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unofficial ADD Diagnosis

precbaby3precbaby3
in School-Aged Children
Been concerned with my 5 yo DS's behavior and now that he is in school and i am not there to help control him, it has really made me realize how much of an issue that it is..We had an appt last Fri with his pediatrician and she cannot make a diognosis but said unofficially she has no doubt he has it just by watching his behaviors while in the office. She referred us to the psychologist to get an official diagnosis and i was just wondering if there is anyone else out there that has gone through this process and what you have tried and if there is anything out there that has been tried other than medications that have worked for you?  My pediatrician recommended some Omega 3 fatty acid supplements that i was able to find organic ones with no artificial sweeteners that we started yesterday and was not sure how long it would take before seeing a difference if this does help, and also anyone else tried any other ADD treatments/behavioral modifacations that really made a diff for your kiddos?  I don't want to jump and put him on meds, just don't want him to fall behind in school or get in trouble so much that he begins to not like it bc at this point, he LOVES it!  Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.  Thank you:)
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Re: unofficial ADD Diagnosis

  • shouldbworkinshouldbworkin
    We went to a psychologist last winter. She did help with behavior mod at home and school, but for DS it couldn't only help out so much.  It really became apparent to me that there was an issue that needed more treatment when he started to read.  He couldn't even finish a short sentence without drifting off halfway through.  We took him to an ADHD specialist who Rx'd guanfacine, which has done wonders. 
    DS1 age 7, DD age 5 and DS2 born 4/3/12
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  • Tonya_GTonya_G member
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    IME, medication and targeted behavior mods together work best for ADHD. Supplements and diet are of limited benefit for most kids I know with ADD/ADHD.

    Not a huge fan of the old line antihypertensives, they have a lot of issues with losing their efficacy over time, making children tired and they don't work as well as the newer stimulants.

    You should also ask his school district to do a multifactored eval in all areas of suspected disability. Dated and in writing.

    This. A developmental pediatrician can also make this diagnosis- it's not fully reliant upon a psychologist/psychiatrist. It is a good idea to work with one though. It sounds like you have been able to manage behaviors at home pretty well, but the psych can make suggestions/work with the school to set up structures at school to help with behavior.

    We tried many "natural" remedies before finally coming to the decision to evaluated and start meds- the day we started meds, the aggressive behavior that was our biggest concern dropped dramatically. That further sealed for us that it was the right decision for our son.

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  • TMILLER45TMILLER45 member

    I'm not big on giving meds right away either. You can always try a Gluten-Free diet and see how that works. I don't know how long you have to wait to see results...but here are some links on this diet and ADHD.

    https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=79505

    https://www.livestrong.com/article/509993-gluten-intolerance-adhd/

    There are a lot of different articles on this issue....some say that the diet has nothing to do with it...others say it does. From my own experience...my nephew is on the autistic spectrum and also has celiac disease so he has to be on the gluten free diet. But with that diet we see a big difference in his social behavior as opposed to his behavior before the diet.

    GL!

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  • jlw2505jlw2505 member
    My 5 year old was diagnosed with ADHD in August.  I personally have no issues with medication - if this was any other illness, would you not treat it with medication?  I know its a personal decision but many kids are not able to deal with this on their own and behavior modication only works so well.  After my DD was diagnosed, I met with her psychologists for the parent education stuff.  I was told after our conversation that my DH and I are doing everything that she would have suggested for us.  We started my DD on medication and it is amazing to see her flourish and grow.  We also have her take 1 mg of Melatonin which helps her sleep and with her being well rested, she is already a step ahead and does way better than before.
    Jenni Mom to DD#1 - 6-16-06 DD#2 - 3-13-08 
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