We had the same experiences. Our ds didn't show hyperactive symptoms until he STARTED kindergarten. He had really bad impulse control and began to have lack of focus. I had no idea it could be adhd when he was in preschool, I just thought he needed socialization skills because he was immature. So we waited it out until Christmas break . I saw how hyper and un focused he was and reluctantly started meds. We first tried adderal xr and now he is on focalinxr which is working very very well.
The sad thing is that while I was trying alternatives and diet to help him his self esteem was being completely destroyed in school. He was constantly in trouble, in the office and even expelled( in kindergarten!).
The meds changed his life and ours. He was able to behave and focus in school. He started smiling again. His handwriting went from illegible to really great. He started to make a few friends. I would say it changed his life.
As a family we could finally do things together in public, like go out to eat or to a friends house.
Just to add to my last post. At the end of the year we took ds to a developmental ped. and he was dx w/ aspergers syndrome (very mild) and adhd.
He is in first grade this year and what a major difference. So far it has been a great year. I guess this all just takes some time to iron out. We have the support of our school counselor, his teacher, the county autism team and a case manager. But so far he has been SAILING
You need a reward based behavior plan with the teacher.
Jessica N39709.7236574074I have to agree with the above posters. My husband and I were on opposite shores about meds. But the fact is that there are meds out there that help chldren with adhd. My 9 yr old had years of occupational therapy and sessions iwth behavior doctors. We do alot of OT at home (also has a sensory disorder), charts, rewards, etc. Reminder that the typical trial for the best med is FOUR different drugs. Sorry to tell ya this, but your child may become a guinea pig. I do know that the meds (focalin XR and clonidine) have given my son his life back and the ability to perform in school. I hate medicating my child. However, he has a neurological disorder that impacts his academics and behavior. It is a journey with no quick fixes. Be patient, your child wants to do his best. We do see a wonderful doctor who specializes in adhd, that helps tremendously. So sorry that your family has to go through this. Plus age and maturity will allow your child to develop self regulating strategies to improve his performance in school.What Meds is he on? We have tried several and had either a negative reaction or no reaction.
You have two choices with a child who has been diagnosed with ADHD and does not respond to dietary nor vitamin changes. Meds and/or modify the environment. If you don't want (or can't) use meds, then modify the environment. In your case, get him into a classroom situation with more direct adult supervision or consider holding him out of school for another year. A year retained now could mean an advantage in maturity every year after. Typically, ADHD kids are intellectually smart, but emotionally immature; usually a year behind their peers. Starting kindergarden when he's a bit more in control and a year older maybe your best bet.
Also consider that his teacher is confined with your child for 6 hours a day 5 days a week. Remember the last time you were stuck in the house for a whole weekend with your child and how draining that was? Now imagine his teacher trying to manage your child all day long as well as trying to make a positive classroom experience for the other 24 kids. It ain't easy so keep working with his doctor to tune the meds in and consider either getting him into a smaller class or holding him out of school for another year. You won't get another opportunity.
Paul
I felt the same way as you Nanabear. We had our son in preschool through the school system to address some implusiveness, etc. We were in denial about the ADHD, but took him to a child psychologist after day after day of negative reports from school. Our psychologist gave us some tips that did help to some degree. One was to encourage our son to stop, breathe and think. Doesn't always work but can help. Another thing she told us was to let the school deal with issues at school, not to bring them home and punish him again (especially if it is something they can't control much). We did institute a grab bag we kept in the car where if he had a great day, he could pull a reward from the bag. (Coupon for a treat, a game wtih Mommy, 10 extra minutes at bedtime, etc.) The idea was that he coudl see the bag when we dropped him off and picked him up as a visual reminder. It also was a way to focus on the positive. All of that said, this only helped a small amount and medication is what has worked for us. He's not perfect on meds, but much more easy for the teacher (who now knows, despite my initial thoughts to keep it private) to work with. In terms of specific meds, we had good response on short-acting Ritalin, bad experience with Concerta, and are currently testing dosages for Vyvanse, which is mostly positive so far. Best of luck to you!I was just reading a report today on ADHD and effective treatments. Data supports again and again that the most effective treatment is medication therapy. The only area where behavioral therapy appears to have an impact is when the ADHD is present with another disorder like anxiety or depression.
Believe me, it was a very trying time when we agonized over whether to medicate our child. I only wish now that we had done it sooner. Our child has friends, is socially adjusted, does well academically, and most importantly feels good about himself. Behavior management is minimally effective with a child who lacks impulsive control. Your child isn't misbehaving because he is CHOOSING to-your child is misbehaving because he has NO CONTROL. As a result, behavior therapy has little success. Your child wants to do well, probably knows all the rules and the consequences, but just can't seem to stop the negative behavior.
See a child psychiatrist or behavioral specialist. Re-evaluate using medication. There are many different types and options. We are now positive we did the right thing, and our son's life is better for us doing so...
Best of luck. It is never an easy decision.
nanabear, he is on concerta AND guanfacine(tenex) which helps his overstimulation and impulsiveness.Hello Everyone,
My 6 year old (ADHD) started Kindergarten last week and our fears that he would have problems came true. He has gotten a bad report everyday from the teacher and the PE teacher. It is mostly that he does not follow directions. (Luckily no name calling or hitting yet, which got him kicked out of 2 preschools). He is currently not on Meds. He had a bad reaction to the stimulants and the non-stimulants had no effect, so we made the call to go without meds. I want to avoid the Medication route if at all possible and focus on behavior therapy. Anyone have any tricks for correcting listening behavior at school. I can correct his behavior at home but I feel lost when it comes to getting him to listen to the teacher. We have tried offering rewards for good days (but he hasn’t had even 1 good day yet) we have even started to take things away like TV and Toys and it does not faze him one bit.