At what age did specific symptoms of ADHD peak for your kid?

[Anonymous]

OP here. This is super helpful!

DS is eleven and his doctor wants to adjust downward his non-stimulant medication b/c he may not be as hyperactive and impulsive anymore (which is what this medication treats). However, DS currently has a terrible time paying attention in class and he is certainly disorganized. I expect the disorganization to get worse with middle school and higher expectations. I'm not sure what to think about the inattention --- it sounds like that may never get better unless we can find a stimulant that works for him

But the hyperactivity and impulsivity cause more problems socially and in the classroom so it would be great to see those decline over time.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is super helpful!

DS is eleven and his doctor wants to adjust downward his non-stimulant medication b/c he may not be as hyperactive and impulsive anymore (which is what this medication treats). However, DS currently has a terrible time paying attention in class and he is certainly disorganized. I expect the disorganization to get worse with middle school and higher expectations. I'm not sure what to think about the inattention --- it sounds like that may never get better unless we can find a stimulant that works for him

But the hyperactivity and impulsivity cause more problems socially and in the classroom so it would be great to see those decline over time.....

I’m the last poster on page 1. I’m not suggesting this for an 11 yo, but my high schooler drinks a lot of caffeine. It’s the only thing I have actually seen help with his attention without the side effects of the adhd meds. He always has coffee or an energy drink before school and often has another in the afternoon. It’s not ideal but works for him and I also enjoy afternoon coffee sometimes so….

[Anonymous]

Until 6th grade he was seen as "all boy." Poor impulse control (nothing violent, just stupid stuff like walking around the room when he was supposed to be seated), talking when he wasn't supposed to, roughhousing with other kids, fidgety, etc. But he was able to get his work done.

In 6th teachers, weren't tolerant of his disruptive behaviors (don't blame them) and we were getting notes about his behavior about 4/5 days/week. And with the increased work load, he was falling behind.

He is a HS junior now and has been on meds since the end of 6th grade. He is no longer disruptive in class, has a 4.0 GPA, plays a varsity sport, and has a social life. When his meds wear off I can see what he would still be like and it isn't pretty. He is argumentative, very poor impulse control, scattered, and just not fun to be with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until 6th grade he was seen as "all boy." Poor impulse control (nothing violent, just stupid stuff like walking around the room when he was supposed to be seated), talking when he wasn't supposed to, roughhousing with other kids, fidgety, etc. But he was able to get his work done.

In 6th teachers, weren't tolerant of his disruptive behaviors (don't blame them) and we were getting notes about his behavior about 4/5 days/week. And with the increased work load, he was falling behind.

He is a HS junior now and has been on meds since the end of 6th grade. He is no longer disruptive in class, has a 4.0 GPA, plays a varsity sport, and has a social life. When his meds wear off I can see what he would still be like and it isn't pretty. He is argumentative, very poor impulse control, scattered, and just not fun to be with.

Thanks! This is helpful. I just wish we could find a stimulant that would work for my kid.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Until 6th grade he was seen as "all boy." Poor impulse control (nothing violent, just stupid stuff like walking around the room when he was supposed to be seated), talking when he wasn't supposed to, roughhousing with other kids, fidgety, etc. But he was able to get his work done.

In 6th teachers, weren't tolerant of his disruptive behaviors (don't blame them) and we were getting notes about his behavior about 4/5 days/week. And with the increased work load, he was falling behind.

He is a HS junior now and has been on meds since the end of 6th grade. He is no longer disruptive in class, has a 4.0 GPA, plays a varsity sport, and has a social life. When his meds wear off I can see what he would still be like and it isn't pretty. He is argumentative, very poor impulse control, scattered, and just not fun to be with.

Thanks! This is helpful. I just wish we could find a stimulant that would work for my kid.....

+1

My kid has been on meds for 1+ year and is still falling behind and getting into trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is super helpful!

DS is eleven and his doctor wants to adjust downward his non-stimulant medication b/c he may not be as hyperactive and impulsive anymore (which is what this medication treats). However, DS currently has a terrible time paying attention in class and he is certainly disorganized. I expect the disorganization to get worse with middle school and higher expectations. I'm not sure what to think about the inattention --- it sounds like that may never get better unless we can find a stimulant that works for him

But the hyperactivity and impulsivity cause more problems socially and in the classroom so it would be great to see those decline over time.....

OP impulsivity looks different when kids get older. It can be less obvious. It doesn't go away like hyperactivity goes away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until 6th grade he was seen as "all boy." Poor impulse control (nothing violent, just stupid stuff like walking around the room when he was supposed to be seated), talking when he wasn't supposed to, roughhousing with other kids, fidgety, etc. But he was able to get his work done.

In 6th teachers, weren't tolerant of his disruptive behaviors (don't blame them) and we were getting notes about his behavior about 4/5 days/week. And with the increased work load, he was falling behind.

He is a HS junior now and has been on meds since the end of 6th grade. He is no longer disruptive in class, has a 4.0 GPA, plays a varsity sport, and has a social life. When his meds wear off I can see what he would still be like and it isn't pretty. He is argumentative, very poor impulse control, scattered, and just not fun to be with.

This is encouraging to hear. My son (11) just got diagnosed with ADHD and very much matches the description of your son at this age. Sounds like there is hope if we can get this under control.

As far as peak age, it depends on the symptom. His impulsivity and hyperactivity has not gone down at all -- he's always been like this and hasn't been able to sit for a meal once in his life. His over-reactions to things probably peaked around 1st grade (age 7?).. I remember because he used to cry every single day of his life in response to something that made him upset until that age. He still overreacts to minor irritants, but he manages it better. In relation to his impulsivity affecting his ability to work as a team at school and to make friends, this has gotten worse over time. That's what led to us seeking out an evaluation. At earlier ages, other kids would put up with his impulsivity and hyperactivity, but as other kids grew out of the 'stereotypically boy' energy level, he never did and they weren't tolerant of him. The final straw was when an extracurricular told us that my son was too much to handle. Not a bad kid, just couldn't follow the rules and didn't listen to corrections. This wasn't the first time we heard this, but it was the first time he was kicked out of an activity (I don't blame the teacher).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until 6th grade he was seen as "all boy." Poor impulse control (nothing violent, just stupid stuff like walking around the room when he was supposed to be seated), talking when he wasn't supposed to, roughhousing with other kids, fidgety, etc. But he was able to get his work done.

In 6th teachers, weren't tolerant of his disruptive behaviors (don't blame them) and we were getting notes about his behavior about 4/5 days/week. And with the increased work load, he was falling behind.

He is a HS junior now and has been on meds since the end of 6th grade. He is no longer disruptive in class, has a 4.0 GPA, plays a varsity sport, and has a social life. When his meds wear off I can see what he would still be like and it isn't pretty. He is argumentative, very poor impulse control, scattered, and just not fun to be with.

NP. That's not really what he's like without meds, that what he's like when he's coming down at the end of the day or, if you do med breaks on the weekends or during break, until the meds have been out of his system for several days or weeks. They say the meds are out of the system very quickly but it still takes time for the body to readjust and come back to being without them.