New to the group and seeking info, technique etc.

[solutionseeker77]

Seeking any feedback from parents of minor children with ADHD. Please read my bio.

[sabby6]

I have a 7 year old daughter, she is unmedicated, and was diagnosed last year. She was classified as adhd combined which means she has the lack of focus as well as the hyperactivity. Our main reasoning for not medicating her is mainly because of her growth pattern, she has always been on the smaller side and a lot of the medications for adhd tend to suppress appetite which after speaking with her pediatrician we decided against. While waiting for a formal diagnosis I would have her start implementing some things that are without a doubt beneficial for adhd children. Assess his diet, my daughter tends to do a lot better on a low carb high protein diet, try and eliminate refined sugars and food dyes. This is not just for foods but also for medications and fever reducers even vitamins ( i know store brands always sell dye and sugar free, that is all we have at our house). Have her create a schedule so your grandchild knows how their day is laid out. I was able to purchase a few fridge magnets that have a monthly calendar and a weekly calendar option so my daughter has access to her schedule at all times. People with adhd have trouble grasping concepts that a neurotypical person wouldn't even second guess, such as time management. That being said visual timers, a normal timer but once the allotted time is initiated its a color and as the minutes go by the color disappears, these have been a huge hit with us. We use the timers for everything from, reading a book, to taking a shower. Figure out his hobbies, my daughter loves music, she is currently in piano and voice lessons and she is absolutely thriving in them. See if he has interest in sports, or a hobby, and allow him the chance to try it out, many people with adhd can really excel in the arts and sports as it is a way for them to actually hyper focus and master what it is they are interested in. As I stated we currently are not medicating, however we are not against the idea in anyway, there are a lot of medication options out there and if you plan on going that route it could take some time to get the right combination, but do not fret! Make sure your grandsons drs. are on board with your decisions and it will get sorted out! I could honestly go on and on about things I have learned and am currently learning about ADHD, I will say my biggest word of advice is really that you will all have to prepare to advocate for your grandson A LOT. I cannot tell you what I have gone through in order to get my daughter the proper help and assistance she needs for school....its been a ride....I will leave you with a good book recommendation, taking charge of adhd by Russell a. Barkley PhD, I have seen a lot of his youtube videos and he is by far the most thorough and "real" when it comes to this diagnosis. I hope this helps you and your family!

[Hidden]

My son is 9 and we only decided to give him ADHD medication when he was 8 as I was against medication in young children. Now when I look back I wish we had medicated him years ago! I was so wrong in my approach , we’ve wasted so much time where he could have already be benefiting from the medication. Like many parents I was scared of side effects. My son already was a very poor eater- never hungry and too busy doing other stuff so why waste time eating. Plus extremely slow at chewing etc so no wonder he would never be able to finish the whole meal in good time.

So I was scared that medication would make it even worse.

And yes, methylphenidate made it even worse- he completely stopped enjoying his food.

Yet we changed to Atomoxetine and he is eating fine, and actually now his ADHD symptoms are a bit controlled, he can focus on his eating, and not run off to do whatever he feels is more interesting than eating.

So that’s our experience. I am now an advocate for medicating children with ADHD as soon as it’s possible.

But be assertive with the doctors. Don’t settle on the first medication they give to your child. Do a diary of positive effects sand side effects, watch the child and go by your gut feeling I’d you think the medication doesn’t agree with the child probably you are right. Ask to change medication and keep trying until the medication is matched to the child.