What if they think your 6 year old has ADD?

1. 60

   hotnewmamaposted 13 years ago

   What if they think your 6 year old has ADD?
   
   Our son is very smart, but has a hard time focusing in school. He has tested to be in 3rd-5th grade levels in different subjects but is only in 1st grade. We have tried working with the teacher and him to get him to pay attention better and focus on what his teacher is wanting him to do. After the first the quarters, our teacher has now suggested he has ADD. I guess we are open to thinking he could have it, but we dont want to medicate him, especially this young. Is there any alternative treatments we would be able to do if he does have ADD? Is there a benefit or downfall to getting him tested

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2. 61

   wytegarillazposted 13 years ago

   I did a hub on it as I have been diagnosed at 45 , wish I had known a long time ago , I did an online test which reccommended I see someone ASAP

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3. 74

   Karen Rayposted 13 years ago

   I haven't dealt with ADD personally, so you can take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I'm just wondering if he isn't bored to pieces if he is testing at 3rd to 5th grade levels and is in 1st grade.

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4. 60

   hotnewmamaposted 13 years ago

   Yes, that is what we think but he cant move up in any classes until he behaves better. We think its been a big circle. He is 10 points off from joining the gifted and tallented program. We have talked with the school counselor, the teacher, and the school psychologist. Its very frustrating to us because he is so smart but is learning things he already knows. He has been reading chapter books for the past year while his class is reading books with 3 rhyming words on each page. I have been working with him after school to help him continue to learn. I cant imagine sitting there bored for so long. I cant stand to sit in mettings for an hour that I think I dont need to. I cant imagine 7 hours for 5 days a week.

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5. 62

   bman3725posted 13 years ago

   I know completely how you feel, i went through this myself when my daughter was younger. We started with the meds but after going through a lot of issues with that and going through different doctors/specialists we found a Dr that didnt believe in medicating for it but different ways of reacting with my daughter, and to my astonishment it had a lot to do with her diet, yep what they eat has a lot to do with it.
   
   I would go to the doctor and see what they say, have your child tested and then maybe see a specialist after. Be up front how you feel about the meds.
   
   Oh by the way here in my state if a teacher or administrator says that "i believe your child has ADD/ADHD" then that school system is responsible for payment of such treatments and/or doctor visits for stating such. Found this out after treatment started on my child and by the end of it they were paying the full bill.

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6. 64

   ThunderKeysposted 13 years ago

   Thoroughly learn the clinical, applied-behavior-analytic approach to changing your child’s target behaviors used in the formal DSM diagnostic framework before using medications.

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7. 84

   Chasing Rileyposted 12 years ago

   I see this question is 8 months old so I wonder if you've had a resolution.
   
   My questions for you would be - Is this the only teacher who has ever said something to you? Does the teacher have a child of his/her own? Is the teacher very experienced?
   
   I went through the same thing with my son. I don't think there's any harm in getting him tested. The fact that he is at a 3-5th grade level means that he is highly intelligent but doesn't rule out ADHD. My son did well in school too which is why I didn't believe the teachers who kept telling me that he had it. I personally feel like I could pick an ADHD child out of a classroom after having one so if more than one teacher has made the comment you may want to look in to it. That being said, I don't like medication very much. It worked initially for our son when we started in 3rd grade but he quickly grew out of it either because he got used to the dose or his size was bigger. They wanted to increase his dose and he started to have side effects.
   
   I believe diet can mitigate part of the effects. There is a lot written on the subject. It's difficult to have a clean diet (no sugar, no chemicals, etc...) but you can't lose trying to be healthy.
   
   My personal advice to you is do as much reading as you can about your options and trust your own instincts for your son. Don't let anyone pressure you into doing something that doesn't feel right and don't let anyone make you feel bad if you opt for medication. I promise that he is not the only ADHD kid in the class and it can be understandably difficult for teachers to deal with an ADHD kid while they are trying to manage a group of kids. We typically had the best luck with teachers that were men or women with their own sons.

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8. 85

   Pamela N Redposted 12 years ago

   Bless your heart. I have three kids, the oldest boy has ADD, the second boy has ADHD and my daughter (adopted) has ADHD and Aspergers.
   
   Read everything you can get your hands on and join CHADD. It's the best thing you can do. The drugs are harsh and if I had it to do over again I probably wouldn't put my kids on them.
   
   I let them talk me into T1 which was basically kindergarten over again for my second son and wish I hadn't done that. He is very smart and wasn't a good choice.
   
   Schools will do what is easiest for them and not in the best interest of your child regardless of what they try to make you believe. Like I said, READ everything you can get your hands on and educate yourself on this "disorder".
   
   Many think diet may be a factor, food allergies perhaps. I would try eliminating some foods and seeing if there is any improvement. Also caffeine works much like the stimulant drugs they give and has positive effects on some kids.
   
   Gosh, I've nearly written a hub. Perhaps I should. )

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