Convincing Child to Take Meds

You should get results the first day but understand adderall is known for causing anger in some. My kids took it just fine but I have heard others have had issues.

I like myself just fine sounds like an odd thing for a seven year old to say, even one without ADHD. You may want to make sure someone in his life, you, dad, grandparents, aren't against the meds. That is about the only way I see those words coming out of your son's mouth, someone planting them.

You also need him to learn to take pills. I would have lost my mind if my kids hadn't mastered that by kindergarten. Too hard to keep finding stuff to hide it in, every freaking day. The beauty of pills, they taste like whatever you are taking them with. By the way my kids learned that by three so he is not too young to master pill taking.

Good like and monitor the anger. If it is constant he may need to try a different stimulant.

You need to give it more than 1 day.

Keep a journal. List how it was administered.. example. Yesterday in Vanilla Ice cream - Results.. and then list what you have said here.

After a week, you may want to speak with his teacher and see if they have noticed changes, good or bad.

You are just trying this out, so give it time and keep an open mind.

I commend you on even trying.
My husband has ADHD and it gets worse as they age. His parents refused to allow him to even try medications and my husband has to struggle to keep focused.. It is exhausting for him.
And he has it in his mind he should not try the medication..

Is there something that he loves that is complicated in how it works? For example, if he likes cars - does he get how engines work, etc?

His body is the car. His brain is the engine. It works, but it's working too fast, so you need to use the right tools to make the engine work at the speed that makes it work the best. You are NOT trying to CHANGE the car, but to make it run as best it can. Sometimes it takes time, sometimes it takes new parts, etc., but the CAR is still the car. Same for him.

Find something that he "gets" and explain how the medication isn't supposed to change WHO he is, but help his brain work as best it can. And involve him somehow. Make him a partner in this because you will only be responsible for him taking meds till he's on his own.

If you can engage him in his treatment when he's young, ask him to help you keep the journal, that you need his feedback, etc. And be responsive and tell the doctor if the meds DON'T feel good. My nephew took meds as a kid that made him feel horrible, so as an adult he avoids what he needs to take.

When my boys were little, we called it their "focus vitamin." I explained that it would help their minds to think and focus better in school, which would help them to not get into trouble for not paying attention.

I put the whole pill on a spoonful of applesauce. They'd swallow it whole, no problem.

Give him a couple of days to get used to it, but if the anger issues don't go away by next week, talk to the doctor about switching to another med. Adderall XR is great for me, but it doesn't work for my son who takes Vyvanse.

My kids take pill mixed in a spoon of applesauce or yogurt. They are 2.5 & 5.5.

Did Shcool notice something? Why would they put him on meds before therapy? why wouldn't the therapy come first?

My Girlfriend put her daughter on a sleep aide, did not tell school. Had a meeting with school two weeks later. And they had noticed the postive difference.

We did a modified diet for my son and either he was never ADHD, is growing out of it, or what we are doing is working.
1. Accupunture- Started almost a year ago and huge postivie change that outsiders are noticing. ( my mom neighbor, My daugthers daycare etc).
2. Gluten Free, Dye free, no chocolate.

We found that these changes were very helpful.

Good luck.

Instead of worrying about meds start keeping a food diary for your son. Write down what he eats and drinks each day and then evaluate his moods after eating certain foods. For many kids with ADD-ADHD and on the autisim spectrum dairy and MSG are trigger foods. These kids can become violent which sometimes just manifests as grumpy, if pushed can result in throwing things, hitting, and kicking.