Having trouble only at school | ADHD Information

Hello, I'm new to this site so please bear with me. My son is 8yrs. old and has been diagnosed with ADHD since kindergarten.  I have him currently on Focalin fast acting.  The problem is every med I have him on seems to be o.k. at home but as soon as he is at school, forget it.  He does not seem to listen, or cooperate or try to be part of the classroom.  His teacher is practically at the end of her rope with him and I don't know what to do.   I mean, how many different meds can this poor kid go on.  No meds seem to be working.  If anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated.In order for it to be ADHD, the child must show symptoms in more than one environment.  If he acts out at home when he's not on meds, then it could be ADHD.  If he only acts out at school, then chances are the problem is school.  I would suspect learning disabilities or some type of learning issue with what you have described, and ADHD meds will not make those issues go away.Before your son was on meds, was his behavior equal in both places?

It took a while for us to figure out the correct med also...it seems that while he did improve somewhat with the drugs in the concerta, ritalin, focalin family...it was not great and the doc wanted to keep upping the dosage...he was also on strattera which I hate ...made him moody...finally we settled on Adderall and it is working wonders...this kid actually finishes his work and his writing has improved 100% I thought he had dysgraphia when he was  on the other meds....

As far as school goes...remember there are sooooooooooo many different stimuli there that effect our kids...my child is more hyper in a group setting then he is  one on one or at home ( even on meds).

Good luck and keep talking to your doc until you get something you are happy with...also check into getting him tested if you suspect a LD

.

joemom38826.2944097222Our son is different at home than school. School he is not a behavior problem. All his teacher complains about is attention and doing his work. His depakote er does help him. His fish oil does also. Coffee w/splenda and milk does too. He also does vitamins since he eats a poor breakfast. Our son has Ld/ language issue  as well. He receives ST and  OT also. ADHD shows everywhere. It is not selective. Unless it's a matter of the meds wearing off, he should be the same at home as at school, UNLESS he can't deal with all the sensory stuff. Can you behaviors that concern you? Is he social? Any other issues besides inattention?IMac38945.5566319444Hmm.  If the meds make him act O.K. at home, then there's no reason to change them.  Something is going on at school, and I agree with OlderMom that it sounds like something sensory.  When he is not on his meds, forget it.  He terrible at home and at school.  Maybe I'm used to his behavior and that is why it really is not a big issue at home.  The school psychologist tested him just before spring break to see if it was something more than ADHD.  God, I hope not, I'm having enough trouble coping now as it isl.  His psychiatrist tells me that there are more meds we can try, but in the meantime he's having trouble at school.  I'm afraid he's going to be failed due to his behavior.  The school social worker said there is not much the school can do until the child begins to fail.( Isn't that just lovely)