ADD, Behavioral Problems-I Think There's Something More.

My 17 yr old son has ADHD, and for several years we went thru the medication guessing game!! From adjusting dosages and trying new meds, the "tics" never went away. He suffered facial and other muscle tics. It was actually a reaction to the stimulants that they put in Ritalin, Adderall and Concentra. For several years we did not have him on any meds,and tried other methods. There is a book "How to help my ADHD Child" by John Taylor, he is pyschologist and a parent of 3 ADHD children. This book is wonderful!! Reading the book made me think "When did you meet my kid?" Very parent friendly reading!! I also recently put my son on the medication Strattera, which is stimulant free. It has been working pretty well aside from some headaches he occasionally has(that is a side effect some times)They are not severe headaches so he has been able to live with it. Good luck, I know it can be very frustrating at times!!

I saw this story on Good Things Utah this morning and thought it might help. You might want to see if there is a pediatrician who specializes in behavioral disorders as they would be more helpful than a regular ped who treats everything with a blanket medication.

Call 1-888-ASK-ADHD or visit www.adhd.org.

My son has adhd we found out from his doctor when he was in 1 grade and he is now in 4th. We put him on medication the 1st year and it really helped alot but he still got into trouble then the medication stopped working and the doctor switched medication and he stated haulsinating and freaking out in the middle of the night that was the last time we ever used medication on him. We have struggled alot and he has been to 3 different schools and we have found that the traditional schools just don't work for him. We have found a really good school this year it is an expeditionary charter school called entheos and the school is all about the children and it's not the tipicle class where they have to sit still the whole time the only time my son has to be really quite is during reading he is loving school and I am so happy last year was his worst year he basically gave up and he is getting good grades this year and really trying. I think you just need to find what will work for your son and to stand by him have your doctor test him and then just understand that if he does have it there brains are moving so fast they just have to talk and get what is on there mind out and you have to remind them stuff all the time like i have his teacher write down his homework and make sure he remembers to put it in his backpack good comunication with the school really helps.

Good luck
P.

He should have an evaluation by a good child neuropsychologist. Has anyone tried changing his diet or other interventions before putting him on medication? Have you tried the gluten-free, casein free diet (GFCF)? You said he had multiple food allergies. The diet alone can work wonders. It's not as hard as it sounds, believe me I know. My 3 year old daughter has high-functioning autism and has been on the diet for 6 months with great success. We also give her dietary supplements which are monitored by a DAN! doctor (Defeat Autism Now!). I'm not an expert in autism or suggesting he has it. Mom's have special intuition about their kids and you've said you think there is something more. Always go with your intuition. Don't let doctors tell you to wait and see or keep increasing his medication. Once you have a diagnosis, you can take action! Take a look at www.tacanow.com (Talk About Curing Autism Now). It's a great website and give lots of signs and symptoms for developmental delays etc. Best of luck to you. It's a hard road but having answers gives YOU the power to act.

B.

L.,
I agree with everyone about having your son evaluated by a specialist. Pediatricians are good for diagnosing most common things, but if you think there is something more going on then definately get a second or third opinion. You are in control of your son's health. I would also consider seeing a Naturopathic Doctor for dietary concerns and/or treating a final diagnosis naturally. Some kids are very sensitive to chemicals in foods, wheat, dairy and sugar. Eliminating those things could have a very positive impact on how he feels which will improve his behavior. Something else that could help a "jittery" nervous system is massage. Maybe after his bath you could spend a few minutes gently rubbing lotion on him. Light strokes will soothe the nerves and help him relax. Occupational Therapists use a technique called "brushing" on kids with autism to help their nervous system cope with so much stimuli. It is a very soft brush, kinda like a baby brush, and they brush it over their arms and legs. Perhaps it could help your son too. Best wishes to you. T.

I think your little boy sounds pretttty normal to me..maybe theres something wrong with the teacher. we live in a multi-tasking world and our children are bombarded with information just in our daily home lives. I have a 9 year old son who has a July b-day and just happens to be extremely young for his school year. It doesn't seem like much, but developmentally, a few months can amount to alot. He was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate (although you wouldn't know it). He has similar issues with fidgetiness. I refused to have him tested for ADD. Call me stubborn. We are outdoorsmen and I believe that hes a normal boy who naturally suffers from cabin fever during the school year. This year he has a teacher who is dealing with him as a youth, not a '4th grader' He loves her. He is excited about school. I am excited for him.
I read your story and I know that it has to hurt you to medicate your baby. I am a christian and I will be praying for you and your situation. Be encouraged! God loves you!

P.S. Does your son qualify for chapter 1? I remember thinking (as a youth) that that meant 'dumb' or 'special'
but it's really not. Its one on one help for kids who struggle in certain areas!

I agree with Christi, you may want to have him evaluated for Asperger's Syndrome.

Either way, you need to have him diagnosed by a child psychiatrist for any kind of behavioral problem. It could just be ADHD. Maybe he is not reacting well with his mediaction.

Pediatricians are not trained enough in this area of pediatric care. You really should get him in to see a pediatric psychiatrist, not psychologist. You need medical advice from a specialist...not well meaning advice form all of us moms!

Good luck and God bless!

Of course I'm not a doctor, but my first thought when I read your description was that your son suffers from Asperger's Syndrome. I have a nephew with it, and he was initially diagnosed with ADHD incorrectly. He also has nervous "tics" and difficulties concentrating. He is a very intelligent boy and just needs extra attention from his teachers at school. His parents have also found that he can channel his energy by playing sports, and he's always involved that way as well.

Hi L.

I'm no Doctor but my my 6 yr. old son showed all the same signs your son does except the rapidly blinking of one eye. He was always very active and easily distracted growing up. A lot of friends and family told me that I should get him check for ADD. And some would tell me that that's a typical boy growing up. I never got him checked because of the medication that they used. I did not want my son to be on medication. When my son went to Kindergarden last year he showed the same problems your son is having this year. Trust me...my son was sent to the office the first week of school for hitting another child. By the end of the year it tappered down. He is now in 1st grade and the teachers in his school has seen a big difference.

Have you tried sports? I thought my son would never be good at organized sports because of his short attention span. But I asked him what he was interested in and first it was soccer. So he played a season and did pretty good. He still had a hard time listening to the coaches but he got through it because he had fun. Like playing around! Now he is in to football and getting much better with the listening skills. And I notice he is able to use up his extra energy.

In all, maybe your son will grow ot of it like my son did. If you don't want him on the medication don't put him on...let nature takes it's course and find other alternitives to calm him. I did it with sports. You may find something eles like the jungle gym at the park or the beach or something else. Find out what he likes and go with it.

Again, I am no doctor jus a mom who sees it in a different perspective!

I would definitely get him checked out by a more qualified doctor. Tics like that can be what your doctor is saying but can be so much more. Tourette's syndrome has tics and sometimes seizures can look like tics when they are localized. I would highly suggest getting him in to see a pediatric neurologist.
W. Jones
Breastfeeding Educator
http://www.mosaicbaby.com

i'm having some behavior problems with my son also, and my sister suggested i go see a child psychiatrist. she takes her children (her two boys have adhd and one is autistic and the other one also is bi-polar). she says its done miracles, because they can help with the behavior much more than a doctor can. a doctor can pretty much only administer drugs. i would suggest looking into that, as he seems to have much more than just attention problems. good luck!

several people mentioned nutrition.I would diffinately try nutrition and nutritional supplements 1st.I have 3 special needs children. I have put all 3 of them on reliv a patented food supplement made to give our bodies optimal nutrition. My son is bipolar and odd I have been able to take him off his tenex and zoloft and my daughter has been having alot less outburst both at home and school.My other daughter is calmer.I have a friend who has a son with aspergers who put her son on reliv and he also is having amazing results and fewer outbursts......T.

I am ADHD myself along with most of my family and have been on Adderall for quite some time now. My 4 year old- who was 2 months premature- is presenting symptoms of ADHD now. i have decided not to medicate him until the ADHD interferes with has school work and/or social interactions. It does sound, with the information you have provided, that your son is having difficulty in daily life. With the research I have personally done Adderall is usually not the first choice for small children, especially boys. All stimulants will slightly inhibit growth; however some kids use so many calories daily having excess energy its a mute point. With myself, my son, and 3 of my 6 brothers the first step for us was always making sure we were not nutritionally deficient in any vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. Second was learning behavior modification: self-soothing techniques for when your son becomes over stimulated and frustrated, and techniques for you to help him listen and retain information. Third, find a physical outlet or two for him. Gymnastics works for my son, martial arts for one brother, lacrosse and football for another, while hot yoga works for me. Another one of my brothers has a very difficult time expressing himself and uses art as on outlet (he's not very talented, but who cares if it makes him easier to deal with.) Another thought is he might be brilliant yet have multiple severe learning disabilities, this my situation. These are just a few suggestions for ADHD. If you do suspect it is something other than ADHD my advice is to have him evaluated by a child psychiatrist, ask around and check references to find someone deciant. I hope some of this helps you and your son, I remember how difficult it is acting and thinking different than the other kids. Good luck!

L.,
Has anyone ever suggested he should be evaluated for Sensory issues? I am by no means suggesting this is what he has but some sensory issues mimick ADD/ADHD which causes for misdiagnosis. It may be worth considering. Get your hands on a copy of The Out of Sync Child and skim it to see if anything rings true to what your son is experiencing. In particular read information on the "sensory seeker."

you might be interested in talking to someone at 888-ask-adhd about the tics. so many of the behavior problems you are talking about were what my son showed as well. however, adderall has worked wonders for him. he declares himself a "school geek" now because he loves it so much. i'm sure you've heard that premature babies are more likely to have adhd than full term babies. i don't know what the rational behind it is but i've been told that by doctors and a psychologist who helped diagnose my son. also, the tics could be a slight form of tourrets(?)syndrome. not all kids twitch and curse out of control. my neighbor's son raises his eyebrows and drops his jaw at the same time and only about once every 30 minutes and he was diagnosed with tourrets. good luck.

First and foremost, medical doctors (even pediatricians) are not licensed psychologists or psychiatrists and cannot diagnose a mental disorder. There are four general categories for tic disorders and they include Tourette's Disorder, Chronic Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder, Transient Tic Disorder, and Tic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Tics are not normally part of an ADD diagnosis. Seek the help of a certified psychologist or psychiatrist. Your school should have a school psychologist you can consult with to get a better idea.

I would defenitly get a second dr involved. I feel to many teacher's see a child and say ADD. I don't know much about it, but I would take your child to get a second opinion. Good luck