two places I would highly recommend for anything to do with these types of behaviors and anything neurologically.

You can contact me offlist if you wish to have more information on the above suggestions. I have been there, done that and I have known hundreds of other families that have as well.

____@____.com

Hi E....I see that someone else already recommended the Drake Institute...it is an awesome suggestion! There are also other specialists like the Drake who do the same thing...treat ADD / ADHD without drugs...they use neurofeedback instead. With amazing results! There is another one in Torrance...I think it's called ADD Treatment Center...here's the website: http://www.addtreatmentcenters.com/low/home.html

Good luck!

There is a no chemical, no sugar energy drink called XS that I gave to my grandson instead of putting him on meds. He responded well not because it is an energy drink per se but because of the ingredients. You can research it at we-us.mychoices.biz. Let me know if you have further questions, there is also an herb called Rhodiola that worked well for him.

Good luck!

I am not a big fan of the meds. There is much you can do nutritionally. As much as possible stay away from processed foods, sugars, simple carbs-white breads, white rice, pasta, white potatoes. Superfood is really recommended. Superfood is dehydrated greens such as wheatgrass, rye grass, spirulina that you add to a smoothie or juice. Great stuff, everyone should drink it. Spirulina is packed with B vitamins that the body is usually short on when it is stressed and your daughter sounds like she could use it. You can find it in any good health food store, Whole Foods and maybe Trader Joes. In addition to that,believe it or not, chiropractic adjustments can help. I am including the following link with an article on this subject.

http://www.chiro.org/research/ABSTRACTS/Children_ADD_ADHD...
Yoga is also really great for children with ADHD. Here's a link to just one site, there are many. You can find DVD's to do at home or classes in your area. Yoga helps the mind focus and it can also help build up self esteem. Low self esteem often goes hand in hand with ADHD.

http://www.childrensyoga.com/
Good luck

Hi E.:

Have you looked into the possibility that your child's ADHD may be the result of allergies and may be able to be cured via NAET (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques)? There are thousands of NAET certified practitioners. I go to Dr. David Karaba in Fullerton.

Best wishes,

M.

Dear E.,
I had two children who were both diagnosed with ADHD they are both in their twenties now. I allowed them to go on the meds for about a year but I felt the side affects were worse than the ADHD. I made a decision to do what ever I could through regulating their schedules to eating healthy to giving them every possible help I could. I don't think we know enough about the long term side affects of drugs and kids and constantly thinking that a pill will be the answer sometimes it is pure grit and hard work on the mom's part to get them through this. I have two very successful college graduates who are contributing members of society and that says a lot to me.
Good luck, what ever your gut feeling tells you to do that will probably be the best thing.

ask your sons dr about natural ways to cope with the adhd. my friends 2 kids are both adhd and she refuses to put them on medication till they are old enough to decide they need more help. she asked their dr if there was a natural way to help them and he said yes. what she gives them is b 12 vitamins. its a liquid i believe and she mixes it into their cereal. her oldest son is in 2 grade and her youngest is in kindergarden. i hope this helps you!

Are you looking for alternatives to meds? I wasn't sure. I do know of others who have dealt with it without meds and will give you the information if you are interested. I was a teacher several years ago and I hated to see students on meds and it didn't even work for some and for others, they were like zombies.

God Bless!

J.

Try it if your child has an official diagnosis. Then you'L. have your answer. I don't understand this fear (and this is not a personal attack but aimed at all those who are questioning whether to give a child medication or not). You have to stop being scared of the medication. If your child were diagnosed with another chitin-cancer? diabetes? whatever and the doctor prescribed mediation, would you be on the internet asking if you should give the medication for those conditions? Of course not. I assume you took your kids in for testing for a reason and if the professional feels a medical trial is in order, do it. Or don't but question who is at harm while you ponder this question. Doctors don't prescribe haphazardly. If she/he feels there's an alternative, she/he should have told you (unless you didn't mention to them your fear). I realize that this question was asked 7 years ago but I see/hear less concern about adhd and medication. Perhaps doctors are doing a bit more proactive answering of questions/concerns so write down every single one and make an appointment again and ask every single question and if the answer makes sense, stop with the concerns that you are "drugging" your child. If he/she needs it, you are helping him. Oh, and if you are still on-the-fence after peppering the doctor with all your questions, ask him/her what "kindling" is and if you withhold medication, is it possible that your child's brain will experience it. (it's when the pathways in the brain that is still developing and is deprived of medications to treat conditions like adhd, burn new pathways that don't result in a normal reaction).

First off, while adhd and auditory processing disorders can co-exist, I don't believe auditory processing disorder causes ADHD. Did you have a 504 or IEP for the auditory processing? The school can't diagnose ADHD. Did you see your pediatrician or someone who specializes in dx of ADHD? Is is possible that the inattentiveness is caused by auditory processing disorder and not actually ADHD? If you son really has ADHD, I do recommend giving medication a try. Do keep in mind there are many medications out there and not every child responds to every medication. You may want to use a DR who specializes in meds such as these, rather that regular ped. I too have been teaching (high school) since the 90's. I have a 6 yr old daughter who I knew was ADHD since age 3, but officially had dx at age 6 and started medication a few months ago. She's on Focalin xr. It has worked wonders during the school day. She gets a bit wild at night as it wears off and is eating less and staying up later. We're still working w/ dr. to balance it out. Overall, despite side effects, it has been a great help for school work. Last year she never got her work done and couldn't read. Now she is so proud of her reading and is getting rewarded for good citizenship. By the way, I also have a 9 yr old daughter w/ Autism Spectrum Dx. She does have an auditory processing problem as well. After meds for mood and irritability, our child psychiatrist is considering adding something for inattentiveness but I'm not sure what yet .