4Yr Old Diagnosed with ADHD

My grandson also has ADHD. We too have had mixed feelings about meds, but he is doing sooooooo much better. Instead of always being in trouble, we can find so many ways to praise him & he now has friends. He didn't have friends before. Other people now invite him over for play dates. This didn't happen before. I really am thankful for the change in him. It helps him like himself too.

I stuggled through pre-school, I struggled through Kindergarten, and I struggled through half a year of first grade with my son. I tried everything, behavior modification, I talked till I was blue in the face, we punished, we tried ignoring it, we tried diet, and finally... we broke down... we put him on meds. WOW WOW WOW! Now, this is truly my child! He loves being on the meds because he can do things now like draw and play with lego's. He didn't want to do those impulsive things like touch but he couldn't stop himself. Now - he's truly happy and his grades SOARED! From failing to passing in only 9 weeks! He's been on it now for several months and we are all so happy!!!

I have 2 kids that are adhd and they are both on meds. without the meds they would not be succeeding in school. and as an adult you can "control" without meds but I think as children their education is important and if it means meds to succeed than so be it. when they get good grades it boosts their self esteem. that is important!

K.-

My 8 year old adopted son was diagnosed with moderately severe ADHD over 2 years ago. I too felt mixed emotions/guilty about medicine and him taking anything that could alter him or somehow effect his personality and well-being. Well, I now know it was the right thing for him. Yes it helped tremendously with our days at home. But it also helped him greatly be able to concentrate more and to do his best at school and at home. Before the meds, he just couldn't control himself and his mind raced too much. He literally was like a ping pong ball all over the house from morning till night, to the point of exhaustion for him and us. Now, while we still have behavioral issues, his behavior is not near as a problem and he is able to think much clearer, which gives him more peace of mind, more control over himself and more success in life than he was ever able to have before.

I know there are many people out there that don't agree with these meds, but I think I wouldn't be a caring and loving Mom if I allowed him to try and feel his way thru life without the very medication that is allowing him success over the medical condition that was making all of us miserable.

Just my two cents,
S.

K.,
I also live in Westfield and my son was just diagnosed with ADHD. He was 8 years old when he was diagnosed and he just turned 9. We have known for some time that he has an attention disorder and we were not in favor of medication either. So.....we just tried to re-direct him when he got off task and TRIED to be as patient as we could. Well, you will find out that when your daughter gets into school that it becomes a bigger issue because the teacher not only has a class to teach but your child becomes a big distraction for the whole class and more work for the teacher. We thankfully got a really great teacher at Collegewood this year and she has dealt with special needs kids and referred my son, Nathan to the school counselor for evaluation. After several months of evaluation he was of course diagnosed with ADHD and we went to the doctor.
My doctor was so compassionate about our feelings and was willing to do whatever we wanted but he also asked us "if Nathan was diabetic would you give him medication to treat his illness"? Of course we would. So we tried the medication, Aderal RX and we have seen amazing results. His grades have improved, he is more focused and he is so much easier to deal with at home. He is a happier person and has told us "my brain works now, I can think". He literally could not focus long enough to have a long conversation with us before. His written papers have gotten longer with more description. I am truly amazed and wish now that I wouldn't have been so apprehensive to start him on meds.
Please call me anytime you need to talk. I know this is a difficult time but I really feel now, looking back on my situation, that the sooner you treat her the happier your family and daughter will be and the better her education experience will be. Oh, and also I researched ADHD online and I found out that they studies have shown that kids who are treated with meds go on to college and their education success is much higher than those treated with alternative methods.
My name is J. and my cell phone number is ###-###-####. Please call anytime. Good luck and remember, you are NOT alone!

My 11 year old son has been medicated for ADHD since he was 5 years old and I completed understand your feelings. I now am able to see how the medication benefits him. He is able to do better socially, he is able to play on sports teams and follow the rules and he does better in school. I know without the medication all of these would be extremely difficult for him.

I think medicating or not medicating is a very personal decision with ADHD. I have also read that kids who are medicated are less likely to try to "self medicate" with drugs and alcohol as they get older.

I think every Mom of a child with ADHD has felt the struggle you are feeling. Try to go with what your heart is telling you is best for your daughter and your family.

L.

Don't think of it as hiding her true self. Think of it as giving her the means to focus and to be able to find her true self. My daughter is on medication for a severe social anxiety so I can feel what you are dealing with. My daughter was not able to be her true self because of her dibilitating fear of being in a social environment. Your daughter is actually probable thankful that you have helped her focus and not feel "uncontrollable" all the time. She will now be able to focus, learn, and find her true self in a comfortable way and not always feel like people are controlling her and telling her to work and focus all the time.

K.,
We had the same feelings when my nephew was diagnosed with ADHD. We really didn't think "drugs" were the answer. My husband and I even went as far as not giving it to him when he'd stay the night, jut to kind of see what would happen.He also was about 9 yrs old at the time.The main thing we saw was an increse in his appitite! But when we seen him at home w/o it, his brother and him would fight quite a bit.
He has been on it for about 7years now and has improved in his relationship with his brother(as much as can be expected in brothers) and his mother. The major improvement was school.It relly helped him concentrate!! In your case, it might be good to control it now with or without medication before it affects school. I hope this helps. J.

I do not have ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADD as an adult. So, I do not have answers for kids meds. I do take meds myself, they help a LOT.

But, if they said the child needed glasses, would you be as worried???? Needing meds for ADHD does not HINDER the child, it gives the child an equal footing with others. You would not send a near sighted child to play baseball without glasses, since they would not be able to see the ball quickly enough to catch it or duck! So, give your child the assist that she needs at this crucial stage to "catch" the social cues and make friends, as other children do, rather than be hampered by lack of skills.

Taking Ritalin (my meds) does not "hamper" me. You know what it is like to run to the grocery at 6 PM, just for milk, while you are HUNGRY for dinner!! You want to eat everything you see!! But if you shop for the milk at 7 PM after you have eaten, it is a simple chore. No "HUNGRIES" to distract you in every aisle. Medication can do the same thing - give you control of your situation, so YOU make choices! I wish I had been diagnosed and given meds as a child, but I was "quiet", so not a problem. Meds might have helped me be a more social person, without foot-in-mouth etc. which made childhood hell. Also, I would have gotten better grades, because I would have been able to concentrate and START an assignment!!

Give the child help - you have tried counseling, they sent you to add the meds. Do it FOR her - she needs your help!!!!

This is a hot button topic for me, I just want kids who need this to get the meds and the benefits. I always wondered why I was different, finally learned. Wish I had known earlier. You have seen her improvement. Continue meds and counseling FOR HER BENEFIT - she needs you!

Best wishes!!

ADHD is a biochemical issue that just happens to manifest in behavior. If your child had any other illness and you knew of a medication that would alleviate the side effects- you would consider it-right? This is no different. ADHD renders a child unable to filter out stimuli- imagine sitting in a room and hearing, feeling, sensing EVERYTHING that is going on all at once. Most of us have the ability to filter out backgorund noises, sights, etc. If your brain lacks the chemical process to do this- you can only imagine how this might make one act out. You cannot alter brain chemistry through behavior modifcication, envirnonmental adpatations, or even most dietary changes. If a child is accurately diagnosed with ADHD, medication can dramatically improve thier quality of life by giving the child the ability to process thier surroundings in a more manageable way.
Having said all of this- I do agreet that 4 years old seems a bit young for such a diagnosis. But, one way to determine if the diagnosis is accurate is to see if medication leads to an improvement. These meds will not be effective on someone who does not actually have ADHD.
As with any medical issue- you have the right to make the choice about what treatment you think is best for your child. Do whatever you truly feel is best for your child.

I completely understand what you are going through. My son will be seven on Friday and I waited until he was in school to get diagnosed. I struggled for years that he was just an active young boy. It made me rethink my decision when he started having trouble in school getting simple things done, like getting in line for the bus. He had to have an achievement chart. No one else in the class did. That was a huge wake up call for me. I had surveys done by the teachers and me, and seperately we sent them into his ped who decided that it was an official diagnosis and that meds would benefit us most since he was away from me most of the day. It has shown MARKED improvement with his social skills and his academic skills. Suddenly he's a top reader in his class, and already reading chapter books. I know it's hard to accept that something is different and that mediations have to "alter" them to be "the same!" But I decided that it was for his benefit not mine, and we're all a happier now because of it! Good luck to you and be happy you found out before she starts into the school system:) Also there is a book called "Help is on the Way" I'm not sure who the author is but it's amazing how it explains it to the children. It's written for them. Then in the back there are helpful hints for teachers/parents and resource information. Know that you are not alone in your struggle!
J.

Hi K.,

i have a daughter that will be 11 this month. She is on meds now, her dad and i often thought she needed something but always over looked it. I can tell you that with her being on her meds is a life saver. She went from not really caring or understanding school too... Bringing home much better grades. She started on a very low dose once a day. After her being on the meds for 6 months we are talking about giving her one more pill in the afternoon to help with after school studies. Im thinking if we can hold out for a few more months we will for sure start up with the second pill when she starts 6th grade. I can tell a huge differents with her being on the meds. She feels so much better about herself in several ways.

I have a 14 year old son who has been on medicine for ADHD for several years. He was hyper from the time he was very little and my mom's friend who is a nurse said from the time he was two that he had ADHD. He did not get diagnosed until he was in 2nd grade. He couldn't sit still in class and talked a lot. I still really didn't believe that was what he had. Even after the doctor confirmed it and he was taking medicine and doing better in school. Until one Saturday when we forgot his medicine before he went to a basketball game. He just ran around the floor. He had no idea there was even a game going on. That's when I realized how much he needed the medicine. Now, I know within an hour of him waking up if he has had his medicine or not. One of the things we watch for with Jordan is personality changes. If his dosage is too high, he becomes really quiet and just not himself. Good luck!

K.,

I know just how you feel, my son has been on meds for ADD since he was in the 3rd grade,(he's now in the 7th grade). My husband had a HUGE issue w/putting him on meds for this and every year tries to take him off but he just can't do it. He needs his medication to be able to focus in school. We realize now that it's like taking a medication for any illness or disease, if it's needed then it's the best thing you can do for your child. By not putting her on it, it's only goin to hurt her in then. If you took her for counceling and they still thought she needed then medication then you shouldn't feel bad at all. You tried it that way and they could see she needed extra help. I'm sure there are books on trying to control ADHD by diet. WE checked into that but we would have had to take alot of his favorite foods out of his diet and then watch and read all ingredients on everything you buy. We decided that wasn't for us but it may be an avenue you may want to look into.

S.

I have a 6 1/2 year old son with ADHD. He has been seeing a psychologist since he was 4. He has other issues also. Along the way his psychologist said that we may want to consider putting him on meds. We held off for as long as possible. When he entered 1st grade this year he started off fine like he did every year of school. But yet again when he got into his second month of school he started to get into trouble...but this time it was every day and it just wasn't at school. We finally had a meeting with his psychologist and his ped. and decided to take the step of medicating him, after 2 years of not medicating him. I felt like I had failed. Once we put him on the meds it was like he completely changed. He stopped getting in trouble at school and out of school. It's not a cure all pill though. He still gets in trouble for talking, but now he is able to focus. His personality hasn't changed other than now his is able to focus on one thing at a time and his mind isn't going in 20 directions at the same time. He still runs around and plays and talks and talks...but it's just a little bit easier to follow him. He has been asked how he feels when he is on the meds and he says "I feel like I can think, and it's very relaxing". I know that he understands his body and that by him telling me that that I know that we are doing what is best for him. I will add on a side note that one day we forgot to give him his meds in the morning and I thought...wow, this will be a good test to see if this is really working. When he came home from school his teacher had put a note in his bag and it said, "He had such a hard time concentrating and focusing on the tasks at hand today". She had no idea that he didn't have his meds. I will also add too that no one needs to know that your son is being medicated, especially the school. In our case we have chosen to inform his teacher and the school because we wanted to make sure that the medication was working and we needed that feedback from them. Our son also knows that people aren't to know that he is on the meds and not to talk about it with other kids.

Welcome to my world K., ... yes, this is truely a stressful situation and emotioally difficult. I will tell you that I currently have two kids on meds for ADHD and I totally believe in the meds. If you see your child in better control and your life is easier, ... don't you think she feels better in control and her life is easier too? Sometimes it takes a couple different meds to possibly allow them to still express their true personality yet be in better control of their actions. My husband was not a big supporter of the meds until he saw our kids on them and then off of them again, .. now, we rarely miss a dose. Our teenage daughter even has great insight into her need for the meds. and we rarely have to remind her to take them. Support is sometimes very slow to come around; ... remember, it is your child and no one elses. You need to do what you feel is right for her well being and your gut feeling. My children did both lose weight when they started the meds but, they were strictly monitored by their physician and are both doing well. Sometimes we do instant breakfasts shakes or Pediasure or some other supplemental drink along with their meal. It's a tough decision. Write anytime if you want to talk more. Good luck. R.

I feel the same way as you do. However, none of my children have ADHD. I did work at a preschool where we dealt with this issue. I personally do not agree with medicating children. I believe there are other ways to battle ADHD. You could always get a second opinion. Some doctors rely on meds too much. Sometimes changing their diet helps. Also, there are things to do that calm children; such as: water or sand play, playdough, painting. Just to name a few. Good luck with everything and just follow your heart. I would definitely get a second opinion.

follow your gut. if you have bad feelings about it then i would tka her off the meds. i personally think 4 years old is WAY WAY WAY too young to be on medicine. she is still maturing and has so much more developing to do. do you want her on meds for the rest of her life? because starting them now so young will only be the beginning of lifelong dependency. who cares about others sanity- the important thing is your daughter and what is best for her.

How did you decide to have her evaluated for ADHD? Was she at preschool and the teacher wanted you to do it? Or is it something you noticed at home? From my experience as a Mom, a Medical Assistant and a teacher's aide for 3 years, the ADHD kids seem to need discipline and guidance. They don't seem to be any more energetic than other kids, just not as able to control themselves. The best advice I know of from my experience is this: Turn off the TV. Eat dinner with the family at the dining room table. If your child does not mind you (in any way or at any time), set a punishment such as 3 hours in her room alone and stick to it. Make sure you read a book to her every day and that she sits and listens to it. Let her know that if she does not do as the teacher asks her, the same rules apply- in her room 3 hours alone. After a month or so of this, if no improvement, then I would consider other alternatives, but personally, I think she is too young for meds.

Hello,
i say stick to your guns about no meds...as others wrote there are other alternatives with diet ect that will help. I think a lot of kids are diagnosed with this and the docs love to put them on medicine because of the kick backs they get or an easy way out. If your up to it other ways are just as effective....just dont push her to do someting that is hard for her...any praise will go a long way more than meds...

Personally, I don't feel that they've done enough testing to show that a lot of med, especially brain/behavior modifying meds are safe for kids. Their brains are still developing. The situation would have to be very terrible for me to put my daughter on them. I think the counseling is worth trying, but I would do everything possible not to put my kid on meds because I don't believe they understand the long-term effect of them on children. Is there any plans to ween them off of the meds? Or is this going to be for life now?

2 things....My doc said he would never diagnose a child with ADHD or ADD before the age of 6.
Second, my cousin has an 9 year old with ADHD and she is a nurse and didn't want to give her child medicine when he was initially diagnosed. She has controlled it for years now with diet and excercise. I know there are special diets out there and it may be worth looking into. Good luck!

K.,

Wanted to share an alternative to dealing with your daughters ADHD. Received this information in a newsletter I receive monthly. Roman Chamomile for ADD-We just received a nice review from one of our clients in Cincinnati who used Roman Chamomile for her 11 year old son. He was having a lot of problems in school due to his ADD. So she started putting a drop on the sole of each of his feet before and after school. We love to pass them on in order to help other people. Aromatherapy not only helps adults but children as well - Never apply essential oils directly to the skin and avoid contact with the eyes and mouth. The only exception to this rule is Lavender; this essential oil can be applied to the skin without a carrier oil. You will need a "carrier" oil such as sweet almond, aloe, or olive oil. I wish you the best. Contact me if you want additional information.

In my opinion ADHD is not your childs problem, your problem is who in their right mind would put a 4 year old child on drugs to control them.Way too many kids are put on these drugs and later in life wonder what happened to being a kid. Love and direction is what your child needs maybe just a bit more than normal children.You may be slowing down her whole life.

Not once did you mention anything about her diet. Do you realize that certain dyes and chemicals can cause this behavior??? Have you tried taking out all dyes, preservatives, and processed food? You might be amazed! On top of that......if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't WANT a four year old on meds......for God knows how long.

I am a Mother of 3 boys. All have some degree of Autism. My Middle son is the most severe. We didn't want to medicate him and struggled with the choice for years. When he was 9 years old we put him in a study and it did help with his behavior. It seemed to mask his personality. I didn't like this at all. When he finally adjusted to the dosage his personality has emerged again. The good things are, he is calmer and able to learn now, he has started saying a few words, he is easier to handle, and his temper and reactions are better. I know sometimes I feel guilty too, but I am able to get sleep now, and stay calmer when he acts out. Is your daughter happier now? If so then your doing the right thing. Also try to adjust her diet for possible allergys if you don't want to medicate. I have had friends try it and some say it helps.

Try "fish oil" (Omega 3,6,9). I have a nephew who is 5, but, the Dr.'s won't diagnosis him unti he's 7. In my opinion, too late once he starts school and is struggling. I suggested fish oil to his mom. You can either buy it in capsule form & squirt on/in his food. Or GNC sells Omega 3 packets that are orange flavored for kids. My nephew calls it his: orange pudding. It seems to help alot. Try to go on line & do a search about fish oil & ADHD. I am against putting any child on Rx drugs, especially this young. There are also diet changes you can make to help this ailment. Hope this helps.
A. B.
There's No Place Like Home Childcare

Well, I can understand your concern. Myself would be against medicating my child. Like you said it takes her true self away. Tye Pennington, from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, to suffered from ADHD. Look at him. He is able to express himself and do a job that he loves. I also saw years back on Dr. Phil about this subject. Instead of medicating they evaluated the child and found things that worked like, certain foods and exercises that aided in keeping the hyperactivity under control. I would research that...and maybe you could email Dr. Phil and/or Tye to see what else you could do.

A 4 year old is MUCH TOO YOUNG to be diagnosed with ADHD! Most of the experts in the field won't diagnose it until age 7 because it's just too hard to differentiate between ADD/ADHD and a normal child with late maturity. Take her to an expert for a real diagnosis. There's a brain scan type thing they do to diagnose it... most kids are mis-diagnosed and put on medicine for no reason at all. A reputable expert will do the correct tests. It's a chemical imbalance thing with the brain that can be measured and recorded -- not just based on behavior. Many kids with ADHD-like behaviors can improve by simple life-style changes, not medicine.

A good reference book is The ADD Answer by Dr Lawlis.

Dear K.,

My son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (which is a mild form of Autism) at the age of 4. He has some ADHD tendencies that accompany his behavior challenges. When we first received the news, we were devastated. No one wants their child to have difficulties. But we decided to be proactive and we put him on a medicine called Straterra. It really helps him to focus. In addition to that, and maybe even more importantly, we have sought therapy through the school system. He is learning how to focus and stay on task and it has been wonderful. Now, we still have rough days, but they are few and far between. If you are an active parent and constantly strive to learn how to teach your daughter, she will be the person God created her to be! God's blessings to you,
K.

my son is 5 yrs old and his teacher has been trying to get us to put our son on meds since he started her class in dec. he was in another school but we moved and the school zone was different. his other teacher never complained about his behavoir. his new teacher gets upset because when they have video phonics(sitting in front of a tv playing video phonics games) he doens't want to sit still & when they have video around the world(sitting in front of tv and joining classrooms from around the world) he doesn't want to sit still). we tried telling his teacher that he wasn't raised to sit & watch tv or play video games, he plays quite a bit outside in the warmer months and he helps his dad in his automotive shop, she says he's too hyper. from my personal feelings i would never put him on meds, i'm not saying it's not right for everyone, it's just not right for us. i have worked with disabled children & adults for almost 10yrs and can tell you most doctors don't think of the long term effects alot of the drugs on the market can do to your child. you have to remember, most pediatricians stop seeing your kid when they turn 18-21, and after that they see them as another doctors' responsability. a mother almost always knows what is best for her child, if you're having second thoughts, then seek more info about the drugs out there and other treatments availible.

Go with your gut feeling - follow your heart - you can always change your mind if you feel you made a mistake.

My 3 yr old requires A LOT more from me than other kids do, but I wouldn't say it can't be changed. After lots of soul searching I'm accepting of the fact that I have a challenging kid, and have turned a new perspective on it when being judged by others -- I'm proud my kid has a strong personality! I'm proud she isn't a robot! She is very intelligent, very determined, and very articulate in expressing herself. Qualities of great leader (ha ha).

Follow your heart... Everyone is different and only you know the truth of your situation. No one has the right to judge. I'll admit I'm a skeptic of the ADHD Over-GROWTH in the last century. There are kids who are on the medicine who don't truly "NEED" to be, those that need to be -- and an ever growing field of psychiatrists, some of whom make these recommendations in order to keep their wealth where it needs to be. They get incentives/kickbacks from Pharmaceutical Companies to push the medications. Only the parent knows if meds are the only choice. Personally, I think parenting classes and behavioral management classes should be mandatory prior to dispensing any behavioral medication to children. This doesn't mean "blame the parents:, it's just that having education and help with behavioral issues could save some kids and give them a hopeful future.

Hi K.,

I have read the responses and you have lots of advice to sort through. I'd just like to add that when my son was 5 his behavior became somewhat challenging. He was diagnosed with two "disorders" by two different doctors and the doctors tried to convince me to medicate him (for his social experience and the sake of his and his classmates education). Because of my background in the medical as well as the educational fields, I chose not to medicate. I felt that if the doctors could not show me proof of a chemical imbalance, then medication was not an option. Further, I also understood that choosing to medicate would lead to my son being labeled and having an IEP in school that would follow him throughout his school years. I recently had my son (now 12) evaluated (with brain scans and questionnaires)and there are no signs of any of the disorders previous doctors claimed he had. His behavior is still challenging sometimes, but as his mother, I choose life for my son--real life...with its ups and downs, good days and rough days. I chose to homeschool all four of my children and the only label he carries now is the one I gave him; a child of God. No one can tell you the best thing to do in your situation. You are her mother and you are fully equipped to make the best decision for her. Doctors are human. They make mistakes. You owe it to Makayla to get a second opinion, and maybe even a third before you medicate her at 4 years old. I say this not because medication will "hinder her true self" but because medications have side effects--some very serious (liver, kidney damage, etc.). Also, ask yourself if you can live with your decision 10 years from now, as most children do not get off meds in a year or two. Will it injure Makayla's self esteem to have to take meds to be "normal" or to "make her brain work" when her friends don't have to? She'll notice this by third grade. And please don't fall for the classic "would you medicate her if she had diabetes" line. That's comparing apples to oranges. When a finger prick can tell you Makayla is about to lose focus and become hyper then the diabetes line will become relevent. Trust your mommy instincts and do your homework. I have faith that you will choose wisely.

Try reading Food and Behavior by Barbara R. Stitt. She has been doing studies on teenagers and children and food. I am a stay at home mom with girls 8 and 5. We have been having some issues with our oldest and a counselor told us to check out this book. Which we are in the process of doing. Hope this helps!

Have you ever heard of sensory integration? It may be beneficial to have her evaluated by an occupational therapist that is specialized in this area.

If you can afford it see an osteopath. A lot of these type of conditions are caused by allergies. If you are in the Cleveland area; Osteomed II or Integrative Wellness. Still check out their websites for further information.

The only true way to know if your child has ADHD is to do a brain scan. I don't know how much it costs or even if your insurance will cover it, but I would have it done before putting your child on any type of medication that might change her true self.

I am a SAHM of a 3 yr old beautiful daughter and a wife to a wonderful husband of 14 years!

I have 2 girls with ADHD and as hard as it was to put them on meds, I had to do it for the sake of the other children in their classrooms. I know it hinders their true selves but in time, some do grow out of the meds and also with behavior therepy it can work. I am a mother of 4 and my oldest girl with ADHD is 13 and has been been on Adderall since 4 and my other one is 8 and has been on Adderall since she was 5 and I have now switched her to the new Vyvanse. There are still ups and downs and side effects in wich I don't like but all in all, it helps them in school!

K.,

ADHD is a chronic medical condition. This is not a character defect, not a failure of parenting, not her "personality" and not just her "attitude". It is a defect in the way her brain cells function, a purly biological issue. Each brain cell is disconected from the next by a very tiny space, called a synapse. Since brain cells dont actually touch, for the elelctical impulses we call thougts to move, neruotransmitters in our brains carry the thought across this tiny space to the next cell. If there is a defect in the body's abilty to produce these chemicals or in the cells abilty to utilize these chemicals, the person has ADHD. It is absolutly medical, biolgical, and out of her control on a cellualr level, where she needs the medication as a tool to help her really develop her personality with complete thoughts that she can depend on.

Unless you, as a healthy adult, really beleive that you control your own neruo chemical responses (and I would rather think that you have never actually done this by your own "will power") you should let this go now, and instead invest that energy into learning everything you can about your daughter's condition. Russel Barkely and Mel Levine have some of the best books around about ADHD and soon you will need to know the ins and outs of school advocacy, read how to get started at www.wrightslaw.com.

Good luck, dont beat yourself up about it anymore, and treat her medical condition just like you would any other organ system in her body if it was not functioning as it should.

M.
Educational advocate turned SAHM-3 girls 9, 11, 16 with disabilites

If you do a internet search on - ADHD Diet - there is a ton of valid information on changes you can make to your child's diet that are very effective. I think that you will see improvements. Although it will be difficult to know what is helping since she already started on the patch.

Whatever you do, just know that you are making the best desicision for your daughter. I'm sure if you've seen improvements in her, she has seen them as well. She is probably proud of herself for the improvements she has made. Keep encouraging her!

I have not had to deal with this personally until I took on babysitting my nephew. My sister has adhd and so do 2 of her kids (diagnosed by the doctor). I have always babysat for the 2 older kids and I can tell you the meds do make a difference as everyone else has mentioned in school. I have started watching her youngest 2. The 6 year old has just started all day kindergarten this school year and I have thought for awhile that he has it too. They haven't taken him to the doctor for it yet. My oldest nephew (who is now 14) had so many problems in school before they got him on the meds. He didn't have any friends, and he was always in trouble at school. It is really hard to watch a little kid go through life in such turmoil. I could tell he didn't really mean to be a spaz but he just couldn't help it. I did discover that I didn't have to give it to him in the summer when he could be outside playing and running. My other nephew who is 11 is diagnosed with add. He started having trouble in school and they finally took him to the doctor. I would imagine it would be hard to be add in a family full of people who have the hyper activity with it. He doesn't have a speedy bone in his body. He actually has some anger issues that go along with it. He is doing much better in school just since getting on the meds. I had taught my son how to read by the time he was 3. I took on my nephew when he was 4 almost 5 and he didn't know how to read. I tried everything I had tried with my son and he just did not get it. He would do everything but listen to me. He is almost through kindergarten and still does not know how to read. He just actually learned his alphabet and numbers after school had started. He still has trouble writing his numbers through 10. I think the biggest thing is about school and since your daughter will be going to school within the next couple of years I think you should at least try it. If you can do it by activity and diet then that is terrific. If you can't control it that way then you should try the meds, if for no other reason than for you daughters self esteem. I have seen my nephews go through self esteem issues and it really is sad. Get control of it now before they go out into the world and can't handle it. Good luck to you you have a long road ahead of you.

4 years old is very young to be diagnosed with ADHD. If you are not comfortable with the suggestion of meds, I would seek a second opinion. It definitely wouldn't hurt to see what other options you might have to help her at such a young age.