Attention Deficit Disorder And Your Child...A True Diagnosis

[tam2005]

Hey Lori,

I'm not sure if this is the proper place to post this article but here goes. If you want to move it, please feel free. ;)

Attention Deficit Disorder And Your Child...A True Diagnosis
By: Tammy Embrich

Did you know that approximately 4% to 6% of the U.S. population has ADHD.

And did you know it is NOT limited to just children. Approximately one-half to two-thirds of the children's population with ADHD will continue to have significant problems as adults, which affects their lives on the job, in their families, and socially.

I'm so happy that was not the case with my son. He is functioning quite well without the medication now and working as a carpenter. He took the required medication for nine years, and had gone through some well-needed counseling along with his Father and myself.

It's a sad fact that the medication used for ADD/ADHD is way over-used these days. In many cases, a lot of children are being prescribed this medication without even being truly diagnosed with the disorder.

Just what is ADD/ADHD?

The term ADD/ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit With Hyperactivity Disorder and is a diagnosis given to children and adults who consistently display certain characteristics over a period of time. The most common symptoms include:

Distractibility (poor sustained attention to tasks)

Impulsivity (impaired impulse control and delay of gratification)

Hyperactivity (excessive activity and physical restlessness)

Some problems associated with ADHD are poor performance in school, inconsistency in work, emotional immaturity, and social difficulties.

In order to be properly diagnosed, these symptoms must be excessive, long-term, and pervasive. The characteristics of ADD/ADHD MUST appear before age 7, and continue for at least 6 months or longer. These type of symptoms must cause a significant handicap in at least two areas of a person's life, such as school, home, work, and socially.

The severity of ADD/ADHD symptoms varies with each individual. Approximately one-third of people with ADD do not display the hyperactive or overactive behavior side of the disorder. This is more evident in girls. There are also additional routine tests to be given to rule out any medical causes for the symptoms.

It's a given fact that ADD is NOT the result of poor parenting, family problems...such as divorce, poor teaching skills, food allergies, too much television, or excessive sugar in your child's diet, as some old fashioned parents would like you to believe.

To be properly diagnosed with the disorder, you must make sure that YOU and your child meet with a specialist or a psychologist. Too many parents are taking their children to there own medical physicians to be diagnosed. And sadly too often, these children are given prescriptions for the disorder without being properly diagnosed. We see this all the time. And as these children get older, the more medication they will require. Thus, resulting in being over-medicated.

In some situations, it's the teachers who often diagnose their pupils. And in some bizarre cases parents have been told if they didn't place their child on a psychotropic drug, their child wouldn't be able to attend school. That is quite a bold statement coming from a teacher or principal who is unaware of the child's medical or mental history.

My husband and I made sure our son received the attention of a psychologist before he was diagnosed. He was then given the proper medication. Additionally, as a family...my husband, my son, and I had went through some much-needed counseling. As a result, we all fully understand the disorder and the characteristics that go along with it.

And today...17 years later, as mentioned above, he is medication free and is functioning quite well with everyday life. Not too many adults that were diagnosed with ADD/ADHD as a child are that lucky. A lot of adults have to take the required medication for the rest of their lives.

So...if you suspect Attention Deficit Disorder in your child, it is strongly advised to seek the help and guidance of a well trained psychologist, and not just your medical physician. Many will tell you there is currently no objective diagnostic tool for the disorder, but many studies have proven this wrong.

Isn't it worth it to your child's well being and state of mind to at least check into it and not just take your medical physician's advice?

Article written By: Tammy Embrich

Tammy is an Internet Marketer and is the owner of
WAH Opportunities (http://www.onestopwebemployment.com/) and Parent Zone (http://parentzone.blogspot.com)

[Marlo Boux]

My 8 yr old son has ADHD primarily inattentive type. He is not on meds at this time. Learning about this and a learning disability was one of the big reasons I decided to work from home and leave the workforce. He has been through the connor's rating scale twice now since age 6 and has had the full WISC-IV assessment done.

The trick for us is to help him cope with his areas of challenge and focus a lot of attention on his areas of giftedness. I am so glad I can work from home so I am always available to help him!

[tam2005]

I'm glad your son can function well without the medication. It can be a real challenge working with children with the disorder.

Working from home does have it's advantages. :D

[Newbie Shield]

It’s difficult enough to raise a child who does not suffer from ADHD. ADHD in a child can be quite the trial for parents and others within the child’s environment, especially if it’s extreme. What to do though?

After the child has been diagnosed by an M.D., should a parent put the child on medication such as Ritalin? Ritalin (Methylphenidate) is a stimulant. Some other stimulants are cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, etc. That’s a bit scary, at least to me it is. Stimulants tax the liver and the nervous system.

I’d think twice about doing that to anyone, much less a child. Furthermore, I’d be hesitant to “make a drug addict” out of my child. Would this teach a child that the answer to controlling your moods is in a pill? Might they end up abusing prescription and street drugs as a teenager and as an adult? Could anyone blame them?

Still, it is very difficult to deal with a child who has been diagnosed with ADHD and Ritalin does seem to help in calming and in attaining a significant level of focus. Okay, so it’s difficult. What to do now? Should we yell at and beat the child? No. Hmm, no easy solution in sight.

It’s hard not to get angry when you are trying to manage the rest of life’s duties and the child is bouncing off the walls. Would there be a way where a person might isolate and calm the child and then reason with them? Doesn’t the child then lose control later on and “start up” again?

Total loss of self control seems to be one of the major symptoms of ADHD. That is very hard to manage both for the child and for the parent. Perhaps the mainstream is a bad idea. Do you send the child to a special school (if you can afford it in the first place)? I wish I knew.

Just a few concerns. My aim is to point out some dilemmas and raise some questions. I wish I had some answers. I don’t. I see flaws in most so-called treatments. I don’t really know of any good solutions. Is it possible that the child should go to a special school?

Some adults do learn to internalize ADHD. Some even learn to focus on things MORE intensely than average.

At a loss,
Newbie Shield

[tam2005]

Hi there Newbie Shield,

Since my child was taking a prescribed medication for ADHD, there have been a lot more studies performed and many new medications have been approved.

I did a search on Google and came up with this bit of information...and there are many more medications that have been approved. A search on Google will tell you more.

"Atomoxetine (Strattera, from Lilly Pharmaceuticals), was approved by the FDA for distribution in November 2002. It became available in US pharmacies in early 2003. Despite its hefty price tag, it is becoming widely used for adults and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (AD/HD) It is a non-stimulant medication approved for the treatment of AD/HD in both children and adults."

Also, my child did not have to be in a "special school." He functioned just fine with his medication in a public school. And thank God he is not addicted to any meds. We had him on the medication long enough to get him through school. Most of the time, medication (along with counseling) is the only alternative.

Studies have shown that a child truly diagnosed with ADD/ADHD that is currently taking a prescribed medication for the disorder will most likely not end up addicted to any "drugs."

The prescribed medication acts differently on a diagnosed child or adult. Now if a (and I'm going to say) "normal" individual takes this type of medication...then yes, they will probably end up addicted to them.

There is also counseling to help you discipline your ADD/ADHD child...without doing any yelling or beating. :?

And I've never heard of cocaine, caffeine, or nicotine to be effective in treating this disorder.

Just to edit here...I did a little more research and found this...

"A small study suggested that a transdermal nicotine patch improved AD/HD symptoms in ADHD adults."

[WorkAtHomeSpace]

There aren't any special schools here for ADHD kids. (Not that I'm aware of) They are in regular classrooms and receive extra help from a TA. However, different schools have more or less resources and a TA is not always available.

Anyone can get addicted to drugs - prescription or recreational. Having to be on a prescription drug at a young age doesn't necessarily make them more addicted to non/prescription drugs later in life.

[Newbie Shield]

There aren't any special schools here for ADHD kids. (Not that I'm aware of) They are in regular classrooms and receive extra help from a TA. However, different schools have more or less resources and a TA is not always available.

Anyone can get addicted to drugs - prescription or recreational. Having to be on a prescription drug at a young age doesn't necessarily make them more addicted to non/prescription drugs later in life.

Children with severe ADHD need to...either be placed in a special ed group within a normal school or even better...placed in a special ed school.

Yes, anyone can become addicted to drugs. My point was that if you put a young child on ritalin at an early age, they are an addict from that age. Ritalin is grouped with the stimulant drugs such as nicotine, caffeine, and cocaine, like it or not.

Make no mistake, children with severe ADHD should not be grouped with the mainstream children. They will not feel up to par. They must be tapped and coaxed in an individual manner. They do not learn the same = bottom line.

Do as you will. I know these things for a fact and I won't go toe-2-toe with anyone over these facts. You need to raise your own children as you see fit.

Still, I hope you will at least consider what I say for the sake of the child.

Newbie Shield

[WorkAtHomeSpace]

Newbie Shield,

I'm not here to debate anything. I don't know why you would think it may be otherwise. I'm here to learn as much as the next person and I appreciate your feedback.

I don't have a child who is ADHD. I know of a child who is ADHD. I don't know the severity of the ADHD. I don't know what prescrbed medication this chiild is on. I just know this child was put in the mainstream classroom.

I don't pretend to know what Ritalin is and how it affects a young child and I will do some research when I have some time.

[tam2005]

Hey Newbie Shield,

I just want to clarify here. Yes, Ritalin and dexedrine, and others are brain stimulants. Just because a child (that is properly diagnosed with ADD/ADHD) is put on this type of medication doesn't mean they are addicted or will ever be later in life. We took our son off of the medication and he didn't experience any kind of withdrawal symptoms at all...and he was on it for 12 years.

As far as placing a child with ADD/ADHD in a mainstream classroom: I know that they can learn at the same capacity of normal children...as long as they are taking the proper meds. I know of several ADD children who score straight A's that are in mainstream.

I'm not in for a heated debate here...I just experienced this first hand with my son. I'm not saying I know everything there is to know about ADD either.

I just know that ADD children CAN learn at the same capacity as normal children if given the proper treatment. Most children with this disorder are very intelligent.

And as Forrest Gump would said...that's all I have to say about that. ;)

[redheadskater]

Just sharing my opinion here. I think meds should be an absolute last resort for kids with ADD/ADHD. Most times, their problems can be corrected using supplements and a proper diet. Many of these kids have food allergies and their parents don't even realize it.

Here are some sites with more information:

http://www.rhinebeckhealth.com/rhc/4-a%20disorders.php

http://www.wholeness.com/media/Attention_Deficit_Disorder.pdf

http://www.wholeness.com/media/Child_Book_Flyer.pdf


Best of luck to you-
Lisa
mom to Nathan, diagnosed with Autism in October 2006

[tam2005]

Thank you Lisa for voicing your opinion. :)

That first link you posted has some interesting information. (To our knowledge)...our son has never had any food allergies.

He is functioning just fine today and off all medication. He works as a carpenter and is engaged to be married this year. I'm so happy he was able to get off of the meds. :D

When I have more time, I will read the information on the site there further.

Thanks.

[promotees]

Hi,

I just wanted to say thank you for your post and for others that have weighed in regarding meds, etc.

I have twin 6 year old nieces i adopted and have had them since birth. They have been defined as having attention deficit and are on meds but i am considering pulling them off as i am concerned with the long term affects of taking meds.

I have decided to start looking into diet and natural things that will help. So any info i see on adhd is of much interest to me.

Again thank you for the article.

[tam2005]

Hi Angela,

You're most welcome. :)

Wow, having two children at the same age that have ADD has to be tough.

Are they seeing a psychologist? Or, have you and the girls sought counseling?

There were no long term side affects for my son. The only (short term) side affect there was...was significant weight loss. It was hard getting him to eat sometimes.

I wish you luck with your girls. :)

[promotees]

Hi Angela,

You're most welcome. :)

Wow, having two children at the same age that have ADD has to be tough.

Are they seeing a psychologist? Or, have you and the girls sought counseling?

There were no long term side affects for my son. The only (short term) side affect there was...was significant weight loss. It was hard getting him to eat sometimes.

I wish you luck with your girls. :)

They have not been diagnosed by a psychologist. They pediatrician put them on meds. He stated he didn't want them on major doses just enough to help them focus not to alter their personality/behavior. I asked how long he wanted them on meds and he said about a year.

Actually he suggested them being on them once he found by age 5 they were not able to write their names, couldn't retain/remember things that were being taught them, etc.

They were found to be developementally delayed by the school system and were receiving some special help. I explained that to him but he felt they would be lost in the school system and only given limited help and said they would fail kindergarten.

We'll over this past summer i sat down with them and taught them their ABCs, how to write their letters, and by school time they were actually right up to par with the other kids. So they can learn. But i find one just doesn't want to work she'd rather play. THe other catches on to things very quickly.

I am considering removing them from the meds as I actually noticed that by stopping TV viewing and removing sugar from their diet they were very calm (before the meds). They have never suffered from behavior problems just they just seem very bouncy and noisy. Once i removed sugar and tv viewing to only a movie here and there i was amazed as the calmness.

I don't like the idea of medicating as it just cures one problem but create others so seeing anything abou add catches my attention.

[tam2005]

Hey Angela,

I'm glad to know there is a change in your children just by removing sugar and some TV time. :)

Please keep us posted! ;)

[WorkAtHomeSpace]

I think there are many things that can cause triggers...as you said sugar, food dyes and processed foods or even toxins in the home. I'm glad you're considering removing the meds because obviously there are healthier alternatives.

Here's something that is interesting to read,
Heart Screening Urged Before Kids Get ADHD Drugs (http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/04/21/adhd.drugs.heart.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch)

[luckytiff]

Hi there. My son was diagnosed at age 4. He was off the wall even when asleep. Over the years he has been on one med or another with the same results your ending up with. Works for awhile and then no more. Right now I have taken him off of all stimulants and am trying Straterra. its not easy because the new med tales 6-8 weeks to work. I have started an ADHD support group for parents with children who have ADHD. Its a board and we already have some great members. I do not allow anyone to judge or criticize the method we choose for our children. Its the reason I started this board. WE know we are doing whats right for our children.

[tam2005]

Hi there,

Welcome aboard. :)

I do not allow anyone to judge or criticize the method we choose for our children.

Every parent has to do what they feel is right for their particular child's needs. It's different for everybody. I don't know anything about Straterra.

It's great that you started a support board. Can we see the URL to it?

Thanks. ;)

[Alan]

Very interesting thread.

My wife and our 2 daughters (our 22 and 15 year old, respectively) have ADHD.

You can probably imagine the partially-finished projects we have awaiting my response around the house...the various, exciting conversations we continue to have :) ...and the exhaustion from keeping up (fueled by one more cup; one of my daughters makes a strong one for me every now-and-again) with the multi-faceted activities.

We have our days but I would never change a thing.

[Audrey]

One of my daughters is ADD so I absolutely understand :)