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I also don't get 'medicine or homeschool' as the only options; doesn't adhd usually mean a child can't function well anywhere?
I think the point here is that a child who isn't functioning 'well' at home might still be able to learn more at home where his behavior can be more comfortably accomidated. And while most teachers wouldn't blame or shame a kid with ADHD behaviors for what the child can't control, there are always those that do. At home, also, the parent or tutor can design a day that makes the most of a child's interests and readiness level. Does this make sense, chris1234? Grinity
�one test that my son was given, among many, was a computer based test of concentration, where the child is required to concentrate on something pretty boring. He is very VERY active. He has trouble listening, but can focus when things are of interest (his interest, not mine, of course). He did 'average' on this test, and this helped confirm, along with other information, that he does not have adhd (although many strangers have kindly suggested it! �
We did not get such a test, but I am kind of curious how they determined that the thing in that test was in fact �pretty boring� across the board? I can just imagine the scientific study, lol.
I have seen my DD concentrate for long periods on plenty of things I would have thought most people would find quite boring.
Thanks for the encouragement Chris, I am still digesting the dx but at least it gives me a place to start. Just for background: my DD17 never got in trouble at school for anything that would have made me wonder if she had ADHD, she simply never turned in any homework but her grades were okay and her test scores were excellent so I wrote it off as her being bored and unwilling to do what she considered pointless work. I knew she wasn�t being challenged by the school, but there were no other options available for her at the time so I sympathized and let it go as long as she was passing all the advanced classes. She has always been a bit of a handful at home, but I didn�t realize that the constant questioning of rules was just a gifted issue and the lack of organizational/planning/time management skills was something more than laziness. I only started to think there was a real problem when she couldn�t pull it together to write her college application essays in a timely manner for the school she desperately wanted to go to. Then I realized she really never did produce high quality written work on demand so I wanted to find out if she had some kind of LD that was making writing especially difficult for her. That�s how we got started down this road to discovery!
"I think the point here is that a child who isn't functioning 'well' at home might still be able to learn more at home where his behavior can be more comfortably accomidated. And while most teachers wouldn't blame or shame a kid with ADHD behaviors for what the child can't control, there are always those that do. At home, also, the parent or tutor can design a day that makes the most of a child's interests and readiness level."
I think that's probably true Grinity, but I don't think that was what this Psych was saying, I really got the uncomfortable impression that he saw the purpose of medication as being to make the student more compliant/acceptable to the school. Hopefully I was wrong there, but I got the feeling he really didn�t even read my DD�s case file beyond IQ scores.
I'm still on the fence about the decision to try the medication but my DD said it really does help her get her thoughts in order (i.e. find the right word right away and still remember why she was searching for that word in the first place).
So far, so good but after one week of sleeping solidly from 1am to 7am while on the meds, her sleeping is back to being erratic. She took a 3 mg melatonin Friday night and slept all day Saturday(!) The Dr said we could adjust the ADD med schedule and take the 2nd dose earlier so she could fall asleep earlier than 1am...she tried that yesterday and couldn't sleep at all last night. She doesn't want to take the Melatonin regularly because she is afraid of getting addicted to sleeping pills...if anyone has links to studies that show otherwise, that would be helpful.
After watching the "wayseer manifesto" video on you-tube with my DD, I got all teary eyed and asked my DD if she thought maybe the meds would stunt her amazing "outside the boxiness" and she assured me the meds do not affect her thinking, only the efficiency of it and they greatly reduce the frustration of not being able to think efficiently.
So, I am feeling pretty good about trying the meds (for today anyway!)
I totally get the fears around medications and their effects. On top of that I hate the 'medication merry-go-round' Try this version of a stimulant - Try adjusting the dose - Try that version - Try an non-stim Try a combination -
It can go on and on - and did for us. But when it finally clicked, my son felt so 'right.' Golly that made it all worth it. All I can say is: Trust your mom-gut.
� I think that's probably true Grinity, but I don't think that was what this Psych was saying, I really got the uncomfortable impression that he saw the purpose of medication as being to make the student more compliant/acceptable to the school. Hopefully I was wrong there, but I got the feeling he really didn�t even read my DD�s case file beyond IQ scores.
I just don't buy that. Is this the same person who diagnosed situational depression?
ADD inattentive kids are usually not poorly behaved, or defiant at school - although they may have EF troubles that keep them from turning the homework in.
Your report of the exchange reads to me that the Doc wasn't able to establish repore with you, and was a sort of 'shoot from the lip' kind of person. I know how hard it is to put comments from authority figures out of one's mind, but honestly I would try to smoosh the memory with a 'even if he and I don't agree, he probably believes he has my child's best interest at heart.' and then turn it into an interesting footnote.
�After watching the "wayseer manifesto" video on you-tube with my DD, I got all teary eyed
Thanks for the link Nik, I had no idea. At First I thought it was an iphone advertisement - but no.
I have to say that personally I appreciated the slick effectiveness, but the politics are totally bogus in my opinion. "The Frontal Lobes are the Gestapo of the Mind" is untrue, and offends me deeply. The frontal lobes are a part of the brain that helps folk achieve their goals. MLK and Mother Theresa must have had very strong frontal lobes to accomplish what they were able to accomplish. And the Matrix is my favorite movie! Heartbreaking to see it chopped up and used that way. I hated that 'us' vs. 'them' mentality - 90% blabla. And I find it to be false and dangerous.
To be honest, I'm about as 'out there' and 'unbrainwashed' a person as one could want - and I find the 'wayseeker' stuff superficial and manipulative and 'off base.'
I'm not renouncing any part of my brain nor any tie with all of humanity. Love and more love, Grinity
I She doesn't want to take the Melatonin regularly because she is afraid of getting addicted to sleeping pills...if anyone has links to studies that show otherwise, that would be helpful.
Hi Nik, Melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces when it gets dark out and it makes you sleepy. It is not addictive and is not a "sleeping pill". There haven't been too many long term studies of its use, but the ones that I've seen don't show any problems with taking it regularly. Some studies have also shown that kids with ADHD and ASD make less Melatonin than others. Melatonin is also used with visually impaired people, since they don't produce the hormone in response to changes in light. My pediatrican had no problem with my son taking it regularly. It is not a prescription medication (at least in Canada).
Also, if the 3 mg Melatonin is too much, try cutting the dose in half. 3 mg is a lot more that the average person produces naturally (about 0.3 mg I think).
You can check out Grinity's link to the article on melatonin and ADHD on this thread.
Grinity, thanks for your insight on that video, I felt so conflicted after watching it, it was a HUGE relief when my DD said that the meds really did not inhibit or alter her thinking at all but rather made it less frustrating and more efficient. I do see though, how the "us against them" mentality could arise when so many are so often mistreated/misunderstood because of their uniqueness. I can see the desire to turn it around and celebrate the positive aspects of it, but perhaps this took that just a little too far. Honestly, until a couple of months ago, I truly believed that ADHD was fictional affliction and that the meds were the "powers that be"'s way of handling the "difficult kids" by drugging them.
As for the Psych, I don't know how much of the report he had anything to do with, the diagnostician spent the most time with my DD and built a rapport with both of us, she mentioned suspicions of ADD inattentive and depression on day 1. The Psych met with us for 30 minutes 3 weeks later and did not really say much that indicated to me that he had looked past the summary provided by the diagnostician. He kept looking at his watch and yes, the few things he did say rubbed me the wrong way but I think we got closer to where we needed to be whether it was because of him or in spite of him so I am not going to sweat it. It just added to my uneasiness over the whole meds thing in the first place when I was hoping the Psych would be able to reassure me in some way.
Verona, thanks for the info, I will share that with my DD although the article states something to the effect that the methodology in the current research needed some work. My DD is very much of the "show me the valid research or I wont believe it" mentality. Wow, I wonder why the Dr suggested 3mg to start with, my DD isn't all that big either!
Thanks, as always for the insights and responses. Nik
I didn't read the whole thread, my apologies. But visual spatial thinking kids are totally characteristic of ADHD. Just the nature of their thinking. And the mess that goes with it.
I would do a project and a tornado around me. When the project was done, then I could cope with clean up and organization. I could not cope with the mess in mid project. No way, no how -- as an adult, being paid for what I did. A child is just starting to deal with those issues.
Over the years my son has used 3mg, 2mg and 1mg dose...sometimes it just seems like we had to move up or down. He doesn't use it all all now, with a roomate and a later bedtime, and working out regularly he doesn't seem to need it. ((shrugs)) I wonder if your DD will buy the 'it's a hormone, not a drug' argument. I certainly did. I love research and all, but sometimes one has to go with what works. I don't think it's risk free 'because it's natural.' These are hard decisions.
I'd love to see your DD doing some meditation if she doesn't want to continue with the Melatonin. Here are some resources to get started: https://sites.google.com/site/giftedmeditation/ And meditation has research behind it, too.
