Adhd

When my son was in K (now 4th grade) his teacher suggested the same. I had him evaluated and found that he did not have ADD or ADHD. He was diagnosed with "frustration Intolerance". Another way of saying he's impatient as so many boys are. He is in a gifted program where the academic expectations are very high. A figety kid makes it more difficult for the teacher to teach. Some teachers want the boys medicated just to make their job easier. Suggest more recess time. I found the following year with a different teacher he had a much better school year expeirence and so did the teacher!

J.,
I would have him evaluated. The school can recommend someone who is experienced with this type of evaluation. Often Pediatricians will do a huge battry of tests that are completely unneccessary. He is not too young to be evaluated. We used a psychologist who did 2 days of testing on him ( 1 hour each time) and we filled out questionaires about him. Having him evaluated will in no way harm him, so I say go for it.
My son was diagnosed about 4 months ago with ADHD. I went the route of changing his diet and have begun some nutritional supplements that have helped him tremendously. His teacher just called the other day to remark about how incredibly well he is doing.
Remember, if he does have ADHD or ADD the things he does are completely out of his control because he is lacking in that area. It is not behavior. Both of these disorders are neuralogical in nature and behavior modification is extremely effective when used properly.
Good luck!!!
S.

I would speak with your doctor and consider his diet. What is he eating? My oldest son goes nuts on sugar, I can always tell when they've had a party at school because the kid comes off the bus higher than a kite. Things that don't effect us can send a small kid into a frenzy. My 6yr old reacts to motrin like I've injected him with pure cane sugar. I would watch his diet and see if that helps and speak with your doctor but as a mother of 5 little boys (none of whom have adhd but also none who can sit still watching tv either)I wouldn't jump the gun. Good luck!

Try working with your sons diet before they start suggesting medication for him. cut out as much sugar as you can( what he eats and drinks).I see a big difference in my two children after they have had something with alot sugar. also I have heard they are linking the video games with ADHD because the games move so quickly they are fast paced the childs mind think in this way and do it with everything they do. Please look it up on google or at he book store before going to medication. also you can work with your sons constitution( his over all well being) with homeopathy there is a great accupunturist in huntington her name is Frederique Keller( she is actually in Centerport)
also does chinese medicine and homeopathy.

good luck and I hope this helps

J.

J.,

There is thought to be a link between ADD/ADHD and the chemicals and toxins in our home cleaning products and toiletries. It is also thought that Omega-3 Fatty Acids help with this condition. I have seen children who have similar behaviors as your son completely turn it around after all toxins were removed from the home and supplements were taken to improve nutrition. I would be happy to tell you more about this. Feel free to contact me...I couldn't get my house cleaned out of toxins fast enough after I learned that.

D.

Dr. Larry Palevsky at Northport Creating Wellness Center has done wonders with kids and their diets to make MAJOR changes in their lives. A friend's son was on the verge of having surgery for his legs and after following Doc Larry's advise regarding diet, he can run! He's been wonderful with my own kids too and works with autistic children a lot. Along with the acunpucture and chinese medicine someone else suggested, pediatric hypnosis works wonders with ADD & ADHD revealing often what the real problem is that the excessive movement is the result of.

Maybe your son is just bored. I worked in a school and came across many kids, especially boys, that were so smart that they were bored with classroom work and so acted out juts like you are describing your sons behavior. The blurting stuff out caught my attention.

Sometimes kid are just a little hyper. I would agree to an evalutaion just to see what your doctor thinks. It couldn't hurt. I am not a fan of medication unless it is truly necesasary. Many children with ADHD can benefit from a change in diet.

I am a nutritional consultant and I can tell you sugar has a lot to do with mood and behavior. Try cutting some of the sugar from his diet, especially what he's eating at school. Check labels. High Fructose Corn Syrup is in so many kids' snacks that it's scary. Especially those chewy "fruit" snacks. They are almost ALL sugar. Try giving him fresh fruit instead. Choose cereals low in sugar. As a mom I get aggravated at all the "healthy" snacks out there for kids. Granola bars are very high in sugar - they almost all have chocolate in them. It is hard work - but try it for a week or two and see if you notice a difference in his behavior.

Good luck.

I am a first grade teacher, currently on maternity leave. There are many things that go into an ADHD diagnosis. I'm surprised she actually told you that. We're not supposed to diagnose. That's for the doctors to do. There is a form called a Connor's Scale that you can fill out, and the teacher can fill out and you can bring to your doctor.

I think that many kids appear to have ADHD young in their school careers because it's the first time they've been surrounded by so many other kids their own age, as well as being placed in a room with so much stimulus. On top of that, we're asking these kids to "focus" on something they can barely relate to. So, it's easy to see how they have trouble staying on task.

I think too that many parents don't necessarily create any situations at home where the child is expected to focus (listening to family conversation, reading books, practicing letters and numbers, playing a game), so it's not something they've learned before they get to school. I'm not saying you do or don't do this, just speaking in general, so please don't take offense.

Bottom line, you should definitely talk to the doctor and do a Connor scale. If possible, go to the school and watch your child (out in the hall where he couldn't see you would be the truest picture you could get) and start watching at home for signs that there truly is a problem.

True ADHD kids are very easily frustrated and can throw temper tantrums over the easiest of tasks that they can't perform. Many also have difficulty learning to read or do anything with numbers as the attention span isn't there. They are kids who can't even focus on things they enjoy (watching a movie, coloring, etc). They also can have difficulty with personal space, interacting with other children, playing nicely. Sometimes they can have a foot tapping or jittery legs. I've had kids whose eyes couldn't focus on anything -they were darting all over the place. (ADD kids don't have the jitters - they "space out".) Good luck. I hope I've helped!

Hi, J.!

It sounds like ADHD, but only a doctor can diagnose it. My daughter was like that in preschool and kindergarden. The kindergarden teacher wanted Nicole evaluated by the child study team. They suggested that it was ADHD and referred me to a neurologist who diagnosed her. A few years later, she was diagnosed with ADHD, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), and ODD (oppositional-defiant disorder). A few years after that, her diagnosis was changed to Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism). Medication defintely helped Nicole to sit still and be able to learn, but because she also has AS, some of her symptoms can't be controlled. There is no medication for AS.

The first step would be to have the school's child study team evaluate him. Then the doctor.

Good luck!
Deb

J.,

I would speak to the school about separating him from the class.

thats not appropriate, they are singling him out,

If they believe he has ADHD then they need to provide extra help for him, give him some assistance,

for my son who Also has ADHD they asked me to use medication, I SAID NO, and they assigned a tutor to help him ONE on ONE
which helped him dramatically, I didn't want my child isolated from the group, afterall I felt how could he learn what was " NORMAL" if he wasn't surrounded by " Normalcy"

It was a constant fight with the school system, ( PUBLIC)
But eventually they get on board,

You need to call and stop in for just about everything but it helps,

When a teacher calls to complain about my child being talkative, I say OK, I see, and then say " SO WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS" they say for what, I say "To help him focus and be less talkative"

they usually say well we have been trying this or that,
and I say" Well it seems it isn't working so what will we try NOW"

You need to be more direct and forceful, and take your childs side, and see it from your childs perspective.
I have also found that GIFTS to teachers will make them less likely to complain and more likely to be PROACTIVE and PRO-your CHILD. they offer more praise and are more patient, and try and reach out MORE.

Tutoring is very helpful, but costly,

My child does well, with structure, the more strict the teacher the better he does.

movements can be distracting but pay attention, if he can sit thru video games and TV shows , he can sit thru class,

Teachers that MOVE alot , use hand movements and body movements keep your childs attention longer.Check the teachers enthusiasm, if they aren't motivated , they will not inspire your child.
( there is a special technique used I forget the name but its generally used for primary AGE children)

I really would not be so fast to start medications, nor Diagnos him,
BUt i would speak to the school, and make SURE they understand your position,and PUSH them to behave better with your child.

Isolating him from the group is a PUNISHMENT, NOT helpful in anyway,

If they feel he has ADHD then they need to take extra steps to help him , NOT hurt him.

Fight with them mom, be on your kids side,

My son was the same way, and he received second honors in his class, he has a right to be treated fairly and respectfully,
and its their job to teach him, even if he gets on their last nerves.

Good luck MOM!!

M

No, he is not too young for getting evaluated. If he gets a proper diagnosis now it would help him immensely in the future. Early intervention is always best.

Do your research about ADHD. The worse thing ever would be to medicate him with ADHD drugs if he doesn't have it.

Talk to your pediatrician also and get his/her opinion as well. 2nd opinions are very necessary. Good luck.

A.