my son has been diagnosed with adhd I am not convinced that he does have Adhd , although he is fidgity, has a short attention span and is impulsive and violent AT HOME , he at school is very good at the to of his class and is very popular he is also a very warm loving child who is very intelegent. i am convinced this is behaviour. i just wish ii knew how to manage him better. he is my middle childand i was hoping some other parents could tell me what its like? i do NOT want to medicate him?
what methods do you use to manage behaviour?
do you use alternitives to medication ?
2007-03-12 08:32:00 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
ADHD is severely over diagnosed you are correct in questioning the diagnosis.
Think about this fact:
After 20 minutes of inactivity one's brain quits learning effectively.
This makes sense when we look at kids who have to sit for at least an hour at a time (if not longer). They get agitated, move around, aren't able to focus. All these are symptoms of ADHD and yet can be explained simply by the fact I listed above.
Psychology website on ADHD, it's prevalance, and it's overdiagnosis.
psychcentral.com/blog/archives...
Ensuring that your child has movement breaks is essential. You can even write a note that instructs teacher to do this for your child. When he gets home get him to do something active, and give him time to do it at least an hour if not more.
Nutrition is also very important. Make sure he has lots of water, not too much sugar, and eats healthy. A balanced diet can work out many problems that we consider "mental health problems"
Use positive reinforcement instead of punishment. This is especially true for hyper kids. At first you might have to overdo it a little. Pay special attention, when he does something good reward him or give him verbal praise. Ignore bad behaviors (however hard it may be) unless it is something extreme.
There is quite a bit of information on the net about natural cures/remedies for ADHD (or ADHD like behaviors) if you are willing to do the research.
Another thing to keep in mind is that ADHD medicine can cause symptoms of ADHD in children that don't have it.
It's great to see a critically thinking parent. Good luck!
2007-03-12 18:56:26 · answer #1 · answered by RedPower Woman 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I find that my daughter can be very fidgity at times, especially when she is longing for attention. Kids will act out in negative ways to get some sort of attention from you. Give him some one on one time each day and try to reinforce positive behaviors as well. My brother and cousin both were diagnosed with ADHD. Medication is the worst thing that was ever given to them. My mom took my brother off of it. I've seen so many kids messed up by the drugs the doctors and teachers put them on. There are more natural ways to deal with it. If you want any other suggestions, feel free to e-mail me. He could also be having a reaction to chemicals that are in everyday products. Especially if he is having throat issues as well. Chemical exposure to our cleaning and bathing products can cause an imbalance in our bodies. I have a friend who's son was having hyperactive issues as well, and is doing better with natural alternatives. Hope this helps. Good luck.
2007-03-12 14:09:06 · answer #2 · answered by Lizzy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you are describing my son to a tee...I had him tested and was told because he is only acting out at home he would NOT have adhd...he just knows how to push our buttons!!
He requires LOTS of positive attention and I find that his behavior is much better when he gets it...it's tough but a pill isn't ALWAYS the answer. Good luck to you.
2007-03-12 08:54:58 · answer #3 · answered by mrs O 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The best thing to do is to find him a sport or hobby to join with his friends from the neighborhood. Judging from his behavior, I would suggest football, hockey, or lacrosse. It appears that he needs an outlet for some extra energy which gets used at school but not at home. If you are uncomfterable with him playing sports, try the boy scouts or some other neighborhood group.
2007-03-12 08:42:47 · answer #4 · answered by YoungBeezy 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He's good at school because he finds enough to challenge him. He needs more to do at home to keep him involved, maybe you could find some simple jobs that he could do, or get some more work from the school for him to do at home. Don't let him sit and watch tv a lot, he'll get bored, and then he'll get aggressive. Are there any local sports groups he could join?
2007-03-12 08:38:38 · answer #5 · answered by Ellie L 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i had a similar situation and my son has improved greatly, his problems were down to his lack of speech which has improved over the last 6 months. if your son has concentration difficulties, try giving him fish oils, these are proven to help with low attention span, and some tired mothers swear by it.talk to your doctors to see which ones would be best, only for a child over 3 though!good luck
2007-03-12 10:26:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Is this the same son who has the ear and throat problems? Because if it is I would suggest that the two things are somehow connected and you need to fix one to sort the other out.
2007-03-12 08:37:59 · answer #7 · answered by Funky Little Spacegirl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋