My 5 year old son has always been energetic. A few months into kindergarten his teacher and i are worried about some symptoms of distraction and hyperactivity. At times he is great following directions and other timed he will pretend he doesnt hear what he is asked to do and will just go on fidgiting atound. Because he is a young hyper child i didnt think much of it until it is now a disruption to his and the others in his class' education. How and when did you parents discover adhd and other tools to handle behaviors besides medication?
Thanks
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Domdepiano
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Our son was officially diagnosed last year when he was 7. He has always be energetic but I was chalking it up to him being a boy.
He is in 3rd grade now and is in his 3rd school. Things are not perfect but we are finding ways to deal with these challenges. The biggest tool I have learned so far is positive discipline. All children and adults benefit from positive discipline (google or youtube), but ADHD kids especially benefit from them. Things are calmer at home now because I utilize the $h!t out of FORESHADOWING. Example: A is playing legos and we have to head out for an appointment in 15 minutes. I warmly say to E "Remember we have to go in 15 so let's say 10 minutes of lego time then we will clean up. Or hey, honey, if we need to leave is 15 minutes, how much time do you think you need on the legos?" Then at the 5 minute mark I will say something, and make sure they RESPOND back to you. Then again I remind E when there is 3 minutes left then 1 minute. Foreshadowing can be used for most of everything! My son has overfocus issues so this is extremely important to him for transitioning.
My son started on Ritalin for 1 month (under school pressure, and I'm ashamed that I caved in), we saw great improvement at the beginning then it started tapering off after lunch. He is now on Guanfacine which is a non-stimulant. But I'm in communication with his doctor to wean him off as we are not seeing major improvements. He currently does acupressure and cupping, although his acupuncture doctor does no needle for kids (she uses stickers that has a pointy end), my son doesn't like the stickers... My husband lost his job last month so we are waiting to get him to an OT when we have health insurance, etc.
Educate yourself and your son, keep him in the light when appropriate so he feels involved in the whole process and that you are a team.
Yes! Although I have not read the books yet. I have only seen her videos. I have ADD myself and my book pile (physically and audibly) is getting higher lol
I watched some of her videos. Thanks for the info. Struggling big time with our defiant, ADHD kiddo who also has some sensory problems. I’m an educator and more patient.. Dad not so much. He is the worst when it comes to lectures and yelling.
It took a while for my husband to come around. He used to curse and yell at our son all the time, dragging him around in public a hand full of times that I have to stop him. But he has really been trying ever since we had the official diagnose. A few months back I talked him into a weekend personal development course and that also helped a lot. Not saying things are all groovy now, but definitely better.
I'm there with you! I keep reminding myself my son is here to teach me the lesson I have yet to complete in life. Hang in there!!! Hugs!
The thing is, my husband and son are the same person! 🤣 He also has zero patience and I guess gets frustrated when i correct him. I am just trying to do what our psychologist and pediatrician recommend.. I am sure it will get easier. This group has already made me feel better. Thank you. 💜
My son is also 5 as of August. Formally diagnosed in January due to behavior problems at school. He’s very hyper most of the time, but the reason for his outbursts at school were more to do with anxiety than the ADHD. He is currently on Prozac and Abilify to help him manage his anxiety, and it has made a world of difference.
Not trying to influence in any way, but why don’t you want to try medication? If your son had asthma you wouldn’t deny him an inhaler. ADHD is a disease, but it’s in the brain rather than the lungs. Most medications have gone through extensive testing and are completely safe. It might take you time to find the right one, but it could make your son’s life so much better.
Also, I would caution about assuming he’s ignoring you or the teacher. It is likely he truly does not hear what is being asked. We make sure my son looks us in the eyes when we talk to him. We say “where are my eyes” and he looks at us and tells us. That way we have broken his concentration enough to know he’s listening.
Same here with not realizing your son was overly hyper. I had nothing to compare him to, really,and being a boy. We tried so many alternative things bc the medication route is scary. Nothing helped him. Nothing. We started Ritalin when he had an F in math starting 3rd grade. He was getting distracted and not completing his timed tests. He started on a very low dose and titrated up until his teachers saw improvement. His math grade was an A within 2 months. He is still himself, he eats, he’s active he sleeps fine he’s just better able to focus and control himself at school. This isn’t always the case. You may have to try different meds and find the right dose, but it has definitely been a good thing for him. I agree with the foreshadowing. We do that too and making sure you have their attention. Eye contact and response.
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