i think my son may have adhd?

Question

what would the first steps towards treatment be?

Answer 1

Get in touch with the school and tell them your concerns - if YOU think he is ADHD then rest assured, they will have noticed his behaviour in school. You can make an appointment with his year head or guidance teacher and ask them to have your son assessed by an Educational Psychologist.

Good luck and don't be dissuaded from your course - a mother's gut instinct is generally not too far wrong.

Answer 2

Take your son to the doctor, and have a diagnosis for ADHD. As you know there is medication for this disorder. I have heard that diet can also play an important role in his treatment as well as behavior. I have a grandson that is ADHD and a daughter. My daughter is an adult, and has a very difficult time functioning without her medication. My grandson has a hard time in school when he doesn't take his meds. Some have tried to us herbal supplments, but my personal opinon, they aren't as useful as what the doctor prescribes. I had a friend that wouldn't give her daughter when she was younger her presrcription when younger, and as a very young child, like 5 yrs. old, her mother couldn't control her, and now she is 16 and is totally out of control, all because her mom wouldn't give her the prescription her doctor had prescribed for her. So, it is a personal choice you have to make for the benefit of your son.

Answer 3

First of all before you diagnose him with adhd try to eliminate what may be causing the behavior.Is he on a regular schedule,with a regular dinner hour followed by a regular bedtime?(is he getting 8 hours sleep)Does he eat alot of sugar products and or drink sodas?I thought my son had adhd but what he really had was a selfish mom(me) who didn't have him on a regular schedule with a regular bedtime etc,Now that he is 14 Iam finally getting into the groove of him needing a schedule,,,,boy what a difference.

Answer 4

see a doctor, but also be aware that he's not intaking too much sugar or caffiene.

It's kinda funny that all these kids are being diagnosed with ADD or ADHD.

Has anyone checked to see what their diets are??

Most kids now days consume so much sugar and caffeine in their beverages and meals that it gives them the "high" and may be mistaken for ADD/ADHD.

Answer 5

Try and keep an account of what your son eats and drinks as this can often effect children to become hyper active. If he is eating a balanced diet already and you feel there is nothing which could be causing it in his lifestyle, maybe you could take him to the doctors and see if he/she can help him.

Answer 6

Sort his diet out - adhd was not an issue before kids lived on junk food, preservatives, artificial colouring etc

Answer 7

obviously seeing a doctor, but then it can be hard for them to diagnose as there are different symptoms.studies have shown that fish oil supplements are really effective in treating adhd and behavior problems in kids.there is a supplement called eye q, which is very good, and contains high amounts of omega 3 and 6 oils, which are great for kids concentration and learning.

Answer 8

Cut off all processed food that has Enumbers on the label (E287, E322, etc...) they are proven to make adhd worse. Try a natural diet, it might surprise you.

Answer 9

i have it also. to make sure you get the a concise diagnosis bring him to a clinical psychologist. they will get family history, his health and school history, give him psychological testing, IQ testing, etc. If the diagnosis is borderline they can help you get into a neurologist for a brain scan.
be patient with him and good luck

Answer 10

I'd say start with this book, I cannot recommend this book highly enough for children with ADHD.
(please see link)
(PS>Whatever you do, donot put him on Ritalin!)
Also this site is great for referals on aternative & natural remedies on a range of conditions; please type in ADD or ADHD in search:
http://www.whatreallyworks.co.uk/index.asp