7 Yr Old - Possible ADD

Google the Feingold program. Some people have seen amazing results just by eliminating certain things from the diet.

There is a post below from today about a 3 1/2 year old just diagnosed with ADHD.
http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/2864557069393068033

I recommend reading the posts by McK5, Martha and Coloratura under that. Here's what I shared there. One other thing -- get your child in with a specialist for an accurate diagnosis. A developmental pediatrician (NOT a regular one), psychiatrist or neuropsychologist are best.

Our son was kicked out of preschool at age three for his ADHD symptoms. We couldn't get a diagnosis at that age (they waited until he was five, but he clearly had ADHD), but Kaiser did help to treat him because things were so severe. We tried behavioral strategies through a child psychologist and then a behavioral therapist, but nothing worked until our son went on medication. The first couple didn't work -- Tenex and Clonidine -- blood pressure meds, that while mild and low risk -- didn't affect his symptoms at all. When he was four, we tried Ritalin. I will always remember that Fourth of July because it was the day we got to meet our real son. Fireworks literally went off that day because he was the same boy -- so full of spunk, energy, personality -- but his behavior was in the normal range. No more aggression or running across the furniture sunrise to sunset, full of focus, so much happier. Absolutely life-changing.

At seven, our son is on a long-acting form of Ritalin called Concerta. He's excelling in school, has lots of friends and is doing well at home. (ETA: No side effects at all, other than an initial decrease in appetite that goes away over time)

I also recommend ADDitude magazine (www.additudemag.com) and joining CHADD. Be so, so careful of the scams out there. This is a genetic brain disorder and not something vitamins, diet, house cleaning products and "alternative" approaches will fix. If you have any reservations about medications (and I think it's fair to say we all do at the beginning until we see how great they help our kids), talk to the specialists helping your son. Stay away from the scare tactics found online and through misinformed general public.

My almost 7yo son was recently diagnosed with ADHD.We had our suspicions since he turned 4 and tried different methods of helping him control his behavior. We tried changing his diet, different discipline methods, and supplements. Unfortunately, nothing was having any affect on him. He was in some cases getting worse, with his impulsiveness(stealing), aggression, and focus. We started him in 1st grade at a different school and right away he was being sent to the principals office. At that point we decided that it was time to seek professional help after meeting with the school social worker and principal.

There is nothing wrong with having your child officially diagnosed. I learned now that he has an official diagnosis of ADHD, the school can start him on something called a 504 plan, that allows them to accommodate the student to help with learning. This is different from an IEP.

http://specialchildren.about.com/od/504s/f/504faq1.htm

We decided to medicate him since we had tried everything else and we were on our last straw. I asked friends and family what they thought and those that had experience with medicating there own kids. After discussing with the doctor what our options were, we decided to start on a short-term medication called Adderall. This medication only last about 4 hours and can be given in two doses. We give him a pill in the morning, right before school. Immediately the teacher saw a huge improvement in his ability to focus and not be disruptive. I have not seen any negative side effects as of yet.

We still need to break down his study/homework time in small segments. Usually we will give him an hour downtime after he gets home from school and then do homework in 15 minute increments, with a half hour break between until it is done. Most kids attention span even on medication is short, so doing things in short spans is easier for them. Plus, as a parent, you less likely to get aggravated with the child with the shorter time frame and it gives you a break too.

A couple of books that may be helpful to you are Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, Asthma, ADHD and Allergies by Dr. Kenneth Bock and Disconnected Kids by Robert Melillo. Melillo has franchises called Brain Balance in which the ideas from his book are addressed.

Mostly very good advice (except for the one that mom calls the son's fish pills his "good boy" pills, yikes - these kids have such a hard time controlling their behavior and they feel sooo bad when they mess up, that can really affect their self-esteem).
Every child is different and diagnosis can present different in terms of severity and areas most affected. My 7-year-old has an ADHD diagnosis and here's what we've found:
-Although I hate labels and never tell him he has ADHD (we only discuss specific behaviors), the diagnosis has helped immensely with getting him help at school. We took him to a developmental pediatrician for diagnosing. In school, we went the IEP (not 504) route and he has an aide in the afternoon to help with attention/focus; gets to do computer time as a reward for completing all his work; attends a social skills group; gets extra time on timed tests; can't be suspended for behavior issues; and other additional supports as he needs. This has been very helpful and I have seen much improvement since I transferred him from a Charter school (with no support) to a public school (in Gilbert).
-We've do fish oil; not sure if it really helps but it can't hurt. We've used a lemon flavor one from the health food stores and the gummies (probably not as good).
-We do limit processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, sugary snacks, etc. Can't say I notice a significant difference but that stuff can't be good for you.
-We give him coffee before school and give him a water bottle with Crystal Light Energy for school. This did help. 100 g of caffeine has the same effect as 5 g of Ritalin. Caffeine is a vasodilator (increasing blood flow to the brain) and actually helps these kids attend.
-Initially, he received speech therapy (to slow down, enunciate, etc), occupational therapy (to address sensory/movement needs), and play therapy - all through private insurance since he didn't quality through school. These helped initially.
-We sit by him to complete homework quickly and efficiently. We don't engage him but will redirect him while we do our own work.
-We limit electronics to 30 minutes/day and will take it away completely if having a tough day. Electronics are overstimulating and can worsen the problem.
-Disciplining is very different for these kids. I have found spanking and yelling to have detrimental effects (they may work as a last resort for typical kids but not with ADHD). I do still hold him accountable (although I know how difficult self-control is for him), there are consequences for his actions and he looses privileges (e.g. computer time). I try to reward good behavior to decrease possibility of needing to punish bad behavior. I have found "Love and Logic" and "I Can Problem Solve" (by Myrna Shure) to be helpful with my son.
-I tried Rescure Remedy by Bach (a natural product) with no noticeable difference but some people swear by it.
-My son was also premature and I believe his frontal cortex is immature, hence his impulsivity and sensory issues
-I am staying away from medications as long as he can function well enough because of the side effects.
-My son is a cognitive learner so we do a lot of talking and explaining his actions and possible results, etc. We have seen this help but it is a gradual, daily process.

Be patient even when you can't stand it anymore. Shower him with love, acceptance and support! All the best to you and your unique child. I'd be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

I understand your frustrations. My daughter showed signs of ADD when she was in 1st grade (she is now in 3rd grade) and after much testing we discovered that was not it at all. She actually has several sensory issues that cause distraction and lack of attention. I would encourage you to do some research on sensory issues and then have him evaluated. My daughter received OT for a year and it has really helped her. Good luck!

My son had ADHD and we ran through all the possible tests before finally giving him medication once he reached 5th grade.
It has helped a lot with the impulsivity. He still needs to be constantly reminded to stay focused on homework at home, but that is more due to the fact that he has two younger siblings that are a huge distraction.

Try taking him to a naturopath and evaluating his diet first. Look into his sleep habits. You know, too, I couldn't afford it, but I think putting kids that have this issue into an alternative school would be the best idea. We are not all wired the same - we are not all able to sit still in a desk and shuffle papers. Look at the wide variety of employment that does not require someone to sit at a desk. It's hard when you want your child to succeed - kids who have ADD or ADHD also are very creative, curious, driven and just try to stay positive.
It's been the biggest challenge for me to just try to accept my child the way God made him.

Try alternative first. Don't hurry to get him diagnosed. There is a lot of information on the internet.

There is a special school in Richardson for children with ADD. I've heard it is good. Don't know the name.

Try this book: Ritalin-Free Kids: Safe and Effective Homeopathic Medicine for ADD and Other Behavioral and Learning Problems
http://www.amazon.com/Ritalin-Free-Kids-Effective-Homeopa...

Also, there is a technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), or Tapping. It is easy to learn and you can practicee it at home with your child. I can show you, if you are interested.
"Using EFT for Attention Deficit Disorder-ADD-ADHD": http://www.eftuniverse.com/index.php?option=com_content&a...

I have heard about amazing results from a dietary supplement powder that you can add to juice and/or milk, or even water.

Check out www.reliv.com. The product for kids is called Reliv Now.

http://content.reliv.com/old/userfiles/file/ProductPowerN...

Our oldest daughter has/had mild ADD that we struggled with for years. She was diagnosed in second grade and we tried counseling and prescriptions that were no help. She was on Strattera and it changes her personality and made her listless, so we took her off. He tried the Ritalin based drugs, that had a TERRIBLE rebound effect and made her feel bad emotionally. We even went to someone who claimed that she could cure ADD, said it was caused by stress, but her solution was that my husband and I should separate for a while because we argue. We were not having marital problems or any major issues that would have warranted such a traumatic thing such a separating.
In the end, it came down to patients, hiring a tutor to work on homework with her and we used a supplement from Sprouts for concentration and she also takes fish oil. Several teachers suggested she go back on meds, but the risks were too great and the results were too little. She is in 7th grade this year and the changing of classes for every subject has been wonderful for her. She is on track to make the honor roll for the first time ever!
I know how stressful this is for you, especially when it comes to home work that should take 20-30 minutes, but takes hours. The best thing we did we get someone to tutor her. She went to a neighbors girls house several times a week, we paid her $10.00 and hour.
Check with your school and see if they have an after school Homework class of some kind. My daughter is in one at her middle school, which is a K-8 school. There is one or two teachers and several older students from the Jr. Nat'l Honors Society who help the kids with their homework. If you can find someone else to help your son with his homework, it will take so much stress off of you.
Remember, it takes a village to raise a child.

My son is 8, and has ADHD/Aspergers. He was diagnosed by two different pediatric neurologists. The schools here do use aides- and my son has needed extra help since pre-k. At times they have done this by grouping several special-needs kids into one classroom that gets the aide. My son was so disruptive (before being medicated) that some days the teacher would send him to the office for the whole day. They did breaks to get him out of the regular classroom by sending him to speech, OT, reading intervention, delivering mail from the office, erasing scuff marks off the floor, shelving books in the library, or having him listen to audiobooks. When he's in the regular classroom, they let him choose whether to sit crowded on the floor with the group, at a separate desk at the front, at a quiet desk at the back, at a table with other kids, or even to wander around as long as he's listening. They've tried having him sit on a beanbag, hold a ball of sticky tape, and wear a chewelry necklace to help with fidgeting. He uses a picture schedule or checklist to keep himself on task.
Before starting concerta last year, the only thing that helped was certain allergy medications. We tried the gluten free diet, and it didn't help much. The concerta does have side effects such as lack of appetite and stomach aches. And it wears off in the afternoon, making homework a struggle. The school nurse helped last year by weighing my son weekly.
So far this year, we get homework done by breaking it into smaller pieces. I have my son dictate his answers to me, and then have him type or write up his answers the next day. I let him use whatever pens, paper, markers, or stickers he wants to make it fun even if it doesn't look neat. Last year, when it turned into a 4 hour per night crying fit, I had the teacher reduce the amount of homework and have him do some of it at school before the medicine wore off.

I have the same problem with my 7 year old. He goes to a private school and there is just 12 in his class - there are 3 other highly active and challenging boys in his class, so the teacher has her hands full.
most days these same four boys get their name on the board for inattention, playing around, not being able to shut up etc - my son also gets into trouble because he doen't/can't concentrate long enough to finish his class work, so he stuffs it in the back of his desk.
all four boys are intelligent, kind and funny. one of them is diagnosed with adhd, but the mother medicated him and it caused his personality to change, and she didn't want that, they are spirited boys and they will be the ones who will become our thinkers doers and leaders.

we have used fish oils with my son with great results - we call them his good boy pills, when he takes them his behavior is much improved, colors and flavors send him loopy and starey eyed.
my son drives me mad - it is so annoying to go into the room 17 times to tell him not to stare out the window, or at a dot on the table instead of doing his himework - now I either sit with him til he is done, or strangely enough he can concentrate when he is moving in the car, so often he will do it on the ride home - my husband had severe adhd as a child - and still has it actually, and he liked to move during concentrating - when on the phone he paces like a lion!
the teacher in my sons class gives them stress balls and that helps too.