ADD / ADHD Community

I have the same issues with my daughter. She is in first grade and she is a bright smart little girl. But her talkactive personality has gotten her in trouble at school. She has detention almost every other day in school because she interrupts the class all the time. She doesn't pay attention to instructions and she never completes a task as simple as it may be. She had her evaluation at the doctors today and the doctor recommended medication. I have the prescription with me right now, but I am hesitant to take it to the pharmacy. I have been reading about the meds and I am not comfortable with the side effects and the addictive nature of them. She is thin and tall as it is, this med reduces her appetite and she is already a picky eater. I know my child needs help and I want to help her and do more for her. But the meds scare me for her reactions to it. It's not certain she will have all the side effects but I just can't process this completely. I am considering getting a second opinion and to get a scan done on her and blood test to ensure this is not a different disorder that is being mistaken. For now...I cannot bring myself to giving my child the medication. I am torn at the moment. But I want to help her and I will research more before she takes the first pill. Sigh....

have the same issues as well witht my soon to be 6 yr old daughter! i would ask the school to evaluate her as well! his dr cant erscribe any medicine or diagnose him with out the schools opinion, we are in the process now. i put my daughter in counseling thinking she was having behavior issues, never understood y she was always introuble at daycares as a little kid, now it makes sense if she does in deed have this add-adhd. i wish this on none this parenting is so hard as it is on top of possible add?? no i dont think i can handle ant more/ can i ask a question?? what do u do for decipline if hes bad in schoool? im stuck,.... i feel like its not her fault she doe smost things... ex breaking out in a tempper cuz she doesnt understand the class assignment then she gets in trouble for the temper... what would u do if ur child has add?? do u decipline him? talk ? nothing?? we still punish her, but lighten up on it ... as to shes getting older and we find it easier to communicate adntalk with her about the righ tadn wrong decisions and explain she needs to think before she actss do u feel stuck too?

When a child has extreme behavioral issues and trouble focusing, I urge an evaluation from a professional - not your run-of-the-mill pedi.

A comprehensive evaluation is over the course of a few visits, a ton of paperwork that both teacher and parent fill out. Meetings with the child alone, meetings with parents alone, meeting together with child and parent.

If you are potentially thinking (or a Dr.) medication, then you want to make SURE the Dr. is a Child brain specialist - meaning a Child Psychiatrist who is board certified. Medication is a big step, and you want to make sure your child is in the best care possible with a smart, knowledgeable Child Psychiatrist.

Take care,
-Kathleen

My son started having issues at about that same age and really, he was a bright, energetic boy all his life, its his personality. The school started having issues prior to my noticing it was a real problem. He didnt pay attention or stay on task. I remember one time at home I had instructed him that he needed to clean his room and he had this huge fit, to the point of me yelling and locking myself in a room because I was so frustrated. We had a lot of situations like this. Once he was diagnosed we put him on Concerta. Fortunately we found the right meds and dosage right away. Instantly we seen a difference. It was night and day. It was scary at first to put my small boy on a drug that potentially had negative side affects but after seeing how well he did while on the meds I felt so terrible for not doing it sooner. We yelled at our son for years for things and behaviors that were simply out of his control. His quality of life, of having fun and being a kid were definetely impacted by it, now that he is on a medicine that helps balance out those chemicals in the brain, he functions much better and can be himself. Another parent with ADD once explained to me that to a child with ADD (ADHD) cleaning a room is a huge task, one that seems absolutely impossible, too huge to actually complete. For a child with ADD it needs to be broken down into smaller, comprehendable pieces: take out the trash, put your clothes away, make your bed, etc. Once I got a handle of that it made life much easier. My son is almost 15 now, good luck with your diagnosis, you are not alone!

Thanks for the replies. The thing is...his ADHD (if that's what it is-we are going through the diagnossis process and teacher questionare) is not showing at school. Could it be because it is very structured and he has enough stimulation constantly through the day? Very confused on why friends and family notice it (use as parents at home big time) and the school doesn't?????

Is the medication a non-stimulant?

I agreee, momuv4girls. I would obtain a referral to a child psychiatrist for a complete evaluation.

My son is diagnosed with ADHD and has successfully been on stimulant medicationfor 8 years.