Adhd in a Only Child

You might try an experiment with food. Take her off ALL processed foods for one week - no sugars, no dyes, no foods with additives -- stick with proteins, veggies, fruit, and some grains -- see if there is a change -- you might see some radical shifts in behavior in just a week. Also, find some children's DHA with Omega 3/6/9 and add that to her daily diet.

Dear D., I have a copy of a CD by Dr Christine (Ito) Wood, M.D., C.L.E. about ADHD. Dr Wood is a practicing pediatrician and certified lactation educator. She is listed in the Best Doctors of America, representing the top 3% of doctors in this peer review polling process. If you like, I can mail a copy to you.

I dont know a lot about adhd but read an article some time back that said that this problem is caused/aggrivated
by the consumption of processed food ingredients such as artificial colors and refined carbohydrates. that 80% of who were taken off processed foods had a huge change in behavior.
hope this helps some. Maybe making a change in the foods eaten would make a difference. might be worth a try.
D.

Homeppathic remedies have been found to be very successful in helping adhd children. It takes a trained homeopathic physician to do a thorough case study and work with you and your child to come up with the correct remedy, but it is worth it! Look for the book "Ritalin-Free Kids" (sorry I don't remember the authors right now). It was published in the 1990's so might not be in print now, but maybe you could find it in a library or on Amazon.com.
J.

Hi D.:

I would check into any issues with kids in school. My daughter came home with tantrums and hyperactive behavior and it turns out a little girl was punching her in the stomach and she had no idea that it was not a nice thing for her *friend* to be doing. We pulled her out of that school and is back to her old sweet self, helping around the house and playing quietly. Night and day within a matter of a few days.

The second thing is, check into DHA (fish oil). Studies show that it helps fight ADHD and provides much needed Omega-3s in the diet. This helps with ADHD A LOT!

Thanks and God Bless.

My oldest has ADHD too, and he did not really respond to the med either very well, they changed after 4 month the perscription in a ritalin which I only had to give than 1 time a day , not 2 or 3 times we did sport as you did and Psycatric help, but I figuered also that some of the preservertives make it worse. I homecooked everything, only water and tea without sugar and after one year on the drug, he got off, we are with the same died and a lot of sports and are really great. Now we even can have sometimes sweets or some premate foods. It takes time your child is only 5, my son was about 8 untill things really got better. I know it's hard, try to have patience and make teachers aware of the problem too. Also herself she needs to realize what's wrong with her, and learn to see the signs herself that you can pin point them our. like hey look at yourself, do you see it's not ok.?? But for that she still needs to grow a little. Patience is the key.. It will get better. ....I know I went trough were you are.. it feels hopeless, but it's not. .:-)

My advice to you is get her off ritalin. Doctors are to quick to put kids on this drug. And the fact that he prescribed 2x a day is outragous. The best thing to do is to start teaching your child how to control the effects of ADHD, give them ammino acids, decrease sugar, remove anything with red or yellow dyes and also remove MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)from their diets. Also I would recommend going to a book store and looking for books on handling ADHD in children in healthy way. These books will better help in diets, way to help control and understand the effects of ADHD. There are also website you can go to for support...just put in "dealing with ADHD" in search. My oldest son had ADHD and I was not pleased with the effects he was having so I tried a couple of these things (removing dyes, sugar, MSG, teaching him to understand and control his impulses along with focus...he now controls it himself without drugs.
But my two step son's were already on meds by the time I came into their lives as it was court ordered because of birth mother demanding it in custody papers. There was little I could do except try to keep the doseage as low as possible and still do what I could that I did with my olest.
So if you must have the drug I personaly recommend Concerta or Medadate time release or extend release. Both of these are a ritalin type drug but they do not have the same intense side effects. Plus having the extend or time release gives a small amount throughout the the day. Ritalin is a form of speed (as is the others) so the most problem that you have to look at is rapid heart rate, sweating, aggressivness and when they get older the likelihood of trying other street drugs is higher then other kids. I know this as my oldest step son was on Aderall XR and we had problems with all of this while he was growing up (I was only able to do the diet and teaching for a a year or two because the problems were too far gone by time I got to him) now he is on Meth. And my youngest step son is currently on Concerta 36mg (at one point they also had him on 18mg at noon...bad move as we had more problems then not). He is 14 now on just the one dosage of 36mg plus ammino acids but he also was starting to play around with drugs because the ADHD drugs weren't giving him the same effect as the used to (that is another thing that the docotrs don't tell you is that when your kid reaches puberty the hormones conteract the drug so it doesn't work as good so they need more and more to get same effect as before). We are currently trying to his diet and ammino acids adjusted.
Just be very careful with this drug as there are also cases of the drug having a very bad backlash in making the kids violent. I am sorry to be such a bummer or if I scared you but we are dealing with very fragile brains & lives here. Doping up these brains is a recipe for problems in the long haul. That is just my experience.
You are in my prayers that all goes well.
M

My son also had extreme adhd.

Introduce her to as many sports as YOU can handle; basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming. The dance class was a good idea, but she needs to burn additional energy!

Also restrict her sugar intake. NO SODA! Try Crystal Light. NO CANDY! I used to make fruit baskets for Easter. I would tell people that my son could have an allergic reaction to sugar. And he did. He became a monster!

My son outgrew his adhd when he was almost 8. I did not put him on medication so we all truly had to dedicate ourselves to maintaining this structure. As a single mom, you'll have to make the decision whether the medication is worthwhile. I didn't find it to be so.

Good Luck!
M

I'm feeling your frustration! I am a mother of 3 boys my middle son has adhd. My son is not on any prescription meds. We do use Attend from our local health food store. The first thing that you need to do if you haven't is get an IEP. My son used to act the same way. We had a behavioral specialist come in and observe him to see if it was just him or if something was triggering him to become disruptive. We found that it was a number of things. He likes things to be neat and in their place and noises seemed to bother him too. When things were out of place he became very overwhelmed and that would cause outburst or being disruptive and not being able to complete the tasks. He also didn't like noises around him so we used a study carroll for a while. Remember you still have to hold you child accountable for their behavior you can't just say they do it because they have adhd. He is now in 3rd grade and we struggle everyday with something different. One thing that we did was a chart and social stories( these are where they tell you what they are going to do) If they illustrate them that seems to be the best, yes i know she is only in Kindergarten but they know what their pictures are. The one thing that you don't want is isolation from the other students. Remember always give rewards instead of focusing on the negatives. I get information from two different web sites. here they are ____@____.com & ____@____.com They have really been helpful to me. One other thing that i did which was free and i can't remember the site but is by age of what kind of household chore your kids can do and i printed them off for each one of my childs age and went over it with them and they got stickers and if they earned enough then i took them for ice cream at the end of the week. This is ongoing and sometimes only one of my kids gets ice cream but it really makes the others work harder the next week so they can get it. Now back to the teachers at school, i've been in the same boat. Remember you are your own childs advocate and you are the only one that really knows them. It has taken a while but don't let them "know where you keep your goat" because that will get you every time. Try to set up weekly meetings if you can or daily emails about how she does in school and maybe she gets something special. ADHD kids are so smart. It's just takes a little observance to see what's going on. We do a behavior chart at school still with my son and he gets either a smile of a frown. for every smile he earns he gets fake money and when he earns $20 he gets to do something really special or buy something from the resource teacher (which in my books has been the best thing for him) Remember when you are always telling or being told that your child is behaving badly it never makes for a good day, but turn it around and always remember to talk about it. Because my son is in third grade he can now write down why he is mad or what made him mad and when he does that then we just throw it away and say we can't talk about it anymore because it's over and done with. I know you have a ways to go but it really can be done. I am not a believer in the meds, but to each their own. I also found out that thru several different web sites that food coloring and artifical flavors has a lot to do with his behavior. I make everything from scratch and yes i work full time, it can be done. No colored fruit drinks, no cheetos, no doritos etc. Yellow and red seem to be the worse so i decided to just cut out everything. I was raised on a farm was taught to cook from scratch so it's really easy for me. We don't buy cookies from the store, i make them. It is a total lifestyle change, but it has been very rewarding and yes i won't lie it was very frustrating in the beginning. For us it started in pre-school and i'll just tell you that some of the teachers were better than others and They all know me really well and know what i expect or i just go to the head guy to get it done. Well i hope that i have helped you, i know that this is long, but please feel free to email me at ____@____.com if you have anymore questions. I'll tell you, i've pretty much been thru it all with the schools.

Are you able to stay home with your daughter? If you are, have you considered Home Schooling? There are many great, accredited home schooling programs today that would help you get started (Kolbe, Seton, Calvert). If you were able to be at home with you daughter, this would eliminate the school's need to restrict her day to their order. Home schooling offers the opportunity to learn your daughters learning style and adapt your schedule to her needs. ie: frequent breaks, the ability to get up and stretch, get a drink of water, etc. Many ADHD children are actually above average intelligence and go on to be over achievers because they desire constant stimulation - which means they are not lazy. She can do the work and can succeed. If you had her at home, you might be able to focus her interests and channel her energies into a variety of hands on learning exercises along with the common text book learning. Look into the Charlotte Mason teaching method.

Good Luck!

Hi D. D,

I'm sorry things have been so difficult. Kids with adhd have a real battle going on within them. You might be helped by reading Parenting Children with Love and Logic. I'd also be sure your daughter is on a pharmaceutical grade vitamin. This helped our son immensely. Our choice was Usana. You can learn about Usanimals for kids at www.vibrantlife.usana.com .

Staying away from pop and foods with red dye also helped us.

It may sound a bit odd, but spend a few minutes several times a day dreaming about your daughter being happy and interacting with others in ways that work for her and for them. Get her to dream as well. What would she like to see happen today? Who would she like to talk to? Imagining together can help you both believe things can and will improve.

If you are a person of prayer, I would invite you to ask God to help you and her to see who God is calling her to be as well. If you'd like more on that I'd be happy to share with you by email.

Blessings to you both.

Dear D.,
I raised a child that was diagnosed with adhd. I feel it is over used for many reasons. They don't really know what the heck the kid has. I was told to give my son meds. but never would. I just tried behavior modification. I had to be right on top of things, and be ready for it to happen. I did a lot of re-directing. If the med does not change her behavior, slow her down where she can function, it's not adhd. What behavior is she actually exhibiting? I feel for you, it's so hard to raise a child that everyone talks about. It can break your heart. Go get you some books on the subject, and also learn about behavior modification. Maybe something is going on with her and she is just acting out???
D. e.

I do not know much about this topic, but you might want to check out this site http://www.feingold.org/. Good luck.

Are you sure it's ADHD? Have you had a second opinion?? I would SERIOUSLY check into food allergies if you have not. If not familiar with food allergies, you will be amazed to learn what they can do to behaviors. I have a child diagnosed with Autism but have found the majority of his issues were with the foods we think are nutritious.

I have older children who were diagnosed with ADHD,put on ritalin at a young age like yours and it did not help. I wish I knew then what I know now but I always listened to the "experts".

There are some things you can start watching on your own but please consider an allergists. Does she have worse days when she eats CORN (big problem for some). Tomatoes? Potatoes? Maybe gluten or diary are a problem for her.

Good Luck!!

D. I completely understand your frustration. My 9 year old has adhd also and I've been dealing with the same issues with schooling. Where you've got her in dance classes I'm not sure how much more you can juggle. I know my son's in karate and that has helped immensly, but we still get school reports. I've been noticing that they're not keeping in challenged in school, have you been feeling this way with her? My husband and I have finally agreed to try homeschooling this summer, to see if maybe we can keep him challenged and be able to work around his struggles with the focusing. If this summer it works better then we're thinking about continuing with it. I know it's hard, I feel like running away and hiding so often due to the excess energy and the reports from school. It's very frustrating. Don't you wish that she could give you some her energy sometimes?:) I wish you luck.

Integrating movement into her education could prove very helpful. Kids who are kinesthetic learners (as opposed to visual or auditory) get shafted in our school system. My brother-in-law probably had ADHD and was homeschooled. His mom let him run back and forth across the room while he spelled words. He is a well-adjusted adult now, and many people do grow out of it eventually, if their parents can refrain from killing them in the meantime! (joking)

One other thing you might look into is homeopathy. I know a homeopathic doctor (not local) who successfully treats kids with autism and ADHD. The theory is that there is a buildup of toxins in their bodies and so they work on special, individualized diets and homeopathic drops to detox their bodies. It has proven successful, at least in this guy's clinic, in reducing symptoms greatly. It also decreases inflammation and has cleared my mother-in-law's 8-year knee problems. She is on a rotating diet, and has been out of a wheelchair and can dance again. Anyway, it's interesting stuff. They use biofeedback, which I don't understand at all, to see what your body does and does not need, all the way from food to soap to shampoo to laundry detergent. After a year or so of a very restrictive diet, they incorporate most foods back into the diet slowly.

It sounds like your daughter may be reacting to some allergy. Sugar in any dose for adhd kids is too much. Do you eat a lot of processed foods? There are also nutritional supplements that you can buy at the Health Food store which may be helpful. Also, get a hair analysis done to see if she has a mineral deficiency. What area do you live in? There are many chiropractors and holistic health providers that are having very good results with adhd. Hope this helps. Good luck and keep us posted.

msn.com just ran a short article yesterday that talked about + / - diet considerations for kids with ADHD. Omega fatty acids, eating quality fish, protein at each meal & snack, magnesium, B complex (NOT the megadoses; those can cause neurological damage), calcium, zinc...all important to eat regularly. My allergist has worked quite a bit with kids who have behavioral issues; while she's quick to admit there are many causes to look at, she's seen some moderate to dramatic improvements when kids' allergies are identified and treated (drops, not shots). A biggie to get out of your daughter's diet is (very likely) corn...including corn syrup. Corn's a common allergen. Also artificial sweeteners. Cane sugar may be less of a villain, ditto honey, but still important to watch.

ADHD an issue for me, too. Doctor recommended fish and/or flaxseed oil for omega 3s/6s in diet, mentioned promising research in this area. If you go with capsules, try organic flaxseed oil (flax is usually a heavily treated crop wrt pesticides). I read somewhere to be careful of fish oil caps with a lot of cod, as it may have too much vitamin A; check that one out with a dietician.

Have you found any local or online support groups? Try links from the Mayo Clinic, also CHADD. other things to look at: regular sleep pattern, SAD, regular aerobic exercise (does she swim?). Support groups may offer good tips for focusing on her positive behaviors.

Good luck to your family!

Hi D., There was a wonderful program ran about 10 years ago in Appleton Wisconsin in Central Alternative High School where vending machines and fast food menus were taken out of the school lunch program. You can read about it at www.rense.com/general31/miracle.htm In short what they found out that nutrition plays a huge part in children with ADHD and by adding whole grains ,fresh fruit & vegetables and preparing meats with the "old fashioned recipes" there was a huge difference in the childrens behavior. If I can be of service to you please email me at ____@____.com Sincerely, C. B.

A little about me: I am a Wellness & Nutrition Consultant, Wife and Mother of 2 Young Men. I love helping others with their health through Nutrition. www.carolbastienforthehealthofit.org

Change her diet...no sugars except for maybe one cookie a day or everyother day, no artificial dyes, espcially red, watch the starchy food since they turn into sugars in your system. It should help some.

HI

I would have her dance with me. Get some excercise tapes that involve dancing and put them on and dance with her. it will get her tired and you both will bond together (plus it will keep you in shape too. Or when the weather improves go out with her in bikes.
good luck and have fun!

MOM OF 4YR OLD GIRL AND 2YR OLD BOY (BOTH WITH SPEECH DELAY)

Hi D.,

I have a nephew with ADHD, and it sounded strange to me at first, but they put him in yoga and meditation classes. He seems like a totally different child. You may want to put your daughter in something similar. If she just started dance classes, you may begin to see some differences. Give it a little time.

It might not be true, but I've heard that Red 40 (food coloring) is linked with ADHD. Its in so many things. We avoid it as much as possible. That might help at least a little. Good luck!

I was diagnosed with adhd as a kid and the meds didn't help at all. Then, I was diagnosed with (mild) food allergies about a year later and poof.....the adhd went away. They took me off the meds and I was fine. No more processed lunch meat, but no more adhd either. Allergies are a strange thing.

Ask your doctor for a different medication. My son is the same way. He's been on medication for almost 5 years now and we've tried MANY different things. Some are designed to last all day long and others may only last for a few hours and then wear off. That sounds like the problem you're having.

What kind of diet does she have? Some children react negatively to many kinds of preservatives and additives, including food dyes (like yellow #5) etc. Have you tried eliminating all sugar (including white bread) and food additives and preservatives? Buying organic and whole, fresh foods can help to cut down on these things. Another thing to do is read food package labels. For instance, Kraft mac and cheese has preservatives, yellow #5, and is made with white pasta (which is basically sugar). Generaly, the more ingredients you can't pronounce, the more additives are usually in it. Most packaged foods contain many additives. I would suggest trying to stick to a diet that has almost no refined sugar (only buy whole grain breads and pastas), no packaged foods, and is mostly organic. You could try it for a couple of weeks and see if there is any improvement.

I was told to give my daughter a can of mountain dew before she leaves for school in the morning. That caffeine has the same effect in calming them as their medication. Maybe that would help. It's worth a shot!

I can totally relate to how you are feeling. I have a 4 year old boy who is so hyper active. I have known since he was 2yrs old that he was ADHD but his pediatrician looked at me like I was crazy! I started taking him to see psychologist and psychiatrists at about 3 1/2-4 years old. I got some good advice on discipline from the psychologist and a diagnosis from each of the two psychiatrist I took him to. The first one was a quack and the second is wonderful. It is very hard to find a doctor to treat a child under 5 years old for ADHD since the standard age for treatment is 5-6. I have tried Ritalin and it was terrible for my son. It made him very tired and very emotional. I had him in soccer and he just started crying during one game and told me he was tired and his energy was down. We have now been trying clonidine *sp* for the ADHD which is a blood pressure medicine but it is used to treat ADHD too. It has been a blessing. It is a non-stimulant that gets to the receptors in the brain and calms him down. He also has anxiety and nightmares so he takes trazadone for that. I have found great success with this and we are going to try a new medicine soon that does not make my son so tired. Even with all of this I still am struggling to find a consistent behavior. He will do so wonderful and is loving and kind then he will have two or three weeks where he gets in trouble at school every day! He will hit other kids on purpose, not listen to the teachers, run and accidentally hurt other kids. I don't get it. I am tearing my hair out trying to figure out what to do. I have heard good and bad things about the diet changes. I have heard the most about the artificial dyes in the medicine and food. I have tried to reduce sugar and processed foods but am struggling with my schedule to find time to cook. Please post if you find some solution I would be very interested to know. One of my suspicions is some underlying emotional issues related to separating from his dad. His dad does not contact us ever. He asks me all the time about his dad and I can't tell him anything good so I try to say very little. It is hard and the doctors minimize it. God bless you and your daughter.

D., actually I am a grandmother of 7 and a retired primary teacher of 28 years in Christian schools. I'd be happy to share with you information that has helped many children in my classroom - from allergies to hyperactivity. I'm not promising anything, but this natural approach just may be a key in helping her AND YOU! If you give me your email I'll forward you a newsletter that has an article about a sleep system that soothes and relaxes the body as it sleeps. Or if you prefer calling me, my number is ###-###-####.

Blessings to you!
J.

I would eliminate tv during the school week - tv at night (even before bed) is too much stimulation. Our son is 8 yr. old with ADHD and we don't have any school during the school week and we are outside every afternoon (biking, walking, etc.) It gets me in shape too!

Hello D.. I also have an adhd child though symptoms not servere. The key to our success has been her pediatrician (if you wish to know the name let me know) and thousands upon thousands of hours of one on one time I've spent with my daughter. I do not know your total situation. I would start first with the medical advise you receive. I took my daughter to SLU for testing. The information we received helped identify some of the why's and how they were effecting her thought process. This has helped us identify tools to use.
Watch other foods besides sweets and caffeine. Take it easy on fruit juices and carbs.
Let her run! and run! and run! and then have her walk. I believe this helps expend energy and then helps her learn how to control it. Outdoor activities seem to work best. Also, simple things like gardening, make sure she has room to move. You can't expect a firecracker not to sparkle. You have to help your daughter learn how to contain the explosion.
We found adderall xr to work best in our situation. Be diligent on educating yourself. Never stop looking for a better way for your daughter and future family's sake. Good luck.

I am 34 and have 3 boys, 10y/o, 8y/o, and 7mos. The older 2 have the same father and his brother has had ADHD since childhood. I was a mental health specialist in military x 6yrs, so i'm not just spreading rumors here. Science believes this diagnosis is hereditary. My mom in law controlled her son's ADHD by diet. I'm not supermom. I'm currently single and work 30 - 40hrs weekly. My 10y/o has ADD & my 8y/o has ADHD. We've experienced success with Adderall. I try to keep them active in sports but not over scheduled. They work best with routine. Also, I've made friends with the school nurse & try to keep teachers informed & up to date. Best of luck to u.

I know this sounds a little strange, but my friend has severe adhd, and when we were overseas, her medication was banned by the country we were in. She used caffeine to calm down. Something with the chemistry is different with people who have adhd, and caffeine worked wonders. Whenever she felt herself getting hyper, she just had Mountain Dew or something else, and she was calm.

You might want to consider having a hair analysis done. It can tell how her body is processing food/minerals/etc. and what she may have to much off or not enough. It cost about $60 dollars. I have one done on my girls every 2 years. I go through my chiropractor whole health specialist. It is worth a try. Good luck.

I have add and my advice from that perspective and as a mom is to watch Caesar Milan's "The Dog Whisperer" show and apply his excellent advice to how you interact with your child. Also the walks he recommends help to get that bubbling energy put to constructive use too!! One of my best friends is a psychologist extraordinaire and he advises his clients to watch that show for the same reason.

As a mother of a son, grown now, and the aunt of two nephews who have adhd relief came in the form of diet changes for my two nephews. My brother and his wife did some research and removed "Gluten" from all of their diets. Made a world of difference in the boys. Hope it helps.

Sorry I forgot ~ A little about me :) I'm a 43 y/o mother of 3, my youngest daughter is 7 and in 1st grade my son is 10 in 4th grade and my oldest is 20 and "on her own". I've been married for 12 years this summer.

~ H. S

Hi! I’m a mom of four, ages 8, 6, 4 and 2. My oldest has ADHD (we suspected it in Kindergarte, and was officially diagnosed in first grade). I have a degree in Early Childhood Education (birth to grade 3) and taught preschool for 8 years. I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend you read Driven to Distraction by Edward Hallowell, M.D., and John J Rately, M.D. They have a second book out called Delivered from Distraction that is also excellent. You should be able to check them out from the library. I was so impressed with the books that I bought my own copies. Reading the book helped me understand my daughter’s ADHD and how it affects her life. It has great advice that helps me help her cope.

Are you open to trying natural supplements? I'd love to tell you about ways people are dealing with their children's ADD/ADHD naturally. Email me at ____@____.com

I have an 8 year old son with ADHD. I am also a special education teacher. It is easy for the school to pass off judgement quickly. Try not to read to much into what the say. Ritalin may not be the medication for your son. My son was on ritalin and could not take it. He cried all the time while on it. He was switched to adderall. It worked fine but then he started having severe rebound effects when it was wearing off. For 2 hours in the evening when he was coming off the med he would yell, throw things, hit, etc. This was behavior I had never seen before. The doctor switched him to focalin. It did not work either. So I switched doctors and we went to a pediatric neurologist who specializes in ADHD. My son is now on a new med called vyvanese (spelling?). It last for 10-12 hours and is gradually released. It also gradually wears off so I do not notice a rebound effect. So far it is working very well. Hang in there! If you would like to email mail me you may:
____@____.com
L.

I would not conceren myself with what others think of your parenting. my 8 year old and i have stuggled for a while with his behavoir, he is not adhd, only because i refuse to let him be diagnosed with it. i recently heard about nuerofeedback, it is similar to biofeedback, having great results in adhd and other behavoir issues. oh and i guess if all you want are ways to burn energy, i would go with the Wii system, the amount of focus some of the games require ir amazing. good luck and never loose faith in yourself!!!!

Hi D.. I completely empathize with you. We see alot of moms in our office that show up the way you do. However, know that there is help. You just have to find what works for your child. I wanted to send this message to bring to your attention something called "upper cervical chiropractic". We have seen tremendous, tremendous success with children like yours. Working with the nervous system in the child really does wonders.
I have attached a link for you to view some chiropractic research specifically designed around ADHD:
http://icpa4kids.org/research/chiropractic/adhd.htm

and this website is great about describing the changes seen in these children:
http://www.erinelster.com/CaseStudies.aspx?ConditionID=3

Here is a quote from one of our moms:
Our sons ages 5 and 8 have been on a maintenance plan at Family First Health Center for the last year. We can tell when they need to be adjusted by their behavior. Although each displays different behavior when in need of an adjustment, both benefit in similar ways. When properly aligned, each boy is calmer, has better focus, seems to have better control over their body, and can more easily handle the ups and downs of everyday life. It has made a positive difference in their overall disposition. We kiddingly say it is like "purchasing sanity".

I hope I have provided you enough information to make an informed decision. The allergies topic that was brought up earlier is also a valid point. However, allergies is also something that should not occur in a properly functioning body.

We have a "member perk" listed on mamasource for this month. Please feel free to use it an come talk to us.

Hang in there D.. There is so much hope.
Dr. J

-- I am a mom of a 2 1/2 year old girl. She rules my world.

As a 30 yr old with ADD, It will get better.
I would suggest being more aggresive with the doc so they understand what is going on. I did NOT like ritalin. I know the drugs are limited for children. Did they have any other ideas? Suggestions for you to do at home. I know a very oranized house is very helpful. I was thought to have a learning disability growing up but my IQ was very high. Anyway it all came together when I was about 28. Talk about crazy!
My friends son has ADD and he does not take his on the weekends, a HOLIDAY. His meds seem to perform better after a holiday. I take Holidays often and let me tell ya, I didn't realize how much it takes for your brain to reorganize. If that makes any sense.

D.,

It may sounds crazy but, are you sure your little girl has adhd?? Probably, the medication is not for her, or may be you have to find another doctor; sometimes the problem are the doctors and you have to switch to another one, and find the right one.
Today children are full of energy and much more smarter than before. They are soooo exposed to another environment and things than before kids were not.
Good Luck