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Lack of focus is the core ADHD symptom. Yes, sometimes they do act different when a parent is in class.

I suggest that you first pursue this privately and get a complete evaluation from a neuropsyche or a psychologist specializing in education testing. Don't be surprised if they tell you to wait until he is six. Once you get the report you can decide what to do. If you want to pursue an IEP, which is special education, you can send the report to the school with a written request for a Compehensive Evaluation, and they have fifteen days to give you an Assessment Plan. But consider this carefully. In SE, you give part of your control over to the IEP team. It is no longer just your decision. And you cannot just exit SE when you want to. Some schools are VERY political and involvement in the process can be not only time consuming but unpleasant. I see it as a scale. How much does your child need the help? Can you medicate and work on behavior with the teacher? Or do you need to dive into special education to get him the help that he needs? Or perhaps the choice is medicate and retain control vs don't medicate and get services and lose a lot of control. This is how I see it anyway.

Having the school evaluate first is not the right strategic move. Anything can happen. They can say that he is not eligible for SE. They can say that he is eligible but only under the Emotionally Disturbed category (so they can get the county mental health dept to foot some of the bill). It is better to give them a report that says your child needs SE, under the OHI category, and these are the services that he needs. If they don't provide those services, you can hire an advocate who will then use the report to get services.

As far as alternatives, I have been up to my eyeballs in alternatives. I have spent a boatload of money, and tons of my time. Go check out the alternatives board. Many alternatives help reduce certain symptoms. But I could never find anything that got to the focus. I still do all of the supplement alternatives. I have been through some others too like OT, play therapy, social skills classes. As school progresses into third and fourth grade they MUST have focus or they drown.

Don't worry yourself about that social services thing. That's bunch of malarky.

NoTellin39358.4183912037

If your nephew has ADHD, and 5 is young to diagnopse, but possible then you have choices. You DO NOT have to medicate if you do not want to, and with him being your Nephew you may not have that choice( it may be made for you by the courts, as it was in our case). Also, he would have to display the behaviors at home and at school for it to be ADHD. Meds are a personal choice, and some kids DO need them, mine is one of them.

Oh, and that article is a.....well....a load of crap? IMO

edbson39357.8096296296

Joy2 really hit the nail on the head with this one as far as alternatives go:

"If a case is mild, it is probably possible to do a lot with different methods, like lots of exercise, behavior modification, short bursts of work, gum chewing, supplements, or whatever works for you.  If the kid can't function at all ... well, your choices become much more circumscribed."

If the child his mild ADHD alternatives may very well work for you. But your chances go way down with moderate or severe ADHD. Mild/mod/severe really are subjective descriptions, but you as the guardian should be able to get a feel for whether your child is mild, moderate, or severe in a group setting, which is where it counts.

NoTellin, that was one of the best posts I've read here.  We have managed to stay out of the school programs and I would prefer to keep it that way, but if we do have to become part of the SE system, I'm glad you're around to ask.

I also did not want to give the impression that medication is not a choice.  You definitely do not HAVE to medicate your nephew, even if it turns out that he does have ADHD.  You can choose to deal with the resulting behaviors as you find acceptable and the school cannot force you to medicate him.  

My point was that you can't just say -- ohhh, this (alternative) method sounds good and seems to work for someone out there, so I'm going to do that instead and get the same results.  If I could somehow affect my son's focus and behavior without a stimulant, I would do it in a heartbeat, but that choice just isn't out there for us.  If a case is mild, it is probably possible to do a lot with different methods, like lots of exercise, behavior modification, short bursts of work, gum chewing, supplements, or whatever works for you.  If the kid can't function at all ... well, your choices become much more circumscribed.

Joy2
Hi everyone, Im new to understanding ADHD. The teacher of my 5year old Nephew suspects that he has ADHD. Im trying to educate myself as much as possible about this disorder so i can be his biggest advocate. So far i have written a letter to the school requesting a meeting about finding ways to help my Nephew. When i told his teacher that i am going to take him to a speacialist, she said to dont worry about doing that, that the school will take care of eveything. Should i be worried? or should i go with my gut and send him to a specialist of my choice? Can anyone tell me of his rights and mine as his Guardian? Ive been reading about the medications these kids are taking. I refuse to put him on any kind of drugs and would rather use alternative solutions. Is their any other solutions than drugs? Please share with me other alternatives. I read this article that says if you refuse to put a child on medication that Social Services can take them from the home. This scares me. here is the link to the article http://www.cchr.org/index.cfm/8210 Is this real? Does anyone have a link to share that outline our rights? I would like to be well informed before this meeting with the schools teacher ,counselor and psychologist. Any and all information that i can get will be helpful. Hello Lynn,

You are right to educate yourself about your nephew's possible ADHD.  First of all, I have never done anything (yet) through the school system.  I don't know what the teacher means by "the school will take care of everything."  ADHD is a medical disorder and a medical diagnosis.  The school is able to diagnose ADHD as much as they are able to diagnose diabetes.  They aren't.  Other people around here know the laws better than I do and can educate you on that side of things, but your gut is telling you the right thing to do -- go to a specialist or, better yet, a team of specialists.  Your nephew might be normal, or have a learning disorder or a language disorder or even a hearing problem.  Get him tested outside the school system (especially if you aren't having any problems with him at home -- you would always notice ADHD behaviors at home as well).

Having said that, if he does have ADHD, there usually really isn't a choice between alternative solutions and "drugs" (medications).  Many of us have tried everything and finally realize that our children have a medical disorder (like bipolar, depression and autism) and need a medical solution.  I am one of those people, although I keep trying the alternative stuff, too (like the omegas, which have research to back them up).   My husband and I are always learning how to handle the behavioral side as well, but find that all of the behavior modification in the world can't help our son if he isn't first in our world instead of his own, movement-seeking, dreamland world. 

Go have him tested on your time and at your pace and then you will be much better informed when/if you meet with the school professionals.  If he doesn't have ADHD, you will at the very least understand an impairment that many families truly struggle with every day, and if he does, this group is a great place to find support for this challenging disorder.

Joy2

Thank's for the advice. His teacher says he disrupts the class, runs around, talkative, and lack of focus.

Both my Husband and i have been taking turns observing him in class.

We have noticed his lack of focus at school and in the home. When i work with him with his schoolwork he gets easily distracted and lacks focus. He can be

 talkative at times. He does'nt run around in the home or when we are at his school. His teacher says he only does it when we are not around.

I asked his teacher if she could make a few resonable adjustments for him.

I asked her to sit him infront of the class and tap on his desk when he's not focusing. I also asked her to be more firm with him. She is a sweet lady but my Nephew is one of those kids that if you let him he will walk all over you.

I also asked her to use some sort of disiplin when he acts up,  such as a time out or no recess.

I have to admitt i was proud to hear today that she put her foot down with my Nephew she let him know his actions will not be tolerated. I wish i was there to see the look on his face.

He behaves very well at home. The one problem that we see in the home is just the lack of focus.

Hi Aunt Lynn,

I agree with Joy. Take your nephew to a specialist to get him evaluated for ADHD. I don't think the school can adequately "take care of everything".

If he is dx (diagnosed) with ADHD, then don't expect a tougher teaching method (putting her foot down) to fix him. In most cases, when you get tough with a child that has ADHD, things will get worse, expecially if the child is not on medication or other forms of treatment.

You are right to study all you can about ADHD... Such as what it is, how it affects the brain, how medication works in the brain, how many types of ADHD there are, and what kinds of treatment is available. You may also find it helpful to learn about other problems that kids often have, such as OCD, ODD, AS, Sensory Integration, and more. To know what all these letters mean, look through many of the posts on this web forum an dyou'll see that that many kids who have ADHD sometimes also deal with other issues.

If your nephew is ADHD, you'll find that more than one form of treatment is recommended... You might want to do a combination of medicine, therapy/counseling, dietary changes, supplements, and behavioral modification techniques in the home.

Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress with your nephew.