My Son's Teacher Thinks He May Have Attention Deficeit

I have no advice just need to vent why do most all teachers say kids have ADD or ADHD, they sad my nephew had and really the work was just plan boreing to him because he is really smart so just becarefull he might be gifted and does not need to be put on drugs just challanged more!! good luck

I wish I could tell you that I am in the same situation but I'm not :( However, I do have a 3 year old that seems that way and I looked online there is a multitude of activities and games that you can play with your son or have your son do by himself that are oriented to help lengthen his ability to concentrate on the task given. Also, if he can concentrate on tasks that he likes to do, then he has the ability to focus on what you are talking about but he is just choosing not to. Best of luck, Jen

wow. I just joined this site this morning and right away there is a great topic. My son was diagnosed with ADD when he was 8. He is almost 10 now (in June), and I held off as long as I could take it to have him diagnosed because I DID NOT want to go the medication route. I did try the herbal form of the meds, and saw no result. I finally broke down and put him on meds cause I felt he had the right to help, even though it was one of the hardest decisions to come to. In my son's case he became completely emotional and cried all of the time. I would rather him fail in school then be like this. We tried 2 kinds and I said that was it. I have alot of friends who have had good results and we seemed to at first also. I do know that diet is the very first thing to look at. I have heard very good things about cutting out sugar and preservatives. I have always tried to keep sugar intake low but now I need to look into the other things that should be included in his diet (or excluded). For now we just spend ALOT of time with him, talking and just giving him the most help he can possibly get and that gets alot of good results. He is getting ready for FCAT's and I am about as nervous as I can be!!!

Can your son sit still and do a task he likes for more than 5 minutes? If he can, then he is not ADD. It does not matter what task it is, if he can sit still for something he loves, then you have your answer.
My husband & I were having problems when our son was in 2nd grade. The teacher said the same thing. She wanted him on meds. But I knew it was from the upheaval of his family, and the problems we were having. The only way I could prove to the school that he did not need any meds was to take him to a psychologist, and let the doctor evaluate him. I still think it is the best $90.00 I ever spent. The doctor agreed with me, and the school had to back down. You son may be very bright & just bored. I spoke to many of my son’s teachers through the years & I always talked them into letting him read a book when he was done with his work. This kept him out of trouble, and did not disturb the other kids.

My son was about 8 when his teacher approached me. At first we both thought he was just trying to get attention because i was pregnant with my 2nd child. But then after I had the baby he still continued not focusing on his tasks. I took him to a psychiatrist to evaluate him because the school said they didn't have enough reason to test him. His doctor did diagnose him with ADD and not ADHD. And of course even after this, the school told me he did not meet the requirements to place him in speech or classes where he could go when he needed assistance. It has been a roller coaster. I tried dealing with it without medication and place consistency in his life. Finally I gave in and placed him on meds. That was a mistake. He was such a happy go lucky boy and it turned him into a depressed and crying little boy. He lost his appetite and began losing weight. Then I only gave him the meds while he was in school and took him off on the weekends and vacations. But now through prayer and good teachers he has been off his meds for about a year now. He's not a straight A student but as long as I know he trys and attempts to do his work, I'm happy. BTW, he is now 12 going to be 13 next month. He is back to his old self although, we are heading towards those teen years, but that's another story. You just have to find a doctor who specializes in ADD and ADHD. It's all trial and error. Everyone has their own remedy and you have to decide which is best for your child. But also remember he is just an 8 year old and he may be just too smart and bored with what he is being taught. There are many things to single out. Just use your best judgement and surround yourself with people who will support you. I have only lived in this area for a year also. We moved from Texas. I know there are support groups in the area, but I'm not sure where they are at. One other thing, I was at the Granary in Orange Park last weekend looking for supplements and vitamins and the girl introduced me to a liquid that was all natural. I haven't tried it because they were out. I know the brand name is Buried Treasure. I have to go back this week. She assured me it works. Her best friend's daughter was having the same trouble and making d's. Once she began taking the supplement, she began to feel more focused and on task and began making a's within a week. I haven't tried it, but i am willing to try it just for myself. As I get older I feel out of whack at times and cannot concentrate on things at hand. She also said alot of parents cry when their shelves are out of it. She also uses it herself. It's for adults and children. I hope this helps. My prayers and thoughts are with you. Good Luck and God Bless!
J.

Have you considered researching what sugar does in the brain? I have recently come to understand that this plays a big effect on so called-ADD/ADHD etc. It couldn't hurt, actually it would benefit your whole family, to phase out sugar and see if that makes a difference.
Best of Luck!

My nephew just went through this, he is 9 years old. For him it was that he was bored with that class. We had him tested and put him into a school that had less kids per teacher and he's just fine. Teachers always look for the easy way out. I really do not agree with putting kids on suppressants. What for? Put them in sports. Have him completely checked for all things not just what a drug can fix.

I went through the same thing when my son was 8. It must be an age that it shows up alot. I thought the same thing, he's just a boy being a boy. But, his teacher really helped me out, mostly because her son had it, and she recognized the symptons. I don't know what method they use, at the school your son is going to, but on my son, they had two questionares, one for me to fill out and one for the teacher to fill out. I guess depening on what came of the total scores is when they recommended to take him to the doctor. I even talked to the doctor and he said yes that he has it, he just went by the questionare we filled out, me and the teacher were on the same level about his behavior. I have heard though some doctors order a blood test. I don't know why. My son is on Adderall XR on 10mg, it hasn't changed is personality, he's still the same kid but more focused now, and doing much, much better in school than before. I was worried too at first, thinking I don't want to my son to be a zombie. The doctor started him on the lowest dosage, and then just progressed it over time. If you're still not sure about it, just keep talking to the teacher about it, or make an appointment with the doctor and go over all the possibilites.

I have a 4, almost 5, yr old son and he is in pre-k and this is something we are going to be keeping an eye on too. He is the same way with certain things. If he is really interested in it then he keep with it and if he's not, then he goes off into his own little world. He had a hard time with comprehension too. His teacher was telling me that with most children, you should really only have to repeat something to them about 30-60 times and she said that with a child like my son, that it is closer to 200-500 times. I about died when she told me that. I guess I can't really give you much advice on what to ask but, I would think the best thing is to let your dr. know what his teacher is thinking and his/her ideas. I hope this helps you some.

R.

I am a mom of a child with ADHD and I am also a teacher with several ADHD children in my class. Trust the teacher's opinion. When you go to the Dr. ask for a Connor's Rating Scale. It is a behavior scale that you and your child's teacher both fill out. Once it is scored, the doctor should be able to make a diagnosis.

Before you have your son tested for ADD I would suggest have his IQ tested to see if he is bored and needs to be put in advanced classes.

Dear A.,
I just went through this with my 6-year old son. Last week, I met with his doctor to go over a huge stack of paperwork from the school which included the Connor's scale and observations made by the behavioral specialist as well as "interventions" devised by school staff. His behaviors include excessive talking and moving. The doctor said, and I quote: "These are behaviors that stand out and teachers tend to focus these students as problems, but its not associated with any disorders." Believe me, I wanted him to put that in writing so I could frame it and personally hang it in the principal's office. I do believe that ADD/ADHD is a real diagnosis, as well as sensory processing disorder and some of the others out there. What it all comes down to is neurotransmitter function. They have a urine test now that can determine if your neurotransmitters are out of balance and this takes the guess-work out of diagnosing & medicating. I was diagnosed with ADD and gave up after the stimulants made it worse. Come to find out, I have a seratonin deficiency, and the anxiety was causing my inability to focus. Its so easy to be misdiagnosed!! I strongly recommend testing to see if any neurotransmitters are out of balance, that way you can get to the cause of the problem, if there is one. And many of the supplements mentioned in the other comments promote neurotransmitter function, (as well as simple diet changes), so even if there is an imbalance you don't have to medicate. I hope this helps, and good luck!

Hi A.. Teachers have been trying to get me to medicate my son for years saying he is ADD. In my son's case (he's 10 now) he was not ADD. The chemicals that are in food was causing him problems. I limited his sugar and caffeine intake and took him off any type of red dye. That helped but it was a challenge when parents brought fruit punch to soccer games for after-game snacks. I always made sure I had another type of juice for him. I can tell a major difference in him when he has something red now. He at a red sucker not too long ago and he was just acting silly and not thinking. Another problem he had is that I always made sure there was something to entertain him. It was either tv or way too many toys. There was so much that he couldn't focus on just one thing for very long. Because of that, he would do the exact thing you mentioned. He would offer input to the conversation that had nothing to do with the topic. His mind was always moving because I conditioned him to be that way. I limited his toys, not take them away but cycled them out so he could focus on one thing for more than 10 minutes. We also started an exercise with him where he had to sit for 5 minutes without doing anything, just sit. That way it taught him to be still for a little bit. That also helped. He can be still for a time now that we've eliminated all the things to keep him busy. Everything I mentioned helped a lot and he can now focus on things better. It won't make him a little statue in school (what my son's teachers wanted) because he is a boy. Boys, I'm finding out (oldest of two girls here so no experience with boys until my son) are just active anyway. If you have him evaluated make sure to get multiple opinions before committing to a med. Some meds will sterilize boys after long term use. Research the meds before giving them to your son. Hope this helps.

I am currently going through this with my son who will be 8 in May. We first went to his pediatrician and asked what the next step was and found out that we needed to take him to a clinical psychologist for testing. I have also found out that most insurances will not cover the testing for ADHD, which can be expensive. I just wanted you to know that you are not alone and please feel free to email me at ____@____.com if you have any more questions.

First of all, as much as your child's teacher THINKS he may have ADD/ADHD, do not EVER take that as more than just passing thought. Teachers are NOT trained to diagnose or anything else. They are FREQUENTLY wrong, AS ARE PEDIATRICIANS. ADHD is the most over diagnosed childhood disease there is. That is a fact undisputed by anyone in the mental health profession. That being said, if you're worried there is a problem keep a couple things in mind. If the teacher suggested it, then the school system is OBLIGATED to have the school psychologist do an evaluation. It is not up to you to run through the hoops about it. Go to the school counselor, and they should quickly arrange testing. This is NOT their choice, it is state and federal law.
Also, I suggest private evaluation. I have had my son evaluated from everything from autism to ADHD to Bipolar Disorder from occupational therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, developmental pediatricians, and speech-language pathologists. It often takes teams of professionals and multiple points of view. NEVER accept one diagnosis or lack thereof (my son is bipolar, has sensory processing disorder, and has auditory processing disorder, by the way... fairly unanimously diagnosed by all professionals).
Also, do your research at home. There are TONS of sites on ADHD and ADD that will help you to determine if you think more needs to be done. Good luck.

My daughter is unfocused at school and has to be redirected a lot also, the dr said she doesn"t have ADD. So I went to the local Vitamin store (Vitamin Tree in Trinity) and asked what they had for attention, etc. She directed me to Added Attention by Buried Treasure, Calm Child by Planetary Formulas and Attentive Child by source Naturals. I give her the first 2 in the morning about 1/2 hour before school cause they are liquids and the Attentive child is a chewable wafer so I send them in her lunch and she eats them after she eats her lunch. The teacher has told me numerous times that she thought they worked for Ally and we had confirmation of that a couple of months ago I ran out and was waiting for them to come in the mail so we went 1 week without them and the teacher said "I thought they were working before I am sure they work now" She was totally unfocussed without them. They are just vitamins, camomile and some other herbs. I don't know what health insurance you have but mine (Aetna HMO) offers discounts on Natural products so I get a discount if I go thru their site to the vitamin site.
These definetly work for Ally maybe they will help your child also.

My soon-to-be 8yr old is the same exact way. Her teacher tells me that she constantly has to "redirect" my daughter back to the task at hand. For example, my daughter is eager to share stories with the teacher, but at times when the teacher says it is inappropriate. She is having difficulty finshing her tasks in the required amt of time, trouble focusing, etc.
I had the guidance counselor at the school give me something called a "Connors Scale" that asks questions that both I and her teacher are supposed to answer....questions that indicate if a child is "at risk" for ADHD--whatever that might mean.
Although the attention and focus questions I scored her poorly on, there were many that asked about physical hyperactivity (which she doesn't have) and also questions to do with frustration, anger, and unwillingness to repond to authority (also things she doesn't have).
At this point, I think she seems more--perhaps--young for her age, but not necessarily ADD or ADHD, though I of course am not in the position to know, medically speaking.
All I can say is, her teacher definitely has a problem with it (and I'm starting to wonder if a better teacher would keep her more interested)....I wish you luck.
Perhaps you can ask at your school about that Connors Scale questionnaire and go from there.

You need to see your pediatrician and ask him for a referral to a doctor that can diagnose this disorder. If he is diagnosed they are going to want to put him on meds. My 7 year old has ADHD and I went to GNC and got the herbal form for children with ADHA. He does very well on this and has been on it for a few years now. It is a chewable wafer. Much better than putting your child on meds. I also am a teacher and deal with these children everyday. Another thing you might want to try is a cup of coffee in the morning. I know this sounds odd. But coffee will speed up a normal person and slow down a person who is already sped up. All meds are, are a legal form of speed. I would try to avoid them if at all possible.

My 8 year old son was just diagnosed with ADD. We thought he had this disorder for quit a while. We didn't do anything b/c we didn't like the idea of putting our son on medication. So I researched the topic and any non-medicating treatments for it. We tried our best including his teacher. Nothing worked. His grades just got worse. He couldn't pay attention or focus on anything, even though his IQ test scores placed him above average compared to other 8 year old 3rd graders. So we inevitably did go with the medication route. Almost instantly we saw results. Especially in his school grades. He makes straight A's and B's now as opposed to the D's and F's he was making. He is finally able to put to use the potential we knew he had. He is much for confidant in himself now b/c he knows that he is not a failure, he can do what all the other kids. I dont know if this will help you, but my only regret was not starting on the medication sooner. You just gotta do your homework on it, and decide what would be best for your child. Just keep in mind that ADD is a chemical problem, not a discipline problem. And don't let the doctor rush you into doing anything you don't want. I went through two doctors b/c it felt like all they wanted to do was drug my child. They didn't give me any alternatives. My sons doctor now was very thorough in diagnosing my son's condition.

First of all, it is unethical for a teacher to make the assumption. They are NOT allowed to come right out and say that. (My family works for the School Board and that is a HUGE violation!) All they are allowed to do is give you the symptoms of the child's behavior, voice their concerns and you have to do the rest to draw the conclusion as to if they may have A.D.D. not. I have A.D.D. and can tell you that as a child, I struggled immensely in everything I did. I was not diagnosed until last year. I am now 35. Back in the day, people didn't knw about this kind of stuff. You were labled "rambunctious" and needed more discipline. ??? It is not tragic or the end of the world, if your son does have A.D.D. What IS tragic is when parents do not at least speak to their pediatricians about it. A.D.D. is not a behavioral problem. It is a problem in the brain. My doctor likened it to that of a 6 cylinder car trying to run off of 3 cylinders. It can operate on just 3, but it doesn't operate at its full capacity. There are several medications for A.D.D. and if the doctor is experienced, they will start him out on a LOW dose and then increase him accordingly.

However, coming from someone whose step-daughter struggles with it too.....your son may have something that he's struggling with emotionally, and it may be carrying over into his school work. My step-daughter was going through a LOT with her mother. Her teacher wrote us about her behavior and her lack of comprehending certain tasks assigned. (She is 9 years old). I spoke to my husband about it and told him I had noticed a behavioral change in her as well. I spoke to her "girl-to-girl" and she told me about why she was upset, why it was hard for her to understand things at school, let alone sit STILL long enough to understand them! We worked with her at home and her grades have improved dramatically. It was a simple case of her being stressed out and it spilled over into her school work.

Whatever the case may be for you - please at least speak to your son's pediatrician.

The following is a site which I think you will find a lot of pertient information:

http://newideas.net/

Please be sure to consider the child's diet, your diet effects all of your behaviors, we really are what we eat. Avoiding not only sugar but processed food with dyes and preservatives which are harmful is a must. Whole natural food and supplemnts are ideal.

And as one person posted about it being a conspiracy, you would be surprised at what the AMA and pharmacuetical companies will expose us too in order to make a buck. I tend to believe that our increase in behavioral disorders stems from damage that is caused by vaccination. I highly suggest you research the terribly ill effects vaccines are having on our children and our world.

The following documentary has been extremely enlightening

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=86105546792070900...

And this website has several links and articles.

http://www.vaccination.inoz.com/links.html

Finally, The is a peditrician named Dr. Buckley in Mandarin I believe that specializes in behavior disorders.

I hope this helps, many good wishes to you and others with your parenting journeys. S.

I think teachers are overquick to suggest ADD these days. My own son's teacher made the same suggestion to me last fall. I am not a doctor, but I would think if your son can focus on subjects that interest him then he definitely doesn't have ADD.

Lets face it, most boys are physical creatures, who would rather be outside running, than sitting still doing math in class. When you look at the numbers, the majority of children diagnosed with ADD are boys.

That's not to say I don't think ADD exists, I just think that it's easier for the teacher to have all of her children quietly listening in class, and ADD drugs help her with that.

My own son is also 8, and can't sit still if his life depended on it. But put him in front of something he's interested in, and he'll stick with it all day. There's nothing wrong with his attention span - for example - last night he spent 3 hours intensely focused on the computer while he played a math game. He was just bored or struggling with the subjects being taught in class. He's really good at math for example, and would be bored during math time because it was too easy. But he struggles at reading, and would fidget. Maybe something similar is going on with your son.

Best of luck.

Dear A.,

There are many books that state ADHD is a hoax. ALL kids have trouble focusing and sitting in a chair all day. The drugs prescribed have serious side effects that the parents are not told about. These include weightloss, sleeplessness, and suicidal tendancies. Go to the FDA website and look up black box warning. In England, all of the narcotics prescribed for children under the age of 18 have been BANNED!

Alternatives; there is a supplement in liquid form at the healthfood store which is called attention or ADHD. It is cheap and tastes good. Try a high protein breakfast like eggs and toast. Studies have proven that a large breakfast that has protein in it has a huge impact on a child and their behavior.

Research all of this information for yourself, but know that the drugs prescribed for ADHD are Class II Narcotics that are highly addictive.

D.

Hi A.,
I am definately going thru this- but with a 6 year old girl!

What you need to do is write down everything that the teacher says happens thru out the day- and log your observations down during your time with him.
Then talk to his doctor. Most of the time they will have a questioneer for you as the parent and one for the teacher to complete.

Once I turned the two in along with a 1 1/2 hour wait at the doctor's office with her bouncing off the walls - the doctor was able to address the situation and helped find a solution.

We tried all natural suppluments during the summer and nothing worked- so unfortunately we had to go to prescription. But the teacher at school can definately tell if she misses her doseage. (Teachers words "She is out of control")

Don't give up! If you need anything else let me know... :) L.