loving litlle boy

[why_frustrated]

My 10 yr old is a very loving little boy. The school he goes to seems to be pushing adhd drugs including the counselor. I believe there is a place for medications, but not mood altering meds. in children. I have been divorced for 4 yrs now and my exwife took antidepressants for 4 yrs before the divorce and most likely still is. Needless to say she thinks that drugs are always the answer, I do not. I read reports about chiropratics,hypnosis, and diet changes working. My son is not violent, just a little restless. He has a great imagination and will sit down and read for hours. My insurance will pay for chiropratic, but she says they kill and injure to many children. It also covers psychiatric,but she is against that to. I need more references to convince her that drugs are not the way to go for my son that she will believe. Please help.

[April2]

Please read my post to Sunshine323 titled "Could it be something besides ADHD". I recommended her to read "Dreamers, Discoverers & Dynamos" by Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D. I think you will find the book very interesting. He sounds like he might fit the type of child mentioned in the book. She also talks about Edison and how they would have labeled him as ADD today. He flunked out of school and had to be homeschooled and yet he was one of our greatest inventors!
Also check his diet. Many children labeled ADHD have a fatty acid deficiency. Don't ever let anyone, even teachers, pressure you to medicate your child. They are way overmedicating children anymore in our schools without checking out all the other options.
For instance, APD (Audio Processing Disorder) mimicks ADD and many parents put their kids on Ritalin thinking they have ADHD when they actually have APD. We found out my daughter has APD. She passed a normal hearing test but not the extensive tests the Audiologist gave her. She has trouble with verbal instructions. She also has trouble blocking out noises around her. I'm just saying check all your options before letting a teacher pressure you into anything.
I went through all of this too with the school system when my son was younger. If you want to talk some more, feel free to write me back. Best wishes for you and your son.

[MomSuzy]

I am going to pursue APD for my son,as allthe descriptions of it fit him.Furthermore,as we were implementing behavioral consequences(good ideas),and about to pursue an assessment,he had a seizure!! A prolonged grand mal seizure!! Which has me questioning many things aout his attention,behavior.Any good info on APD you would reccommend?Really want to push neuroligist to pursue this!

[April2]

I was fortunate. I was seeing the Audiologist anyway for my son because he had ringing in his ears. While I was there, I was explaining to him about the struggles my daughter was having in school and we were wondering if she had ADD when he suggested she may have Auditory Processing Disorder. He agreed to see her as well that day since he had no other appointments right then. So I didn't have to go through a referral for her with my doctor. I don't know if they would have agreed to it or not! However, she was found to indeed have APD and had trouble repeating back verbal instructions, had trouble blocking out background noises, etc.
Ask your doctor for a referral to an Audiologist to get him tested. If you can, have his teachers write recommendations for this too.
I don't know why he had a seizure. It sounds like there's something else going on that you should definately see a neurologist for this. He may have epilepsy or something else going on. They may want to do a Cat Scan of his brain too to see why he had a seizure. Push for the tests. This is why you pay to have insurance. You're his parent. You know him better than anyone else. Good luck and let us know how it all goes.

[msmuck]

My son is 11 years old and he has been on meds for about 4 years now.  If we didn't put him on meds he would not be able to get passing grades in school he just could not consentrate of stay still.  He needs extra help to stay on tast even on meds.  I swear my son has the worst case of ADHD you could have.  Also,  he was beginning to lose his self esteem because he would always be told not to do something or always told not to forget something.  Even his peers would notice he's different and that did not help his self esteem.  It's frustrating for the child not just mom.  I think I did the best thing for my child and me.  Believe me I felt causious about putting my son on something that messes with their head.  I felt scared and confused at first but now I think it I did the right thing.
  I do believe teachers are real pushy about meds for kids in this area also though so you know your son and what's best.  He may have a little case of ADHD and you may be able to manage without drugs.  If he staying back in school or feels bad about himself these are things to consider.  Because my son would have been failing and losing out .
good luck