I was among the firm skeptics of ADHD, and one of those who believed if the parent would just apply the board of education to their seat of knowledge they could cure the kid. But my 6-year old son most definitely has ADHD, and despite some peoples beliefs it is not something that can be beaten out of a child. I have learned in a short time that a kid with ADHD is not the same as a kid that is a spoiled brat. Far from it, my child is the sweetest kid who is very generous to others and fun loving. I have been working with him at home with that Total Transformation program that you hear advertised on the radio, and it does seem to have helped at home - but at school I have been pulled aside 3 times so far by his kindergarten teacher this year, to tell me is not listening to simple directions given in class. A typical incident would be her giving directions for the students to grab a pencil and eraser and gather in a circle on the mat. He will join the other kids on the mat, but be the only one who did not grab the pencil and eraser. I am working with him and things are getting better - but I don’t believe in giving them drugs, unless they are a danger to them selves or others, which he’s not.
You’re example is typical of what we dealt with. The child can do all of the tasks, but not necessarily if you give them in sequence. Your son gets to the mat but forgets his pencil.
My son’s issues were never behavioral.
Hang in there.
Sounds like my middle son.
He could always take a field trip while sitting in the classroom staring out the window. The ultimate space cadet.
His IQ is literally at the top of the charts. He was a National Merit Scholar in high school, eventually earning two engineering degrees. But the structure of school was always hard. We found that the more challenging classes were actually easier for him, because they kept his attention.
In grade school, he could never get dressed on time, never tied his shoes (and often just carried them!), never finished his homework (but could ace tests). If you asked him his name, he’d have to stand looking at you and think about it. He just lived in another world.
In junior high, his teachers called me in one day. He was so spacey, they thought he was on drugs. Trust me, he wasn’t, and he wasn’t trying to be “different.” He just was.
If your boy needs meds, try it. It will be easier on the teacher and much easier on you. But it will likely also drain some of his creativity.
The best advice I ever got from one of the many experts we consulted was to just enjoy my son the way he was. Love, and discipline, and lots of guidance, but acceptance, too.
Pulling for you.
“I have been working with him at home with that Total Transformation program that you hear advertised on the radio, and it does seem to have helped at home - but at school I have been pulled aside 3 times so far by his kindergarten teacher this year, to tell me is not listening to simple directions given in class.”
Maybe it is your kindergarten teacher who lacks patience; why would she be a teacher of immature students (all kindergarten students are immature), if she weren’t willing to give each child the attention he deserves.
Is this a mandated program he is in, or a choice made through convenience?
Each child is different in the same sense that you are not the same as me or those here.
The FDA just caused all the small children’s OTC cold medicines to be pulled from the market because in too many instances, they felt parents were either overdosing or simply using the doping effect some have to better control their babies fussing simply for the parents’ peace of mind.
After this new study of the cortex development, I think that all this business of ADHD should be re-examined in the same light.
Ive been wondering about that Total Transformation program!! thanks for talking about it, because my daughter, who was a preemie, has had problems with focus and while I did not go through the process of labeling her ADD, I did use Adderol and other prescriptives to see if it would help. That was several years ago and we’ve not used it, but she is a full fledged teenager now and the arguments are frequent. You would think as a homeschooler I would have this under control!!
I homeschooled my nephew who had ADD (I have custody). He is now 16 years old, an assistant instructor at a local Academey of Kung-fu, taking college level courses and working towards a GED. He is also a computer systems administrator in-training.
The truth about ADD/ADHD is that your child’s brain is growing more extensive neural networks in his brain than a normal child. This means that eventually he will be more intelligent than the norm. Only problem is he will have trouble controlling himself due to all that nerve growth. It could take from three to five years longer for his brain to mature. The male human brain doesn’t mature until about age 24, so for ADD/ADHD males that means he should not touch any alchohol until he is nearly 30-years old.
Your instincts a about drugs is spot on. I started giving my boy (about age 10) a half cup of coffee mixed in with his mornging cocoa and that greatly helped him to focus on his schoolwork in the morning and right through until about 1:30 pm. Then he took a break before going to Kung-fu lessons or out to play. (His counslor, a specialist in ADHD had wanted him on some kind of stimulant but I said no amphetimines, as both his parents are drug addicts, and she told me that in grade schools the teachers will use coca-cola as it contains caffeine. That is why he gets a half-cup of coffee in the am).
I resisted putting my son on medication for years. His problems made our home life hell, and my daughters were not getting the attention and peace that they deserved.
When we finally started him on medication during the summer, he went from a child who had to be forced to read to the top reader in the entire school.
We have since found out he is also bi-polar.