how soon after starting your elementary-aged child on ADHD meds

[Anonymous]

If you are using a stimulant medication, such as concerta or Ritalin you should see a change that day. If it is a non stimulant, such as tenet, it will take a while to build up a therapeutic level. Like a month. A functional behavioral assessment is an assessment that looks at antecedents (what comes before the behavior of concern) and consequences (what comes after) to determine the function of the behavior to see if there are ways to prevent the behaviors or respond in such a way to decrease the behaviors. FBAs are usually done by psychologists or behavior analysts. Sometimes private schools are not receptive to doing this sort or data collection. You may have to hire a private psychologist or behavior analyst.

[Anonymous]

That same day. The doctor said we will know of the dosage is correct when his appetite is pretty much non-existent during the day. He takes Vyvanse. He had a behavior chart from kindergarten-2nd grade and he started meds at the beginning of 3rd grade. About 3 weeks into ES, I met with the teacher just to see how things were going. Most years, I had heard from the teacher by week 3 about his behavior. When I asked about his behavior, she shrugged as if she didn't understand why I was asking about that. She said he was fine. I kept pressing her for more information and I explained about his behavior in previous years and she said she had no idea what I was talking about. Not one behavior issue since and that was 3 years ago. To go from issues nearly every single day to no issues at all is a miracle to me. I no longer worry about hearing from the teacher or principal about behavior.

[Anonymous]

Can the pp's who saw an instant change please tell me the dosage/medication you were successful on?

We've tried vyvanse 15mg with no success.

My son has no problems making friends, it's keeping them that's the problem. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

It's instantaneous when you hit the effective dose. Our pediatrician had us start with 5mg of Adderall for a week, then 10. We saw nothing much. Then 15mg. Pow. All of a sudden he could sit, stand in line, participate in classroom activities and t-ball practice etc. That was in kindergarten. Since then we've migrated to Ritalin (20 mg) and guanfacine for a better overall side effects profile. The stimulants aren't perfect but they work almost as fast as a cup of coffee wakes you up. And he is do much more capable and less frustrated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:did you see a positive change?

School is pushing us to do this after receiving neuropsych evaluation, but am reluctant to medicate DC. We have just started therapy and some other interventions and would like to move slowly. I also understand it can take some tweaking to get the right med and the right dose. OTOH, want DC to finish the few months of the school year behaving better and learning better.

If you started a child on AHDH meds in or between K and 4th grades, what changes did you see and how soon?

Hold off on meds. Schools push meds hard because it makes their lives easier, not because they care about your kid.

We faced heavy pressure to medicate from K onwards and chose not to. Instead we worked hard every day with DS on compensating methods. He is now in a big three private HS doing really well.

We consider not medicating him but getting the ideal outcome (top academic and sports success) while having to compete with everyone else's drugged out zombie children to be one of our greatest parenting successes. Those poor medicated kids will have a lifetime of pharmaceutical issues to manage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can the pp's who saw an instant change please tell me the dosage/medication you were successful on?

We've tried vyvanse 15mg with no success.

My son has no problems making friends, it's keeping them that's the problem. Thanks!

I posted about my son taking Vyvanse. The lowest dosage is 20mg but the doctor said to break the capsule in half at first. No noticeable difference. Once he started on 20mg, his appetite was pretty much gone during the day and his symptoms were also gone. He's a tiny kid too. Maybe 60lbs at age 10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:did you see a positive change?

School is pushing us to do this after receiving neuropsych evaluation, but am reluctant to medicate DC. We have just started therapy and some other interventions and would like to move slowly. I also understand it can take some tweaking to get the right med and the right dose. OTOH, want DC to finish the few months of the school year behaving better and learning better.

If you started a child on AHDH meds in or between K and 4th grades, what changes did you see and how soon?

Hold off on meds. Schools push meds hard because it makes their lives easier, not because they care about your kid.

We faced heavy pressure to medicate from K onwards and chose not to. Instead we worked hard every day with DS on compensating methods. He is now in a big three private HS doing really well.

We consider not medicating him but getting the ideal outcome (top academic and sports success) while having to compete with everyone else's drugged out zombie children to be one of our greatest parenting successes. Those poor medicated kids will have a lifetime of pharmaceutical issues to manage.

Come on. Really? I'm happy that your kid is doing well but (1) top academic and sports success is not remotely the "ideal outcome." I'm trying to teach my kids that kindness, love, service to others, the beauty of the natural world, and a lot of other things are far more important than any of that crap, (2) the notion that your kid is doing so well because you eschewed drugs is contradicted by all serious science in the same way that a connection between vaccination and autism is, and (3) "drugged out zombie children" is a bizarre and ignorant description of the effect of stimulant meds. They make my kid hyper focused and present. His full scale IQ jumped from above average to the 99th percentile when he was retested on them. There is a reason these drugs are banned as performance enhancing by athletic associations and comprehensively abused by college students. (4) My kid is brilliant but couldn't possibly stop standing on his head and bouncing long enough to benefit from "therapy" sessions without some pharmaceutical assistance. I'm glad your kid's ADHD is not that bad but you cannot generalize your experience to everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:did you see a positive change?

School is pushing us to do this after receiving neuropsych evaluation, but am reluctant to medicate DC. We have just started therapy and some other interventions and would like to move slowly. I also understand it can take some tweaking to get the right med and the right dose. OTOH, want DC to finish the few months of the school year behaving better and learning better.

If you started a child on AHDH meds in or between K and 4th grades, what changes did you see and how soon?

Hold off on meds. Schools push meds hard because it makes their lives easier, not because they care about your kid.

We faced heavy pressure to medicate from K onwards and chose not to. Instead we worked hard every day with DS on compensating methods. He is now in a big three private HS doing really well.

We consider not medicating him but getting the ideal outcome (top academic and sports success) while having to compete with everyone else's drugged out zombie children to be one of our greatest parenting successes. Those poor medicated kids will have a lifetime of pharmaceutical issues to manage.

You're an a-hole. Kids with ADHD that take necessary medication are not "drugged out zombie". You know nothing. PleSe do not spout your ignorance here anymore. Medication is right for some kids, not right for others. But the ADHD meds don't make anyone into a drugged out zombie and you just sounds really stupid and ignorant saying something that incredibly untrue. If your kid is doing well, that's good for him, but you seem so totally clueless that I would not be surprised if he's actually a coke head and you don't even realize it.

[Anonymous]

We started in 2nd grade and saw an instant change. She went from barely reading easy readers with help to reading chapter books independently. All that knowledge was in her head, but she couldn't put it together to begin to read until the medication calmed down her brain. No behavior management was going to help with that -- she's never been a behavior problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:did you see a positive change?

School is pushing us to do this after receiving neuropsych evaluation, but am reluctant to medicate DC. We have just started therapy and some other interventions and would like to move slowly. I also understand it can take some tweaking to get the right med and the right dose. OTOH, want DC to finish the few months of the school year behaving better and learning better.

If you started a child on AHDH meds in or between K and 4th grades, what changes did you see and how soon?

Hold off on meds. Schools push meds hard because it makes their lives easier, not because they care about your kid.

We faced heavy pressure to medicate from K onwards and chose not to. Instead we worked hard every day with DS on compensating methods. He is now in a big three private HS doing really well.

We consider not medicating him but getting the ideal outcome (top academic and sports success) while having to compete with everyone else's drugged out zombie children to be one of our greatest parenting successes. Those poor medicated kids will have a lifetime of pharmaceutical issues to manage.

I just posted about mild add and dyslexia. You described our methodology. Especially in mild instances with younger children, using medication before implementing other strategies seems reckless. We were told that it's pretty likely our DC may outgrow the ADD and dyslexia in a year. We want to teach or child how to cope and work through emotions without medication. All that being said, I firmly believe that there are instances where medication is necessary and I do not judge anyone for making that choice for their child. Only you know what's best for your won child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:did you see a positive change?

School is pushing us to do this after receiving neuropsych evaluation, but am reluctant to medicate DC. We have just started therapy and some other interventions and would like to move slowly. I also understand it can take some tweaking to get the right med and the right dose. OTOH, want DC to finish the few months of the school year behaving better and learning better.

If you started a child on AHDH meds in or between K and 4th grades, what changes did you see and how soon?

Hold off on meds. Schools push meds hard because it makes their lives easier, not because they care about your kid.

We faced heavy pressure to medicate from K onwards and chose not to. Instead we worked hard every day with DS on compensating methods. He is now in a big three private HS doing really well.

We consider not medicating him but getting the ideal outcome (top academic and sports success) while having to compete with everyone else's drugged out zombie children to be one of our greatest parenting successes. Those poor medicated kids will have a lifetime of pharmaceutical issues to manage.

I just posted about mild add and dyslexia. You described our methodology. Especially in mild instances with younger children, using medication before implementing other strategies seems reckless. We were told that it's pretty likely our DC may outgrow the ADD and dyslexia in a year. We want to teach or child how to cope and work through emotions without medication. All that being said, I firmly believe that there are instances where medication is necessary and I do not judge anyone for making that choice for their child. Only you know what's best for your won child.

I realize ADD symptoms do get better with age for many people - there is a theory now that ADHD is a slow maturing of some brain centers. However, dyslexia is different - it is a difference in brain structure such that the pathway most people use to read doesn't exist in dyslexic brains. Dyslexics need to construct new pathways to read - sort of like the difference between getting on a highway (non dyslexics) and walking through the woods (dyslexics). That will never change. You are either dyslexic or not. I am dyslexic, as is my kid. I am also a speed reader and write for a living. But my brain structure is still dyslexic, and I still struggle with some of the same old challenges, like spelling and working memory. So please, if your kid is dyslexic, realize that he WILL make progress, but the good and the bad of dyslexia are part of his make up. You might read The Dyslexic Advantage if you want him to feel good about his brain and what it means for his future.

[Anonymous]

I actually agree with the PP who chose not to medicate, because I and my son have severe ADHD and we definitely use it to our advantage. It's quite entertaining how defensive most of you get when people tell you the truth about your "special needs" children. ADHD children should not even be considered special needs. Specially equipped to be amazing, yes. Special needs, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:did you see a positive change?

School is pushing us to do this after receiving neuropsych evaluation, but am reluctant to medicate DC. We have just started therapy and some other interventions and would like to move slowly. I also understand it can take some tweaking to get the right med and the right dose. OTOH, want DC to finish the few months of the school year behaving better and learning better.

If you started a child on AHDH meds in or between K and 4th grades, what changes did you see and how soon?

Hold off on meds. Schools push meds hard because it makes their lives easier, not because they care about your kid.

We faced heavy pressure to medicate from K onwards and chose not to. Instead we worked hard every day with DS on compensating methods. He is now in a big three private HS doing really well.

We consider not medicating him but getting the ideal outcome (top academic and sports success) while having to compete with everyone else's drugged out zombie children to be one of our greatest parenting successes. Those poor medicated kids will have a lifetime of pharmaceutical issues to manage.

I just posted about mild add and dyslexia. You described our methodology. Especially in mild instances with younger children, using medication before implementing other strategies seems reckless. We were told that it's pretty likely our DC may outgrow the ADD and dyslexia in a year. We want to teach or child how to cope and work through emotions without medication. All that being said, I firmly believe that there are instances where medication is necessary and I do not judge anyone for making that choice for their child. Only you know what's best for your won child.

That's really helpful. Are DC was just diagnosed as being mildly dyslexic. You seem to know a lot about dyslexia. What does mildly dyslexic mean to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts and will look into the book you recommended. Thanks!

I realize ADD symptoms do get better with age for many people - there is a theory now that ADHD is a slow maturing of some brain centers. However, dyslexia is different - it is a difference in brain structure such that the pathway most people use to read doesn't exist in dyslexic brains. Dyslexics need to construct new pathways to read - sort of like the difference between getting on a highway (non dyslexics) and walking through the woods (dyslexics). That will never change. You are either dyslexic or not. I am dyslexic, as is my kid. I am also a speed reader and write for a living. But my brain structure is still dyslexic, and I still struggle with some of the same old challenges, like spelling and working memory. So please, if your kid is dyslexic, realize that he WILL make progress, but the good and the bad of dyslexia are part of his make up. You might read The Dyslexic Advantage if you want him to feel good about his brain and what it means for his future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:did you see a positive change?

School is pushing us to do this after receiving neuropsych evaluation, but am reluctant to medicate DC. We have just started therapy and some other interventions and would like to move slowly. I also understand it can take some tweaking to get the right med and the right dose. OTOH, want DC to finish the few months of the school year behaving better and learning better.

If you started a child on AHDH meds in or between K and 4th grades, what changes did you see and how soon?

Hold off on meds. Schools push meds hard because it makes their lives easier, not because they care about your kid.

We faced heavy pressure to medicate from K onwards and chose not to. Instead we worked hard every day with DS on compensating methods. He is now in a big three private HS doing really well.

We consider not medicating him but getting the ideal outcome (top academic and sports success) while having to compete with everyone else's drugged out zombie children to be one of our greatest parenting successes. Those poor medicated kids will have a lifetime of pharmaceutical issues to manage.

I just posted about mild add and dyslexia. You described our methodology. Especially in mild instances with younger children, using medication before implementing other strategies seems reckless. We were told that it's pretty likely our DC may outgrow the ADD and dyslexia in a year. We want to teach or child how to cope and work through emotions without medication. All that being said, I firmly believe that there are instances where medication is necessary and I do not judge anyone for making that choice for their child. Only you know what's best for your won child.

That's really helpful. Are DC was just diagnosed as being mildly dyslexic. You seem to know a lot about dyslexia. What does mildly dyslexic mean to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts and will look into the book you recommended. Thanks!

That's really helpful. Are DC was just diagnosed as being mildly dyslexic. You seem to know a lot about dyslexia. What does mildly dyslexic mean to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts and will look into the book you recommended. Thanks!

I realize ADD symptoms do get better with age for many people - there is a theory now that ADHD is a slow maturing of some brain centers. However, dyslexia is different - it is a difference in brain structure such that the pathway most people use to read doesn't exist in dyslexic brains. Dyslexics need to construct new pathways to read - sort of like the difference between getting on a highway (non dyslexics) and walking through the woods (dyslexics). That will never change. You are either dyslexic or not. I am dyslexic, as is my kid. I am also a speed reader and write for a living. But my brain structure is still dyslexic, and I still struggle with some of the same old challenges, like spelling and working memory. So please, if your kid is dyslexic, realize that he WILL make progress, but the good and the bad of dyslexia are part of his make up. You might read The Dyslexic Advantage if you want him to feel good about his brain and what it means for his future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That's really helpful. Are DC was just diagnosed as being mildly dyslexic. You seem to know a lot about dyslexia. What does mildly dyslexic mean to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts and will look into the book you recommended. Thanks!

I realize ADD symptoms do get better with age for many people - there is a theory now that ADHD is a slow maturing of some brain centers. However, dyslexia is different - it is a difference in brain structure such that the pathway most people use to read doesn't exist in dyslexic brains. Dyslexics need to construct new pathways to read - sort of like the difference between getting on a highway (non dyslexics) and walking through the woods (dyslexics). That will never change. You are either dyslexic or not. I am dyslexic, as is my kid. I am also a speed reader and write for a living. But my brain structure is still dyslexic, and I still struggle with some of the same old challenges, like spelling and working memory. So please, if your kid is dyslexic, realize that he WILL make progress, but the good and the bad of dyslexia are part of his make up. You might read The Dyslexic Advantage if you want him to feel good about his brain and what it means for his future.

I imagine I have mild dyslexia - I taught myself to read in 2nd grade by starting to recognize words as whole shapes. So my brain found a pretty quick and easy new path to use to read. But that path didn't allow me to spell (I never learned what the letters that made up the word sounded like, just what they looked like grouped into words) so I continue to spell badly. Dyslexia also comes with working memory deficit, and I still can't do something like repeat back a 5 digit number someone reads to me. For profound dyslexia I understand that despite intensive tutoring some people never are able to read beyond the basics. This forum has some wonderful threads on dyslexia with book recommendations. The classic, if you haven't read it, is called Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz. Its a must read.