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| Parents of Teens |
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Any advice on ADD meds - I have opted for years not to put my son on any sort of medication for ADD. Last year, 8th grade, he started going downhill regarding his grades -low C's and D's. He is very smart academically and has no problem not being a social butterfly which gets him trouble. So, I made the decision to put him on Adderall - it completely and utterly worked for his focusing issue but it completely drained him - falling asleep on my kitchen floor actually snoring. He graduated on the honor roll. I was so distraught in having him take anything at all - I actually threw up the first morning I gave it him. My friends kept telling me it wasn't about me anymore and that my son really did need something to help him. I didn't have him on anything over the summer and opted not to put him on anything at the beginning of this year (9th grade starting high school). Well, the grades are now slipping again. We decided (and my son is so a part of making these decisions) to put him on Concerta - my son doesn't feel like they are helping at all. Parent teacher conference tonite - they all say my son is a very respectful, smart kid - just not focused.
Question is .... what other ideas are out there regarding meds and any experience with any of them. I have read lots and lots and lots on ADD, diet, indigo, crystal,etc..... just need some real life help now.
Thanks for all of those who have gone through this as well as those going through this.
Keeping the faith,
Charity |
| Posted by Charity on 10/31/2008 02:26 AM
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I have no medical backround, & no experience with ADD meds... I do however have a 14 year old son who went through some of the same experiences in 8th grade. We enrolled him in a dofferent high school, one that offers an International Baccalaureate (IB) program. It is a more challenging but also more engaging college prep curriculum that focuses more on teaching them to be good students, & time management. He ejoined the football team, already has a great group of friends, & is surrounded by kids that are there to learn, dont appreciate his class interruptions, lack of attention etc.. It is never perfect, dont get me wrong, but the additional challenges of a more rigorous curriculum, combined with the slight insecurity of being in a new place has made a huge difference in him & his maturation. It isnt for everybody, but there are also charter schools that offer similar changes for your son.
I wish you all the best, I feel you, I do!!! Angela |
| posted by Angela on 10/31/2008 10:31 AM
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Charity,
I have a son who has ADHD/borderline Aspergers. We tried medication when he was first diagnost to help him concentrate, but either they didn't work, or he became violent. My son is the biggest sweetey, so we decided to end the medication and teach him how to control himself. We put him in ocupational theropy, and it worked for a long time. He is now in 8th grade, his grades have slipped, and his teachers say that he rushes thru his work and is very distracted by anything and everything. I don't want to try medication again, so we are going to try therapy again.
Also, my older son is now 16 and a sophmore. During JR high, he went from honors to d's and f's. Freshman year was very hard, I tried everything and he spent alot of time grounded with no tv, video games and no phone. We made him read and study with us at night. He hated it at first, but his grades moved up. This year he was on the football team for the second time, and without our help, he is holding a B average. He told me that he didn't really understand how important his grades were for his future, and now that he understands, he doesn't want to mess that up.
I don't think I will have it that easy with my 13 year old, but we are studying with him every night, and he had an aid in class to help refocus him for now. Next year is going to be a challenge! Please post what you decide to do and let us know how he does.
Oh, one more thing. I was reading an article about wheat, sugar and proccessed foods effecting childrens attention. Try looking for info on those foods, maybe there is something to it.
Good Luck,
Heather |
| posted by Heather on 11/01/2008 10:05 AM
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Charity,
My son struggles with this as well. We have had him on several meds and the key is to find the right one mixed with his other meds to stabilize him. I believe he was on Concerta until recently when we moved him to another drug for his mood disorder that did not interact well with it. I will check in with his Dr for you and find out for sure what worked for my son before the change. But the Concerta seemed to work well.
Dawn |
| posted by Dawn on 11/09/2008 07:23 PM
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