New to this board and new to ADHD | ADHD Information

Hi all, I have an almost 8 year old daughter who through her ped is being started on adderall xr. I don't know where to start. She is the sweetest little thing but over the years we've had awful struggles in school, battles over homework, constant fidgeting, losing things, not able to focus even in her small group setting at school and finally she was asked to leave a stunting class at her cheer gym because she was disruptive. she just constantly has to be doing something. Be it trying to distract the teacher, talking, playing with her pencil etc. I finally got up enough courage to take her to the Dr and this is where we are. She is also being bullied at school for being "crazy hyper" and very "in your face" all this breaks my heart for my child. I have so many people who think I'm jumping the gun, I joined here for some much needed support from people who understand what it's like to know your child needs help. No you are not jumping the gun. I waited until 7 yo to medicate, and just last
night my 11 yo said that he is "scarred" because the kids at school remember
what he did in 3rd grade, and they will not forget. Ignore the advise of those
who are not in your shoes; they just don't get it. You are doing the right
thing.

 

I agree with the others!  And I must say I am so sick of "boys will be boys" too!  I have a 9 yo boy that was diagnosed at 3... yes... that young!  He is severe ADHD/ODD...

Good Luck to you!

I agree with Jessica.  My friends and family kept telling me that my son is just a boy, 'boys will be boys,' that sort of thing.  I can't tell you how much I hate that saying!  Now he has been on meds for a year, and thankfully he seems to have a more forgiving group than Jessica's son has.  He has lots of friends and has been to many birthday parties this year.  (none last year at all)  He is excelling in school academically and LOVES his teacher.

The people who are telling you to wait, that they don't think something is wrong, probably think they are doing you a favor by saying things like that.  It's very hard for someone to tell a mother that they think something is 'wrong' with their child, or that the child needs help.  I had one friend who had the courage to be honest with me.

You know your child, you are the one who picks up your child at school each day with a sick feeling in your stomach when the teacher asks you for a moment of your time before you go.  My only advice is to have your child fully assessed/diagnosed by a child psychologist so you know exactly what you are dealing with, and exactly what type of treatment will be best.

 

I don't think you're "jumping the gun" either.  My daughter sounds a lot like yours - the fidgeting, unable to focus, etc.  She was diagnosed at age 7 and has been on meds ever since - she is now nearly 16.  I tried her in so many activities over the years, and she never wanted to follow what the instructor was doing, she wanted to do her own thing.  It was so frustrating because I was always a compliant child.

I think it's good to find out early and give your child a chance to be successful in school!

Cheermama, we are in the same boat with our 6 1/2 y.o. daughter. She started taking Focalin two weeks ago - 10 mg right now, but we're still working out the dose. Your girl sounds exactly like mine, and I know how hard it is to make any decision that feels solidly right.

About 3 weeks ago, when my husband and I had our official consult with the ped, we went ready to ask about 'holistic' options, determined not to go with meds. He gave us more than an hour-and-a-half of his time and was very thorough and non-pressuring. We came out with a very altered perspective. What we now understand is that, once major environmental factors can be ruled out (significant family problems, unsupportive school, junky diet, excessive tv), the only culprit left to consider is neurology.

It seems that in the past, before ADHD was widely recognized, kids with these traits would often just be labeled "bad," then the parents would be judged harshly, and the kids would actually become troubled by the time they reached their teens because no one understood the underlying causes of their behaviors. And a lot of times those kids would end up self-medicating with alcohol and street drugs.

I'm still worried that I don't have this figured out, but we are moving forward with meds because we believe we might be able to curb potentially severe social and academic challenges in the future. It also seems that ADHD meds have improved a great deal over the years, which is reassuring, as well.

I wish you all the best and completely understand how tough this is! She's lucky that you are so responsive and want to consider every aspect. Good for you!
WoodspritesMom40662.7599421296WoodspritesMom, good thing that you and your husband considered taking the holistic treatment instead of using those strong medicines. They are still kids and in my opinion (oy maybe im just a worried freak), there may be possibilities that the kids are easily addicted to medications with stimulants.. which are not good of course. Those adverse effects are just scary. janepelton, are you making these statements based on your personal
experience as the parent of a school-age ADHD child?Jessica N40663.7503009259Medical science does not recommend effective treatment based on unprofessional opinions or people's fears or rather people who try to make their point using fear tactics. What is real scary is a child that grows up with untreated or with ineffective treatment for ADHD. Anyone that is knowledgeable about ADHD medications knows that these meds are not addictive and if they were those with ADHD would not forget to take their meds as many adults often do. When meds are taken as prescribed and being managed by an expert in med management they are perfectly safe. Do your homework and know your subject and if you do give an opinion, make sure its an opinion based on accurate knowledge of ADHD and the medications for it. Parents coming here want to learn and educate themselves based on accurate information.