Is there any other way to help calm down a child with a.d.h.d. besides medication?

Question

My son(6 years old) starts school on monday and I don't want to put him on medication. He is very hyper active and distructive. I was just wondering if there was anything else i could do to make him calm down and pay attention in school so he can learn.

He was on meds before Concerta 27ml and then they bumped it up to 36 and then to 54ml. He seemed to get worse everytime they bumped it up.

He has been to a dr. and the dr said he is a.d.h.d.

Answer 1

It may be in his diet. This side of the pond we try to avoid drinks with artificial colours, sugar and various e-numbers. Certain children are positively targeted by the schools and changed to plain water drinks and their parents counselled about diet. Results are amazing.

Answer 2

I have a son with ADHD- he is 14 now, but was diagnosed at age 6. I wasn't crazy about medication either- but we tried every natural method there is- counseling, strict diet, keeping him busy with stimulating activities... you name it, we tried it, and we found that medication really did work best. If your son is not responding to the ADHD medications, there may be something else going on besides ADHD. My son was this way too- when he entered puberty a few years ago, we noticed that the meds were having a different effect on him, and he would have angry outbursts that were triggered by little, insignificant things. We took him to a different doctor, and just this past spring he was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. We found out that when a person has both disorders (ADHD and Bipolar), taking meds for only one of them will aggravate the symptoms of the other. He is now taking medications for both, and is doing worlds better.

Just a word of advice- even though you may be leary of medications, don't discount them completely as an option- my son started Kindergarten without meds, and he was so disruptive that it earned him the reputation of the "problem child", and the teachers never treated him the same way again- all over something that wasn't even under his control. This reputation followed him through school. Teachers talk, and they can form opinions about kids before even meeting them based on info from other teachers. I've volunteered in elementary schools, and I've heard them talk! You'd be amazed how nice teachers can be to your face, then turn around and say some of the things they do about kids and their parents.

Do have him evaluated by another doctor- not just a medical doctor, but a psychiatrist too. This is what we did, and I wish we'd done it a lot sooner. My son would probably have a lot more friends if we'd been able to pin down this problem a lot sooner. Bipolar disorder doesn't usually have noticeable symptoms until puberty, and isn't usually diagnosed until then, and I'm not saying this is what your son has necessarily, but knowing what I know now, it's easy to see how ADHD can mask the symptoms of other disorders and make them hard to diagnose if they do indeed exist. Doctors are very quick to make ADD/ADHD diagnoses, and you as a parent often have to get more than one opinion and have a thorough physical and mental examination to be sure that you get a proper diagnosis. Good luck!

Answer 3

Try an all natural organic food diet! Also has your son ever been on anything other than concerta? My son who is A.D.H.D since he was 6, is on adderall 20mg in the morning and then 5 mg. after school and it does wonders he is 12 now! Before that they tried him on concerta, and valium and neither worked for him they made him worse. Every child is different and they require different meds. It took them 5 years to figure out which one was right for my son. You need to be firm with the doc and tell them the meds aren't working and you demand he try a different med. You have to live with him and you experience his behaviour at home, not the doc! Please be firm and don't give up on the meds cause they do work. If you decide to go with organic foods it will cost you a fortune! My son is also being tested for bipolar disorder, he is 12 and is A.D.H.D. Good luck and if you wanna chat my screenname is colleen3273. I know how hard it is to live with a child with this disease.

Answer 4

You need to let the school that your child has ADHD and prove it with a letter from his doctor. Ask for an IEP Individual Education Plan. This will allow the teacher to provide extra attention or a modified school day to minimize any distractions. If you start early with this you will have an easier time later. I have 3 sons with it and my oldest two ended up quitting because they did not learn enough to advance. My youngest has an IEP and is doing wonder full because his day is planned for him. Same work just a little at a time with breaks during the day. Whatever he doesn't finish comes home and I can help him and turn it in the next day. This has been such a relief for him not to rush and make careless mistakes. It has also boosted his confidence because he is doing well.

Answer 5

My son is 6 almost 7 and was diagnosed adhd in kindergrten. I too didn't want him put on the medsd as I have heard a lot of horror stories about them. We went to the school and sat down with his teacher and told her what our views were and she agreed to work with us because at this age they are adjusting to a lot in the first place. We spent two hours with his pediatrician going over things as she din't want to medicate him either. We decided to try a special diet which doesn't allow for the sugars, red dyes, caffeine. I pack his lunch for school so that we know he stays with the diet. We checked around and found a great councelor who deals with children with adhd and behavoir problems and he helped us set up a behavoir modification plan which the teachers also use. We also got him involved in little league sports to help with the excess energy and tae kwon do which not only helps with the energy but also helps to teach discipline. A set schedule is also a must. make sure he east at the same time, bed at the same time, homework at the same time once he gets into a routine it disturbs them when it is broken. Discipline has to be consistant whatever the rule is today it is tomorrow but don't try to change to many things at once. My son is still a terror but he is managing a lot better and we are doing it without the meds and by the time he finished kindergarten he was ahead of most of his class mates, was sitting still and doing things as a team. There is hope it just takes a lot of patience and support.

Answer 6

Just because a doctor said he has it doesn't mean he does. The only way to truly know for sure is for your son to have brain scans and other tests by a professional neurologist to be accurately diagnosed. Sometimes it's a chemical imbalance, sometimes it's diet. Don't jump on the adhd bandwagon until the science has been dealt with. There are too many kids labelled incorrectly, there are too many kids on meds who don't need to be, when mostly what they need is strict routines and positive discipline. Since school will start shortly, have a meeting with the school psychologist and explain all of your concerns. If you will be seeking further medical attention, there may be a wait, and the school psychologist may be able to help you with strategies to deal with things - and meet with the teacher to watch out for stuff. I wish you luck. Most of the time, these kids are totally "normal", but have gotten away with stuff for a very long time, and then their misbehaviours from home are magnified in a classroom with many kids, and a very different environment. Chin up, do some research, and be patient!

Answer 7

So, he has been to a Dr? Big deal. A doctor diagnosed my daughter with asthma. Did she actually have it? No. Did the doctor do a brain scan as part of the test for ADHD or did he simply look at behaviour? A brain scan as part of the test will reveal the truth much better, but simply looking at behaviour is more a crapshoot. 20% of gifted children demonstrate behaviours that can be mistaken for ADHD. I know this because my child is gifted but fell into the other 80% non-disruptive category. If it is ADHD it could be lessened or even controlled via a good diet (as an earlier poster said). I say ‘could’ because it’s not a 100% sure thing; the effectiveness varies according to the kid and the severity of ADHD, it may have no bearing at all.

Answer 8

I agree with the diet thing. I have ADHD and my daughter may also have it. Have a look at this web site www.feingold.org, my suggestion would be to follow this but not as strictly as they say. Limit your childs intake of all artificial foods and chemicals but do not deny all "treats". This is how I was raised and was never put on medications but with that being said, if it doesn't work don't think you have failed. If used properly, medication can be a very important tool in your childs well being and development. Think about your child in twenty years, would you like a high functioning adult who can hold down a job and support themselves and a family or a high school dropout who still struggles with everyday activities. Best of luck to you and your family.

Answer 9

Speaking from a bit of experience (in medical school) there really is no other way outside of medication to calm children with this disorder down - aside from a school aid that may be available by request to look over your child. However, this naturally will probably lead to some less than savory comments from the childs schoolmates. The best course of action in my (as yet unprofessional) opinion is medication because it allows no one to be the wiser about the childs condition except trusted confidents and is generally failsafe, with the only complaint being a short longevity (at maximum up to twelve hours I believe) making extended school trips difficult.

Answer 10

I personally delt with this. My child was on concerta and at 9 started becoming suicidal. My dauthers boyfriends also on meds for this has had his body go numb and heart race due to the meds (almost died). We used herbal meds for my son and it worked. There is a med called pediaActive that is all natural and doesn't have these side effects. It helps them focus.

Another thing is watch the red dyes in foods. Red Dye 40 is linked to adhd. Limit caffine intake and sugars. Natural sugars such as fruits are ok in moderation.

If you need any help on obtaining the herbal meds let me know. I will help you.

Answer 11

Has he been diagnosed as ADHD? You will need to be sure before you begin playing with his life this way.

My grandson is ADHD and the dr said it was one of the worst cases he's seen. They've been battling this for 11 years and htey are no closer. Meds which work on one child don't work on him so it's been a fight. In addition, he's in that age where he thinks he knows it all.

Really. Before the school starts calling you daily, get him to a dr. and find out for sure.