Teacher insists that nephew take meds for ADHD and ADD?

Question

My nephew is in the 6th grade and every since he was in the 1st grade the teachers insist that he take meds for add and adhd, both confirmed by the Dr. By the way. Well, the problem is that he absolutely hates taking pills he use to be on Ridalin but he got the ticks reals bad and wouldn't eat nor sleep so the Dr. then changed his med to Adderal, which he experienced some really bad side effects from that also, well hes now on some new type of "herbal" drug (the lowest dose possible) for the add and adhd but he refuses to take the pills because he says that it makes him feel real funny and that he can't eat when taking the pills, he's 12 yrs old 5'4 and just 78 lbs so the kid needs to eat all that he can being underweight and all, well anyways if he even TALKS about the pills he gets himself all worked up and starts throwing up because he's a nervous wreck, so my sister said he didnt have to take his meds anymore, well the school called and now he has to go to the Nurses office after

lunch, which is at 1 and schools out at 3, so anyways he now has to take his meds at school everyday with a tsp of hersheys syrup...since he wont swallow pills, this school seems to insist that most of their kids take a med for add and adhd so...my question is this:
DOES ANYONE KNOW OF ANY
NON-MEDICINE SOLUTION FOR
"ADD AND ADHD??"

To answer a few of your questions:
He does every sport possible, including Travel baseball which is a year around program, he's an extremely active child. He is currently on the Herbal form of Medicine prescribed from his pediatrician. The school has stated that by her not giving him his meds at home that she is being "unresponsible" with him and that is why they must be given to him at school so his intake can be "monitored". My sister is a very good mother, and wants what is best for her child however, she is concerned that the school is trying to "shut the children" up by having them take all of these meds.

Answer 1

There are plenty of natural solutions for ADD and ADHD that don't involve pills. Many go unmedicated for their life spans and do just fine. Medication alone usually doesn't help ADHD anyway. There must be therapy to go along with it. If he hasn't been in therapy I'd suggest he do so. The school may be too insistant on having him on meds. Try switching teachers or finding a school that has better training in dealing with ADHD. If the teacher is this insistant on meds, he or she probably doesn't know what to do to handle it. There are a TON of programs for teachers so that they can learn how to naturally deal with a child who has this disorder, and most just won't do it and rely on parents and drugs to do all the work for them. Your sister shouldn't have to tolerate that.

I would recommend looking for behavorial therapy for the boy, however, if his ADHD is extreme. I posted a link below to the Educators portion of the ADHD.com site. Someone should take time out to watch both the boy and his teacher in the classroom. If she isn't even trying to deal with his behavior, especially by techniques recommended on this site, then look for a different teacher or different school.

Answer 2

The school has no right to insist that he be medicated. If he is that underweight, you should talk with the doctor about taking him off everything so he can grow for a while (usually this is done over the summer vacation, oh joy). Obviously, he is experiencing some nasty side effects and experiencing a lot of anxiety - medicating him might be doing more harm than good at this point.

Answer 3

Teachers do not have the power to insist that your nephew take medication. However, it is possible that his behavior is so disruptive that it must improve in order for him to be allowed in the classroom. Teachers can dictate rules, not medications.

In this case, the thing to do is to sit down with the teacher and ask her to describe the EXACT behaviors that are problematic -- for example, walking around the room during class -- and the EXACT goals that your nephew must meet in order to be allowed into class -- for example, staying in his seat for the whole period.

The next step is to talk to a therapist, social worker, or counselor. There may be a variety of solutions for your nephew's difficulties -- more exercise, a more varied diet, cognitive therapy, family therapy, new disciplinary approaches -- or you may find that you understand better the benefits of his medication.

If the teacher cannot specifically document your nephew's behavior concerns, or if you can take him off the medication without a noticeable decline, then you should take him off.

Answer 4

A friend of mine found an herbal supplement called "Attentive Child". She tried it on her son who's diagnosed ADD/ADHD. She found it at an herbal remedy store like Super Supplements. She said it worked great!

She even tested it by giving it to him for a week and then purposely not giving it to him for a week and not telling anyone, including the teacher. The teacher said that his behavior had been much better the week before (while he was taking it) without my friend having to ask anything.

Answer 5

go to a holistic healer, a naturapath, ANYONE who will be able to treat his body in a clean and healthy way.
teachers want kids on these deadly meds so their jobs can be a bit easier. there is really no regard for the child in this sort of instance.
do some research yourself. get the child to a nutritionist and get him on a better diet for starters.
there are answers that have not been formulated in a lab run by money sucking corporations.
the child is being slowly poisoned. help him now before it is too late.

BTW--when the childs issue is settled, if i were the parent and my chold's school INSISTED she take medication, I would be looking for a lawyer. NO ONE can force your child to take medication. The school has over stepped their limitations. dont let them get away with that.

Answer 6

I am against schools being able to prescribe meds for ADD/ADHD and myself refused to take medicine for it when a teacher tried to make me in the 2nd grade, I can't really help you with a non-medicine treatment for ADD, unless you don't discipline the kid enough, in which case that is the most common reason for kids being diagnosed with ADD by the completely untrained in the medical field elementary school teachers that just don't want to deal with energetic kids. I personally would refuse to have my kid on the medicine and they can't really force you to give them to your kid, at least where I live.

Answer 7

Poor baby boy! ...Type "adhd alternatives to medicine' in your search bar. I just did that and it comes up with lots of sites. Some really smart kids are mislabeled adhd/add and just need a more stimulating environment and someone to teach them skills to focus themselves. Try moving your nephew to another school also to give him a fresh start perhaps? One 3rd grade teacher I know had her son go to a special school for adhd/add labeled kids...sorry i forgot the name of it. He went there one year or one summer and hasnt had to take medicine. You know, I recall going to school years ago and no one had adhd/add.
It's an excuse to turn kids into zombies and smash their creativity. It's too damn bad!!
I hope you find some help for him. Peace.

Answer 8

Check out L-theanine. There are articles about it on the Internet. It is found in green tea and tablet form. Don't know if either would work for you. The tablets are tiny and can probably be dissolved.

I don't have a lot of knowledge about L-theanine but I did read somewhere on the net today that it may work for add/adhd.

Answer 9

I don't know where you are getting your info but a school can't MAKE your nephew take medication, it is against the law. (In my state, they can't even discuss it at a meeting!) Secondly, the kid should continue to see his dr if he's having issues with Adderal and explore other dosages, options. Most kids don't want to take their meds, too bad. Third, if he's not being successful in school, they need to look at "alternative" placements for him where he can be successful despite having ADHD and learn strategies.

Answer 10

As parents and educators search for options and alternatives, groundbreaking research is showing the effectiveness of a non-drug approach to Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Insights in Health at www.adhd-tm.org explores the research and experiences using the Transcendental Meditation technique for ADHD. I suggest you talk to your doctor about this new approach.