Reply to Child with ADHD-- if you decided not to medicate, why?

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[quote=Anonymous]OP, we have 2 kids with ADHD, and two diifferent approaches. Older child had big emotional swings and anxiety attacks triggered by ADHD. She needed meds, and we sent the last few months of 2nd grade and the summer finding the right combination. PP 9:07's post about side effects is correct, those are some of the common side effects. We were lucky to find something that worked *well enough*. Low-dose, long-acting ritalin.

With this in place, meltdowns have disappeared, her sunny personality is filling the house, she has friends, is working on advanced math, reading many grades beyond level and all this time, we've been working on building the skills she needs to taper off the meds. We plan to do that this summer and into the next school year, with the help of her doctor, a coach and hopefully the cooperation of her teacher.

Our other childs's ADHD manifests itself mostly as the H - hyperactive form. A side effect is dyslexia -- he has no patience for listening closely to words and has a hard time with fine sound discerning. He bounces off the walls, but we're not seeing a need to medicate. Instead, we just give him space to run and be tired. PP 8:16 has a good list of strategies, and they work well enough for both kids.

Bottom line is -- if your child is well enough to learn the skills they need without meds, then skip the meds, even if it feels a bit messy. But if you find that you really can't get through, then the time for meds is now -- you want to build those skills while they are plenty young, rather than having to teach them to a pre-teen who already had a taste of their limitations and has lost confidence.

The meds are not forever. They are just a temporary support while your child learns some skills that come naturally to his peers. And only if he needs them. They are a crutch while walking to the physical therapist, not a permanent wheelchair. That's why there are no longitudinal studies on the effect of long-term medication on children. Because all doctors will recommend you use them sparingly, not long term.[/quote]

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