Anyone have an ADD/ADHD child? (2 Viewers)

AD/HD delays the development of inhibition, which means that it delays the onset of the four executive functions, which means that it delays what those executive functions are doing for the individual, which leaves the person with AD/HD more under the control of external events and other people around them and the temporal now and immediate gratification, when people of their age are moving in this direction, to being controlled by mental representations about time and the future, which gives them a sense of control over themselves. They don’t need other people to manage them, thank you. They can do it themselves and they are constantly working to maximize the future over the moment. And the person with AD/HD is stuck right here, living in the temporal now, only concerned with the immediate consequences and much more under the influence of the environment and others when other people are moving to more mature levels of self-management.This disorder creates as much of a deficit as autism does, but it does it to the executive system. What AD/HD is is no deficit in attention. It is a deficit in inhibition that disrupts the development of the executive functions so that the individual cannot be guided by mental representations about time and the future. These people live in the now, are controlled by the moment, and by immediate gratification. And now you know why parents worry so much about these kids, because although they cannot articulate it, they can see where this is going and they worry about this kid’s ability to ever successfully function independently from them. Because self-management is not developing the way it should in this child. That’s the theory.

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AD/HD does not interfere with knowledge. It is not a skill deficit. It is not a learning disability. AD/HD disrupts the performance of knowledge, not the knowledge itself. Why is that important? It’s important for this reason: You do not do skill training to help people with AD/HD. Stop treating them as if they’re stupid. Stop treating them as if they don’t know anything. “Oh, you can’t sit still? I’ll teach you. Oh you can’t do time management? I’ll teach you. Oh, you don’t have any friends? We’ll do social skills training. Listen to how we approach this disorder. We view it as a deficit and I can correct it by teaching you the right things to do.” That’s pedagogy. That’s knowledge. AD/HD has nothing to do with that. You can teach them all you want to. They won’t use what you teach them. Because that is where the failure lies. The executive system doesn’t acquire knowledge. It applies it. It takes what you know and uses it in getting along with other people for your social effectiveness.

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'Hooper31 said:

'St. Louis Bob said:

I was thinking of you as I dropped my son at the bus stop today. Before medication, it would have been impossible for him to be there at all. Now I watch, as I do every day, with a broken heart, as he has to stand far away from the group of kids because it causes him so much anxiety.

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I'm not quite sure what you're asking from me. Do you need some form of validation from me in order to know you're doing the right thing for your son? I have no doubt that in your son's case medication is doing what it needs to do in order for him to function. I hope he's able to grow, play, learn, and be a fully functioning citizen in our society. That said, you can't believe that medication is the answer for every kid out there that struggles in school. There are parents out here that believe just that. They don't know what to do, so they go the medication route. This is happening. I've watched it happen. I was asked to participate in the evaluation stage several times. Is there some reason we can't both be right in our assessment of what is going on?

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'Pick said:

Haven't read just throwin in my opinion. I've taught high school special ed (mild/moderate) for several years. I've been accused of being ADD myself several times. In my experience, this stuff is over-diagnosed bigtime. I think the issue is parenting (but I think almost every issue in this world goes back to parenting).

But I also believe there are legit cases and have seen complete 180s when kids are on their meds. But also the side effects can sometimes be just as bad or worse.

It's interesting to me how many ADD/ADHD kids do not have the basics in place:

Regular exercise

Good diet

Good rest

Time management

Supportive home environment

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'proninja said:

Yet, somehow, I still had (have) ADD. I promise it wasn't due to bad diet, not enough exercise, or any other factors. My brain is just broken.

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'Monsieur Meursault said:

AD/HD does not interfere with knowledge. It is not a skill deficit. It is not a learning disability. AD/HD disrupts the performance of knowledge, not the knowledge itself. Why is that important? It’s important for this reason: You do not do skill training to help people with AD/HD. Stop treating them as if they’re stupid. Stop treating them as if they don’t know anything. “Oh, you can’t sit still? I’ll teach you. Oh you can’t do time management? I’ll teach you. Oh, you don’t have any friends? We’ll do social skills training. Listen to how we approach this disorder. We view it as a deficit and I can correct it by teaching you the right things to do.” That’s pedagogy. That’s knowledge. AD/HD has nothing to do with that. You can teach them all you want to. They won’t use what you teach them. Because that is where the failure lies. The executive system doesn’t acquire knowledge. It applies it. It takes what you know and uses it in getting along with other people for your social effectiveness.

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'St. Louis Bob said:

The only thing I want you to validate are my fists with your face.

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'Master Gators said:

I read half the posts before I wanted to puke so forwarded to a response. Your son is seven... Let him grow up the way nature intended before you make decisions. He is obviously bored crapless. The people close to education will suggest medication because it makes their job easier (this will undoubtedly ruffle feathers). I personally would not consider or think about medication until he is in 8th grade.Our experience: In 4th grade my son's teacher swore he was ADHD. We independently had him tested and he had zero signs of it. Now he is in 7th grade and gets Bs and a couple As... no meds. My son is now the most laid back, polite, super-cool kid you will ever run into.I would suggest you let him grow up a bit and if his "educators" can't bring the best out of him find a school that can.GL no matter what you decide. We simply do the best we can as parents and, in the end, it just works out.

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'Hooper31 said:

'proninja said:

Right, so if there are kids who it helps, what's the issue?

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Sometimes the cure does more harm than good. Who are we helping here? Who benefits besides the child and in what way? Do a few Google searches for "long term effects of ritalin/adderall/focalin".

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'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'Pick said:

'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'Pick said:

Haven't read just throwin in my opinion. I've taught high school special ed (mild/moderate) for several years. I've been accused of being ADD myself several times. In my experience, this stuff is over-diagnosed bigtime. I think the issue is parenting (but I think almost every issue in this world goes back to parenting). But I also believe there are legit cases and have seen complete 180s when kids are on their meds. But also the side effects can sometimes be just as bad or worse.It's interesting to me how many ADD/ADHD kids do not have the basics in place:Regular exerciseGood dietGood restTime managementSupportive home environment

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And yet there are a whole hell of a lot of kids out there that have all of those things yet still have ADD/ADHD.

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Really? I've yet to meet one ADD/ADHD or not.

Why don't we concentrate on those kids instead of trying to cherry pick "over-diagnosed" and "over prescribed".

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I agree there. Would love to just focus on the legit cases that have tried all the non-med adjustments. Unfortunately, I don't think there are too many of those.

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I don't agree.

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'proninja said:

'Pick said:

'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'Pick said:

Haven't read just throwin in my opinion. I've taught high school special ed (mild/moderate) for several years. I've been accused of being ADD myself several times. In my experience, this stuff is over-diagnosed bigtime. I think the issue is parenting (but I think almost every issue in this world goes back to parenting). But I also believe there are legit cases and have seen complete 180s when kids are on their meds. But also the side effects can sometimes be just as bad or worse.It's interesting to me how many ADD/ADHD kids do not have the basics in place:Regular exerciseGood dietGood restTime managementSupportive home environment

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And yet there are a whole hell of a lot of kids out there that have all of those things yet still have ADD/ADHD.

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Really? I've yet to meet one ADD/ADHD or not.

Why don't we concentrate on those kids instead of trying to cherry pick "over-diagnosed" and "over prescribed".

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I agree there. Would love to just focus on the legit cases that have tried all the non-med adjustments. Unfortunately, I don't think there are too many of those.

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Hi PIck. Meet me. I played every sport to man growing up, got a ton of sleep, had a mom who stayed at home with me who managed my time - of which there was lots, because I went to a private school that only required me to go to school two days per week. She cooked everything from scratch, I ate VERY well growing up - nothing out of a box - and had a wonderfully supportive family. I really couldn't have had it any better. Yet, somehow, I still had (have) ADD. I promise it wasn't due to bad diet, not enough exercise, or any other factors. My brain is just broken. It sucks, but it's life.

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The problem is, when you don't live with the kid 24/7 you don't know enough to say if it's over diagnosed or not,

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so if you end up in a conversation with someone who's kid may have ADD and you say "oh, it's over diagnosed, and that's what lazy parents do to drug their kids into submission) you're essentially doing the exact same thing as someone who says "OMG get that kid on meds right now!" - which is giving ignorant advice that could potentially be harmful. You may say this under the guise of "trying to help" or "presenting an alternative view" but really you're simply imposing your biases on them. Yes, it's over-diagnosed. Lots of things are. It's also not very understood, and people have a tendency to poo-poo what they don't understand. If someone has cancer, nobody says "well, cancer is over diagnosed" because it's really easily understood. ADD isn't, so lots of armchair doctors like to think that parents who have problem kids wouldn't have problem kids if they'd just beat the kid a little harder, or if they were just a better parent. People are hardwired to judge and mock what they don't understand: and they don't understand ADD.

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'PIK95 said:

As someone that has ADD (I was diagnosed in college) I would say that the thing thay helps me the most is day to day structure and routine .. Wake up-Shower-eat same time same order every day. For a kid it should be easy. Come home from school and get right back into the schedule. Better than all the drugs they gave me. Good luck.

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'PIK95 said:

As someone that has ADD (I was diagnosed in college) I would say that the thing thay helps me the most is day to day structure and routine .. Wake up-Shower-eat same time same order every day. For a kid it should be easy. Come home from school and get right back into the schedule. Better than all the drugs they gave me. Good luck.

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'proninja said:

'Pick said:

'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'Pick said:

'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'Pick said:

Haven't read just throwin in my opinion. I've taught high school special ed (mild/moderate) for several years. I've been accused of being ADD myself several times. In my experience, this stuff is over-diagnosed bigtime. I think the issue is parenting (but I think almost every issue in this world goes back to parenting). But I also believe there are legit cases and have seen complete 180s when kids are on their meds. But also the side effects can sometimes be just as bad or worse.It's interesting to me how many ADD/ADHD kids do not have the basics in place:Regular exerciseGood dietGood restTime managementSupportive home environment

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And yet there are a whole hell of a lot of kids out there that have all of those things yet still have ADD/ADHD.

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Really? I've yet to meet one ADD/ADHD or not.

Why don't we concentrate on those kids instead of trying to cherry pick "over-diagnosed" and "over prescribed".

Click to expand...

I agree there. Would love to just focus on the legit cases that have tried all the non-med adjustments. Unfortunately, I don't think there are too many of those.

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I don't agree.

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And that's fine because that's really what it comes down to. I don't think there's much debate whether ADD/ADHD exists. It's a matter of how prevalent it is. I don't think it is based on my experiences. You don't based on yours.

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Sort of. If you think 8 cases in the world exist, you think most people who are in here are fos and are overmedicating their kids.

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'proninja said:

'Pick said:

'proninja said:

'Pick said:

'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'Pick said:

Haven't read just throwin in my opinion. I've taught high school special ed (mild/moderate) for several years. I've been accused of being ADD myself several times. In my experience, this stuff is over-diagnosed bigtime. I think the issue is parenting (but I think almost every issue in this world goes back to parenting). But I also believe there are legit cases and have seen complete 180s when kids are on their meds. But also the side effects can sometimes be just as bad or worse.It's interesting to me how many ADD/ADHD kids do not have the basics in place:Regular exerciseGood dietGood restTime managementSupportive home environment

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And yet there are a whole hell of a lot of kids out there that have all of those things yet still have ADD/ADHD.

Click to expand...

Really? I've yet to meet one ADD/ADHD or not.

Why don't we concentrate on those kids instead of trying to cherry pick "over-diagnosed" and "over prescribed".

Click to expand...

I agree there. Would love to just focus on the legit cases that have tried all the non-med adjustments. Unfortunately, I don't think there are too many of those.

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Hi PIck. Meet me. I played every sport to man growing up, got a ton of sleep, had a mom who stayed at home with me who managed my time - of which there was lots, because I went to a private school that only required me to go to school two days per week. She cooked everything from scratch, I ate VERY well growing up - nothing out of a box - and had a wonderfully supportive family. I really couldn't have had it any better. Yet, somehow, I still had (have) ADD. I promise it wasn't due to bad diet, not enough exercise, or any other factors. My brain is just broken. It sucks, but it's life.

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It's interesting how everyone always claims this. Every single parent/kid claims they do all the things they need to. And yet every time we've broken it down and gotten the details there is always something. Not saying your claims aren't legit. Just that it'd be the first I'd heard.

The problem is, when you don't live with the kid 24/7 you don't know enough to say if it's over diagnosed or not,

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I disagree with this. I have access to vast amounts of data on kids at school and home. And if I don't have it I can get it. I can safely say I do know enough to know it's overdiagnosed. But keep in mind this is mostly anectdotal but it is within the field that studies it and I don't know a single collegue also in the field that doesn't feel the same.

so if you end up in a conversation with someone who's kid may have ADD and you say "oh, it's over diagnosed, and that's what lazy parents do to drug their kids into submission) you're essentially doing the exact same thing as someone who says "OMG get that kid on meds right now!" - which is giving ignorant advice that could potentially be harmful. You may say this under the guise of "trying to help" or "presenting an alternative view" but really you're simply imposing your biases on them. Yes, it's over-diagnosed. Lots of things are. It's also not very understood, and people have a tendency to poo-poo what they don't understand. If someone has cancer, nobody says "well, cancer is over diagnosed" because it's really easily understood. ADD isn't, so lots of armchair doctors like to think that parents who have problem kids wouldn't have problem kids if they'd just beat the kid a little harder, or if they were just a better parent. People are hardwired to judge and mock what they don't understand: and they don't understand ADD.

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Just a terrible analogy with the cancer thing and frankly not very appropriate.Second, you are twisting my words with this little dialogue you've made up between me and other parents. I've had those conversations and that's not how it goes. Sorry if it's gone the other way for you but please refrain from projecting your biases and stereotypes onto me (you complain of what you're doing). If you can't do that then forget this conversation happened.

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Didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. I'll stop engaging you if you'd like. Merry Christmas.

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'proninja said:

'Pick said:

Why don't you go take your drugs and come back when you've calmed down.

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I don't take any drugs at all, actually, as the idea of doing it long term doesn't sit well with me personally.What's it like to know everything?

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'St. Louis Bob said:

'Hooper31 said:

'St. Louis Bob said:

I was thinking of you as I dropped my son at the bus stop today. Before medication, it would have been impossible for him to be there at all. Now I watch, as I do every day, with a broken heart, as he has to stand far away from the group of kids because it causes him so much anxiety.

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I'm not quite sure what you're asking from me. Do you need some form of validation from me in order to know you're doing the right thing for your son? I have no doubt that in your son's case medication is doing what it needs to do in order for him to function. I hope he's able to grow, play, learn, and be a fully functioning citizen in our society. That said, you can't believe that medication is the answer for every kid out there that struggles in school. There are parents out here that believe just that. They don't know what to do, so they go the medication route. This is happening. I've watched it happen. I was asked to participate in the evaluation stage several times. Is there some reason we can't both be right in our assessment of what is going on?

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First off, here's an interesting article that I read about a couple of months ago. Bunch of fakers.

This thread isn't about lazy parents that choose medication over parenting. The OP is/was looking for opinions on other parents in the FFA with children that have ADD/ADHD. Why don't you go to a 9/11 thread and post how everybody deserved to die because of American foreign policy. Or find a thread where somebody had their son die in the Iraq war and post how Bush lied, people died and we never even should have been there.

Frankly, you don't know WTF you are talking about. You hide behind the word "opinion" to perpetuate outright lies and prejudices. You are as bad as bigot-racist-guy that blames the blacks and Jews for all of his short comings in life. Your ignorant opinion hurts people. People like Pick below, start believing the crap you spew and take it out on innocent kids. The only thing I want you to validate are my fists with your face.

'Pick said:

Haven't read just throwin in my opinion. I've taught high school special ed (mild/moderate) for several years. I've been accused of being ADD myself several times. In my experience, this stuff is over-diagnosed bigtime. I think the issue is parenting (but I think almost every issue in this world goes back to parenting).

But I also believe there are legit cases and have seen complete 180s when kids are on their meds. But also the side effects can sometimes be just as bad or worse.

It's interesting to me how many ADD/ADHD kids do not have the basics in place:

Regular exercise

Good diet

Good rest

Time management

Supportive home environment

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Thanks Mr. Stereotype!!Regular exercise-He doesn't like organized sports because of the social anxiety part of the Aspergers but he gets plenty of exercise.

Good diet-He insists on eating well. He would rather have carrots or blueberries & I actually have to convince him it's alright to have a cookie once in a while.

Good rest-He has a hard time sleeping. So do I. Our brains don't just turn off. You don't understand.

Time management-He's 7.

Supportive home environment-We took him to 7 different ADHD/ADD specialists, several VERY expensive psychologists. I've read hald a dozen books and everything I can find on the subject. I would say we're pretty supportive. I smother my kid in love & support.

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'proninja said:

'Pick said:

Why don't you go take your drugs and come back when you've calmed down.

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I don't take any drugs at all, actually, as the idea of doing it long term doesn't sit well with me personally.

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'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'proninja said:

'Pick said:

Why don't you go take your drugs and come back when you've calmed down.

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I don't take any drugs at all, actually, as the idea of doing it long term doesn't sit well with me personally.What's it like to know everything?

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Pretty sure he doesn't know everything especially when it comes to AD/A...oh I get it.

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'proninja said:

'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'proninja said:

'Pick said:

Why don't you go take your drugs and come back when you've calmed down.

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I don't take any drugs at all, actually, as the idea of doing it long term doesn't sit well with me personally.What's it like to know everything?

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Pretty sure he doesn't know everything especially when it comes to AD/A...oh I get it.

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I haven't grown out of my ADD, but I'm really trying hard to grow out of being a pompous blowhard windbag who thinks he knows everything

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'proninja said:

'Pick said:

'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'proninja said:

'Pick said:

Why don't you go take your drugs and come back when you've calmed down.

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I don't take any drugs at all, actually, as the idea of doing it long term doesn't sit well with me personally.What's it like to know everything?

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Pretty sure he doesn't know everything especially when it comes to AD/A...oh I get it.

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Don't know where I claimed to know everything but whatever. I get that he just wants to take shots now versus discuss anything.

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I have zero desire to discuss this with someone who thinks he knows everything.

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'proninja said:

'Pick said:

'proninja said:

'Pick said:

'Reg Lllama of Brixton said:

'proninja said:

'Pick said:

Why don't you go take your drugs and come back when you've calmed down.

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I don't take any drugs at all, actually, as the idea of doing it long term doesn't sit well with me personally.What's it like to know everything?

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Pretty sure he doesn't know everything especially when it comes to AD/A...oh I get it.

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Don't know where I claimed to know everything but whatever. I get that he just wants to take shots now versus discuss anything.

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I have zero desire to discuss this with someone who thinks he knows everything.

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Where did I say that?

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Perhaps you missed the post you quoted. Let's just ignore each other for everyone's sake

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'St. Louis Bob said:

Yeah, I'm done here but I'll leave you with this:

My SEVEN YEAR OLD SON is on a strict schedule. If he gets off it, things get bad. Sucks for parents who used to try and "spoil" him when they boys spend the night at their house by letting him stay up past his bedtime.

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Don't #### with my kids and don't #### with anybody that can't defend themselves. I don't take kindly to that.

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'St. Louis Bob said:

Yeah, I'm done here but I'll leave you with this:

My SEVEN YEAR OLD SON is on a strict schedule. If he gets off it, things get bad. Sucks for parents who used to try and "spoil" him when they boys spend the night at their house by letting him stay up past his bedtime.

While you two go throwing your opinions around and putting your ignorance on full display, let me ask you a question. Do you remember breaking up with a girl and it broke your heart? You know, you feel sick to your stomach and feel such despair like life isn't living? Have you ever had a bunch of kids pick on you? Maybe call you names, maybe beat you up. Well this is how my son has been feeling inside SINCE HE WAS FIVE. This poor kid is 7 and has been going through the social awkwardness that most teenager lament well into their adult years. So go to hell. If you would like, maybe take a few jabs at my cousin with Down's Syndrome too. It's funny stuff. You can call me any name you like. Don't #### with my kids and don't #### with anybody that can't defend themselves. I don't take kindly to that.

ETA

I don't make threats. I make promises. Ask anybody. Redman probably knows me better than anybody here. We had some long talk in Vegas last year.

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'Pick said:

'St. Louis Bob said:

Yeah, I'm done here but I'll leave you with this:

My SEVEN YEAR OLD SON is on a strict schedule. If he gets off it, things get bad. Sucks for parents who used to try and "spoil" him when they boys spend the night at their house by letting him stay up past his bedtime.

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Did I read this right? Divorced parents with an ADD kid? That would be a ##### to pull off some structure.

Don't #### with my kids and don't #### with anybody that can't defend themselves. I don't take kindly to that.

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Agreed. Who we gonna beat up?

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'St. Louis Bob said:

'Pick said:

'St. Louis Bob said:

Yeah, I'm done here but I'll leave you with this:

My SEVEN YEAR OLD SON is on a strict schedule. If he gets off it, things get bad. Sucks for parents who used to try and "spoil" him when they boys spend the night at their house by letting him stay up past his bedtime.

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Did I read this right? Divorced parents with an ADD kid? That would be a ##### to pull off some structure.

Don't #### with my kids and don't #### with anybody that can't defend themselves. I don't take kindly to that.

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Agreed. Who we gonna beat up?

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Typo from keyboarding too fast. I meant my parents. Both of my wife's parents are dead. Make some funny jokes about that too. We've been married 16 years. In our minds, much longer. I've shown you nothing but respect over the years and I've even stuck up for you in the past (see above) for people making fun of Mormons. No longer. Done.

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'Beaumont said:

My child has diagnosed ADD but like a previous poster it is without hyperactivity. It just seems like he is off in his own world all the time and it really makes it hard for him in school. I was exactly the same way. No disruptive bhavior, just no focus, no concentration, no ability to get your act together. Never remember your work, your books, nothing. Watching TV is like being on another planet. The medicine in our case was to control the daydreaming/tuning out and allow us to focus on school. It worked wonders for me and seems to be doing wonders for my son.Our situation with ADD is a world away from what so many others are posting dealing with ADHD. Each of you have all my prayers for the best future possible.

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'Pick said:

'Beaumont said:

My child has diagnosed ADD but like a previous poster it is without hyperactivity. It just seems like he is off in his own world all the time and it really makes it hard for him in school. I was exactly the same way. No disruptive bhavior, just no focus, no concentration, no ability to get your act together. Never remember your work, your books, nothing. Watching TV is like being on another planet. The medicine in our case was to control the daydreaming/tuning out and allow us to focus on school. It worked wonders for me and seems to be doing wonders for my son.Our situation with ADD is a world away from what so many others are posting dealing with ADHD. Each of you have all my prayers for the best future possible.

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Does he have an IEP?

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'Marvelous said:

'Socrates11 said:

My 7 year old son is starting the process for being diagnosed as ADD or ADHD and starting treatment, which will likely include medication. This has actually been a long time coming, but we've kept trying alternatives to get him dialed in and calmed down, such as diet and other ways to try to hold off his triggers, but nothing seems to help. He was too much for his pre-k teacher, but we said he'd grow out of it. He was too much for his kindergarten teacher, but we said he'd grow out of it. He was too much for his 1st grade teacher, so we said lets get rid of food dyes, too much sugar, gluten, etc and see what happens. Now he's too much for his 2nd grade teacher and is on the verge of being kicked out of his gifted program. We've always thought that meds were prescribed too frequently for normal but very active children but now we're starting to come to conclusion that our son is in that group that really does need them. It's tearing us up. Any advice appreciated from those who may have gone through something similar. Thanks.

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My son is 11 and is just getting diagnosed. A psychologist ran a slew of test on him and determined that ADD is a small component of it. He did say ADD is over-diagnosed and over-medicated, but in my son's case, he has a pure ADD case and medicaiton will help him. We will be starting his medicaiton soon, so we will see.My son is very smart, but cannot focus in school and basically finds school boring. He frequently forgets his assignments, forgets when he has tests, and it frequently doesn't even registered that he messed up. So despite being very smart, he is getting B's and C's and is now staring to get D's. He was definately trending the wrong way.He is never disruptive is school. He just withdraws. He loves to read, so when he checks out, he is frequently reading. Most of his teachers thought this was good, so they allowed it. Perhaps if he were more disruptive, he would have been diagnosed earier.

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'Beaumont said:

'Pick said:

'Beaumont said:

My child has diagnosed ADD but like a previous poster it is without hyperactivity. It just seems like he is off in his own world all the time and it really makes it hard for him in school. I was exactly the same way. No disruptive bhavior, just no focus, no concentration, no ability to get your act together. Never remember your work, your books, nothing. Watching TV is like being on another planet. The medicine in our case was to control the daydreaming/tuning out and allow us to focus on school. It worked wonders for me and seems to be doing wonders for my son.Our situation with ADD is a world away from what so many others are posting dealing with ADHD. Each of you have all my prayers for the best future possible.

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Does he have an IEP?

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No. He is functioning well with the medicine. He is bright, but his Bs and As were turning into Cs because he could never find his homework or turn it in. The medicine seems to help him focus and there is less daydreaming and more focus and organization.ETA: I took Cylert when I was his age. It also helped me. I also took it briefly in high school when I was taking the SATs and it boosted my score almost 100 points on the 1600 point scale.

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'bucksoh said:

Bye the way Pick your view is wrong on this.

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Adopt a Healthy Parenting Philosophy

Keep a sense of priorities. AD/HD children have many things that are going wrong, but fortunately a lot of the things that are going wrong are not important things. They dont matter in lifes long run. They might matter to you right now but in the long run they dont, and so we ask parents and teachers to try to pick out what are the developmental priorities right now. For instance, in the morning if you are arguing with your child a lot over whether or not they make their bed before they go to school, get over it. Making a bed is not a priority. It has no developmental significance. I do longitudinal studies. Making a bed predicts nothing in adulthood, nothing. This is your problem, not theirs, right? If you dont like it, close the door. Have them clean their room once a week. What difference does it make? But to destroy a school morning over an irrelevant battle that has no long-term significance is a waste of time. Focus on what really counts at that time.

Okay, you have to maintain a disability perspective. Unlike other disabilities that come with physical scarring or unusual appearances or very bizarre behavior that clearly signals theres something wrong with your child, AD/HD kids dont have these physical stigma that are associated with the disorder, and therefore it leads people to think they dont have a disability at all. But their disability is just as real, just as much in the brain as autism is.

And you have got to get good at forgiving other people their ignorance of this disorder, because the public is very ignorant of AD/HD, and often sadly misled by the media about AD/HD. And so you need to get good at forgiving them, and get a little thick-skinned around your child so that the looks you get from other people and the occasional snide remarks and so forth dont bother you quite so much. Youve got to remember that theyre strangers and theyre ignorant and they dont understand this disorder.

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'sho nuff said:

'Hooper31 said:

'proninja said:

Right, so if there are kids who it helps, what's the issue?

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Sometimes the cure does more harm than good. Who are we helping here? Who benefits besides the child and in what way? Do a few Google searches for "long term effects of ritalin/adderall/focalin".

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Google the long term affects of most drugs.

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Side effects. I just want to point out two things. Nobody dies. Right? There’s not huge morbidity. The stimulants are the safest drugs in all of psychiatry and pediatrics. And let me add one other thing. They’re also the best studied of any drug you put into the mouth of a child. And that includes aspirin, and you guys don’t hesitate to use Tylenol or aspirin or cough medicine. We have more research on the stimulants than any drugs used in psychiatry and pediatrics. So, these are very well-investigated medications.Also notice this. There is no effect on bone growth or adult stature in most AD/HD children. The effect is mainly a little bit of weight loss during the first year, often recovered in the second year. There’s a very small subgroup of AD/HD children who do have some weight gain problems, and only those children get drug holidays. We do not do drug holidays any more.Now there are a couple changes in practice that have gone on over the last few years, but when parents come in and start talking about medication, these are the kinds of misconceptions we often have to deal with. One of them is that the stimulants are addictive when taken orally. Not at all. These are not addictive drugs. To be addictive you would have to crush them and inhale them like cocaine or inject them intravenously, and you would have to do it repeatedly.

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'Bonzai said:

LOL at a school pushing an IEP.

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'Monsieur Meursault said:

Adopt a Healthy Parenting Philosophy

Keep a sense of priorities. AD/HD children have many things that are going wrong, but fortunately a lot of the things that are going wrong are not important things. They don’t matter in life’s long run. They might matter to you right now but in the long run they don’t, and so we ask parents and teachers to try to pick out what are the developmental priorities right now. For instance, in the morning if you are arguing with your child a lot over whether or not they make their bed before they go to school, get over it. Making a bed is not a priority. It has no developmental significance. I do longitudinal studies. Making a bed predicts nothing in adulthood, nothing. This is your problem, not theirs, right? If you don’t like it, close the door. Have them clean their room once a week. What difference does it make? But to destroy a school morning over an irrelevant battle that has no long-term significance is a waste of time. Focus on what really counts at that time.

Okay, you have to maintain a disability perspective. Unlike other disabilities that come with physical scarring or unusual appearances or very bizarre behavior that clearly signals there’s something wrong with your child, AD/HD kids don’t have these physical stigma that are associated with the disorder, and therefore it leads people to think they don’t have a disability at all. But their disability is just as real, just as much in the brain as autism is.

And you have got to get good at forgiving other people their ignorance of this disorder, because the public is very ignorant of AD/HD, and often sadly misled by the media about AD/HD. And so you need to get good at forgiving them, and get a little thick-skinned around your child so that the looks you get from other people and the occasional snide remarks and so forth don’t bother you quite so much. You’ve got to remember that they’re strangers and they’re ignorant and they don’t understand this disorder.

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'Monsieur Meursault said:

'sho nuff said:

'Hooper31 said:

'proninja said:

Right, so if there are kids who it helps, what's the issue?

Click to expand...

Sometimes the cure does more harm than good. Who are we helping here? Who benefits besides the child and in what way? Do a few Google searches for "long term effects of ritalin/adderall/focalin".

Click to expand...

Google the long term affects of most drugs.

Click to expand...

Side effects. I just want to point out two things. Nobody dies. Right? There’s not huge morbidity. The stimulants are the safest drugs in all of psychiatry and pediatrics. And let me add one other thing. They’re also the best studied of any drug you put into the mouth of a child. And that includes aspirin, and you guys don’t hesitate to use Tylenol or aspirin or cough medicine. We have more research on the stimulants than any drugs used in psychiatry and pediatrics. So, these are very well-investigated medications.Also notice this. There is no effect on bone growth or adult stature in most AD/HD children. The effect is mainly a little bit of weight loss during the first year, often recovered in the second year. There’s a very small subgroup of AD/HD children who do have some weight gain problems, and only those children get drug holidays. We do not do drug holidays any more.Now there are a couple changes in practice that have gone on over the last few years, but when parents come in and start talking about medication, these are the kinds of misconceptions we often have to deal with. One of them is that the stimulants are addictive when taken orally. Not at all. These are not addictive drugs. To be addictive you would have to crush them and inhale them like cocaine or inject them intravenously, and you would have to do it repeatedly.

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AD/HD is not a pathology, it’s a trait. There is an AD/HD trait in the population. It’s called self-control, and AD/HD represents the lower end of that trait. Just as dyslexia is not a category, but is simply the lower end of the distribution of phonologic awareness and decoding. And just as mental ######ation is the lower end of the distribution of IQ in the population, AD/HD is just the lower end of a normal Bell Curve for self-control in the population. It’s not like pregnancy, not something you have or you don’t. It’s a continuum. And they happen to occupy the extreme end of the continuum of a normal trait.

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'Pick said:

'Bonzai said:

LOL at a school pushing an IEP.

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It is a joke. But many teachers at the lower levels get lazy and would rather the special ed folks deal with a kid. Most special ed teachers at the ed level spend their time testing or detering testing from teacher requests.

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'Ilov80s said:

'Pick said:

'Bonzai said:

LOL at a school pushing an IEP.

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It is a joke. But many teachers at the lower levels get lazy and would rather the special ed folks deal with a kid. Most special ed teachers at the ed level spend their time testing or detering testing from teacher requests.

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Being in special ed for ADHD. gets students taken out out of the general ed. classes in your district??? That is weird.

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'Ilov80s said:

I am a special education teacher and I work quite a bit with students that are not receiving special ed. as well. There are numerous students that are deeply impacted by ADHD. Impacted to the point that they are unable to learn, complete work, or follow rules. I have seen some amazing 180s from students on medication. Some days those children forget to take their meds in the morning and I can generally tell in <2 seconds. Instead of sitting in their seat, they are walking around, touching everyone, yelling across the room, slamming their things, and basically driving everyone else nuts. If a kid is having a bad hair day, they can't help themselves from making a rude comment. They have no filter. On days when they are medicated, they sit down, focus, ask appropriate questions, and treat their fellow students with respect. It is like dealing with 2 entirely different people. When I entered the profession, I was somewhat skeptical. I am now 100% in favor of medication. There are students that literally can not survivea an entire school day without being kicked out of class and suspended without meds. Yet on the meds, they are honors students.

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'Pick said:

'Ilov80s said:

'Pick said:

'Bonzai said:

LOL at a school pushing an IEP.

Click to expand...

It is a joke. But many teachers at the lower levels get lazy and would rather the special ed folks deal with a kid. Most special ed teachers at the ed level spend their time testing or detering testing from teacher requests.

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Being in special ed for ADHD. gets students taken out out of the general ed. classes in your district??? That is weird.

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It's not automatic but easily classified under OHI or LD. Not a fan myself.

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'Ilov80s said:

'Pick said:

'Ilov80s said:

'Pick said:

'Bonzai said:

LOL at a school pushing an IEP.

Click to expand...

It is a joke. But many teachers at the lower levels get lazy and would rather the special ed folks deal with a kid. Most special ed teachers at the ed level spend their time testing or detering testing from teacher requests.

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Being in special ed for ADHD. gets students taken out out of the general ed. classes in your district??? That is weird.

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It's not automatic but easily classified under OHI or LD. Not a fan myself.

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I understand students can be classified as OHI, but that shouldn't cause them to automatically get taken out of the classes they are already in.

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'Pick said:

'Ilov80s said:

'Pick said:

'Ilov80s said:

'Pick said:

'Bonzai said:

LOL at a school pushing an IEP.

Click to expand...

It is a joke. But many teachers at the lower levels get lazy and would rather the special ed folks deal with a kid. Most special ed teachers at the ed level spend their time testing or detering testing from teacher requests.

Click to expand...

Being in special ed for ADHD. gets students taken out out of the general ed. classes in your district??? That is weird.

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It's not automatic but easily classified under OHI or LD. Not a fan myself.

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I understand students can be classified as OHI, but that shouldn't cause them to automatically get taken out of the classes they are already in.

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Agreed. I don't know of anywhere that makes it automatic.

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