ADHD Inattentive Diagnosis

[Anonymous]

My 9 year old was just diagnosed with inattentive ADHD. He’s a great kid and tries hard, but I’ve known for a long time that things are just harder for him - transitioning from one activity to the next, listening and absorbing information, etc. They are recommending a reading specialist because his reading scores are lower than they should be on the test. I don’t want to put him on medication yet and would prefer other alternatives first, though medication may be necessary in middle and high school.

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to handle this? How should I discuss with him to explain in a way that is helpful and not harmful? Does anyone have stories of their own or recommendations on what types of therapies have been helpful or others that were a waste of time? Does anyone have recommendations for specific reading specialists in Maryland (Montgomery County)?

Thank you to anyone who is willing to share. I just want him to meet his full potential as a student and to feel good about himself.

[Anonymous]

Hey! Been here. Heads up: you will have better luck with responses from experienced parents in the special needs forum.

First, who are you working with for this diagnosis? We got a list of recommended next steps and referrals (to a developmental pediatrician for example) from the diagnosing physician. Whatever the case, reach out to the clinic at Children's for their parent therapy group. It's so valuable.

https://childrensnational.org/departments/adhd-and-learning-differences-program/programs-and-services

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I don’t want to put him on medication yet and would prefer other alternatives first, though medication may be necessary in middle and high school.

First off what is your doctor saying, but why would you resist medication? Medication is the number one option for ADHD and it is super effective. Both of my kids have ADHD and we struggled for a long time before we got a diagnosis and put them on medication. The change in their behavior overall and their school work was night and day. My kids are able to focus and pay attention in school and they actually they actually feel much better about themselves now and even enjoy school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I don’t want to put him on medication yet and would prefer other alternatives first, though medication may be necessary in middle and high school.

First off what is your doctor saying, but why would you resist medication? Medication is the number one option for ADHD and it is super effective. Both of my kids have ADHD and we struggled for a long time before we got a diagnosis and put them on medication. The change in their behavior overall and their school work was night and day. My kids are able to focus and pay attention in school and they actually they actually feel much better about themselves now and even enjoy school.

This. Meds can help tremendously. While obviously they shouldn’t be the first step they can make a huge difference.

Also have 2 with inattentive ADHD. My middle kid was in 11th grade by the time we figured it out. Once we found the right med and dosage it was a night and day change. She was always a great student but the meds just made it so much easier for her with a lot less stress and last minute panicking. I really wish we had known sooner. Only diagnosed after her younger sibling was diagnosed through a neuropsych exam and we realized they shared a lot of the same qualities.

[Anonymous]

what are they medications they use for Inattentive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what are they medications they use for Inattentive?

My daughter has done well on Qelbree.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t found therapy helpful but if you have a neuropsychologist report, the school may cooperate with classroom adjustments that are helpful. For example we have a private tutor who works with the teacher to pre teach concepts at home about a week prior. This means that during the classroom lesson, the (distracted) child is getting reinforced concepts rather than hearing the material for the first time. Another really good classroom adjustment is separating the child from peers to a quiet spot for all quizzes and tests.

[Anonymous]

I have inattentive ADHD and for the love of God please medicate your child if they need it.

[Anonymous]

I wish we had used meds sooner.

No doctor recognized the ADHD symptoms. Now I have a kid about to go to college. Kid asked many times of therapists, etc for help with ADHD. But they wanted to test for anxiety/depression and treat that. Now that is treated. The ADHD symptoms remain.

Before anyone rips me apart for not seeing the symptoms earlier, the pandemic and teaching styles masked a lot of the issues for a long time. But now they are entering a less understanding world in college...

While my kid did well in high school, they have low self-esteem. They know they are not like others. I had to intervene and get school support after getting a letter from a therapist. The bad part is that the unofficial accommodations masked the need for 504 accommodations. Now, here we are without having had 504s.

I had to overcome the resistance of my teen who felt like getting help was "cheating," the slowness of the medical system, a very careful therapist that wanted to treat for everything but ADHD, a very careful pediatrician who (despite us being scheduled with them) said they didn't feel comfortable helping with this topic.

We are setting up supports for college. But, honestly, my kid doesn't even seem to use a calendar, and I'm hoping they don't fail out of college. We are talking to them about body doubling, attending study sessions to stay focused, and hoping we can FINALLY get an official diagnosis to get them on the proper medicine.

From my perspective, medication would have reduced their academic struggle and prevented at least some self-esteem and confidence issues.

[Anonymous]

If I were you, I would consider medication + reading support--the reading support will be more effective if he's able to focus.

My DS was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD just before turning nine and we started medicating immediately because we already do the other things recommended (enough sleep and movement, healthy diet, etc). I can see a difference and perhaps more importantly, he sees a difference. The biggest thing is he's less frustrated with everyone and everything.

We told my son he has ADHD, although the conversation with his doctor took place in front of him and he would have realized something was up when he had to start taking a pill every morning. He asked if he could tell people and we said it's his medical information and he can share it with whoever he likes (turns out he wanted to share it with his whole class). I don't see why it needs to be a big discussion--"you have ADHD which may make it more difficult for you to focus than your peers, but here's what we're doing to try and make it easier for you..."

[Anonymous]

Agree with just not making it a big deal and celebrating the new knowledge and letting your son know there are a variety of changes that may help. You know something new about him. And now you can find ways to make life easier. Without shame.

My son was diagnosed at age 5 with hyperactive adhd and we started meditation at age 7. He still needs therapy and behavior reminders in a different way than most kids, but meds are extremely helpful and effective for this. There isn't another solution for adhd, although obviously there are behavior modifications and things like that which could help shape his and your actions.

[Anonymous]

You dont go to talk therapy for medical problems. Adhd is a .medical problem.

Parent training is an option for the parents.

Look into if he may need an iep or 504 plan and what accommodations he would need. If my kids were younger I would ask that the ADHD font be used on all reading assignments.

[Anonymous]

For our DC, medication + therapy changed his life. Without medication, no amount of specialist support could help. the medications quieted his mind so he could focus on the learning, task or right behavior.
DO your child a favor and dont wait for HS. He needs to learn how ot succeed in school well before highschool.

[Anonymous]

When my child was in 1st grade, she couldn't read at all. Not even CVC words like sat. At the end of 1st grade, she was diagnosed with ADHD. We started meds at the beginning of 2nd grade. Within a month of starting meds, she went from no reading at all to reading chapter books.

Medication helps. ADHD is a brain chemistry thing. Once properly medicated you can teach organization and other skills, but they can't learn if they can't pay attention.

[Anonymous]

Different situation, but my child has significant attention issues that were confirmed by a neurologist and a neuropsych at age 5. We are just starting medication. I have been agonizing over the decision, but the fact is that he is already receiving intervention, and he has to work much harder than his peers to hold it together at a young age when very little is expected of him. It’s affecting his self worth. It’s affecting his learning and will continue to do so . Our well regarded doctors are suggesting medication, which they don’t do lightly for young kids.

If you trust your doctor, follow their guidance. If you need more opinions, do that. I wouldn’t throw medication out the window. As our neuropsych put things- medicate because it will take months for therapies to be effective. In the meantime, your child is enormously struggling and you don’t want them developing a complex at a young age.