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[cjs97e47]

I’m new to this group my 9yr old was just diagnosed with ADHD on Friday March 16th and given a RX for vyvanse 10mg but I have not picked it up yet I just want to really be educated on this and trying to decide will the pros outweigh the cons. I just want to make the best decision for my son. Thanks

[ha11]

😓😓 Same here i was given metadate but still i not tried just educating and getting reviews for two weeks and also waiting for the teachers to give back the evaluation paers questionaires given by doc tonget final diagnosis in written form .

I requested doc on my request she wrote medi

So scared too dear its a long journey we have to put our feet on the track😓😓

[cjs97e47 in reply to ha11]

Thank you we did the evaluation forms the teacher had a set and I did as well I took them in Friday with me and that’s when he gave us the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD and wants us to try the vyvanse i also have a letter for the school to see if they can do further testing for my son. It’s been a very frustrating journey just because I didn’t know what else to do far as behavior him being forgetful and having no a hard time in school he’s in the 3rd grade and bc of performance they are wanting to retain him if he didn’t pass summer school.

[kuntz2boys in reply to cjs97e47]

That is really hard. I wanted to get my son tested earlier on (he's 14 now) but they would not do testing until he was older than 7 or 8, but I knew something was not quite right with him. I felt lost and didn't know what to do next. That's when I finally contacted a behavioral health clinic and asked for "Assessment and Referral". We set up an appointment for the testing and we had to fill out the forms and have his teachers fill them out too. The good thing about just trying it is you can stop it if you don't feel it's helping. I had a friend who tried the holistic way first and when that didn't work she opted for the meds. As a parent you feel guilty giving your child a pill to make them better, but you can always stop them, carefully of course. Taking them off of it abruptly could have adverse effects. Do your research, ask the doctors as many questions as you can, maybe ask the school about an IEP or a 504 to help your son be successful in school. It takes a village to raise a child! Especially one with ADHD!

I am currently trying to find as much information as I can about getting my son on a 504 or IEP because his grades are getting worse and worse. I am at a loss as to what to do. I feel like I just keep talking to the school and asking questions, but I don't know what kind of help I am looking for. It's like I'm not asking the appropriate questions or something? You would think as a school they would suggest options to aid my son in being successful. They know more about this stuff than I do, and they know what my son is like. How can I ask for something I don't know is out there?

[cjs97e47 in reply to kuntz2boys]

That’s frustrating as well to keep sending home notes and say how smart your kid is but that the child is a distraction to others but never offer any testing or suggestions or support but tell you the grades are suffering that’s what made me set up an appointment with our primary dr. To get his view and now we are almost at the end of the school yr.... Your absolutely right you would think the school would be of help but some teachers act so clueless I’ll keep you all posted. I’m still on the fence about the meds

[ha11 in reply to cjs97e47]

All of my love and prayers for u dear

[Chickymama in reply to kuntz2boys]

My son has ADHD and is in the 6th grade. I am an educator. When he was in the 4th grade, I requested that he be tested for special ed. I knew he would probably not qualify, but if a child has ADHD and it is interfering with their learning in the classroom to a certain degree, there is a chance that they could qualify. He did not qualify, but they did put him on a 504 plan. This helps him with accommodations in the classroom that the teacher must use. This is to help the child so that they do NOT fail. Contact the school counselor or special ed teacher and request that your child be tested. They cannot deny your request and it will skip the process of teachers having to do a ton of paperwork to show why they think a child needs to be tested.

[seller in reply to kuntz2boys]

You don't say if you're son is currently taking ADHD meds, but I would strongly recommend that as a first step. Your son definitely needs either a 504 or an IEP and be prepared to spend a lot of time making sure the school follows it. ADHD is truly a neurological disorder and is not treated very well by other interventions. This is not to say that other things like accommodations at school don't also help, but stimulant medicines are the first line for most kids with ADHD. High school is a roller coaster ride for kids without any issues.....ADHD can really cause problems if it's not treated for teens.

[cjs97e47 in reply to seller]

I sent the letter in to his teacher today from the dr. And I emailed her requesting a 504 or IEP she’s sending everything over to the EC department and administration so that we can set up a meeting I was thinking if o do start the vyvanse to wait until spring break next wk to see how he tolerates it and I’m just still researching I am not totally against meds I just want to be fully educated on them.

[seller in reply to cjs97e47]

Please find some reliable information about all the ADHD meds - most are in the stimulant family, which are almost always well-tolerated. Some side effects, but nothing terrible and if you do your research, you will know what to expect. Medication is not the end of the world; in fact, for most kids, it makes most everything much better. We're sorry we have to give our kids meds, but the pros outweigh the cons.

[cjs97e47 in reply to seller]

Thank you for that it’s definitely not easy making the decision!

[ha11 in reply to cjs97e47]

Awww I feel if you get complete diagnosis start trying medi and see the difference dear.

[seller in reply to cjs97e47]

I've been there, although it's been many years. My son was going to fail the 3rd grade because of his undiagnosed (at that time) ADHD. We started him on Medidate (because he would not swallow pills) and school was fine after that. (Well, that's a story for another time!) My son (who is now 23) has been taking Vyvanse off and on for years and it works very well. Give it to you son - he will be SO much better in so many ways.

[ha11 in reply to seller]

Hi

can u please share if u remember u gave medatate two times a day in start .My son started 2 days ago but in evening he becms more jumpy and hyper and feel trouble in hw

Also at wt age he started now at 23 hows he doing .

Does he have hyperactivity and lil sillyness social peoblems .

Pleae share i cry for my 7 year olds future and all my bosy aches with pain and grief i becomes so down even leave everything smtime .

[seller in reply to ha11]

It's been a very long journey for all of us, but my son turned out okay! He is in college (there have been many attempts!) and this time I think he will finish. He does take daily Vyvanse 70mg (the highest dose). He realized he couldn't do school without it. He was never hyperactive, but inattentive. Remember that ADHD boys generally lag behind in emotional maturity. Your son may gravitate towards younger kids for awhile and that's okay. I do recommend getting him into some sort of team sport, preferably soccer, because he can be active, make friends, and exercise works off that excess energy. I never gave any ADHD meds twice a day - they are generally stimulants and can cause problems with sleep if given late in the day. However, these meds do wear off after 6-8 hours and are then completely out of the system. We used to give our son a short-acting booster right after school so he could get homework finished. (Although at age 7, your son should not be having much homework.) I know it's hard not to get depressed by everything, but try not to focus on the negatives..... lower your expectations and ask for no homework if it's a big problem. Looking back, I can't see that there was anything positive about homework in grade school and we had a lot of fights about it.

[ha11 in reply to seller]

thanxxx want to hug u 😪😪😪

I always remain mourned when i think wts the future or people laugh it him if he does silly.

Thanx lord hes not the severe case but still lots of stuff going on .

[ha11 in reply to seller]

Actually school put pressure on me may be u ever read my post they want to put him in self contained that i fight with and got inclusion (mix sort of setup kids without disabilities and kids with some disabilities )in 1st grade thats th best source of social modeling

Now they agin pushing me to pit him back in self contained with (disabled intellectual kids all day ) why i recently satrt medicine tell to review his IQ again as they labeled him cerebral palsy mild that we feel is not right diagnose .

In this week doc doubted him for adhd and he will give us formal diagnosis .

[cjs97e47 in reply to seller]

Thank you that’s exactly the place we are at he is 9 in the 3rd grade and they are wanting to hold him back bc of grades being bad

[seller in reply to cjs97e47]

I want to expand on this story - the 3rd grade teacher (who was also my son's kindergarten teacher, so she knew him) called us to talk about our son's problems and said we would be getting a letter saying he would most likely be held back (and this was in October!). I knew right away he had all the signs of inattentive ADHD and we immediately started him on meds (I am a psychiatric nurse!). Once we got the Medidate started (after 2 weeks of him refusing to swallow the Concerta) he was SO much better in class. Please don't hesitate to put your child on some sort of ADHD meds. He will be much happier because school will be much easier. The sad fact is that holding our kids back wouldn't even make much difference - it's not their intelligence and it's not the schoolwork (in grade school)....it's the fact that they just can't focus. The good news is that once we did start the meds, it was very apparent that our son had actually assimilated almost all of the information given and was not even behind! I want you to remember that you want your son to actually LIKE school..... if he doesn't, then things are going to be that much harder as he gets older. And believe me, things WILL get much harder. You want him to go to school willingly and with a smile (most days!). Imagine how you would feel if you hated your job and felt completely inadequate? This is how our ADHD kids feel much of the time in school. Put him on meds - figure out which one works the best and tinker with the dosage. Don't be afraid - the pros outweigh the cons!!

[ha11 in reply to seller]

what sort of palcement in school your son started with did he have speecha delays and dvlp d lays as well???

I started metadate two days ago and lets see wht school says in few weeks .

Dis u ever feel side effects of metadate??

[Grnmtnmama in reply to cjs97e47]

Get him on an IEP ASAP!!! The school should (at least in my state) pay for child psychologist evaluation to look at other issues too that can mimic ADHD. Our child psychologist warned about holding back our son after 1st grade due to increased drop-out rates. I can only imagine they would increase holding back in 3rd. (We wanted to hold him back and were preparing to fight the school to do so until we learned this). Good luck.

[cjs97e47 in reply to Grnmtnmama]

We have an IEP and 504 meeting 4-13 after spring break to start the process I was on that immediately after the diagnosis and I provided the dr letter to the teacher as well so we are going to come up with the best fit for him

[Granite181 in reply to cjs97e47]

My son is very intelligent. He also has dyslexia w/ADHD and had no focus. It has been 5 years and meds are a personal journey. My son was on vyvanse at first but it affected his appetite but it helped him focus in school. He worked with the school ot and she recommend a lot of fidget "toys" like chewelry and I purchased bands that go on the rungs of his chair for him to kick as well as a bumpy ruler to rub his hands on to help focus him and seat cushion. He is now on Focalin, which has helped tremendously for his concentration. Try your local hospital to see if they have a school based program with a psychologist in the school and a psychiatrist that comes to the school and sees your child as well.

[Chris_Craig]

Our son, also 9 and in 3rd grade, was diagnosed in December 2017. He had always had issues with his social skills and work habits since 1st grade (probably K too but he went to a different school). I always attributed those things to him being an only child and thought maybe we weren't pushing him hard enough to care more about school. I also thought he would "grow out of it". Then when he started 3rd grade and was getting test scores below 60, and reports coming home about his behavior, I knew something was wrong but didn't know what. Shortly thereafter we received his 1st marking period report card and it wasn't good. I showed it to a colleague whose child has special needs including ADHD and she pointed me to the Vanderbilt Rating Scales. From there I called his pediatrician and ultimately he confirmed our son had ADHD. He has been taking Focalin XR and his grades have improved to 80s and 90s, his behavior has improved in class, he is seeing a therapist, he was evaluated by the school psychologist and we've started the IEP process. I realize it's a hard decision to make to give your child medication and that's a decision one has to make for oneself and one's child, but in our case, it has helped him so much. we still have issues and there are still struggles a lot of days but it IS better than it was. Also, the other day before school he was so happy about taking a test that day because he knew he was prepared. He was so happy that he is doing better in school and getting better grades. It made my day. Good luck in your decision making process. You can always start and stop immediately if you notice something. Just educate yourself about the med. I know reading all the adverse and side effects can be scary. But i don't think it's the kind of medication that has to be weaned off (at least I know that is true about Focalin). Also we started over a holiday week off so we could monitor him. If no vacation is coming up maybe start over a weekend so you can monitor his response. I hope our story helped. Take care and best wishes

[Tkai523]

I was told by my sons Neuro doctor that I must come to her first before I start giving my son meds..she and I both disagreed about giving him any...when diagnosed with adhd....the first and only option they give you is medication...that medication is horrible....I hate to read stories about parents whose children has to go though numerous medictaions just to find the right one and when they do the meds just make them sit there. These kids are kids who need more help then the average kid not meds. I find that smaller classrooms can be of a big help...having a para can also help if you need more assistant in the smaller classroom...I just think meds should be the very last option...also read up on vitamins....and foods....kids with adhd shouldnt consume certain things and its true...I hear magnesium is really important and finally keeping the kid active...... Play therapy is good......or activities your child likes such as music...dance....art...karate.....doing activite things and keeping your child busy should help. My son is 5....he was diagnosed last year...as I learn I make changes.....before giving meds I say try everything... I know it could be harder when their older but once they start taking this medication..... It maybe a life long journey ...usually when they become adults.....they don't want the meds...and some stop taking them...

[cjs97e47]

Love this insight thank you!