inattentive ADHD | ADHD Information

The med choice is always a hard one I was resistant at first and wanted no part of them then after reading many posts of success stories I mellowed.  We were advised to give it a try for one year and see how it goes then try without and wow she improved so much with meds.  My girl was on Ritalin LA and did wonderful not only had grades pick up but she actually had some friendships starting.  This year she was in a study and off meds and behavior mod alone was not good enough so we are going back to the meds and unfortunetly will be dropping the study for it is not doing my girl any good.  My daughter has Inattentiveness as well as the hyper activeness and ODD.

As Jillette said, the decision on what type of treatment to persue is difficult (if we could only see the outcome before we start), and it is very personal. We started meds because my daughter was doing so bad in school (achademically and socially) that she had no self esteem, she would not participate in class, could not keep on task to finish anything, was frustrated with all of the work, developed anxiety and depression, and started having rages and wanted to die. Now that she is on meds, she can "hear" the teacher through the distracting noises, she is developing friendships, she is happy and creative and she is excelling in school. My husband was against meds but had no other alternatives to suggest so he agreed to try meds (and is thrilled with the results). If you try meds, it does not have to be forever. If you get side effects or do not get the improvement you would like to see, stop the meds. It may take some time to get the correct med and dose for your son's individual needs.

What ever you choose to do, you will find support here.

My 8 year old son got diagnosed yesterday with ADHD. He shows no impulsivity or behaviorial issues, just distraction and inattentiveness. I have suspected this for several years and this is the third time he has been tested. (The other 2 times he fell in the normal range) He was also tested this summer for Auditory processing and again was normal. But yesterday, he did poorly on similar tests performed by the neurologist.

At present time, he is grade level in math and reading but he feels he is stupid, will not participate in class and the teacher says he looks upset when she has to remind him (numerous times) to complete tasks. Even in sports, he doesn't pay attention.

Doctor has recommended lowest dose of Ritalin LA. I'm very torn and my husband is opposed. We have noticed a decrease in self esteem this year as he becomes more aware that he has a focusing issue. Is it too soon to go to meds?I'm new to this and would love some feedback.