ADHD question delays, and coffee use?

Question

My daughter had delays in all areas except congitive,(I'm getting a another opinion, you can't trust the school. They already made some major error on her IEP. They keep saying ADHD. They have her on behavior management, first the school said it was working and now after vacation they said it's not working. I don't think my daughter has ADHD, I took her to a child psychologist and I have to go back bec he isn't sure what is wrong with her. I now have to take her Ped Neurologist and also to a sensory eval. I was wondering does anyone know of kids with ADHD with delays in all areas? Also, I've been told by 2 different stories by 2 DR that coffee slows a child with ADHD is that true? Then another Dr said it won't?Has anyone with ADHD gotten tired from drinking coffee?The reason why , I ask is bec coffee makes my daughter hyper.

She is 5, coffee is a stimulant. It was my ideas to have her checked out by those specialist and my insurance it paying for the all evals. Afer I figure out what is wrong with her I'm going to ask all those specialist to show up at the school meeting. "they" has been the school

the reason why I'm asking is bec she had 20-25% delay in all areas at age 3yrs 11 months. I never seen anybody all delays in those areas, that had ADHD, thta's another reason why I'm asking

she has problems changing from activities so they put her on a behavior management . she has problems with being touched, and noise.Noise huter her ears. I 'm trying to be open but I don't think AHHD,I'm think she had PDD. I'm just trying to find more info on ADHD. My daughter seems to become more hyper in public but I think it's the noise. She like everyone as long as they don't touch her.

Answer 1

Two good books to get about ADD/ADHD are Driven to Distraction and Delivered from Distraction both written by Edward M. Hallowell, MD and John J. Ratey, MD. They have some good information about the subject.

I don't know about coffee making people tired who have ADD/ADHD, but I do know that coffee is a stimulant, and has an effect on the brain to wake up the part that isn't working in ADD/ADHD people. It helps them pay attention better since that part of the brain is working.

What basis is the school making their ADHD diagnosis? Who exactly is "they"? ADHD can ONLY be diagnosed by a doctor, because a doctor can prescribe the medicine to treat it. In my school district, they rely mostly on the neurological evaluation to determine the diagnosis. There are symptoms that should be evaluated by a professional (like a neurologist, or pediatrician trained in diagnosis).

Has she had a language evaluation? A language evaluation should be done by a qualified speech therapist to rule out expressive or receptive language delays. If she has receptive language delays, it could be construed as attention issues. How old is she, and what grade is she in?
Why is she on behavior management? Is she disruptive?

There are ways to tell if she has trouble with attention. Can she sit and color something for a period of time? Can she sit and watch television? Does she act like she's on a "motor"? Is she easly distracted by noises?

There is a good site I recommend you look into called www.wrightslaw.com. It has a section on tests and measurements to explain what the tests your daughter has been given mean. It also explains what rights you have regarding special education and the IEP process.

Good luck.

Answer 2

1. Yes, people with ADD or ADHD may have delays or disabilities or any other condition.
2. A behavior management system may work for a period of time for a student, and then need to be adjusted. The key to a successful system is the teamwork between the school and the parent. The child must understand, buy into, and be held accountable for the behavior, as well as, the consequences.
( good and bad)
3. It is always advisable to be evaluated by a neurologist when investigating the origins of a problem such as this.It is possible to have a sensory integration problem along with this tendency.
4. You will hear many things from many people regarding this issue. Many different types of "natural" cures and treatments. Many different causes and reasons. Every person has a different situation, and it is foolish for someone to say that one thing works for everybody the same way.
5. Yes, it is true that a certain amount of caffiene will help some people with ADHD demonstrate an improvement in focusing.
6. Keep in mind it is not just a "hyper" problem- there is an impulse control issue, thought control issues, organizational issues, and these people tend to be 1/3 the emotional age or their peers. This is a challenge. This is a challenge for the parents and the child because this is a lifetime issue, and it is very important that it is handled properly at all times.

Answer 3

Coffee can have the same effect on a child or adult with ADHD as many medications. It will actually calm them and help them to focus. They should avoid adding sugar to the coffee however (no lattes) because the sugar can aggrivate the disorder. My son has ADD and his Dr. has mentioned the idea of drinking coffee to us. My son is 11 and loves coffee, but he loves it in the form of iced mochas and frapachinos;). He's just not enough of a coffee lover yet to do the black coffee thing. Coffee actually contains many antioxidants and has a number of health benefits. There are really no side effects other than a possible headache from the caffeine withdrawal. Look at all of the drugs with far worse side effects that we are willing to put our kids on. 2 does seem a bit young however. I don't know how you can diagnose something like that on one so young.

Answer 4

Coffee does actually do at a smaller level...what ritalin does. It's a stimulant like ritalin, and it helps the childs mind and body catch up with each other. I wouldn't recommend 4 pots a day...but my sister has a son (he's grown now) who was genuinely ADHD. She didn't put him on any drugs in the summer, but if he was having some issues, she'd give him a cup of coffee and it did help. If your child is NOT ADHD, coffee will speed her up like you or I.

Like you say about the schools...she had two other boys but the ADHD son was the oldest. The school had no problems with her other two, but TOLD her that BOTH needed drugs for ADHD based solely on the fact that her oldest one needed them! She told them to ...well, you know. Neither of her other boys were even REMOTELY ADHD.

Answer 5

yeah, i agree, if the child does not have adhd the coffee will wire them up, not tire them out. Any stimulant can calm someone with adhd down and depending on the strength u will find more calming effects, if you give some one with adhd tranquilizers, in theory it would make them more hyper...... if coffee makes her hyper then she is unlikely to have adhd. Good luck w/ dr.'s.....

Answer 6

Thank-you for reminding me. Think I will have a cup now.