Should 4-year-olds be diagnosed with ADHD?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) had created new guidelines for diagnosing and treating ADHD in kids as young as 4. Previously their guidelines focused on 6- to 12-year olds.
An article in Time Healthland says that new data suggests that ADHD can begin earlier than 6 and kids may benefit from earlier behavioral treatments.
“Treating children at a young age is important, because when we can identify them earlier and provide appropriate treatment, we can increase their chances of succeeding in school,” said Dr. Mark Wolraich, chair of the AAP subcommittee responsible for writing the report.
“Kids with ADHD typically have problems focusing and paying attention. They are hyperactive and behave impulsively. But the condition may look different in different age groups. Among school-aged children (age 6 or older), about half don’t have issues with hyperactivity, according to Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York, who specializes in studying preschool ADHD. In this age group, attention problems are more common, likely because they become more obvious in the school setting, where children need to sit in class and concentrate for longer periods of time.”
“Hyperactivity is more common among preschoolers, however. They may be accident-prone or have trouble playing with other kids. According to the AAP, it’s the number of symptoms, and the number of different caregivers who notice them, that is important. It’s not enough, for example, for only parents to complain of their child’s overactive behavior. In order to meet the bar for diagnosis and justify treatment, at least one other party, such as a day care teacher or babysitter, must also note the same behaviors. And these symptoms must be persistent and severe enough to impair the child’s ability to function, which could involve anything from their inability to get along with other children to being consistently unable to follow directions.”
I get that early intervention can help kids, however I just think it’s pretty hard to diagnose ADHD in kids because much of it mimics “normal” childhood behavior. You may have a child that is extremely active but still within the realm of normal. You may also have asynchronous development where the child’s self-control and social skills are far behind because their intellect is so high, but that doesn’t mean they have ADHD.
We know there are already bunches of false diagnosis for kids with spring and summer birthdays. They seem less mature and have less self control than their older classmates and therefore get tagged as ADHD. I think examining preschoolers is just asking for kids to be misdiagnosed. Give kids time to develop and see what shakes out.
Obviously a parent should have options, but they also need to know that A.There can be misdiagnosis in young kids and B.Lots of doctors are more than happy to throw drugs at an unruly kid. These are my concerns.
What do you think? Should kids as young as 4 be evaluated and diagnosed with ADHD? Is early intervention worth misdiagnosing other kids?
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112 comments Add your comment
Brianne
October 18th, 2011
1:14 am
Whatever happened to letting kids be kids? You have parents out their who dope there children up on foods that cause kids to act hyper and then have the nerve to think these kids need meds. Our Pediatrician even stated to me that the kids who need it can’t get it while the ones who don’t are getting meds that they don’t need. Now I understand if the child is older and having trouble but there is a big difference between a child goofing off and having fun. People need to learn the difference. Might even be behavior. Let the child run the house and when your ready for it to stop all of a sudden you have a problem. Its absurd to think that a child of 4 can be accurately diagnosed. Even better yet stop over stimulating at a young age. Shut the cartoons off and read your child a book or play a game. This mess is getting out of control
shaggy
October 18th, 2011
6:41 am
Are you serious? NO way!
ADHD is a made up disease anyway. Where were these ADD/ADHD kids when I was young? I’ll tell you. They were me, and my counterparts…my buddies to this day. Today, we are artisans, craftsmen, businessmen, and adventurers still. I shudder to think what would have happened if we were drugged into complacency by our parents.
I have a young relative that was tossed out of Navy SEAL training, because he didn’t think it mattered that he had been drugged with this crap, at age 10, so he didn’t tell them…until he was overheard didcussing it with a mate in the barracks. Then, he was tossed out of SEAL training and the Navy…just like that, this made up, and way over prescribed drugging cost him his dream…one that he had worked for years to attain.
My kid is what many parents would call ADD/ADHD, but there is NO WAY he will be subjected to this mess. Instead, he is engaged, boundaries established, with clear rewards established for achievement. He already climbs better than men with three times his experience, and he is learning so seriously complicated tool crafting. NO, No crappy fad druugging needed here.
suzettehodge
October 18th, 2011
7:37 am
Children as young as 4, can now diagnosed with attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) http://bit.ly/qSezQ0
DB
October 18th, 2011
7:37 am
No way on God’s green earth would I start loading up my four year old with psychotropic drugs because their attention span wasn’t what I thought it should be!!
Instead, I would turn off the TV and cut waaaay back on the video and computer game, start looking seriously at what kind of crap I was feeding them, and start working with them right then and there on attention issues. If it comes down to drugs or school, I’d even consider home schooling, if that’s what it took to keep them off drugs — and I’m not a huge proponent of homeschooling.
Sorry, but I know first-hand how scarily quick physicians are to prescribe those drugs. Our own pediatrician, when I was going around the mulberry bush with a possible ADD diagnosis for my son in the 1st grade, casually said, “Well, let’s start him on Ritalin and see what happens.” I looked at him in astonishment and said, “Are you out of your ever-lovin’ mind? You’re going to give a kid Ritalin as an experiment?!” Even then, I was well-aware of the limitations that having a history of that kind of drug use would impose on a child — and who would want to throw those kind of roadblocks in front of a child starting at age 4?!?! And, as it turns out, it wasn’t ADD — it was a strong case of sensory defensiveness, which was treated quickly without drugs. I would have compromised my son’s future on the whim of an overworked pediatrician and a sweet, if somewhat inept, teacher. No, thank you!
motherjanegoose
October 18th, 2011
7:39 am
@ shaggy…are YOU serious:
“ADHD is a made up disease anyway”.
If you choose not to medicate, that is ABSOLUTELY your choice but to dispute ADHD is quite another. I know there are skeptics.
Your credibility today, just left ( for me).
You may think the same of me and I understand.
Perhaps someone else will take this up…I have to head to the airport.
motherjanegoose
October 18th, 2011
7:43 am
BTW…medication is NOT the only way to treat ADHD and I would agree that a four year old is too young to medicate but perhaps others can tell us their experiences. Denying medication and denying ADHD are two different things, to me.
shaggy
October 18th, 2011
7:49 am
MJG,
Sorry, you are speaking to solid granite on this one.
It IS a manufactured malady, and prescribing pcychotropic drugs to kids is just wrong, unless they are indeed crazy, not just more active than their peers.
I had no idea that I had “credibility” with you in the first place. What is that anyway…oh I forgot, you don’t like to answer questions, unless they are the easy ones, that don’t challenge.
motherjanegoose
October 18th, 2011
8:04 am
@ shaggy…I am granite on this one too. I have seen the before/ after and many children are not able to function without medications but are successful, confident and productive when someone finally figures out what is wrong. Again, medication is NOT for everyone.
To me, this is kind of like you telling us you do not care for Texans
( I think you are the one who said this…am I correct? ). They do not give a cow patty about you either. You may not give a cow patty about me and that is fine.
I was at a school in Dunwoody earlier this month, I have known them for over 20 years. When I arrived, I was greeted with, ” We just love you!” HAHA! I told them that not everyone does. I am aware!
Some questions I do NOT know the answers too…I simply have faith.
Have a good day all!
Figment
October 18th, 2011
8:13 am
I agree with you shaggy. No way I would ever put my child on these drugs. Whatever happened to parenting?! I’ve seen what being on this type of “medicine” did to my cousin.
shaggy
October 18th, 2011
8:29 am
MJG,
I have Texas blood in me, on both sides, and yes, I find many Texans to be arrogant, including my own kin. No, everything is not bigger in Texas, only more inflated with hot air. I throw dried “cow patties” at them, whenever I have an opportunity, and they mostly toss them back, like good Americans. See, I do recognize the kinship, and it’s American.
It is good that the kids love you and your presentation, otherwise you would be taking a serious business hit, now wouldn’t you. However, I don’t see any link to kids loving you and the existence of a phantom syndrome that all of the sudden popped into our culture.
JJ
October 18th, 2011
8:29 am
I agree 100000000% with Shaggy. He is dead on.
Instead of doping our kids, here’s a radical thought………MAKE THEM GO OUTSIDE AND RUN!!!!!
Take away the freaking video games. Or at least reduce the amount of time spent on them. Get some physical exercise. Go play tag, hide & Seek, ride your bike up and down the street, walk the dog………
Quit giving them EVERYTHING. Make them use their imaginations. Go play with a stick and see what you can get into…….
I hate driving through subdivisions and not seeing any kids outside playing, riding bikes, etc. I take my dog to the park and there’s no kids playing out there……It’s so sad…..we were NEVER in the house…constantly outside.
RJ
October 18th, 2011
8:36 am
@Shaggy, ADHD is more than just an overactive child. You should really do some research.
ADHD is very difficult to recognize in children that young. It’s even hard to recognize in kids a couple of years older. This is why a licensed professional has to observe the child several times and gather information from parents and teachers to make sure a correct diagnosis is made. I have a child with ADHD and I know how difficult it can be to live with. @Shaggy, my husband has ADHD and he’s in his 40’s. Growing up he was always getting in trouble. He said that during the 70’s you were just called bad. All the spankings in the world didn’t change his behavior. He is thankful that there is a name for it today. Honestly, once we realized what was wrong with my son, it explained a lot about my husband’s behavior.
I opted not to do meds with my child until he was older. Instead, we had weekly sessions with a child psychologist. This year we decided to see how he would far without it. So far, he’s doing okay. His teachers admit that he does have off moments, has severe organizational issues and has some impulsivity issues, but overall it’s much better than it was in previous years. This will never go away, so our job as parents is to help him understand his problem and deal with it so he can be a succesful, productive human being.
RJ
October 18th, 2011
8:37 am
Let me also say that boys tend to be overdiagnosed at young ages. Teachers have to learns “how” to teach boys. They’re wired differently. However, this is a definite difference between a normal active boy and one with ADHD. It just may take more time to recognize.
FoorballMom
October 18th, 2011
8:45 am
Every child is different and while it is nice that everyone on this blog seems to have pretty “normal” children, what about the parents that don’t. What do you do when you have tried every therpy offered to you, counseling and medication and you still have a teenager who is angry at the world, unable to do well in school even though he says he wants to and is violent at home to the point that the local police department knows you by name?
Do you know what it is like to actually be afraid of your child?
motherjanegoose
October 18th, 2011
8:59 am
@ shaggy…
“It is good that the kids love you and your presentation, otherwise you would be taking a serious business hit, now wouldn’t you.”
Those kids, in Dunwoody, could not have loved me for over 20 years. I work with ages 2-7 and they might be parents themselves. The comment was made by the principal who can see ( firsthand) my professional expertise. I am not a Doctor, Pharmacist, nor a Psychologist and perhaps it would be helpful to hear from someone in those professions to bring a different point of view to the table. I am a teacher, who has seen the before and after of many children…not just a dozen or so in my neighborhood.
@ RJ…good points…sad to think that some kids get endless spankings for something that a spanking could not fix.
OUTTA HERE FOR REAL NOW…I WAS JUST TEASIN’ EARLIER…
It is had for me to let a topic go, that I have witnessed often in the classroom.
i LOVE...
October 18th, 2011
9:07 am
having been in a classroom for years, i agree that children are overdiagnosed with add/adhd. however, i have seen a handful of students who honestly could not control their behavior/energy level and struggled to maintain composure in class.
it is absolutely pitiful to watch a child fight to stay in his seat, concentrate on his work, etc. when his body is telling him otherwise. in most of these situations, i just let him have a desk in the back of the room so he can roam a little and let that unrest sort itself out. i’ve had students who needed to stand by the desk instead of sit in it. i have also had a few who paced the back of the room because they could not sit still.
one year, i had a student whose mother was a well-educated advocate for her child’s ADHD (and a SPED teacher, so she had seen it all). she was trying to deal with his ADHD without medication. we implemented behavioral strategies in class for him to use when he could no longer focus. these worked most days, but there were some days that i wanted to cry for him. he genuinely had a difficult time concentrating. this child was active outside of school, in extracurricular activities, and the extra energy-burning still did not help.
until you actually experience a child who truly has ADHD, it is easy to dismiss it. but when you can see this child’s face turning red because the energy is literally building up inside of him, you realize that this disorder is real.
JJ
October 18th, 2011
9:12 am
Thats why they need RECESS back in schools. Let these kids release some energy. Even as adults we cannot sit still for 6 hours. Our bodies need to release energy. That’s why we take breaks, get fresh air, re-focus……
Sylvania
October 18th, 2011
9:18 am
I’m inclined to listen to what the American Academy of Pediatrics has to say, and do as they recommend. But that’s just me.
Shaggy, day-in day-out you just seem to be so much smarter than everyone else. You’ve got it all figured out, don’t ya?
shaggy
October 18th, 2011
9:27 am
RJ,
Like your husband, I was just bad…sometimes. Other times I was good…sometimes. I was never searching for what was wrong with me, or making excuses for me, I just learned boundaries, and often stretched them out as far as I could get away with, or got caught in the process.
My friends and I, were “free range” kids, so we could exhaust ourselves in the constant war that goes on between what children can get away with and what parents will allow. The discipline applied when out of bounds, kept a lid on the natural “kid getting away with something instinct”…I learned and formulated what makes me unique. I pass this on to my own, and never wonder what is wrong with with us, because nothing is wrong with us…nothing.
Oh, I am still bad, after all of these years, and my wife loves me for it. She calls it “character”.
shaggy
October 18th, 2011
9:28 am
Sylvania,
No not smarter than everybody else…just you.
Jasmine
October 18th, 2011
9:32 am
ADHD is real but not every child diagnosed actually has it. Treating at a very young age would make me uncomfortable since a busy active youngster isn’t that different from an ADHD 4 year old. Its hard for little kids to sit and listen and apply themselves to worksheets because they are just that, little kids.
misawa
October 18th, 2011
9:40 am
Preach Shaggy.
RJ
October 18th, 2011
9:42 am
@Shaggy, it is obvious that you have your opinion on this matter and you’re sticking to it. I won’t argue the point with you because I live with this daily. I also teach kids that suffer from it. I’ll let you and @JJ believe what you will (and for the record, my son’s elementary school did have recess! He still goes outside with his friends now playing basketball and riding their scooters). In the meantime, I will continue to do what is in the best interest of my child. And I’ll help my students with it too.
JOD
October 18th, 2011
9:53 am
I won’t go so far as to say these disorders don’t exist, but for the majority of kids, JJ and Shaggy are right on. DD is 3 1/2, and she definitely pushes it from time to time, which is normal for her age. She can also have the attention span of a fruit fly, which again, is normal for her age.
It’s repulsive to think that preschoolers could be misdiagnosed and drugged by parents who jump the gun and Rx-happy doctors. I bet if these people saw the preschool class DD is in, they would run to the medicine cabinet, as all of the kids get wound up… You should see them tearing around on a rainy day when there’s no playground time :o)
usually lurking
October 18th, 2011
10:02 am
My oldest son’s 1st grade teacher wanted him drugged so badly… thank goodness we had support for behavioral modification from the school’s administration. The boy is a senior in high school now – he’s told me several times this year that he’s very glad we didn’t medicate him and he takes some well deserved pride in having overcome the behavioral issues and lack of impulse control that made him a regular visitor to the principal’s office in elementary and middle school.
Figment
October 18th, 2011
10:34 am
That’s the problem, the automatic response to an overactive child is to medicate them to keep them quiet. I understand that one unruly child in a classroom makes it harder on the other children and on the teacher but in most cases medication is not the answer. We seem to forget that these are children and they are going to push boundaries. They need structure and discipline, not medication.
JJ
October 18th, 2011
10:53 am
Amen Figment!
MomsRule
October 18th, 2011
11:04 am
@DB — could you expand on this statement?
I was well-aware of the limitations that having a history of that kind of drug
use would impose on a child
What limitations are imposed?
oneofeach4me
October 18th, 2011
11:10 am
Take this DIRECTLY from a parent who volunteers at their child’s school, spends time with them, reads to them every night and has since they were infants, helps with homework, disciplines consistently, limits TV time to NO MORE than 30 minutes a day and has kids who ride bikes, 4 wheelers, and dirt bikes all day long…. ADHD is REAL. However, I opted out of meds for both my kids. My daughter was diagnosed at age 6, nonetheless we did cognitive behavioral therapy and it helped a lot. We still have some issues, but one week of taking the lowest available does of Adderall turned my daughter into a complete basket case at the end of the day. I just couldn’t do it. It takes A LOT of work on our part, WAY more than the parent of an average behaved child to keep the kids in line (my sister does NOTHING with her son and he is an ANGEL). Constant lists and new reward programs… that is what many of our days consists of. My son who is 6 is having an extremely hard time in school with sitting still during reading, following directions, running around (hyper), and being able to make the switch from one activity to another right away when directed. I can’t even get my son’s teacher to be as consistent with the behavior modification, she just wants me to “fix it”
My son, like Shaggy’s can also climb just about ANYTHING and can do front flips, pull air on bikes, do tricks on dirt bikes and race 4 wheelers. And like Shaggy said about his son, most people already say my son has ADHD. And this folks is where the problem comes in. MOST of us parents with these types of super-hero-energized kids don’t WANT to dope our kids up. However, MOST of you judge us when you see the kid acting hyper saying he is out of control, or the teachers expect every child to have the same temperament. Society says it’s ADHD is bull crap, yet it’s society who puts the pressure on the parents to “make” their child “fit in” with the rest of the kids and therefore drives the parents to medicate their children. THINK about that the next time you judge a cute, happy, silly, hyper little boy and his parents.
oneofeach4me
October 18th, 2011
11:23 am
@Figment ~ it’s not usually the parent’s immediate reaction to medicate… it’s the rest of society (the teachers, administrators, neighbors, ect) that judge the parent as lacking and not doing what “they should do” that pushes the use of meds so they don’t have to deal with the kid. That is the REALNESS of the situation.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 18th, 2011
11:26 am
I had to run the kids to school so I may have missed some of the conversation but from earlier —
Shaggy — I used to be like you and not think it was real but then you witness if first hand and you know it is real. Does it get overdiagnosed and misdiagnosed? ALL the time!! and that is the danger. But there are absolutely kids that need that medicine to get through school and their work as much as a diabetic needs insulin. It is comparable to yelling at a blind kid to see his work as yelling at an ADHD kid to concentrate. It is often out of their control.
It is very hard to diagnose accurately and can be confused with many other things going on with a child — including just being immature.
I would encourage any parents that have concerns to work with your pediatrician to find a qualified specialist (psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist) to evaluate your child. I do not believe that the average pediatrician should be doing that diagnosis. It is too complex and has too many reprocussions (can’t spell) if diagnosed incorrectly. The diagnosis is a lengthy process and takes a lot of involvement from teachers and parents and will probably take multiple visits to a specialist.
I would also encourage parents whose kids are having trouble to look for progressive schools. I will look for the link but I read an article a few years back that was talking about what a HUGE difference an understanding and progressive school environment can make. I have spent a lot of time in classrooms and have absolutely seen what a difference a progressive teacher or principal make for those kids.
A friend had her child stuck in a closet by a teacher in the first grade because he was so overactive!!! so completely unacceptable and I am pretty sure they could have sued!! This was not a teacher that understood the child’s condition!! You have to find teachers and principals that understand it is real and they need your help, not your criticism or punishment!!
You need a school to be formative and not punitive. It is a medial condition, not a choice!!
oneofeach4me
October 18th, 2011
11:26 am
@JJ ~ my kids are outside everyday, in the heat, cold, rain, or snow. They are extremely active. However, none of the neighbors will let their kids play with mine because they say mine are “too hyper”. So… their kids, the perfect ones that are NOT ADHD diagnosed are the ones who stay inside and play video games.
It’s really amazing to me that most people have NO idea what parent’s of kids with ADHD are like. Get to know one.. you would be surprised.
GwinnettRes
October 18th, 2011
11:30 am
There is actually a video on the overmedication of children in our society. It is a PBS documentary called “The Overmedicated Child.” Whether these disorders exist or not, parents would think twice about starting their kids on regular prescription drugs at such a young age if they saw this video.
The video chronicled the life of several children that were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders at early ages. The disorders ranged from ADHD to manic depression. As a parent, the video is very eyeopening.
Many of the children were medicated at less than ten years of age. The medications would lead to side effects such as involuntary ticks. The doctors and parents would then feel compelled to medicate those “side effects.” These children ended up stuck on multiple medications for years. When they tried to stop the meds, none of the unwanted side effects stopped. Their lives and quality of life had been forever altered in a negative way.
ADHD may very well be real. However, I agree with the other posters here. It is overdiagnosed and often used as an excuse by society to control behaviors through drugs that could be controlled through other measures.
homeschooler
October 18th, 2011
11:33 am
I agree that age 4 is way to young to be diagnosing with ADHD. There are so many reasons that we see these problems more than we saw years ago. 1) we start kids in school to early (some kids have just turned 4 when they start pre-K). 2) It is a proven fact that excessive video games and tv cause hyperactivity.
My kids did not show any interest in sitting still and “learning” until they were 6 (Remember when 1st grade was the FIRST GRADE). At that point, they very quickly picked up on everything they “missed” by not sitting in a classroom at 4 and 5. I am a strong believer in not expecting anything out of a child academically until they are 6. Let them go to “school” and “socialize” or whatever but don’t expect every 5 yr old to sit still and learn to read.
People let their children get on video games and TV entirely to early and for way to much time. When a 3 yr old’s brain gets accustomed to that level of stimulation, it is impossible for him to match it by playing with toys or running around outside. I have seen direct correlations between the amount of TV my kids watch (for days at a time) and how productive they are at playing independently. In addition, kids are overstimulated with activities. Their little brains never learn to slow down. Then we wonder why they can’t sit still.
@ Shaggy..I agree with you that ADHD is a made up disorder but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exhist. It seems to me that disorders are created from the symptoms presented. If enough people present with the same symptoms, a disorder is created. Now does that mean these kids were “born” this way or that they were created by environment (TV, preservatives in foods, permissive parents) who knows. They still have ADHD. At least that’s how I see it.
I would never EVER treat my child with meds. A common medication for ADHD is adderall. Adderall is nothing but speed. On a drug screen adderall shows as amphetamine (same as meth, crank ice or whatever you want to call it). Would you give your kid meth? I’m sure there are some extreme cases in which a child truly needs to be medicated to function but I think all other things (diet, behavior modification etc..) should be exhausted. Studies have shown that medicated children have a much higher chance of using illegal drugs as teens and young adults.
oneofeach4me
October 18th, 2011
11:34 am
@TWG ~ where can we find progressive school and how do we know what to look for?
GwinnettRes
October 18th, 2011
11:36 am
The video that I referenced in my earlier post can actually be watched here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/medicatedchild/
Regardless of which side of the issue you fall, you should watch this series. It is very informative and should be required viewing for parents.
oneofeach4me
October 18th, 2011
11:37 am
@homeschooler ~ so what about the kid who does not and has not taken in too much TV and video games?
Jennifer
October 18th, 2011
11:38 am
I think ADHD does exist, but I think it’s over-diagnosed and over-medicated.
My nephew’s kindergarten teacher told my sister and BIL that she thought he had it, but they didn’t medicate him or anything.
Yes, he was hyper. Yes, he acted up sometimes. But he was a five-year-old boy. He loves school and learns well.
If a child’s learning is seriously disrupted by behavior issues, then I think it’s time to look into medicine or therapy. But if a kid has more energy than those around him or can be distracting sometimes, I don’t think that should qualify as a “disorder.”
Wayne
October 18th, 2011
11:42 am
I’m with RJ on this one. We’ve had this discussion before. I think the statement was.. Until you walk in MY shoes…
We went the doctor/pyschiatrist route. We spoke to the teacher. We spoke to everyone. We waited. And then, our oldest went on Ritalin. Immediately he showed improvement. Here’s the thing. We started with the lowest dose we could. The doc wanted to go higher but we were worried, as I’m sure most of you are saying here, that he would be ‘drugged’ up. Not the case. It helps him to focus.
This is an example from him (he’s 8 now): Before medication, he loved art. He’d draw a picture that was all over the place and he couldn’t paint between the lines. He’d get frustrated because he couldn’t ‘get it right’. First day on Ritalin? He’s at his easel drawing an underwater scene, and it was (yeah, he’s my son) awesome. Everything was in place, colored just so, it truly was pretty cool to see what he came up with. I sat him down afterward and asked how he did it. He told me that before, he could never picture the scene in his head. Now, he can picture it in his head and put it on paper.
The other thing to note is that he is not in some sort of stupor or lazing around. He is still a very active, precocious boy. Just able to focus his body and thoughts better.
His teacher at the time also made comments about how well he was doing in school immediately after he started taking Ritalin.
BTW: he still loves art. And he has his heart set on going to MIT.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 18th, 2011
11:45 am
One for each of me – You interview the principals — You ask them their views on ADHD, you give them scenarios that have happened or things your’re worried about happening and ask them how they would handle. They need to offer accommodations without an IEP or a 504 — Kids should be allowed to type at any time if they need to or want to (handwriting is often very hard for ADHD kids). They should be able to get up and move around if they need to (a solution can be found where it is not distracting to other kids.) In one class my daughter was in a child needed gum to help concentrate so the whole class was allowed to chew gum (by the principal) during writing assignments. All the parents sent in gum. Ask about punishments and what they would do to a kid found to by hyper or lacking self control. Ask if they are open to your kid taking a break, visiting the counselor or working quietly in another area if they needed that. These are all accommodations that a progressive school, principal and teacher will make. You have to make sure they understand is a disability and not a choice. The kid is not choosing not to pay attention and not choosing to be active. (Another thing is willing to use silent signals to let a child know if they are doing something unacceptable that can be quietly corrected without calling attention to it.
loads of things a school can do without a IEP or 504 that can help a child — if they understand it and choose to help!
Wayne
October 18th, 2011
11:48 am
I would also add that we worked with the doctor(s) to make sure we were using the correct medicine. If not, we could have tried something different.
jj
October 18th, 2011
11:49 am
How many of you remember your summers like this:
Up in the morning then out with your friends playing baseball till lunch
Afternoon at the pool swimming with friends till dinner
After dinner playing outside “until the street lights go on”
Somehow this formula has been lost and now the world is full of people with some type of “special need” that allows no responsible for their actions. If you are over 50 try to remember anyone that had any of the new alphabet maladies. And lets not forget that Ritalin is the number two selling drug behind cholesterol drugs. Coincidence….I think not
oneofeach4me
October 18th, 2011
11:50 am
@TWG ~ Thanks a bunch for that info. I am having some serious issues with my son in his school now. He has been to the principals office twice already, not for aggression, but for not being able to follow directions. I am getting extremely frustrated because whenever we try some sort of behavior modification and I get my son accustomed to it… she slacks off with making copies or printing it out and I have to start all over. I even offered to do the copying and printing of the behavior sheet, however she hasn’t responded.
RJ
October 18th, 2011
11:54 am
Theresa, you are so right. Much of what you stated is exactly what I said. It can’t be diagnosed over night. My child took meds for one year when he was 12. I refused to put him on drugs when he was first diagnosed. He was just too young. We decided not to go without them this year. He’s adjusting and taking more responsibility. The therapy helped him a lot. It’s a long road, but he’ll find success.
oneofeach4me
October 18th, 2011
11:54 am
@jj ~ again I say.. what about those kids who do ALL those things!?!? No one wants to answer that. Most of the kids with ADHD ARE the ones playing outside because it is the only time they get to dispense all the pent up energy they have been told to hold in all day. My son gets only 15 minutes of recess in a 6 hour school day. What is wrong with this picture???
CPA
October 18th, 2011
11:55 am
My 10 year old son has ADHD. He was diagnosed when he was 6. We chose not to medicate and our psychologist agreed since he was not in danger of falling behind in school. We watched what he ate, made sure he receive plenty of exercise and were very hands on with teachers and administrators. Even with that, he still gets over-excited and loses focus and impulsive but he is much better than he was. He can’t keep his room clean/organized to save his life and he still does not have the same maturity level of a normal 10 year old. He is definitely improving.
We had this discussion about 4 years ago...
October 18th, 2011
11:57 am
…on this blog and the responses were just as varied then as now – and TWG even gave me the same “talk” that she gave Shaggy today. And motherjane responded the same, too, as did JJ – bet DB and motherjane will really have something to talk about at their next get together since they are on opposite sides of this one…
My youngest son (now 23) had problems staying in his seat all through elementary school – did we medicate him – no. Did his teachers suggest such a thing – no.
Fortunately, for us and him, most of the third, fourth and fifth grade teachers recognized his “hyperactivity” and “attention deficit” as being related to his being a boy and his being an ACTIVE boy. One teacher in the fourth grade drew a circle around his desk and told him when he got antsy to feel free to stand up, but “do not get outside the circle” – this worked great.
More teachers need to be trained to be creative, and more tolerant of the “active’ child – and to not make medication referrals to parents – and TWG and motherjane, yes medication does “slow down” the child’s activity, which may allow the child to learn more effectively – yet we do not know what damages are done to the child from these meds – and we do know that 99% of the over-active, attention deficit kids grow out of the hyperactivity once they reach HS –
And yes, there are many adults out there today who thrive on their “diagnosed” ADHD, and continue to use this as an adult crutch to lean on when they continue to fall asleep at meetings and stuff while holding down full time employment, while also getting out of work at least one to 5 hours week to attend their “therapy” sessions – MDs just love these people…
shaggy
October 18th, 2011
11:58 am
Theresa,
Sorry, but I have to point to some flawed logic.
“Kids should be allowed to type at any time if they need to or want to (handwriting is often very hard for ADHD kids).”
No, they just need to have some kind of methodology the engages them to write, make it fun maybe, or writing about something they like, not a crutch like a keyboard.
“They should be able to get up and move around if they need to (a solution can be found where it is not distracting to other kids.) In one class my daughter was in a child needed gum to help concentrate so the whole class was allowed to chew gum (by the principal) during writing assignments. All the parents sent in gum.”
If it against the rules to get up and move around, it needs to be reinforced that you follow that rule. There are some things that you do, if you don’t sit still, you might die, like a ferris wheel ride, so changing the rules could endanger the child. Rewarding the kid for changing the rule, gives them power over you, the parent. They can do what they, the kid, wants. It is simply about boundaries and enforcing those boundaries every time.
I would write more, but I have to go.
Wayne
October 18th, 2011
11:58 am
We had issues with our school system not taking my son’s problems seriously enough. We changed schools and he’s doing very well. And, he’s much happier.
hoyaRN
October 18th, 2011
12:01 pm
@FoorballMom…I do know what it is like to be afraid of my child. I have the holes in my walls, the broken toys, and my daughters have the bruises and bite marks left by my son in his out-of-control, angry rages, and he was only 4.
I believe ADHD can be diagnosed at 4, but it doesn’t mean you have to medicate at age 4. That is a parent’s choice. ADHD is a neurological condition. Read the studies. There is physical evidence that there is a neuro-chemical event happening in the brain that causes ADHD. I am thankful there are meds available today. My family was on the verge of total breakdown until we got my son on the meds he needed. I believe ADHD has a spectrum, like autism. Some kids are able to function with boundaries and behaviorial therapy and no meds (like my oldest daughter), but on the other end of the spectrum are children (and adults) who cannot survive without their meds (like my son). I didn’t used to believe ADHD was real, until I watched my son suffer, and I felt totally helpless. When the meds gave me my loving, compassionate, funny, curious, outgoing, adventurous son back, I was made a believer that this condition is real.