Need Input on My Sons Possible ADHD

Hi there.

You should also get him tested for Tourettes Syndrome. I have it mildly and it runs in families (genetic). One of the indications is involuntary vocal ticks. My brother has OCD, ADD AND TOURETTES (all all the peak of very worst). He is 30 now but I remember all to well the hell his life was in. He was diagnosed as a teenager. He refuses to take his medication and self medicates w/alcohol. I worry about him constantly. On the good side of this is that most who are diagnosed are usually EXTREMELY creative and are geniuses at the medium they choose. My brother can draw ANYTHING..freehand, from his own imagination..perfectly.

I would also suggest you introduce your son to the arts, whether it be music, dance, painting/drawing, acting..anything that will stimulate his creativity..I know first hand not only from watching my brother but also my being an actress..the arts breeds creativity and give us a sense of peace, clarity and is the place we feel most at home.

Hope all goes well..not to worry he will be fine...

Okay, I little about me, I have a daughter with ADHD/ PDD(NOS). Let me tell you it is a long battle. Before anything happens make sure your husband and you are on the same page because your are going to have a long and tedious battle going back and forth with. My husband did not agreed for years about my daughter's problems however he saw it when she brought home a 100 on a spelling test and an 0 on the math test. But she suppose to be bright. The first thing you need to do is get the diagnosis immediately-go to your pediatrician, a get referral to see a Neurodevelopmental Doctor. They will assist with the diagnosis and what you may need to do to enter your child in the school system officially. Do not let the school do it until you feel comfortable with the diagnosis because reading about ADHD is alot and dealing with your child in the school system. I just went to my daughter's first IEP meeting (she is 9). I had the diagnosis in place for several years however the school did not want to invoke Title 504 for students who has ADHD. People say you don't want your child classified however you don't want your child failing, the arguments starts because you and your husband will not agreed-they will grow out of it. No it gets worst or my child is not like those others. My daughter was under the table in the Kindergarten and the teacher refused to tell me because they knew I will do something about it. I cried, lost several jobs, and fought my husband about my daughter and now - the Psychologist was really intelligent and very knowledgable. She did not yes me she informed me the battle I will be facing. Please email me if you need anything.

Hello T.,

My son has ADHD, when he was about 5yrs old sought counseling also, the doctor/therapist basically said I was a bad mother and didnt know how to control my son. Well, I went back to my sons doctor and he prescribed some meds, not the one that makes the kids addicited to hard core drugs, i dont remember the name, but if i do, i will let you know, anyway. My son had to be put in Special Ed classes until he was in the 5th grade, also went to see a neurologist and both doctors said that when he gets older and goes through puberty he will able to control the ADHD without some meds. WEll, they were right! My son is now 13yrs and he has been off the meds for 4 years now. There are times that he cant sit still or just wonders into space, but we tell him to focus on a spot on our foreheads so he can look at us in the eyes.
The doctors told me that its better to detect and take charge of the ADHD when they are young and then they are able to control it when they are younger and most likely the ADHD will diminish when the child goes through puberty.

I hope this helps you, but if I remember the name of the mediciation that my son was on,I will let you know.

If there is an ARC in your area, I would suggest going there and asking them for help with a diagnosis on what is actually going on with him. If there is not an ARC, go to your local elementary school and ask them where to go in the area to get a diagnosis. Without a diagnosis on what is actually going on, you could be doing things to help him with ADHD when he doesn't really have it and actually needs other things to help him.

I am not an expert but I have heard that symptoms that seem to be ADHD can really be other things. I also know two different families that had kids diagnosed as ADHD and it was actually something else.

Hi T.,

I have four kids also and I had and still have a lot of problems with my oldest 11. Even though Add & Adhd were ruled out she was acting crazy and the school was worried. Anyway after a year with a thearispt and not knowing what to do I went to a Phycaytrist. He has a medical degree and was a peditrician. he did not except insurance and it cost me over 2000 dollars but my daughter is much better. I have recently started promoting a wellness company and have found that using safer non toxic products in my house has helped my daughter. I have some information on add & adhd if you want me to send it to you. My email is ____@____.com or my website http://colleend.stayinhomeandlovinit.com

Make sure you explore all options before medication. Because of lack of experience my daughter got worse. She needed someone to say it is ok... and just leave her alone...

I would suggest getting him tested for Tourettes Syndrome. As outburst are the norm for it. My middle son is defiantly hyper but has comed down some since the start of real school. I glad i didnt press for meds. I would tell him reg doc about the verbal outbursts though as his hyperactivity could be do from frustration from tourettes.

My first cousin has it and with a lot of help he graduated deans list from college. So as its a pain in the butt to find exactly how to control it. It can be controlled if diagnosed right.
I would advise not putting him so young on adhd and i agree with letting him see a psychologist as they can help him sort his feelings.

My son is 4 years old too, and he is very hyperactive, climbs everything, even can climb the doorways, has a tough time sitting still and focusing, but he is very intelligent. Even when it seems like he isn't paying attention, he does listen. I get tired of saying things 15 times. He just has a tough time doing what I want him to do, not what he wants to do. He is very impulsive, and lacks self discipline. He starts kindergarten in September, and I am worried how it is going to go. My pediatrician said 4 is too young to diagnose ADD/ADHD, but I do know one thing, he has always been difficult to handle, even as an infant, but every year he does improve. When he was 3, he was in time-out a lot. Now that he is 4, he still ends up in time out, just not so much. I am just hoping he can make it through the 6 hours he is in school and decompress when he gets home. But he has the vocal outbursts too. Not words, noises/sounds. Similar to Tourette's, like I saw mentioned in another mom's reply, but I don't think it is. I think it is just his way of releasing energy, and it does seem like he does it without realizing.
My son has never seen bad things happen, has a healthy diet, nothing high in sugar/fat, he doesn't watch too much tv, I had a healthy pregnancy. So there is nothing to "blame" his behavior on. I've read that kids with ADHD use their frontal lobe less than normal people, and that is the part of the brain that controls your inhibitions. That is the part of the brain that will stop a kid from acting too impulsively and run out in front of a car. Anyway, just hang in there, and keep using positive reinforcement when you see him behaving appropriately. That's all I am doing for now. And he is happy to hear me tell him I am proud of him. And the threat of losing a sticker from his reward chart sometimes does stop negative behavior. Good luck, I know what you are going through.

it sounds like he could have adhd. i don't know much about it.i know my stepson has adhd and alcohol syndrome. but with the adhd and addhd he had problems concentrating. he cant sit still for 5 mins. and he had alot of outburst in school for no reason and was in trouble alot for it. if your doctor isn't doing anything to help you try getting a second opinion from another dr who will or can help you to determine if that is what he has. he takes medication for it and it has calmed him down greatly.

Hey there T.. I have a 6 year old son that was diagnosed with ADHD last October. It has been a trialing time but we did it! I have suspected that he was ADHD from when he was very young( I guess mothers intuition). I am very happy that I have gotten him diagnosed and put on meds becasue he was doing so bad in Kindergarten last year and he is now excelling in school with a 98% average. If I didnt get him the help he needed I dont think he would have made it out of kindergarten. Go with your instincts, you're his mother and you know best! Only you know what is good for your own child. Believe me, my son is much happier now! Please send me a messgae at any time and I will be more than glad to help you if I can. Let me know how everything goes. Hope to chat with you soon

T.

If he saw something traumatic, then continuing counseling would be appropriate. The doctors are doing the right thing by not medicating him, if that's what you're trying to get them to do. It's most likely not ADHD at all, but due to whatever he saw that traumatized him. You might also consider that it's his diet contributing to his behavior. Sometimes, food allergies to dairy, wheat, glutens, and red & green dyes manifest themselves as "bad behavior" or behavior that is misidentified as ADHD. For instance: My daughters can't have cereals with red dye in them, such as Froot Loops, or the holiday cookies in the tubes with pictures in them, because they become very agitated and hyper-active whenever they have the red dye. There are many children who can't tolerate wheat and glutens and dairy, and their behavior mimics ADHD children. It's worth checking out and researching, to see if your son if in that group. If it's possible to modify his diet rather than medicate him, it would be a great victory for you.

I have twin boys and one is confirmed ADHD and takes medication. He has been on it since he was 4. He was having the same issues, outbursts, incapable of sitting still....
I agree with others to push this doctor. Your son is the one whom is suffering the most from this. He does not know how to control himself. I swore I would NEVER put my children on medicine and for the first month or so(they were both on meds then) I cried when I gave it. But Nicholas has done so much better with the Adderral(this is approved for children under 6 years of age). If the doctor will not accomodate your wishes, I recommend getting a new one. Dr. Lukman Murti is a wonderful pediatrician(located in Cohoes) He is also very well informed with ADHD. Best of Luck

J.

My husband has had ADHD all his life and wasn't diagnosed until almost failing out of college. The diagnosis turned his life around and gave him renewed faith in himself. Don't give up on your child. PURSUE all options for him until something clicks for you. Don't listen to doctors telling you he is too young if you really believe something is wrong for him. Get other opinions. Our 5 year old daughter is now taking Concerta and it has made a huge difference for all of us. It was a very big decision to make, but we knew how much suffering her father had survived and we didn't want her to suffer that way. Failing at school and feeling distracted all the time can severely damage someone's self-confidence. Before medicating, be sure to rule out other problems. Just get a professional you trust to help you through this.

I would suggest getting a second opinion from anothor doctor. If your son does have ADHD and it is left undiagnosed for to many years it can lead to many other complications. My brother is now 18 wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until he was 8 years old. He was failing out of school even though he had had an IQ test that classified him as a genius. He has very low self esteem and does not socialise with anyone. He doesn't like to leave the house unless he absolutely has to. He had a very rough time in elementary school because of his behavior and was labeled an outcast by the other children and also some TEAHCHERS. One of his teachers actually would pick on him because of his behavior. It must have been a shock to her when he was classified ADHD and was put on medication. I am now having the same problems with my 3 year old daughter. I have switxhed doctors and they are sending her to a behavior specialist to be checked out. Trust me I don't want to medicate my child but I also don't want the same things to happen to her that happened to my brother.

Hi T.,
My name is K., new to the site, and just read your request. I am the mother of a 9 year old girl who was diagnosed with ADHD last year at 8. I knew she had a problem for about a year, not concentrating, not focusing, talking loudly at times, not destructive. Actually the doctor says she has a mild case and might grow out of it in the future. Her school work was suffering and our family time was too. Against my husbands wishes, I did put her on Concerta. I felt it would help her and it did. She's been on it for 6 months. Every month, at the doctor's visit, he would talk to her and increase as needed. She is like a different child now. She focuses at home and at school. LIfe has changed for the better. Try something, it can only help and make his life and your life easier. Good luck.

Try Synaptol...Details www.micronutra.com 1-800-875-0850

Good Luck...

I agree with your doctor, 4years old is too young for medicine. I'm a 4th grade elementary teacher with a degree in special ed. There are many other causes for your child's behavior. ADHD children aren't diagnosed until there is an academic failure in school. Keep good records of his behavior - I use a black marble notebook, and a binder with all testing results and school reports. Watch your child's diet. There are speical diets for children with ADHD. Even without a diagnosis you can put your child on this type of diet, and note any changes in behavior. Also, your child may feel a lack of attention since you recently married (and going to school). Be sure to give your child the love and attention he is seeking.

My son too went through everything you write about your child. Look into a Dr. William Weiss in Middletown, Connecticut. He was amazing with my son and my son has improved 200%!! No med's...thank god. My son was 4 when I found Dr. Weiss and he improved within 2 months!

Hi T.
Your school is surpose to have a support group for children with special need request an iep evaulation for him. than seek out side help too. Here is my son theraphist.
I would make an appointment at child phychiatry at presbytrain
hospital. The evaulation will take 2-3 days or 1week to complete. The telephone number is ###-###-#### his name is dr jason lewis he can refeer you to someone. He help me with my son who is 15yrs old now.