Does anybody have any tips on ADHD.?

Question

My son has had it for two years now. And he's fallen further behind in school. And there really not helping any. Just trying to figure out if anybody now anything. Thanks

Answer 1

I am assuming that you have already been to a medical doctor and a psychologist. If you have not, then you should go. They, and you and your whole family should work as a team together on this. If not. You are wasting your time, money and sanity.

Now, for the nitty gritty. You should also be working to enroll your son's teacher on this team, because she sees him more during the week day than you do.

One of the things that we found worked best is a rewards, coupon book. I forget what it was called, but get on some of the adhd websites and you will come across it. One of the big things that you can do, is to be consistent. Do everything at the same time and in the same way. Don't say one thing and do another. You're only going to add to the confusion. Get yourself onto an add/adhd website. There was a good one in about.com a couple of years back. There you can get and share successes and failures with other parents going through the same thing. Realize that you are not alone.

Can't tell you more at this time due to space limitations, but follow up on some of these ideas, and they'll be a big help.

Answer 2

ADHD is a real disorder and anyone who tries to tell you differently is ridiculous. Usually the front lobe of the brain does not process information like it should, thus the stimulants used in an ADD/ADHD person gets that part of the brain to respond like it should. I have a 9 yr old son with ADHD and all of the State mandated testing he has taken through the third grade shows that he is a very smart kid- way above the state and even *national* average. Interestingly, he will be in 4th grade and reads at a 6th grade level. (So to the people that say ADHD kids are dumb, they don't have the right information being given to them!!)

Some mornings he is in such a rush and has forgotten to take his meds- he will tell you that he can see a huge difference at school because he can't sit still in the class room, he has a hard time focusing on what the teacher is trying to show the class as well as he has a hard time getting the paper work done because his brain isn't functioning for him to think the problems through.

Another thing he has a hard time controlling with out his meds are his emotions! He gets angry very quickly over something so trivial, as well as crying about some of the silliest things.

Definitely talk to the guidance counselor at school. Be sure to have the school faculty on your team! If the school won't support your efforts, look into a Montessori School. ADHD kids are extremely intelligent, the only reason they have problems with school work is because they can't process all the information like a non-ADHD kid.

Like the other serious reponders have mentioned, have a set schedule, keep books and school work organized in folders, enroll him in sports/hobbies/activities and love him no matter what he may do!

Email me if you want to chat about it- it's alway good to have people to talk to that are dealing with the same situations.

Good luck!!!

Answer 3

I have a 19yr old who was diagnosed at 5. She still takes Dex but the things that worked best for us were:
1) Be very very organised. Have a chart that shows the child exactly what happens every day at specific times eg: wake up time, clean teeth time, breakfast time, bed time etc... These kids love strict routines and hate sudden change so make sure they stick to their routine.
2) Change the diet to an all natural one. If it didn't come straight from a tree or the ground or an animal then don't feed it to your child. Preservatives, colourings, and processed foods are their worst enemy.
3) Don't highlight their condition or allow them to use it as an excuse. It would be pretty easy if you heard your mum say: Yes, but he has ADHD. That is giving them a cop out. This is a normal child who needs to learn to live with other ppl and follow the same rules.
4) Be involved with your child's education. It is not up to the school to do everything for your child. Kids with this issue need more one-on-one in a quiet setting as they are being distracted by the other 32 kids in the class and the noise associated with them. The doctor told me it is like trying to watch and follow 30 different television shows at the same time. One of those 30 television sets is the teacher but how is the child going to isolate that one set when their brain is taking in all the others at the same time?
So make sure you put aside an hour every day to help your child go back over some of the work they are having trouble with.
5) Sport or hobbies. Keep him active..he needs to run and climb and be boisterous in a setting where he wont get into trouble..like athletics.
5) Good luck to you hon..it is hard and can get harder as the teen years hit as these kids can be prone to experimenting with all the bad stuff..but stand firm, teach good foundations, and be consistent with routine and punishment and it should help a fair bit. Sometimes the hyperactivity disappears as they get into their teens too which is a bonus.

Answer 4

There is definitely such thing as ADHD (although it is probably overdiagnosed now) If possible, enroll your son in one of those afterschool tutpring programs like Sylvan Learning Center. I've heard of one really good one called SCORE which uses computers and rewards children for improving skills... they get prizes and stuff. That works well for kids with ADHD because they have to be interested in something to learn... I know, everyone's going to say, "Oh that's how EVERYONE is..." but most kids CAN concentrate on boring things, even if they don't want to, and kids with ADHD cannot. Their brains just won't focus. So giving them a reason to be interested can help.
Also, if he has something he IS interested in... like art, or sports... try to find ways to tie that interest into other subjects.

Answer 5

I have two sons with ADHD ~ one is inattentive and the other is hyperactive. You didn't say if your son is taking any medication or if he's even been officially tested and diagnosed, but I will assume that he has. I would say you need to either take him back to the doctor who diagnosed him or see another behavioral specialist about possibly changing his medication or adjusting his dosage. If the problem is the school, you need to speak to his teacher and the principal about your son's needs. They are required by law to make the necessary adjustments for your child, but it's up to you to fight for it.

Please do not listen to the people who say ADHD does not exist and/or that medication is not necessary. They are simply wrong. ADHD is a very real neurological disorder and it is not caused by diet, too much TV, or bad parenting. If you are like most parents of children with ADHD, you exhausted every option available before giving in to this diagnosis. Talk to your doctor and do what is best for your child and your family.

Answer 6

You have the right to request an educational assessment. Educational Assessment is the term for testing to determine if you son needs Special Education. It is not as bad as it sounds. He can get help in his class to give him self esteem and get him back to grade level. Take a note to your school district. They will have 10 days to get back to you with a permission slip for you to sign that will allow them to test him. The district will have 50 school days to test. After 50 days, you will have what is called an IEP meeting to discuss the results. IEP stands for Individual Educational Plan. If he qualifies, he should be able to get some help from a person who is called a Resource Specialist. That teacher will either pull him out or work with him in the classroom for a while each day. If he does not qualify, you need to request a 504 plan which will give him special accommodations for the classroom. Some accommodations include: sit in the front, extra time for testing, testing in a small group, and frequent breaks. Be sure to tell the school about the ADHD, and even get a note from the Doctor stating that he has a diagnosis. Here is a great website that might be of help: http://www.ldonline.org/

Answer 7

Ask the school to have a school diagnostician diagnosis him and have individual lesson plans drawn up especially for him. This is part of the no child left behind act of president bush. He might be a section 504 student. Go look up this information on line and become familair with it. Don't put him on meds unless it is absolutely the last resort. The food he eats has a lot to do with how he acts. No soda except as a reward on a saturday, no sugars, except again as a reward. Eat lots of healthy foods. It's probably just an intolerance to all the preservatives they put in foods. And, finally make sure he has a lot of physical activities to get out his testosterone on. Lots of soccer or bike riding, basketball, park activities. By the way, Your son didn't just get ADHD, he was born with it, you only found out about it recently.

Answer 8

I have four children from 12 to 7. My three oldest are boys and have ADHD and some other problems. I have tried the meds with the two oldest and they did not like how it made them feel. They have been off for about three yrs now. It is hard on them at times. But I have found that if I let them drink one cup of coffee in the morning it helps them. I am not saying it is the answer for n e one else, but it works for us. The meds are probably the same or worse as drinking coffee good luck. Shayof4

Answer 9

Okay listen.ADHD does not start with the child so basically I saying your son having ADHD is your fault. Kids only have ADHD because they are seeking attention. If you come up with ways to keep your son busy then he won't be tempted to feel the need to act in such bizzare ways. The medicine you may be forcing your son to take may be causing his grades to go down because he don't need them and doesn't have a problem.The medicine he is taking sends signs to the brain that may cause him to do things that he wouldn't normally do. It may not be easy for your son to adapt to life without his medicine as soon as you take him off of it so be careful and watch out for different actions. So please consider the fact that nothing is really wrong with your son it's your actions that makes him act the way he may act and or make careless decisions.

Answer 10

It looks like tia juan 4 ever and Re 15 went to the Tom Cruise school of psychiatry. They have no idea what they are talking about. ADD/ADHD is real. It is definitely over diagnosed, but it does exist. Sometimes schools and teachers can be less than helpful, but don't give up on your son. Keep fighting to get him what he needs. Take him to a child psychiatrist. It was the best thing we could have done for our son. I won't go into specifics about his treatment because every child is different, but in one year, he went from C's to A's in school. He also went from remedial to advanced math, and will be skipping 8th grade reading because of his high test scores. We always knew he was smart, but he was starting to feel dumb. We are happy with his grades, but his confidence in himself is the best result.