Last Question of the day..ADHD

My son has ADD and when he was younger, ADHD. There's no special care to be taken. Just know that his attention span is shorter than many kids, and he will have an abundance of energy. My son only take medicine when he's going to school as i try to minimize chemicals in his body - so when he's at a friend's house on the weekend he hasn't taken medication. I try to keep his food as natural and additive free as possible too - seems that some chemical additives - expecially artifical colors - add to the hyperactivity.

Many kids with ADD or ADHD are very smart and lots of fun to be around becuase they're little firecrackers. So as long as he's got somewhere to stretch his legs, run and climb he should be fine. If weather permits encourage outdoor play - even when it's cold - as long as it's not raining I always pushed my son outside. If weather doesn't permit maybe put on an exercise TV show and encourage the kids to "work out". And give hime stuff to build or do with his hands. ADHD kids generally need to keep their hands busy if they are sitting - legos, building, magnetic toys, drawing,

You are being a blessing to his family and he will have fond memories of times spent at your home - and God will honor the way you're blessing his family! You go mama!

When the right medication is active, you may not see any difference at all from other kids. Our eight-year-old son is that way. However, without medication, he isn't functional. He can't sit still, he can't stop running and throwing things, he hurts other people, he can't focus (glazed over eyes ... barely communicate with him), very impulsive. There are varying degrees of ADHD, though, and our son's is more extreme. You are likely to see variations of these markers, though, if this boy doesn't take his medication or as it wears off. If he's on an extended release medication, it will tend to wear off by late afternoon, although some last longer.

If you start seeing signs of ADHD behavior, I have a couple of strategies that can help. Number one, find something he can hyperfocus on. Kids with ADHD will hyperfocus on things that interest them. For his age group, try Legos or video games. Boys with ADHD tend to gravitate toward both of these. When kids with ADHD hyperfocus, they are intensely focused (more so than regular kids) and remain calm.

Strategy number two is to get active. Channel the energy into positive things. Have him shovel snow, do a relay race, do a scavenger hunt in the house, do an active Wii game, etc. In warmer weather, get outside.

If behavior becomes extreme, definitely let the aunt know. Find out if she has a booster dosage of his medication that can be given as the main medication wears off. Extreme behavior early in the day can also be a tip-off that he didn't take his medication at all. Don't try to ride out the storm ... let his aunt know because medication can be quite essential. Bad behavior can snowball big-time if medication isn't taken, so you want to get that on track when needed.

You're awesome for wanting to learn more about the condition! I agree that CHADD is a good resource. Also go to the website for ADDitude magazine. It's for a magazine for families dealing with ADHD and it's full of great information.

ADHD is more about attention span, thinking differently and in some cases hyperactivity. It isn't like autism where you need to approach the child in a certain way or help them express themselves exactly.

I have ADD and I'm pretty sure my 3 yr old does too. Just roll with it for a bit-it sounds like he is not extreme ADHD, so I don't think you have to worry to much..but I always recommend the CHADD website-it's about children who have it and also google ADD and loving it-they have a great web site blog too.

The best thing you can do is understand that his brain works differently-once you understand that it makes all the quirks easier to handle!

I'd be sure he's on his meds. Google this. It's very easy to understand. Poor impulse control, speedy, poor concentration. Probably very smart and loving, though. Typically, they jump before they think, especially boys.

If everything is going great at your house then my guess is he is fine. The only thing I can think of is maybe you should give him the medicine at the proper time intervals. A 7 year old really isn't old enough to have a proper concept of when to take medicine. I have a 6 year old and her concept of time (especially when playing) is not all that good - kids get caught up in what they are doing and can miss a pill or two. Just a suggestion anyway.