HI, First I have a question for ADHD parents. My son was diagnosed, and I am for sure without a doubt that he has it. I've known since he was 2. But, I would like a full in depth test that you read about, including a physical, blood work, etc... I am having trouble finding any doctors that specialize in this. I am in the Dallas, TX area. If anyone can give me any imput on this I would greatly appreciate it. Also, for those who want some insite on ADHD and treatment...:My son is 5. He was recently diagnosed with ADHD...although I've known since he was 2 that he had it. I began asking doctors about it early on, but they said he was to young to diagnos. His behavior got worse and worse and we became unable to dicipline him. When he started kindergarten this Fall, treatment became inevitable. He was being sent home once a week. Sent to the priciples office every day. His behavior was increasingly worse than just weeks previously. He was hitting, yelling, figting arrguing, constantly frustrated, annoyed, he was hyper, could not sit in his seat even for a whole minute, wouldn't listen, couldn't remember what you told him 5 minutes ago, couldn't consentrate, always being "redirected" as the teachers say, impulsive, examples:blurtin out answers, interupting other children, crying hysterically if someone else said what he was going to or if he didn't get the activity wanted. I took him 1 hour once to connect the dots on clifford & color him in, all because he drew to a wrong dot with a marker and wanted to erase it, it had to be right!!! He cried, and cried, and cried. Always saying and doing things that come instantly to his mind without tinking about them first. Went through different stages, one was spitting, one was drooling, many different repetitive noises or words, he did this to entertain himself, but distrupted class constantly in the process. Hysterical crying fits in the stores, at home, etc... You ask him to do something, he says ok, and immediatley is running around, doing something else, something "fun", more interesting. I could go on and on and on. Biggest problems where the hyperactivty, the constant talking, or noises singing, anything as long as there was something comeing out of his mout, figiting, squirming, on the go always, could NOT sit still at all. Also, the impulsiveness, immediate response to emotions, situations, usually physical & without thought. For example, was in trouble for throwing rocks at recess, says he was playing a game and he was throwing the bombs and so he HAD to throw the rocks because they were the bombs, he never thought thru far enough to see that it would in turn hurt a child (thank god it didnt). He never did it again, but would have another impulsive behavior 5 minutes late. So, I'd say sever Hyperativity & Impulsiveness were are biggest problems. Also, of course he was very frustrated and wanted to do everything "right" as alot of ADHD children do. A pint size perfectionist. He has been on Aderall now for several months and we have seen a masive improvment. No more trips to the principles office. He is on a behavior plan at school that seems to be working. And we work on his behaivor at home also. Because he has this disorder, the learned behavior from years of acting like this will be hard to conquer. His behavior plan rewards him for good behavior and witholds rewards for bad behavior. He has only had one "perfect day" since starting the medications, (his days are on a scale of 1-10). But he started out at 1,2,3 stickers (points). and is now geting 7,8,9. This is fantastic. He still has all the same problems but they are milder and more infrequent. I can feel comfortable taking him grocery shopping with me. We may be starting to see some side effects. He seems to have a stuffy nose alot. He has been complaining tummy ache, and dosn't seem to eat as much. I'll be discussing these problems with his phsychiatrist on our next visit. The worst behavior I notice is between 5-7pm when is medicine has worn off and he is coming down. Only once and a while do I noticed a "doped up" look about him as people offten suggest happens on this medicine. I am going to look into some alergy testing also, and see if he is possibly alergic to some things he's been eating and then cut these out of his diet and see if theres an improvement. We'd like to find a way to manage this without medication, because I belive the least amount of foreign objects, so to speak, in your body the better. I also am going to try and find somewhere that does in depth testing of ADHD, rather than just the assesment tests done by teachers & parents. I know he has it, but I feal I'd get a better grasp of it all if I had these tests. I do believe aderall is a good thing, even with the recent 20/20 report on the phycotic effects. This is rare, and severe side effects are prevelent to all synthetic and natural medications. I hope this helps anyone out there with questions about ADHD, or just looking to see if anyone else out there is going through what they are. If you have any questions, please post them & I will respond.!!
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Questions about ADHD testing & some comments also...
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i have a 7 yr.old &am worried he is add.he's not hyper-idont think -he has problems doing what he's told ,staying on his tasks -his grades are fine but his behavior in school leaves alot to be desired.i'm scared that i'm not doing enough as a parent.how do you go about getting him tested -the school seems to think it is his maturity level &i'm worried if i don't figure what the problem is it will affect him in the future,if you could give me some advice it would be wecomed.
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Hi, Well, I wouldnt be to quick to call it ADD. Although ADD & ADHD are actually often not diagnosed when they should be...they are often over diagnosed to people who actually do not have it. Ive read alot on the subject & it could be that your sone is suffering from bordome, low self esteem, or many others. What ever it is it is most likely not your fault. I may even just be his maturaty level as the teacher says, in which case a strict dicipline regimn is in order. This doesn't mean be mean, or unresnonable. It just means set a straight forward list of punishments & rewards on paper. Explain in detail to your son. Reward him immediatley for good behavior, and praise him. Dicipline him immediately for incorrect behavior. Follow thru with threats. You will constantly be on him good or bad for what will seem like an eternity. Make sure he starts to realize there are consequenses for mis-behaving. It dosnt sound to be like ADD is involved. You say he's doing good at his school work. I have never met an add child who does well at his school work. I recomend that you read "try and make me!" by Ray Levy, Ph.d. and Bill O'Hanlon, m.s.,l.m.f.t. with Tyler Norris Goode. It is a fantastic book, that really opened my eyes to alot. I helps with defiant children...and teaches you that you have to raise them differently than non-defiant children. I am actually only halfway thru it & cant wait till I finish. As, far as diagnosing him, if you still feel he may have Add, your first step is your pediatritian. Tell him your concerns & ask that he recomends you to a specialist. If he passes off you concerns as nonsense, insist that he recoments a specialist. Don't let them just have do the written tests & then say...hey he has ADD. You need to have blood work & you need to have your son see a councler before a true diagnosis can be given....And it may turn out all your son needs is a little counsling & behavior management. Its gonna be tough....and it's gonna take a real commitment on your part, but it will be worth it in the end.
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thank you for the info.today my son got sent to s.a.f.e. again-he does have good academic standings-but his behavior is awful.i am at my wits end & my mom thinks it will all blow over-i've been working on this for months with no end in sight.she thinks i'm making this up(add/adhd)-which doesn't help my mental state at all.this computer right now is the only resource i have &i really thank you for the reply.
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Your welcome, What is s.a.f.e.??
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s.a.f.e. is his schools version of detention-another child was picking up -my son "just wanted to help"-he wasn't supposed to-he and his friend shoved each other around so they were removed from class.that's his story-when i talk to school shortly i'll find out the rest.this is the first incident of this kind -so i'm not sure what will happen.he has been to s.a.f.e.-once, before x-mas break- that was for not following class rules.here they pull"tickets" when they don't follow the guidelines of the class or school.he "pulls tickets"daily-which i have been trying to cut down -with any ideas at least tried once-to no avail.i will post an update later.again-thanks,ldj20
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Dear ldyj20There is hope - thank heavens. Challenges for our boy (now 4 1/2) were noticed just shy of his second birthday and it took us well over a year of diligent searching to find specialists well versed enough and willing to take on a 3 year old for diagnosis and treatment. But it wasn't ‘til we started doing our own reading and research that comfort came our way...and we were able to develop the skills needed to help our wonderful yet trying boy. To keep this short, let me recommend two books that helped us tremendously. The first, the only somewhat hopeful book about the positive (as well as negative) attributes of the condition: Driven to Distraction (can't recall the authors, but it's available on Amazon.com). The second book was important because Liam (our son) appeared to also suffer from Oppositional Defiance Disorder (I think that's what it's called). He could blow up with no notice or apparent cause. And his anger would persist sometimes for hours. The book: The Explosive Child. Another comment. Liam was diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction -- apparently another disorder that can co-exist with ADD/ADHD (and demonstrate symptoms which closely resemble ADD/ADHD symptoms). We had him visiting an occupational therapist for 9 months. During this treatment we also did rigorous, at-home, physical therapy to help him overcome the most serious negative manifestations of the disorder. Addressing this helped address his behavior problems, calmed him in a way we'd never before witnessed and for a while helped him sleep through the night.Lastly, we contacted a homeopathic physician and he recommended we eliminate sugar and minimize the intake of carbohydrates. Although Liam didn't eat for 3 days at the outset, by day 4 he was a believer and fully embraced the changes in his diet. In fact, the evening of day five on the new diet he commented on how happy he felt and how glad he was for making a good choice to eat healthier. For the first time we saw him making eye contact with us, finish a puzzle, play a board game. The bottom line - don't give up. You are (and have to be) his champion, advocating for what's best by learning what's best. Talk to as many experts as will give you time, join local ADD/ADHD support groups, search the web and find a good friend with whom you can talk things through. Raising a child with ADD/ADHD is a heckuva task, but one made much easier by taking the time/devoting the energy now to keep abreast of the research and advancements to treatment made. Well, at least that's what I believe...and I think it's being validated already. Today, more than 2 1/2 years after beginning our aggressive search for help, we close each day marveling at the progress made, the surprises he delights us with.
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I was misdiagnosed with AD/HD for many years, but I actually had hyperinsulinism (body makes too much insulin) and a resulting adrenal deficiency. I fit all the criteria for an AD/HD diagnosis (until I started showing severe physical symptoms of cortisol deficiency). I have also read that Bipolar disorder is often mistaken at first for AD/HD. I would estimate that as many as 80-90% of hypoadrenalism goes underdiagnosed because usually only the severest form of the disorder is treated.
I am hoping to go to med school one day to try and change this because I almost died from white flower pancakes! That is a different story though! Good luck. -
can you tell me more about hyperinsulinism?
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hyperinsulinism is like the opposite of diabetes (hypoinsulinism). If you alter your diet and exclude most refined foods (and treat the adrenal insufficiency that often accompanies it) then you will usually be ok.In my experience it seems that endocrine/metabolic disorders are often misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed (especially the borderline cases). Good books to read are Safe Uses of Cortisol by William Jeffries MDand From Fatigued to Fantastic by Jacob Teitelbaum MD. If a history of diabetes/hypoglycemia, thyroid or other hormonal disorders runs in your family, it is good to look into this. [This message has been edited by WanaBDoctor (edited February 01, 2002).]
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At the continuing insistence of my son's kg teacher we took a Connor's test. Our results were normal for his activity at home, but the teacher's results were high and put him borderline ADHD. The student counselor met several times with him and advised us that because of his hyper activity we "may" want to have him see a psychologist to have him evaluated. She did state that if it were her child she would 'possibly' consider the evaluation in the next few months. I agree with the teacher that he is hyper active and impulsive at times, but not more so than any other 6 year old. The teacher (this is her first year teaching at this school and in the past she had taught 2nd & 3rd grade) has "labeled" him with a problem and she sends notes home about him rubbing his hand along the wall while walking down the hall, talking during class, distracting fellow students ... excuse me, but isn't that "normal" for a 6 year kg student. He is not overly smart in his school work - we do have to work with him on his spelling and writing - but overall he does great. He does love to be read to and is so excited that he can now read to himself. He can sit for long peroids of time and work on a puzzle, do dot to dot pictures, color and play with play dough. He is not a perfectionist, but does like certain things done a certain way. Some of his actions make me think it is possible for him to have ADHD, while others say there is no way, this is just a strong willed, excited 6 yo little boy. We really don't know which way to turn - if he does have ADHD we want him to get treatment, but I am also leary of him being misdiagnosed as sooooo many kids are.
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I dont want to make you worry more, but when i was in 6th grade i was diagnosed with ADHD. Later on in life around the age of 20 i was diagnosed bi-polar. Alot of doctors are starting to think most ADD /ADHD cases are misdiagnoses of bi-polar disorder. I was also put on ritilan when i was younger. Now i'm 25 and managing. Just a thought. ned
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