My son is 8 and has never been a "normal" child, whatever that is. He has a really hard time paying attention, especially to detail. You can speak to him and he won't hear you (but there is nothing wrong with his hearing, I had it checked). His grades started slipping in school last year but on a test he scores higher than most kids his age. He speaks in a broken pattern because he can't keep a thought process on the right track and jumps around a lot in his thinking. I have taken him to the doc and a therapist about this but they haven't given me any good answers. Has anyone else ever dealt with this and if so I would like some advice on what works and what doesn't with a child like this. The best advice a parent can get sometimes comes from another parent that has dealt with a similar situation. Please help!
2006-08-25 06:36:22 · 13 answers · asked by stall_out 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Grade-Schooler
Ma'am, I have been a teacher for twenty years and have seen the pros and cons of medication when dealing with ADD. You have to seriously ask yourself this:
Is my son's self esteem being effected because of the things that he can't control in his life right now?
Are teachers having to reprimand him or keep him on track?
Are some children teasing him?
Does he have trouble keeping friends?
Does he feel as if he is different?
Are his grades and school success being effected because of the weakness in attention?
if the answer is yes continue going to a doctor until one gives you help. If you are totally against medicines, research online and ask other doctors what alternatives their are to help your child. It's too serious of a situation to ask someone on here about. It's your son and his self esteem...........his future and his belief in himself that are at stake.
2006-08-26 14:27:25 · answer #1 · answered by heartwhisperer2000 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Welcome to my world. You are slightly better off than I am. I son also has learning disabilities. My advice is keep on seeing doctors and therapist until you find one that you can work with. Ask your son's school to recommend one
Also when speaking with your son make sure that he is looking at you. Don't give him a list of things to do. Just give him one or two things and when he has completed that then give him the next set of instructions. Also tell him to stop and think before he talks. If he starts jumping in his thinking say "Stop and think about what you want to say".
When he starts to get frustrated look him in th eye and tell him to take 3 deep breaths.
Give him small things to fiddle with (like a paper clip). I found with my son fiddling with small things made his movements smaller and larger objects made his movements larger.
Also a lot of kids that have ADHD sometimes have an allergy to something. Look into that as well.
You didn't mention if your son is on any type of medication but if he isn't I suggest that you at least give it a try. If your son has problems swallowing pills there is a patch on the market that I have heard great things about. Concerta and Adderall (in my opinion) work really well because they are long lasting. Ritalin in a lot of cases needs to be taken more than once a day.
2006-08-25 14:06:00 · answer #2 · answered by yzerswoman 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I totally agree with "wilowdreams" It does sound like asberger syndrome. Aspies are often lovingly coined as "little professors". How well does he keep and maintain friendships? Is he able to accurately read facial expression? What about textures? Is he tactile sensitive? These are some red flags into ASD, (autism spectrum disorders). The first 2 answers just killed me...so many people think automatically that drugs are the only solution...Well they are not always necessary. Some people believe that ADHD is also in the autism spectrum. MANY symptoms of ADD/ADHD are identical to Aspergers, High functioning autism, PDD-NOS and low functioning autism. Slightly changing his diet could dramatically change his hyperactivity. Something as simple as removing artificial colors & flavors, MSG & Aspartame can make a world of difference. (Just wondering...did he have any adverse reactions to any of his vaccinations? If so, chelation might be another option)
2006-08-25 13:59:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son was just like this. He was finally diagnosed with ADD. I didn't want to put him medication at first, but in the end (after seeking help from nutritionist, and several different counselors and doctors) I finally put him on meds. He started with the one type of medication, but they had to switch him to dexedrine, because the first meds made him cry a lot, and restless. He has been on dexedrine for 7 years now (he is now 14), and is doing wonderful. I have had to increase his dose twice, but that was due to his growth. Does your child play video games, and if he does do you notice that he is content, if so, that is probably because his brain has stimulation that it can keep up with. Good luck and I hope you get the answers you are looking for.
2006-08-25 13:50:44 · answer #4 · answered by Barbi W 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
http://www.printablechecklists.com/checklist78a.shtml
I just got this from another question. Fill out the check list and bring it to his pediatrician, his, teacher, anyone who will listen. It definitely sounds like ADD and might be treated with behavior modification if you are adverse to meds.
My daughter has severe ADHD and responds to both. Without the meds she is unworkable. My nephew also has it and is on very little meds until household habits stabilize and he will be managed by a system of rewards and strict consistancy.
Good luck, I hope you are able to get the help he needs.
2006-08-25 13:51:02 · answer #5 · answered by AlongthePemi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son was the same way and we found out he was bored with what was being taught he was tested also and he is in 3rd and ranks up there with 6th graders in all subjects we had to start challenging him. Medicince Work if you can deal with side affect of the stimulant ones like adderall etc., we have been doing diet changes and have seen a change in his overall life school/home etc.
2006-08-25 22:33:40 · answer #6 · answered by fouracesrwild 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I also have an 8-year old with ADD. He totally leans toward inattentive(not so much of the "hyper"). I assume you have had him tested? My husband & I were 99% against meds before we had him tested. After talking with his psychologist & doctor though, we ended up trying Concerta. It has worked wonderfully : )
I have allowed e-mail contact through "Yahoo Answers", so if you want to talk more, let me know.
2006-08-25 16:52:32 · answer #7 · answered by PartyGirl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try Adderall...it is a med for ADHD and it worked wonders on my godson. The best part about it is that you will notice an immediate response to the med...it takes effect within an hour and a half of taking it. If ADHD is what he has, then you should be pleased with the medication. See if you can get a sample from his doctor that way you can see if it even works for him or not. Good Luck!
2006-08-25 13:41:40 · answer #8 · answered by Jaybird 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
My nephew has ADD and he is 8 as well.. I suggest you have your son evaluated again. Talk to the therapist about the medicine prescribed to your son. I know my nephew is on a medicine because he tends to get excited/hyper at times. When he was younger his speech was not clear because he was so excited. But, the medicine helps him a lot. He is above average with his schooling and his vocabulary expanded excessively.
2006-08-25 13:49:00 · answer #9 · answered by s_4perry 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
did you have him tested for delays? he might have aspergers syndrome which is on the autism scale.
My son has asd( autism spectrum disorder ) hes only 2.5 but part of the reason we had him tested, you could yell his name 50 times and not look at you but his hearing is perfect and plus other little quirks that set off red flags.
My son is extremely smart as well , to smart at times, we have to take his numbers and letters away from him to practice role playing and imaginitive play. I would suggest having the school test him for aspergers. good luck
2006-08-25 13:43:21 · answer #10 · answered by wilowdreams 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋