Adhd

[Salus]

Are there other parents here on TWeb who has a child(ren) suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

[Pilgrim]

Salus, I personally have ADD. Not ADHD though. I am taking Concerta for it and have talk therapy twice a month as well.

[Gordon Freeman]

My five year old son has been diagnosed with ADHD. I suspect my eight year old son has it as well, although he hasn't been diagnosed with it. I also have ADD, and I would probably have ADHD if I wasn't so darned lazy. :wink: Currently, none of us are on any medication for it.

Gordon Freeman
(whose wife suffers from a bad case of Attention Surplus Disorder :wink:)

[Salus]

Wow, how blind of me to ask only about parents. I completely overlooked the fact that adults could have ADD/ADHD as well.

My 6 y/o son has been unofficially diagnosed with it. Why unofficially diagnosed? Well, he was having trouble in school, things like listening to his teacher, grabbing other children, not sitting still, etc, etc. He has had similar symptoms all his life but our pediatrician kept saying hold the course, because ADD/ADHD doesn't present well in younger children and typically is diagnosed around the 6/7 age mark. Finally, my wife and I couldn't take it. Here is our son, who we know is suffering from something, yet our pediatrician lept saying to wait. About two months ago, we took him back to the pediatrician and she prescribed Adderall XR and it has made all the difference in the world.

My main reason for asking, though, is my wife and I still struggle with parenting and/or disciplining someone with ADHD and I would like to get advice from other TWebbers who have experience with ADD/ADHD, whether they have it or are parents of someone with it.

[Pilgrim]

First of all Adorall is a great drug. As you no doubt know it is the first non-stimulant drug for ADD.

Disciplining ADD children, once they are on the meds, should look like disciplining other kids.

Don't do the typical thing of only taking meds on school days etc. The meds are most effective when given on 7 day schedule because ADD and ADHD are not just about focusing in school but also have implications for relationships over a wide variety of social and academic circumstances including in the home.

The most important thing to remember is that you are the parent and the pattern you set now will follow you through the rest of your child rearing years. (A la Proverbs "Guide a child in the paths he should follow...") This means setting boundries clearly and sticking to them. At 6 years old a child has not developed cognitivaly enough to handle abstract reasoning so negotiation is not effective and teaching him or her negotiation at this age will make the ADD child a little hellion in the teen years.

By the parent, set the rules and stick to them. You may not feel great on the days your kid sometimes says he or she hates you but you are doing the right thing.

One thing I noticed personally and then read about when I was older is the reality that certain folks with ADD and ADHD have an adverse reaction to close physical contact. Prolonged hugs etc can suffocate the child into frustration which feeds into the ADD thing. Some folks even described certain physical contact as actually painful. Wierd stuff.

Also, have your child checked for sleep disorders. It has been documented recently that there is a high occurance of Sleep apnias with patients who are diagnosed with ADD. It has even been noted that some people with Sleep Apnia have been mis-diagnosed with ADD. Think about it, not being able to sleep at night really effects your ability to reason, concentrate, and relate during the day.

Just some quick thoughts.