Anyone have kids with ADHD or ODD?

I cannot tell you what to do with your child, I can only relate what we've done with ours...

My now 11 year old son was diagnosed at 6 with ADHD. His school at the time was pushing for us to get him tested & pushing us to put him on medication. I argued that he didn't need medication, he needed to be challenged in class and that they needed to quit handing out candy for every little thing. I also suggested they test him for gifted services, they refused. They told us that not only wasn't he gifted, but that he needed to be in the special needs classroom.

After the school tested him (and said he was "the worst case of ADHD" they'd ever seen) we took him to a different psychologist to be tested. She agreed that he had it, and that it was pretty bad, but she assured me that there were other things we could do if we didn't want to medicate him. She told us he most likely also had ODD, but she didn't see any point in putting that on his chart since it wouldn't be of any help to him in the long run. She tested him and told us that he was highly intelligent and absolutely did not belong in the special needs classroom. After we showed the school her results, they finally agreed to test him for gifted services. I got a letter, with no scores on it, within two days time saying that he didn't qualify. One more thing, he was in trouble (in the principal's office) every single day, and most days several times, from the first week of 1st grade until we moved midway through 2nd grade.

I told the new school (in a different state) about the diagnosis and they told me that they could handle it. The very first week he was there, they tested him for gifted services (without us asking) and he tested way above his grade level. His reading comprehension was at a 6th grade level, his other scores were 95% or higher in the other categories. They started giving him more challenging work and allowing him to read when he finished his work in class because that's something he can easily focus on and not distract the other kids. We've been in this state/school system for four years now and I can count on one hand the number of times he's been in the principal's office.

He still has ADHD, no question about that. But we've found things that can help alleviate the symptoms of it. We try really hard to avoid giving him processed food and make sure he eats protein with every meal. I send his lunch every day so I know what he consumes. He doesn't drink sodas or eat most hard candies although chocolate is fine, especially dark chocolate. When doing homework I've found he does best if we have him do 15 minutes of homework, then send him to play for 15 minutes and keep alternating until he's done with it all. We've kept his schedule fairly consistent and all rules are simple, in writing and consistently enforced. His screen time (tv, videos, movies) are directly related to his behavior and he only has screen time on weekends. He has a chart with his chores for the week that he checks off as he does them so that he has something concrete in front of him to work from (otherwise he forgets to finish the second he sees something more interesting.)

I will tell you that my husband did not agree with me about not medicating our son, he really wanted to put him on something. His mother really tried to push us to do it as well, but I knew my son and I knew he didn't need to be medicated.

My son's story is not every child's story. Some kids do benefit from the medicine. If it helps them to focus so they can get a good education and stay out of trouble, either at school or at home, it's something to be seriously looked at. I just didn't want my son on any drug if there was anything else I could do instead. It has not been easy, it's a lot of work sometimes. He's had to learn things that work to make his life easier such as recognizing when he's hungry, or making sure he has protein regularly. He learned some basic mediation to help "center himself" when he's feeling chaotic. And, I try really hard not to react when he gets exceedingly emotional about something because reacting just makes him spiral higher.

Sorry this is so long, you are more than welcome to pm me directly with any questions you have.

Any and every parent would be hesitant about medicating their child. I even second guess Tylenol. It's only natural. We want our children to be happy and healthy. We want the best for them. And medication comes with the stigma that something is "wrong."

However, we can see from the few posts here how helpful the right medication can be.

Ask your doctor lots of questions, even if you're embarrassed because you "read it on the internet." It's okay! Investigate and do what is best for your child. Quality of life is so important! We want our kids to be successful in school and positively sociable

this. nature and nurture both play a role, make sure your kids are inspired and have freedom to challenge anything and everything. this gives them a more challenging environment and will encourage their growth instead of hindering it.

YES! I have been there! Still going through it. My child is 9 now, but had him put on ritalin and then concerta. Not only is he ADHD he has some sensory issues as well. We have had issues with him since a very young age. We finally decided that medication was the right route. We were anti-drug too seeing as my husband is a pharmacist and knows all the side effects of all medications. We got to a breaking point with our child that we had to try something new and hes currently on concerta and works wonders. Hes been on medication since he was 6 yrs old. We still have our ups and downs, but it helps him slow down and stay focused....he's brilliant with a photographic memory. It was hard to see him struggle with remembering rules and controlling his anger. The meds help him reach his potential and even further I say if u experience things like this...do it with pysch therapy as well.

clean eating helps a lot. here's an article that was linked to me

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20048725-10391704.html

No No No No ! There might be some kids that can't pay attention because they are too full of pop tarts, but for most of them this is just nonsense and it is EXTREMELY INSULTING to the parents of these kids(like me!).

My son is in the autism spectrum and has had mood problems
If your child can truly not function, then use the medications, but you have to pay attention and weigh the side effects against the benefits. We took him off of several drugs a few years ago and now he is only on two and we don't see those stopping soon.

Best of luck to you. It is hard and it really doesn't get better.

I'm quite concerned at the rate in which children are being diagnosed with this.

My son is ADHD not medicated. Though school is a struggle for him he still makes great grades. We have altered his diet and that has worked. He also plays alot of sports we keep him very active so he has lots of time to work off the endless amounts of energy he seems to have. He is 11 and is a very happy child. Now on the other hand. His best friend who is also 11 has ADHD as well. They tried diet and all the same things that has worked for my son but didn't work for him. He takes meds. Every child is different just like every adult is different. I would explore all your options and try everything that you feel worth trying with your child.

ADD / ADHD is pretty well know & talked about but i didn't see anyone address ODD. i think its been confused with OCD.

if your son has ODD you really must have your hands full. when a young child has ODD, its an awefully hard disability to live with. (((hugs)))

my nephew is 9 and has ADHD & ODD. just last month my nephew broke his mother's eye socket in one of his fits of defiance. He has a mobile therapist that comes to the house once a week and a TS (social worker) that also spends 10 hours a week with him. in addition to these services he too takes BOTH these meds you mentioned. without them we'd be helpless & he'd be in a children's hospital of some sort. he needs them. i have faith that you will find the best medication fit for your son too.

What do other MFP members have to offer about ODD- Oppositional Defiant Disorder

You are your child's best advocate. Ask tons of questions. Don't be afraid to research. Changes can be made. Continue the good fight. Good Luck! :flowerforyou:

My son has thrown a radio at my head, tried to beat me with belts, thrown a lawn chair at me, he punches, kicks, bites, scratches, headbutts, pinches, screams at the top of his lungs, and other things. The look in his eyes when he is like this scared me to bad. My son is not in there when he has a fit and his pupils are so dilated his eyes are almost pure black. I had to call the cops on him last time (per his social workers orders) and that scared me. Then when he calms down he feels so much remorse he practically begs me to hurt him the way he hurt me. It kills me to see him like that and he hates it too. I is always saying he wishes he can stop but his body won't let him.

Sounds so much like my 16yo son! He has a ASD dx and a mood disorder-NOS dx. He had his first *melt down* at around age 2. For the last 10 years or so we have had to do *take downs* when he snaps. I have mastered literally throwing him to the floor, rolling him on his belly and shoving his face in the rug. If his face is not in the rug, he WILL bite you. The last time he melted down, he bit me on the side of my belly before I could flip him. We have called the sheriff many times, and the last time they gave him the scared straight treatment--threw cuffs on him, put him in the back of the car and got up in his face--but he truly cannot control himself without chemical assistance. He has been on anti-psychotics for the last 6 years, and finally we feel like he is as close to normal as he can be--he is on prozac, abilify and tenex.

My son was just diagnosed with ADHD and ODD and they are wanting me to put him on Ritalin and Concerta. I am nervous and have my reservation about putting my son on drugs such as those. Anyone here have similar childrens issues?

What is ODD? Do you mean OCD? I'm not trying to be cheeky by asking. I think medication for OCD is a good idea. I've been taking it for two years and no longer have any symptoms.