Ritalin for 3rd Grader
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Anonymous
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I have known for sometime that my DD had trouble concentrating. This year has been awful. She's getting Ds and Fs! It's affecting her confidence as a student. She doesn't listen at home either which is causing considerable disruption to the family routine. She wants so badly to be a helper, to listen, to learn....but she physically can't get out of her own way. I'm having calls from the school once a week, her tennis coach says she's not focusing, her tutor said she can't focus, my DH is beside himself because she's so absent minded-wandering around the house instead of taking a shower or getting dressed for school.
I'm at my wits end. It's affecting everyone in the house. Is it time for medication? Our family doc recommended Ritalin but it seems WRONG to give this to a 9 year old. Have anyone been here? What to do? |
Anonymous
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Assuming that your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, why would it be wrong to provide her with medical support?
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Anonymous
| WTH |
Anonymous
| Does Ritalin still have the side affect of stunting growth? That was the reason my parents refused to put me on it. I failed out of HS in 10th grade after being pushed along for years. |
Anonymous
| My kid has been on a stimulant since he was five. He can't function without it. I understand not wanting to give your kid a controlled substance because I had my concerns but it changed his life and our family life in ways it is hard to describe. There are lots of options and Ritalin is one of the oldest ones. From what you describe, it seems to be affecting your DD to a fairly significant degree. I would give it a try. Great thing about these meds is you don't need to taper off and you find out if it works almost immediately. |
Anonymous
| My child doesn't take Ritalin but he's been on ADHD meds since the summer before second grade. If a kid needs meds they need meds. Failing to treat ADHD causes other psychological problems that can be much harder to treat. |
Anonymous
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Well first you need a diagnosis and a medical team to help with that diagnosis. If the diagnosis is adhd, then yes, stimulant medication is the most common tool. However its not the only tool, and cannot be prescribed without your diagnosis, so start there. Find a child psychiatrist and get the ball rolling.
Fwiw my son received a diagnosis at 5 and went on meds at age 8. If your child has a medical need, its not wrong. You sound like you need a lot of help understanding your child's brain. |
Anonymous
| If you think it's wrong then what are you asking? If the kid could see well, you'd get them glasses right? |
Anonymous
| A lot of things can cause a lack of focus, so I’d work on a diagnosis. My first guess would be anxiety. |
Anonymous
| Also check for sleep issues/mouth breathing |
Anonymous
| There are also non-stimulant adhd meds. We used those when we started with our DD in 4th. It helped her behavior and focus a lot. By middle school she’d moved onto a stimulant but I liked that those early years she was on something with fewer side effects. |
Anonymous
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To add to this: Atomoxetine (Strattera) and Viloxazine (Qelbree) are non stimulants.
See a psych who specializes in adhd, not your pediatrician. |
Anonymous
| Please get your kid medication to help with this. She must be feeling like a total failure. Have an honest talk about what ADHD is and how to manage it. There are many books and videos that explain to kids how their brains function and what the strengths of an ADHD brain are. Your poor kid. |