Is it ADHD or something else?

[Van3939]

So we are starting our journey to discover what is the root issue for my sons focus issues and lack of stamina at school. He is 7 and in 1st grade. His teacher says he talks out of turn, lacks focus and stamina. He is great with peers, has lots of friends. He has great memory. He’s not disorganized and if given step instructions will do everything he’s told exactly how he’s told. If he’s listening.....His teacher says he “day dreams” or seems in another world... then snaps out of it.... we have an EEG schedule to see if maybe he’s having absence/petit seizures....

[Onthemove1971]

Van3939-After the EKG, what about trying a medication to help him focus?. Just like when I have a cold I take cold medication. The medication (Initiv) does amazing things for our son and it only works on that, helps him focus. HIs sweet, kind and creative personality does not change.

Here is the great thing about these medications you will know right away if it helps.

I would suggest that a child psychiatric speaks to your son to see what could help him. Best of luck.

[Van3939 in reply to Onthemove1971]

There’s just not alot of studies that show how long term use affects individuals. My heart says find a school environment that adapts to my sons learning style not forcing him to adapt to it

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Van3939]

I wish it was that simple... your son (and children like yours) need all the supports they can get and then they can be successful. Changing just the school environment does not help him function in all environments. In order for most children to be successful- medication ( to help the brain be less impulsive and focus) behavior thearpy ( to help them deal with everything) and environmental accommodations and modifications is the proven way to help children with ADHD.

When I started on this journey I some how imagined just 1 of these things would make him successful and when adjusting 1 didn't work I added another. It was not until I stopped thinking about the future ( will my child end up in jail or a drug addict) and focused on today and getting all things lined up, that I started to see success.

I am telling you this becuase it is important to see our children succeed and for us medication is the key, I know he would not be successful at anything without feeding the brain what it needs.

I hope listening to mine and many other stories will help you.

Best of luck.

[seller in reply to Van3939]

Van3939 - My son is now 24 and has been on stimulant meds since age 8. He's fine (well, except that he still needs his Vyvanse!). His growth was not affected, his appetite is fine, and he's not a drug addict. Stimulant medications are very safe - they've been used for years with very few problems. Your son most likely has ADHD (which would be better than him having seizures, by the way!) and needs some sort of medication to help him focus. Get the EEG and then see if his pediatrician can prescribe one of the stimulant meds. You will know very quickly if it works or not.

[Van3939 in reply to seller]

I believe neither are ideal. I work as a social worker and started my career as a school social worker. I saw TOns of misdiagnosing by colleagues. I feel like ADHD is the go to diagnosis as there is not 1 one way to diagnosis and honestly most parents want immediate answers. I don’t want a quick fix for my child, I want what is most appropriate for him. It’s great to hear your son has had success with medication treatment. Has he always been on that specific med? It’s hard to make the best decision for your child, I’ve seen the parent side and clinical side... so it actually making things more difficult because I’ve seen more bad than good come from medicating children... that’s why positive feedback about medication is helpful

[seller in reply to Van3939]

He's been on several meds and lots of dosage changes over the years. He started on Concerta and then moved to Adderall when he was 12. The dexedrine compounds work better for him. He switched to Vyvanse in high school and was off and on this for years. He refused to take it for a few years, which resulted in a lot of failed attempts at college. He is now back on his Vyvanse and in college. I do understand that no one wants to put their 7 year old on medication of any sort. My son was in third grade and would have been held back if not for the medication. Certainly you can request accommodations from his school and implement some changes at home, which may work just fine. My son is also very social, with lots of friends. He's never had problems with social activities or relationships. (His teen years are another story!) We did have a full battery of neuropsych testing done when he was 18, just to check for additional learning disabilities or anything else. He had ADHD, and nothing else. And he had many strengths that I was unaware of (good recall was one), but he also had some problems with concentration and focus. I am a psychiatric nurse, so I also see lots of misdiagnoses and unnecessary medications.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Van3939]

I understand that for some kids there could be a misdiagnosis, but for many there is not. I am sad to hear you talk about parents "want a quick fix" when parents live in horriable conditions ( screaming, punching and yelling) of course anyone would want the problems fixed. Many times there is no "quick fixes " for children with ADHD. It takes so long to find doctors work in thearpy, work with the school, change diet and when those don't, work medication is the answer. This is a painful journey and when you don't get results you to will want better for your child, who if he has control issues, can not control himself without assistance.

I hope you find want works for your child.

[JennR75]

My son used to be a "day dreamer" his teachers were concerned he was having seizures. He had an EKG done when he was 5 years old, everything was fine. He was diagnosed with ADHD in middle school, I wish I would have known sooner.

Best of luck to you and your son!

[Van3939 in reply to JennR75]

Thank you that is helpful

[Janice_H]

Have your son seen by a psychiatrist for evaluation. They can advise on his condition and provide medication to help with attention and focus.

[Evie8582]

My son is now 7 and diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 5. Since he was 3 I knew it wasn’t just him being a boy. I did a lot of reading and back and forth with his pediatrician. I too did not want to medicate immediately. So I did what I thought was right for us. We started with an IEP at school to try and have his needs met a little better. Then we started therapy (Play therapy and behavioral) as my son not only was hyper but could not focus. He also had behavioral issues due to his sensory problems. From there we saw a psychiatrist who was willing to wait until we were ready to mediacate but would answer all my questions regarding medication. We did ok as we were always use to his behavior at home. The decision to medicate came one night when my son told me his brain doesn’t always feel right and he didn’t know why he can’t just listen to the rules. He was really trying. I cried a lot that night and then I made the decision to move forward with medication and I built my team! His teacher, pediatrician, therapist and psychiatrist all are on one page when it comes to my sons needs and medication . We meet often to discuss how it’s working and what changes have been seen. We also started with a very low dose and in the past year we have not had to increase. I also changed the way I parent him since his behavior at times is because of his ADHD. As his mom I had to step back and put my wants on hold and see what benefited him best. The first week on medication was amazing. He was still his funny self and was excited about school. I don’t regret our decision, especially when I see him thriving and not feeling like the odd kid. In the end it comes down to what works best for you and your family. Best of luck!