Looking for insight | ADHD Information
DS(13) off of meds (he had been on them successfully for years but with puberty things changed and so I decided to try some alternative methods). Diet
modifications really helped with his hyperactivity - I mean a lot (he isn't overall hyper anymore
Actually, that is the normal course of things. At the onset of puberty the hyperactivity usually disappears for the most part. A healthy diet is good for everyone but doesnt play a part in the lack of hyperactivity unless your child also has food allergies. For many children, at the onset of puberty the med situation may have to be revisted due hormonal changes. Meds may have to be changed or perhaps the dose adjusted. Unfortunately ADHD doesnt go away at puberty and as you have seen with your child in the past, effective medication makes a world of difference. Going off effective medication or ineffective medication can cause quite a bit of distruption in the child's life and that is on going. There is no longer balance and harmony in the child's life.
Sometimes a gifted kids intelligence can mask other learning disabilities
. For instance, he hates to write, complains his hand gets tired (he types instead of writes most of the time but I still wonder about why writing seems hard).
The writing problems are due to Dysgraphia.. Dysgraphia is very common in children with ADHD and learning disabilities. This subject has come up many times on this message board This is why those with ADHD are encouraged to use lap top computers. Check out Dysgraphia
As far as your concern with your sons over stimulation, the fact that you took him off medication may be the reason. Those with ADHD who are not on effective medication do tend to get overstimulated and can have some sensory issues. I suggest that you consult a professional about your concerns. Have your child's pediatrician refer you to a good neurologist as a neurologist can make a differential diagnosis and let you know whether you have good cause for concern. The school is not qualified to give you such an assessment. Good luck and for the answers you seek, its best to stick with a professional
Luvmykids0239889.8824884259Thanks Luvmykids02!
I have read that in some ADHD kids hyperness decreases with age. In my DS's case, he doesn't have food allergies (that we are aware of ) but has defininte sensitivities. I he eats anything with dyes or certain foods high in salicylates he goes into major hyper mode. While this may not be the case for all ADHD kids it certainly is the case for some.
Anyway, thanks for the input!
[QUOTE=Greyhoundmom03]Thanks Luvmykids02!
I have read that in some ADHD kids hyperness decreases with age. In my DS's case, he doesn't have food allergies (that we are aware of ) but has defininte sensitivities. I he eats anything with dyes or certain foods high in salicylates he goes into major hyper mode. While this may not be the case for all ADHD kids it certainly is the case for some.
Anyway, thanks for the input!
If hyperactivity is due to food sensitivies or allergies absolutely 
Obviously, if you are seeing symptoms or issues that are impacting your son's life and are a real concern, then I would see a specialist for a diagnosis.
It sounds, though, like what you are noticing are just some of your son's individual quirks, characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, ways of thinking.
Have you read any of Dr. Mel Levine's books (A Mind at a Time, The Myth of Laziness)? He does a fantastic job of explaining what a complex process writing is and why many people find it difficult. It involves coordinating complex thought processes (ideas, grammar and sentence structure, spelling...) and physical processes (forming letters, planning for the space on the page, etc.). And especially for those with ADHD there are so many steps along the way where the train of thought can go off the track!
Dr. Levine also is great at explaining some of the ways different individuals learn and think and where they run into difficulties with learning and school. I wish we could all take our kids to see Dr. Levine! But aside from that, you might find his books interesting and helpful. I would probably start with A Mind at a Time.
As far as the overstimulation, I think it's probably common for kids, and especially kids with ADHD, to get overstimulated by video games, etc. Since you and your son are aware of this issue, I would just try to make sure that he doesn't do the things that overstimulate him near bedtime or before he does homework or goes out to dinner with his grandparents...
As far as the problem with "processing information," I think you and he will need to work on that to find techniques and methods that help him process the information better. Maybe he is more of a visual learner and needs maps, graphs, charts, diagrams (?) Maybe he needs to break things down into smaller chunks or do some "previewing" to figure out what he is trying to learn? I guess I would look into different learning styles and methods and see if he can find something helpful. And again, Dr. Levine's books might help too.
I think since you are "cyberschooling" your son, you are in a unique position to view his learning firsthand. You will know if he is having serious issues.
Let us know how things go!
My son likes silence when playing a video game and when we are driving. He will blame others when something goes wrong on the game if there is noise around him. He has been diagnosed with sensory integration, but i also think that it is atributed to his adhd, and maybe coming off his meds.
We do the best we can to work through it, because obviously there are noises in life.
I recently took my ADHD DS(13) off of meds (he had been on them successfully for years but with puberty things changed and so I decided to try some alternative methods). Diet modifications really helped with his hyperactivity - I mean a lot (he isn't overall hyper anymore. Most of the time he is pretty calm)! BUT, he and I have both noticed something and I am wondering if there could be more going on than ADHD. I don't know anything about SPD/SID (I did read a lot of that thread yesterday)but I wonder if he could have this as well. Here is why...DS and I both notice that if he gets over stimulated (this happens when he plays fast paced video games and board games, an exciting movie or a game of dodgeball)then he gets more and more hyped up. He recognizes it but can't seem to control it. Is this just plain ADHD or is it SPD? When he was little he didn't like some loud noises (I can't remember much about this - it is a vague memory at this point. It wasn't a big deal just something I remember noticing.) He still doesn't like loud music. We have dealt off and on with other minor quirks - things I noticed seemed odd but weren't bad enough for me to really give much thought to and they never stuck for long. So, should I be looking into this more or am I grasping at straws?
Another thing... I recently started cyberschooling him so now I really see how he learns, etc. It has been interesting. He is gifted and does really well in school but I have noticed over the year that he gets a little more frustrated (middle school is more demanding than elementary) with things. Sometimes a gifted kids intelligence can mask other learning disabilities. For instance, he hates to write, complains his hand gets tired (he types instead of writes most of the time but I still wonder about why writing seems hard). His pencil grip looks good to me but you should see the way he holds eating utensils (can't believe we only noticed tis recently!) - it is like a toddler! He also often complains that he "can't process" information. This one is hard to explain and I am still trying to figure it out. So, who do I talk with about this? School? They will probably tell me he is doing fine and doesn't need looked at. I just don't want him to get more and more frustrated with school adn then find out later that he has had an LD.
Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!
Kim