ADHD - medicate or not medicate?

[Anonymous]

Is there craze to fix kids with medicine? Why do parents do it? Is it just unbearable? Or are parents who medicate simply scared of falling behind academically in this area that is known for overachieving kids who play 6 sports, speak 7 languages and 5 instruments by the time they are 6 years old?
I am genuinely interested to know why parents medicate kids who are labeled as ADHD?

ADHD and the problems it can create can be unbearable for your child. Imagine going to school every single day and not being able to meet the expectations. Getting yelled at or criticized every day when you try your best to do what the teacher wants, but you just can't. Imagine not being able to remember things, recall things you've been told over and over again, such as your letters and numbers. This is all something that can be ameliorated through the use of medication. There are other interventions as well. Some kids can be successful with behavioral interventions alone, but some need medication in addition.

Secondly, I would love to hear from parents with ADHD kids whether they have individual education plans or 504 plans. Trying to understand the difference between the two.

The biggest difference is that with an IEP, your child gets services and accommodations and with a 504, accommodations alone are provided. I found through ES, that having the ability to get staff time was really helpful in teaching my son to be successful in MS where the expectations are greater and the staff time is less.

My almost 5 year old is very expressive verbally and people often describe him as an old soul trapped in a young body. He is very spirited, stubborn but also empathetic. But we have behavior issues (at home, school never reports any behavior issues). And we have very very serious attention issues that I do not know how to fix. We are struggling to retain much of any information that is presented in a structured way. Trying to learn numbers and letters without much progress. I am scared of expectations in K.

My son went to kindergarten not knowing letters, numbers or colors - or so we thought. He went to first grade not having learned the letters, numbers or colors - or so we thought. In second grade, when he was finally able to be medicated (he had serious health issues that prevented it so it wasn't even on the table as an option), we found he not only knew his letters, numbers and colors, but he could also read and do math beyond his years. It was shocking to us to find out just what he was capable of doing. In the meantime, his self esteem took a huge hit. He was the only kid who couldn't count to 20 in first grade and he was in pull outs for just about everything. He started to refuse to go to school because nothing he did made him successful. It was tough to watch.

In short, while I can't speak for everyone, but whether we lived in an area that is less competitive or whether we lived here, I would make the same decision about medication. My son has a medical condition that prevents him from functioning to even a fraction of his ability without medication. Why would I even consider not treating it?

[Anonymous]

I completely agree with the above poster. My son is 4.5 and knows his letters and can count, knows shapes and colors - but no way does his school know that. We have to ask him while he is jumping on the trampoline or running or sown thing. He falls apart at school. I think of it as bringing them to a level where they are able to engage with their environment. My son is not even accessible in ot right now. Honestly, and this can be controversial - I think it's cruel not to give medicine if it is indicated and if it would be safe to use. These kids are struggling.

[Anonymous]

Our DS was crazy hyper and unfocused in preschool up through K. Teachers always dismissed him as silly and thought he was really behind even though he could read quite well and do a lot of math in his head. We were sure we were headed for an ADHD diagnosis but did not even consider medication because he was happy.

By 1st-2nd most of those symptoms were gone with us having done very little except for making sure we had a lot of structure at home and focusing on positive behavior reinforcement rather than punishment. What looked like really bad ADHD was really just immaturity. I guess the difference for us was that DS was not in an environment where he was getting depressed or anxious because of his inability to control himself. We purposely put him in a play-based school for pre-K and then moved him to a small private for 1st and 2nd. I do wonder whether we would have been more aggressive about seeking a diagnosis or meds if he was in public and starting to feel bad about himself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love to hear parents' perspectives on their kids with ADHD.
My child was labeled at a visit to a developmental specialist that I initiated to see if the behavior was age-appropriate. I am not trying to ignore it. I am just trying to understand what I can do if I feel very strongly about the medicine that is meant to alter who he is. He is a rising kindergartener so I am worried about the academics but will that not adjust with time? I do not know.
Is there craze to fix kids with medicine? Why do parents do it? Is it just unbearable? Or are parents who medicate simply scared of falling behind academically in this area that is known for overachieving kids who play 6 sports, speak 7 languages and 5 instruments by the time they are 6 years old?

You choose medication because your kid is miserable without it. Because when they take it they can control themselves and make friends. Because without it they have terrible anxiety about getting in trouble at school or what they might say to a friend.

Academics are nice and the meds can help a kid concentrate in school, but the meds are good for so much more than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love to hear parents' perspectives on their kids with ADHD.
My child was labeled at a visit to a developmental specialist that I initiated to see if the behavior was age-appropriate. I am not trying to ignore it. I am just trying to understand what I can do if I feel very strongly about the medicine that is meant to alter who he is. He is a rising kindergartener so I am worried about the academics but will that not adjust with time? I do not know.
Is there craze to fix kids with medicine? Why do parents do it? Is it just unbearable? Or are parents who medicate simply scared of falling behind academically in this area that is known for overachieving kids who play 6 sports, speak 7 languages and 5 instruments by the time they are 6 years old?

You choose medication because your kid is miserable without it. Because when they take it they can control themselves and make friends. Because without it they have terrible anxiety about getting in trouble at school or what they might say to a friend.

Academics are nice and the meds can help a kid concentrate in school, but the meds are good for so much more than that.

+1000

[Anonymous]

The way I thought about medication is the way I would think about medication treating any other condition my kids have...thyroid or diabetes etc If your kid really has adhd than you should at least try the medication and see if things improve. I agree with the posters who said that it can crush a kid's spirit when they go to school but can't function or pay attention. All I can say it has been great for my two kids!