Seeking Advise and Help with ADHD

my mother helps kids with that. please see her site...
www.patsgarden.com

if you want REAL HELP.... you'll see her.

my brother who is 6 years younger then me has ADHD. He was kicked out of several preschools because of his hyperness. I remember my mother trying the medications but took him off because it made him a zombie. what she did do was change his diet. she took out all sugars, artificial and natural and nothing with red dye 40 in it or caffine. that seemed to help. ALOT!!!I can't tell you it was easy but he has grown up to be a great guy and a great dad.however he still watches what he eats. My son who is 9 now was tested for ADHD a few years ago and although he doesnt have it I can tell a difference in his behavior and attention span depending on what he has eaten. Especially if he has eaten things with red dye 40 (and its in almost everything) he literally bounces off the walls and cant look you in the eye.

WOW, First of all Kudos to your research and avid involvment into your sons preschool. I have a four year old son who has been diagnoised with the three main traits/ Diagn. of Autisum But not Autisum. The first being ADHD. My son was refused from four diffrent day cares by the time he was 3 1/2 because of his inibility to do the large group sitting activites such as circle time & nap time. Saddly my son was labeled as the "bad Boy" which broke my heart because in our home enviroment everything was fine,because mom is just as Hyper :) So I know your fear, also my son is Kindergarten eligable this year as well :)
So on to my suggestions, what I can say is that my sons ADHD is linked to his immature Sensory issues. Which means I as well as his Special Ed teachers have to work with his ADHD not try to stop or correct the ADHD but help my son regulate it. Things like Weighted vests, deep pressure massage, and combing are activites his OT recomends, I suggest possibly Looking into some of the Tactics that The District Occupational Therapist Might recomend. Also in circle time we had to REALLY work at giving my son his own space, carpet squares or especialy bean bags to sit on help to keep my son still a little while longer. His writing activites, well actually most activites are not done NOT at a table, easels and floor work allow my son the extra movement he NEEDS to focus.
And when all else fails before naptime my sons Headstart teachers take him out side to walk laps around the play ground so that his senses regulate and he can return to lie down (:
Finally, and I promise this is it (: I agree with your thoughts on diet and sugar, but That treat of having,starbucks Organic Chocolate milk in a box, at the end of the day really keeps my son focused espcially when his teachers are reinforcing the treat all through the day (: May be Chocolate soy milk could work for your son (:
Best Wishes
The Painter-Sages

Hi. My son was diagnosed with ADHD as well. I put him on medication before I really did the research for it. Big mistake. I took him off it, please stand your guard and not allowing to medicate him. I also do a lot of research on this for school, close to getting my masters in child development. Do not allow him to have sugary foods, this increases it. Also try a magnesium supplement. Research indicates this lowers hyper activity, increases his ability to concentrate. Work with him on developing a reward system during school. Unfortunately our schools have been developed to respond to one type of person (sitting down, instruction) and your child seems very much like me, more of a hands on person. I agree I do not know how my son does it either with distracting others, etc and being labeled as a GATE student beyond his years. The reward system works for some, not all. I enrolled my son in an education learning program after school that was geared to more hands on experience. Children can not learn enough. I hope this helps.

Try looking into your local Homeopath Physician, they have natural dirivitives put into little milk salt balls that are sweet and children will definatly take no ?'s asked, they do in fact base the treatment/remedy by taking into consideration EVERYTHING about your child, the first visit will probably last 1-2 hours and the doctor meets with you and your child one on one. I know how this goes because I've been going to the local homeopath in Santa Cruz for my daughters Aleopecia Areata and the results are tremendous!!!. Kaiser only had 4 treatments and the last one, if we stopped the medication at any point of her life ALL the hair that had re grown would fall back out and there would be 0% chance of it ever growing back, that's when my mother in law gave me the refferal and since then I wouldn't go back to Kaiser if you paid me for any advice from their "specialists".

Dear V:

First thing honey you don't have to explain how wounderful your son is. I know that feeling as well. I know your child must be an awesome boy. My son has ADHD and seizures as well. He always had an hard time listening in class. He repeated the first grade (which I don't regret) and now I am trying to get an learning disablity done on him. You have to keep in mind that when your child is about 8 and up, you may want that done on him if he still has an hard time in school. The reason for that is to just see how his brain works. The more you understand how he process the work, then the more you will understand how to help him with school work. Plus for me, this will allow me to see if his school will be able to give him the right education for him (if he does have one). That is something I have to think about. I know when my son was in the first grade for the first time and he was behind the other children, oh my goodness he would be so upset because he notice that one child get the work but he did not. That broke my heart. Yes, it is true that ADHD children are smart and mine is but I also know he process things differently and I have to see how. As for diets, I suggest to talk to your doctor (if that person is helpful) and see what kinds of diets there is that most parents are doing for their ADHD child. See if that works (some children are different so don't get upset if it does not help as much as you thougtht it would)as well you can still do the natural herbs to see if that combo will help you. But I do have to say that don't shut your mind all the way when it comes to the drugs. My son is not on drugs yet, he is taking ones for his seizures and once we get that in control then we (me and his neuro doctor)see what drugs he could help him but not give it to him in big doses. So try the diets for example, one parent told me she tried a protein diet (check to see with your doctor before you do any diet because of your son's eatting habits already), it did not work for her but she said she had to give it a try. You can do your natural herbs to see if those help and if all you have done does not help then you may want to think about the ADHD drugs. I know you are scared of the side effects but it could benefit him more than you think. I have seen children who are young to middle older children and their parents don't want to put then on any drugs for it and they are bouncing off the walls and just disrupting the class and they always had to remove them from the room. And I felt so bad for them because I know in there hearts they wanted to stay there but they just could not help themselves. I wish you so much luck. I hope I had help you somehow. Take care

My son also has adhd, and it's been a battle for me. Thank God I only have him so I can give him all the attention and guidance he needs. I have tried different things and I like focus factor for kids it's 9.98 at Walmart and it's totally natural. I also have been experimenting with his diet. Absoutely no sugar!! Check out glymecicindex.com and make sure he eats low glycemic. That helps mellow out children. They need balance diets of Low-Medium glycemic carbs,protein and good fat. Check out Mypyramid.gov for nutritional information. It will be good for him as well as everyone in your family.

I would contact the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino to have an evaluation of your son. That way you have a "real" diagnosis instead of just results of a questionaire.
Regional Center provides tons of services for children with LD's. Or contact a Psychiatrist as they know what the best things to do for your son would be.
Good Luck!

This might sound silly but have you tried removing chemically based products out of your home? This can help with his attention. Try using natural products. Along with the right vitamins and you could really see a difference. I can help you find products like these.
____@____.com

Hi V.-

This is such a tough one as doctors and teachers are so quick to give drugs and that is not always the answer. It may be helpful to convert your home to non-toxic products (laundry and household cleaners). Vapors and chemicals in the air (especially at home have been linked to increasing ADHD symptoms). I would love to give you more information about a great factory direct company that I use that also has top notch vitamins for these symptoms that have a 85% absorption rate instead of less than 10% like brands like Centrum and Nutralife. They manufacture all products that you buy monthly already, just at a much safer level for conditions you are describing. Please email me back or to ____@____.com and I would love to give you more information.

Dear V.,

Good grief! You have a lot of rules. I wish that you would think them over and give a little. You know, sugar is not arsenic. What a great little boy, he is really dealing with a lot of stuff going on in his head and body. I pray that you two will work things out and that you will help him find a way through this ADHD . It is not a fun thing to have for your whole life. You need to think of his future and make plans for training him how to cope. He will be so proud our himself and of you.

Also, it is not fun to be lactose intolerant. It is uncomfortable. Just ask him sometimes. Stay on his side, no you will not spoil him. Spoiling happens when a parent gives the child something that they do not earn. He will be glad to get on with the earning and decision making . He might even cooperate !! C. N.

I know how you feel I have 3 ADHD boys 13,7,6 and the medicine is a HUGE decision and I did read that you are against it but from a mom that tried both methods(diet,soda,and finally resorted to Adderal XR)and even though it was the toughest decision I ever made it was also the best thing I could have ever done for them. Like your own children my children are geniuses, and now they can reach their full potential because now they can sit and focus and not have the ADHD prohibit them. Being ADHD is just as frustrating for the child because they can't control themselves. The best way to explain what they are going through is everything is in lightspeed and all the can see is a mirrored disco ball. flashing. I know you want to do the best for your child but ADHD does not go away no matter what anybody will tell you it is here to stay. Even though you like how your son is that is not going to help once school starts and he is in a structured enviroment and I don't mean Kindergarten I'm talking 1st grade and there after that's when teachers are less tolerant.

Good Luck and I hope I did not upset you I just do better saying it the way it is and based on several years experience.
I waited several years before putting my oldest on medicine and I regret it he could have had such a better experience in Elementary school if I had. I wish you well

Hello V.,

I can sympathize with you. I have two boys, 6 and 4, with ADD. It was really obvious with my four year old, he's all over the place, always was getting into stuff at daycare, but didn't socialize very much. He loves to talk to himself. Well, anyway, he sees a neurologist, which I just love. He says that he's too young for any type of medicine and we are in the monitoring him stage. My older son got through kindergarten just fine and is bouncy, but not over the top. But as soon as 1st grade came along, he started failing every subject, not completing any work in class, and just complaining about how he wasn't any good. So I took him in to see the neurologist and he suggested Aderall. I, too, did not want to medicate him. I tried diet, I tried caffine - which will actually cause ADD kids to slow down, I tried biomega(fish) oils, and grape seed extract. Nothing worked. His self esteem was going down, i couldn't stand it any longer, no matter I much I told him how smart he is, or how proud I was of him, it didn't matter. I found a book called Delivered from Distraction by Edward M Hallowell, MD. I decided to start him on the medicine, I don't even like giving myself advil when I have a headache. Since he's been on Aderall RX, he has exceeded in school. He reads like crazy he does his homework almost be himself, his grades are going up and his self esteem has gone through the roof. I don't want him taken medicine for the rest of his life He's still on the supplements and I don't give him medicine when he's off school. But my husband and I are glad we decided to try it, because we couldn't bare to watch him fail and have him not understand why he couldn't do it. Sometimes we think he is 10 in a 6 year old's body.

I recommend reading that book and I wish you all the luck in the world. It's hard and I know it's harder for them!

Don't completely discount medications. If your son has been correctly diagnosed, then that means that his brain is missing a chemical that helps with attention - the ability to block out other things around and pay attention to one thing... So, the ADD medications replace the missing chemicals. You're not drugging him, you are replacing a missing part of his brain, that is supposed to be there, but isn't. It is no different than taking blood pressure meds to help your heart do something it can't do on its own, or other meds to help other organs. Yes, there are side effects, but not treating the ADD has side effects too... like not being able to be a "regular" child in a classroom. Even if his academics aren't being affected, his social relationships will be affected as he gets older. He will have a hard time making friends and being accepted in school by his peers who can't understand why he can't focus on tasks that everyone else does. Also, if he doesn't learn and develop good school habits NOW, even if you get the ADD under control as he gets older, it will be too late for him to learn the good habits. Whatever you do, you need to be consistent... on and off meds, or on and off diets, or on and off disipline will only make things harder for your boy. Good luck to your family. =)

If you get the right doctor, they will help you figure out the right doses for your child. Maybe a low dose, plus natural remidies will be what your child needs.