i have a 6year old child that has adhd what should i do. i m so stressed.?

Question

my little boy is 6 years old and has adhd i dont like the way his meds make him act. we have tryed adderal, focalin, metadate, and now daytrana it helps for a few weeks and then seems not to affect him any more. is there anything other than meds that i can try. random people have told me that all he needs is an old fashion beating but really whats that going to accomplish other than child abuse. i have started him in behavior management classes but we have only had one appointment so far so i dont quite know if its helping yet. please if anyone can help, i am soooo stressed out. i have 2 other children and one on the way.their ages are 6,4,and the baby is 14 months

Answer 1

predictability is important - don't make threats you won't carry out. maintaining boundaries and all that - i assume these are the sort of things that you will be discussing in behaviour classes.

that really sucks that ppl are trying to force their ignorant opinions onto you and your family - that must be really stressful. i hope everything works out - its a long road - you have to be in for the commitment - this will make the hugest difference in your son's adult life

good luck

Answer 2

I really feel for you, you certainly have your hands full. I have a grandson with ADHD and was married to someone with adult ADHD for 10 years. One thing I do know is that all the meds in the world are not going to change the behavior without behavior management. The term behavior management seems daunting at first but it can be as simple as If you do this...then this will happen... and stick to it. A schedule is most important, up at this time, meals at this time, bed at this time. I know this may be hard for you because of your schedule. Children like visual things also, so how about a poster board on the wall, writing your expectations including chores, if he completes it he gets a star, so many stars in a day or week he gets a reward. I'm sure you get my point. Let him know you say what you mean and mean what you say. I can imagine how stressed you are, so don't forget yourself, can his father handle him for some time during the day so you can take time for yourself ? If you could destress for a time every day you might be in a better frame of mind to handle his behaviors. And I agree with you, an "old fashion" beating is NOT in order.

Answer 3

Don't listen to those who advocate beatings! As you rightly say its child abuse and will not make any difference.
Look at your child's diet, try and take out as many artificial colors and flavorings as possible. Don't give him junk food, prepare the meals yourself from fresh or frozen ingredients. Keep his life structured. Stick with the behavior management classes and make sure that your husband sticks to the rules of the BM classes. Get your husband (or a friend/neighbor) to look after the kids at least once a week and take some time out for yourself, you'll be no good to anyone if you break under the strain. The time to do what you want...even if its only an undisturbed soak in the bath!
Join a support group of other parents with ADHD kids, they are often a rich source of support and good ideas. They are often quite good for a social life if the group is local.

Answer 4

No debate about age is necessary, kids/babies are great, such fun, so much laughter, any age gap, that's ok, it's your life, that's how you are leading it, if you want another child, have one. So many folks can't have any, and it's all very well saying, we could try for another but, it could take longer next time to actually get pregnant. I have two boys, one is 1 and the other is 9. The 9 year old is from a previous relationship and when I got together with my current partner he was 4. We thought we should try straight away for a child as we both wanted another and it could take a while, and it took 4 years to get pregnant!! There are many benefits from having such a large gap: think, imagine, you want to do a poo and have a shower. Your partner is at work still but your 6-7 year old child is home from school. Suddenly spending 10 mins in the bathroom is an option, the baby sleeps on, the eldest keeps watch. Safe. This example can be stretched in many ways to suit many situations. And this is especially good with my 9 year old. He adores his younger brother, holds his hand in the car, at the park, playing chase, tickle, giggle, faces, noises, love, cuddles, toys, the list goes on. And he will play with him etc..whilst I nip upstairs to get the laundry/get changed/brush teeth etc..Fan-bloody-tastic. It is a huge gap, but the benefits of having children at all, far out way any other considerations. I hope this has been helpful. xx

Answer 5

If you live in the US you need to request from the school an Individualized Education Plan or a 504 Accomodation so that he can be sure to get the education services he needs throughout his next ten years of school.

many children with adhd are abused because parents either lose their tempers or parents think that it'll fix the problem, and it's really sick for them to suggest such a thing. adhd is often caused by early childhood trauma.

the behavioral therapy will be good.
concerta, and statera are often used for children with little side effects.
many children don't take medication and their parents find that by strict diet modification, working with a nutritionalist is enough to help reduce the symptoms of adhd.
other parents simply have their child drink coffee or tea with caffine because the stimulant is similar to what's in the medication.

good luck.

Answer 6

Keep everything at home structured. Make a schedule as to when things are going to happen and limit his time watching TV or playing video games. Also, give your son chorse to do and rewards when he completes them (even a sticker in a special book would be good.) My son is adhd too and this helped a lot. He even asked for a watch so that he knows what time supper is, what time he can play on the PS2, etc. Our psychologist strongly encouraged taking Tae Kwon Do classes becuase it helps with them focussing. At the time, he isn't in any classes because it didn't fit our schedule, but he is in soccer and archery, which helps with the energy and focussing. I've heard of people trying to take all artificial colors and additives out of their children's diets and that helping as well. (Although we didn't try it very long, but the schedule does seem to help.)

Answer 7

I like the responses of Dave and April. In addition to that, you should check into the connections of foods and ADHD. Go online and look up, "food allergies and ADHD", or "food intolerances and ADHD," or "candida and ADHD." A good book to purchase (online used booksites), is "Allergies and the Hyperactive Child", by Dr. Doris Rapp. She also has other books that are very relevant, but this book helped me immensely when my son was young. It has loads of information and sites relevant examples, as well as tests on the topic. This would be the best starting place for someone who is looking for an alternative to medication. Keep loving your son, because he most likely wants desparately to please you. You have taken a positive step in the behavior management classes, but always use your best logic and instinct, as you know your son, best. Find a good babysitter or mother's helper, or one of your parents to give you and your husband time out, as you need to take care of yourselves, too.

Answer 8

First please stop giving your child drugs. Second get him involved in an activity that . . .

1. He enjoys.
2. That gives him exercise.
3. That teaches him to control his energy.

some suggested activities, soccer, track and field, boy scouts...DON'T BEAT HIM!! Love him, show him how to act even if you don't have the energy to keep up. You owe it to him and the others coming up behind him to actively pursue an alternative approach other than drugs.

a few more suggestions, lower his sugar/caffeine intake, even if you have to cut it off completely. Purchase activity toys, not sit down and play toys, like a soccer ball over a PlayStation. Limit TV exposure to 30 minutes a day. Kids are brainwashed by TV ads and tend to be very susceptible to advertisements suggestions. and if you want your children to NOT become fat zombies, don't let the tube fry their little impressionable minds. I've also found the inactive sport of reading helped me calm down as a child who was often referred to as a bull in a China shop. Good luck and I'm sending you mental patience. :)

Answer 9

Some people have tried changing their childs diet, eliminating sugar and artificial colors in foods. My son was on a time release version of ritalin that worked well for him, I forget the name of it since he is now an adult and does not take it anymore. Good luck.

Answer 10

when i was younger i had adhd & aspergers syndrome (but i say autism cos people know what it is). my school wanted me to take medication but my mum refused to school gave me it without my mums permission, when i was little we went to chruch & i used to run up every 2 miniutes to the organ inthe middle of a song and start pressing loads of keys, i was band from sunday school & church, i'v grown out of the hyperness now, but ive still got the big distractions.
what your son needs is one to one help & a room thats not full of distractions like pictures on the wall & bright coloured things & he needs to be sat at the very front of the class so he cant be distracted then hes only got the teacher to look at.

the other thing is, is the background noise thats a massive distraction , there maybe a way to eliminate the background noise like ear plugs or calming music, enya is very good.
the way ADD, ADHD, autism and aspergers syndrome works, is that we process images & information too quickly, information gets muddled up and then it hard to understand at that moment in time, but it become a clearer later. thats another thing why he gets destracted.
he could do with a tape record 2 record lessons. it may sound abit exstreme, its the best way 2 get the best out of his leasons & to help him understand when he does his homework, i bet homework time is a nightmare.


if he has "violent melt downs" this is because hes trying to get wot he wants & what he want to say across, but he cant express it very well. & then that turns in anger and frustration, when i was 8 i knew i was different, but i thought everyone eles was just like me & on my wave length.

i know this isnt true now but sometimes i still think people understand me, when they dont.
i'm on a GFCF (Gluteine free & casteine free diet,) (if you want more information on the GFCF diet i wote a 4 page essay on it) glutiene and dairy produces is like morphene to us, it effects our health and our behaivor. i'm 17 now & i'm still not on medication, i keep my self ocupied when i'v got alot of energy, i go to swimming lessons & go to the gym, i also channel my energy by writing essays & physicology essays about ASD & all the other conditions that are in the spectrum. i go to a homeopath she very good & for people who have ASD you can get her on the NHS & i think shes the only one you can get on the NHS, she called jane brown she lives in leeds w.yorkshire uk, she very nice and shes worked wiv me on and off for years, & yes at first, me and mum was sceptical but we kept an open mind. if you would like to speak more jst add and email me, i would be delited to help you out. take care sophia xx