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our 8yo had an ADD diagnosis and has been medicated for it for 2 years now. He was first on Adderall which was horrible. He was like a zombie, depressed and agressive. His teacher loved it since he did his work! So, we pulled him off it and switched him to Strattera. It did help him focus but we had the same issues of irritability, aggression and depression. Then the school started hinting that perhaps these behaviors indicate an Autistic spectrum disorder! So, over spring break we stopped the meds completely.
Our kid is back to being the happy, easygoing, social little being he used to be. However, he is not getting his work done in school and won't stop talking! No aggression or crankiness but this previously 'Antisocial-perhaps-autistic' child is suddenly a social butterfly and is driving his teachers nuts.
Here's the problem - I think he needs a few months to settle down and digest what his issues are. He has not had to deal with all this energy in two years and I think, with time, he will get better at it. He is definitely willing to try.
However, I think the school is going to start pressuring us to put him back on the meds. At this point I have no desire to revert to medication without giving him a chance to learn coping skills and to try his hand at self control. Any pointers on how to deal with the school?
Has anyone been through this before?
Any tips on how I can help him with self control?
Just as I was reading your post I saw myself at that age. Isn't that normal for some kids to just be more social? I'm sure my teachers thought I disrupted their classes too but hey, I made it and so did they. I don't understand todays world anymore---why can't a kid just be a kid? Each child should have their own personality--they aren't ment to all be the same! This whole idea bothers me here. There is something very wrong.................sigh....................
And as an adult I have been told I do have ADHD---but I have had a succesful life without the use of their ADD drugs. I made it through high school and a couple of years of college with good grades. I am basically a happy person. If your son is happy then I would start questioning the Dr.s and teachers!!
Have you ever considered home schooling or even a different school??
Yup. I have thought about it but really want him to learn how to get on in a structured classroom environment as well. If the school is inflexible I will definitely consider homeschooling him until he gets his focus under control.
However, we have not come to that yet. I think if we explain ourselves to the school well and they see an improvement soon then he can get on just fine at school. If they do push for medication though, I want to be prepared with a response. I also want to know a bit more on how to help him help himself.
Our kid is back to being the happy, easygoing, social little being he used to be. However, he is not getting his work done in school and won't stop talking! No aggression or crankiness but this previously 'Antisocial-perhaps-autistic' child is suddenly a social butterfly and is driving his teachers nuts.
My son was like that, and I didn't want to medicate him. I found that giving him caffeine was the trick. Yeah it sounds counterintuitive, but when I started letting him have a half a cup of coffee at breakfast, and take a caffeinated soda to school in his lunch, the difference was remarkable. It allowed him to concentrate much better on his work at school and pay attention to the teacher a lot more.
Great idea! I can easily see why that would help! I'd give that a try. Also, I have been more careful about the kinds of foods I eat and that has helped me lots. Now I am a grandmother so I'm sure the foods and what they should have as a child would be different. Google "foods to help treat ADD" and I am sure there are many great ideas. I know other parents who have seen a remarkable difference by just changing what their kids eat and not putting their kids on medications!
Great idea! I can easily see why that would help! I'd give that a try. Also, I have been more careful about the kinds of foods I eat and that has helped me lots. Now I am a grandmother so I'm sure the foods and what they should have as a child would be different. Google "foods to help treat ADD" and I am sure there are many great ideas. I know other parents who have seen a remarkable difference by just changing what their kids eat and not putting their kids on medications!
Yep, what you eat can make a big difference. As far as the caffeine for kids goes, you just have to be careful with how much he gets and what time of day it is. You don't want him staying up all night!! I found that I couldn't give my son any after about 3pm or he wouldn't fall asleep until after midnight. And I tried to keep it limited to just enough that it helped him. My mother-in-law called me a terrible parent for allowing my little boy to have coffee in the morning, but you know the side effects from meds are so much worse. Yes caffeine is still a drug but at least your kid won't be a zombie from it.
our 8yo had an ADD diagnosis and has been medicated for it for 2 years now. He was first on Adderall which was horrible. He was like a zombie, depressed and agressive. His teacher loved it since he did his work! So, we pulled him off it and switched him to Strattera. It did help him focus but we had the same issues of irritability, aggression and depression. Then the school started hinting that perhaps these behaviors indicate an Autistic spectrum disorder! So, over spring break we stopped the meds completely.
Our kid is back to being the happy, easygoing, social little being he used to be. However, he is not getting his work done in school and won't stop talking! No aggression or crankiness but this previously 'Antisocial-perhaps-autistic' child is suddenly a social butterfly and is driving his teachers nuts.
Here's the problem - I think he needs a few months to settle down and digest what his issues are. He has not had to deal with all this energy in two years and I think, with time, he will get better at it. He is definitely willing to try.
However, I think the school is going to start pressuring us to put him back on the meds. At this point I have no desire to revert to medication without giving him a chance to learn coping skills and to try his hand at self control. Any pointers on how to deal with the school?
Has anyone been through this before?
Any tips on how I can help him with self control?
Look at it from the schools point of view. Your child's behavior is impacting the abilithy of the other children in the classroom to learn.
There are natural alternatives to prescription medications. You might want to research that option.
Bookworm, I think if you and your son want to test the waters without medication, more power to you. Your son is old enough to learn some coping skills that might help him focus and stay quiet in class. Is behavioral therapy an option? My son just started his medication, and his doctor wants him to have some therapy sessions when he is a bit older. Does your son have an IEP? Your son's school might be able to provide him with some in-school therapy, too. My daughter is autistic and gets lots of therapy for social skills at school.
Thanks JustJulia. I think behavioral therapy is definitely the way I would go. The child is certainly capable and willing to learn. I think it is a case now of his deciding to make the right choices instead of just doing whatever he wants to. I threatened to take away his star wars toys if he had one more bad day and he was an angel in school so he can focus when he chooses to.
I'm debating about the diet changes that I saw online. He was a very picky eater when he was on his meds and is finally eating like a horse and gaining weight. I'm not sure about taking away dairy or gluten when he is growing well again.
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I found that I couldn't give my son any after about 3pm or he wouldn't fall asleep until after midnight. And I tried to keep it limited to just enough that it helped him. My mother-in-law called me a terrible parent for allowing my little boy to have coffee in the morning, but you know the side effects from meds are so much worse. Yes caffeine is still a drug but at least your kid won't be a zombie from it.
