Hi Ladies. I have a 6 year old son who is really struggling in 1st Grade. When he works with me alone, or with his teacher he does ok, but he can not do independent work. He loses focus almost instantly and shuts down. Sometimes even when we are working with him one on one it doesn't take too much for him to lose focus. In school he constantly has to be re-directed to task. Fortunately he has no behavior problems at all. I am at a loss at this point because I don't know what to do to help him, but I do want to find out what is causing his lack of focus. Who do I see to evaluate him that won't just automatically label him as ADD or ADHD?
Thank you,
C.
Honestly it sounds like he probably is ADD and needs to see a doctor I know a lot of moms don't want their kids put on medication but if it helps him to focus on his school work it might be a good thing. You should talk to his doctor about his issues.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD last year and we were told by our pedi doc that he definitely should be on medications due to the off the chart score on the hyper part. Mind you, our peds doc is against drugs for minor cases and was very hesitant about telling us that our son had to be on meds. Honestly, though, the meds have been a blessing to him in school. He went from failing to AB Honor Roll within 6 weeks. The only behavior issues he had before meds was not paying attention and not sitting still...that was the hyper part.
We took a test at school that assisted us in confirming we should see a doc because the school cannot and will not diagnosis a child, but can screen for things. Our doc gave us a more detailed and focused test for ADHD in which me, my husband, and the teacher had one each to fill out. Thus, it helped determine the diagnosis.
You can go with diet modification but sometimes that can take a while to work out and with being in school, we choose medications and are working on the diet modification very carefully.
In the end, start by seeing our peds doc and they can direct you where to go next. OH, we were told too that there are learning disorders that can mimic ADD/ADHD so it is best to seek professional guidance such as your peds doc.
Praying for you,
J.
I would recommend searching this site under the headings on the left hand side. Many parents have discussed their experience with various Dr's and health professionals in this arena. However, many Dr's are quick to label ADD/ADHD and prescribe meds. If you don't want to put your son on meds there are many proven alternatives that can help improve focus. Diet can play a huge role (many great responses from Mindy and others on this topic, too).
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The 10 most potent adaptogens on the earth, with the highest therapeutic properties available are now delievered in a fast acting oral spray, called Tunguska Mist.
Go to www.VitalHealth.TunguskaMist.com to learn more.
Many parents have had wonderful results using the Tunguska Mist Pure to help restore balance in their children and improve their focus. Teachers often comment that the student's grades go from C's/D's to A's/B's.
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Hello C.,
is he allergic to anything? also, cut out the HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN syrup from his diet (that can do it). Is he taking any medication? zyrtec, etc? those can make a kid act like "ADD" big time. is the classroom too loud? could he be dyslexic? don't wait until second grade to have him tested. keep looking until you find the right answer for you and your son. Good luck! ~C.~
This could be ADD or ADHD. As I'm not a Doc, I can't give you a direct diagnosis. As a teacher, I've seen these symptoms before. As he has no other symptoms, I'd lean towards ADD. ADHD tends to include more behavior problems than just distractability.
There are other possible causes. He could be having petite mal seizures. If he seems zoned, like he missed everything that just happened, not just distracted from his task, this could be an answer. However, children with this problem tend to have more gaps in their speech and education that would be evident, not just being distracted. If he's a bright kid with good vocabulary and clear speech, then this is most likely not your problem.
Only a doctor can diagnose any of these problems; however, I am personally biased against meds. My own son shows classic symptoms of ADHD as he is can get aggressive and very frustrated with the world on top of his activity level and distractability. We've taken him off all artificial colors, flavors, and other additives in his food (including vitamins and medications). This has helped tremendously. Often these problems can be alleviated with simple diet changes. If your hesitant to get him diagnosed, this may be a way to go. Sometimes the side effects of medications for these problems are less desirable than the problems they are fixing. They also can often mask a problem rather than give the child coping mechanisms. Many children mature and outgrow these problems anyway. I personally feel that medications hinder this maturity and can become a crutch later in life. Others will disagree with me and have grand success stories of the meds. In the end this will be your decision as a parent as to what you think is best for your child.
I'm still glad that my parents did the diet method with me. I'm a well adjusted adult (I hope), but I still find myself easily distracted. I sit at the front of church so I have fewer people to watch during service. I keep a detailed to-do list to keep me focused on my tasks for the day, etc.
Scottish Rite....we went there for our daughter. It was the best thing we ever did. They can diagnose him. Just call and get app...doesn't take long as everyone says. I think it took us 6 weeks for everything. And that was earlier this year. And its free. Good Luck!!
I hope all went well with your son. Here's my sons story.
Same story, but does work independently, only slowly. I thought he may have a touch of dyslexia.
His teacher recommended having his eyes checked, so we did. He had 20/30 vision, but his eyes did not focus properly until 8". Thankfully no dyslexia!
A lot of children are diagnosed with ADD when the problem is only a eye focusing problem that can be over come with eye therapy. It was an incredible experience with great results, solving his classroom work problem.
I know this is years later, but if only one child benefits from having their eyes examined instead of put on horrible meds I will be so glad.
If your child rubs his eyes a lot when reading or doing schoolwork, please go to an ophthalmologist - not a optometrist (working for one, their business is selling eye glasses) for an eye exam.
Respectfully,
Kirstin M
What are you doing when he can't focus - especially 1 on 1. Are there certain types of assignments that he can do alone, and certain types that even one on one are rough?
S.
Make an appointment with Plano Pediatrics. I just love them. My daughter was having the same problem. The doctor didn't label her right away, which was great because the school was just putting so much pressure on me.
