ADD/ADHD

[tiggerlover]

Can anyone tell me about Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD? Signs and symptoms, treatment, etc.

Thanks.

 

[Pembo]

My 6 yo ds is Mild Adhd. We knew because he talks constantly, is loud, is always in motion, needs little sleep.

My 35 yo dh is adult diagnosed adhd. We knew because he talks constantly, is loud, has a hard time staying organized, has a hard time finishing what he starts, and so much more.

My ds is not on meds, we just work on behavior mod. My dh is on meds, once a day. Has made a world of difference.


Why are you asking????

 

[Goofyta]

My 6 yo DS was diagnosed ADHD last year and takes a small dosage of Adderal 1 time a day. There are many sites on the internet where you can research. If you are thinking your child might have this, take him/her to a psychiatrist and have him/her tested. Then, do a lot on research on your own, especially if the doctor is recomending medication. You will know what is best for your child. Good Luck!!

 

[mrsapalm]

I am an adult and I have ADD. I was on Ritalin for 11 years, then switched to Adderall. I am very, very quiet in person, but I have a hard time concentrating. I don't babble, or have outbursts, or run around full of energy. I am just the opposite - if I'm not on my meds I will sit around, staring off into space, but with many, many thoughts going on in my head.
I was on 15 mg 2x a day + 5 mg at 4:30 p.m. (Adderall), but I've switched to the XR (time-release) at, I think, 20 mg. (maybe 30). It's not working well, and so I think I will have to go back to cutting up my pills and carrying them with me every day. That dosage seemed to work really well for me.
Any other info you need, just PM me.
-MrsAPalm

 

[Disneyphile's Wife]

My 7 year old DS is ADHD and was diagnosed two years ago. He's on Adderall. We know this because he doesn't sleep, doesn't stop moving, doesn't stop talking, etc. The medicine makes a world of difference. When we went to talk to his teacher this week (second grade), she said she wouldn't have realized it except by going through his records. She had noticed that he was Organizationally Challenged. (Translation: he's messy and has trouble remembering to get everything that's supposed to go home home and everything that's supposed to go to her to her.)

We think he inherited it (or at least the predisposition) from me. Although I've never been formally diagnosed, I fit all the criteria for the Inattentive type. I've never been on medication for it, but you should see my task lists, etc, to prevent me from forgetting what I need/want to do. (Sometimes the lists take over! )

If you're considering treatment, especially medication for a child, have him thoroughly tested. DS was diagnosed by a Developmental Pediatrician, who gathered scales from us and his teachers and examined him in her office. (Actually, she was the second opinion; the first was the same.)

Two books that helped us out a lot were Driven to Distraction (adults and children) and 1-2-3-Magic (for children).

I could go on and on on this subject (more than I already have ). If I can be of any more help, please e-mail.

 

[Goofyta]

mrsapalm - we have been thinking about the new Adderall XR, because our DS meds wear off around 1:00 in the afternoon and he still has 2 hours of school left. You are not the only person I have heard that it isn't working well. Does it wear off too soon?

Disneyphile's Wife - my son is the same, the teacher did not know he had ADHD until she saw him at a parent meeting after his meds wore off. The medication is a life saver, but I am hoping he will be able to function without it by the time he gets to junior high (we will see).

 

[Kermit]

I think that one of the biggest misconceptions about ADD/ADHD is that people who have it can't pay attention to anything. I'm sure the symptoms can vary among different people, but as a general rule, they concentrate very intently on things, just not the things they should be concentrating on. They're frequently the people that other people call space cadets. They want to be able to concentrate on what they should be working on, but they're easily distracted and get off on tangents.

 

[elgerber]

Kermit,

I think you are exactly right. My son is 9 and gifted with ADD. He has huge focus issues with his schoolwork, unless it's something he really likes. However, he can focus intently for hours on building a model or reading a book or trying some science experiments. His work is really easy for him, even the advance stuff, but he is very easily distracted and focusing on other things instead.

Erika

 

[mrsapalm]

Goofyta - My experience with Adderall XR has not been a good one... there is no focus at all, and I am just as "zoned out" as I would be without any meds. I'm just sort of lolling around in a daze, and that is No Good. I'm going back to the regular Adderall ASAP!

To clarify the "focus" issue... this is an example of what I go through on a daily basis:
My mind races through a list of things I need to accomplish. I get stuck on one thing and "beat it to death" until I have completed that task to perfection. I'm obsessive-compulsive about cleanliness, perfection, organization, and general order. Things must be done in the same order, at the same time every day, and they must be completed to absolute perfection. It makes it hard to multitask at work, but I'm always known as the most organized person in the office. I'm extremely detailed and I analyze everything before coming to a decision (what to eat for lunch, which color lipstick to wear, what shoes to wear, what font to use, etc...). I have been tested and scored at the genius level, but my math skills are very poor (thank goodness for the calculator). But the worst thing of all is that, if I am in a situation where there is no routine (Saturdays and Sundays), I often sit in front of the tv, zoned out, but my mind racing through the list of things I need to do that day. That will last for most of the day. But by that time, my day is wasted. That is my life, in a nutshell. Thank goodness for medication.
-MrsAPalm

 

[ripleysmom]

This is taken from the CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) website....

1. Does my child have AD/HD?

All children may be overly active at times, their attention spans may be short, and they may act without thinking. However, if your child seems more active than others the same age; if your child is notoriously forgetful, disorganized, and always losing things; if the teacher complains that your child can’t stay seated or quiet, blurts out answers instead of waiting to be called on, pays more attention to the traffic in the hall than to her, behaves aggressively, or struggles academically, then you may want to have your child evaluated for AD/HD.

Determining if a child has AD/HD is a multifaceted process. Many biological and psychological problems can contribute to symptoms similar to those exhibited by children with AD/HD. For example, anxiety, depression and certain types of learning disabilities may cause similar symptoms.

A comprehensive evaluation is necessary to establish a diagnosis, rule out other causes and determine the presence or absence of co-occurring conditions. Such an evaluation should include a clinical assessment of the individual’s academic, social and emotional functioning and developmental abilities. Additional tests may include intelligence testing, measures of attention span and parent and teacher rating scales. A medical exam by a physician is also important. Diagnosing AD/HD in an adult requires an examination of childhood, academic and behavioral history. The problems need to be rooted in childhood but persist into adulthood.

AD/HD symptoms often arise in early childhood. AD/HD is diagnosed using the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Edition (DSM-IV). To meet the diagnostic criteria for AD/HD, symptoms must be evident for at least six months, with onset before age seven.

Diagnostic criteria are as follows:

Inattention:

often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books or tools)
is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
is often forgetful in daily activities


Hyperactivity-Impulsivity

often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)
often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
is often "on the go" or often acts as "driven by a motor"
often talks excessively
often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
often has difficulty awaiting turn
often interrupts or intrudes on others

2. Can my child have AD/HD and not be hyperactive?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) identifies three types of AD/HD: Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, Predominantly Inattentive Type, and Combined Type. Children with the mainly Inattentive type of AD/HD tend to daydream and have difficulty focusing.

The following criteria are used to diagnose children with AD/HD, Predominantly Inattentive Type. Symptoms must have been present for at least six months, with onset before age seven:

often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books or tools)
is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
is often forgetful in daily activities

3. How is AD/HD treated?

Most experts recommend a multimodal treatment approach for AD/HD, consisting of a mix of medical, educational, behavioral, and psychological interventions. Interventions may include educational modifications and accommodations, behavior modification, parent training, counseling, and medication .

Psychostimulants (such as methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, and pemoline) are the most widely used medication for the management of AD/HD-related symptoms. Between 70-80% of children with AD/HD respond positively to psychostimulant medications. Other medication includes some antidepressants and antihypertensives. These medications increase attention and decrease impulsivity, hyperactivity and aggression.

Behavior management is an important intervention with children who have AD/HD. The most important technique is positive reinforcement, in which the child is rewarded for desired behavior.

Classroom success may require a range of interventions. Most children with AD/HD can be taught in the regular classroom setting with either minor adjustments to the classroom setting, the addition of support personnel, and/or "pull-out" programs that provide special services outside of the classroom. The most severely affected may require self-contained classrooms.

Adults with AD/HD can benefit from learning to structure their environment. Medications effective in child AD/HD also appear useful with adults who have AD/HD. Vocational counseling is often an important intervention. Short-term psychotherapy can help the patient identify how his or her disability might be associated with a history of sub-par performance and difficulties in personal relationships. And extended psychotherapy can help address any mood swings, stabilize relationships and alleviate guilt and discouragement.


Here is a link for more info....

http://www.chadd.org/webpage.cfm?cat_id=7&subcat_id=41#q1


Both of my children have ADHD. Please understand that diagnosis is only the beginning of a lot of hard work. Hope this helped and Good Luck!!

If you have any questions or need any other info please feel free to pm or e-mail me.

 

[mamajoan]

Hi deb, I have dealt with both ends of ADD and ADHD.. makes for an interesting life as a mom.. I am sure other parents of kids with add/adhd would concur.

It is an often misdiagnosed or abused diagnosis... often thrown at kids when no one can explain what is happening. Often lightly tossed about when many view their kids as "hyper".. Parents of true ADHD kids know "hyper" as soon as they see it.

It is essential that a true diagnosis be found by a good doc. It helps if a pediatrician will work with a behavior psych, OT or both.
There are specific tests and avenues of treatment for both dx's.
Behavior modification and the addition of meds to a daily routine was a life saver for our family. It is a sometimes bumpy road of trial and error to find what works best for your child and his degree of ADHD/ADD. Another factor is that most kids do not fit snugly into one category.
If you need pm me and we can talk about signs and symptoms.
You have rec'd good info thus far on the dis. Ripleysmom gave you a superb link. MrsApalm described what often happens in a combination of dx. btw.. the ADD part fit my oldest to a T.. she could have been describing his behavior..
Different meds work for different people.. Ritalin is our drug of choice, Adderall was horrid for dd. It really caused some freaky reactions in her. However Adderall is great for most people.
Joan

 

[mamajoan]

Hi deb, I have dealt with both ends of ADD and ADHD.. makes for an interesting life as a mom.. I am sure other parents of kids with add/adhd would concur.

It is an often misdiagnosed or abused diagnosis... often thrown at kids when no one can explain what is happening. Often lightly tossed about when many view their kids as "hyper".. Parents of true ADHD kids know "hyper" as soon as they see it.

It is essential that a true diagnosis be found by a good doc. It helps if a pediatrician will work with a behavior psych, OT or both.
There are specific tests and avenues of treatment for both dx's.
Behavior modification and the addition of meds to a daily routine was a life saver for our family. It is a sometimes bumpy road of trial and error to find what works best for your child and his degree of ADHD/ADD. Another factor is that most kids do not fit snugly into one category.
If you need pm me and we can talk about signs and symptoms.
You have rec'd good info thus far on the dis. Ripleysmom gave you a superb link. MrsApalm described, very well, what often happens in a combination of dx. btw.. the ADD part fit my oldest to a T.. she could have been describing his behavior..
Different meds work for different people.. Ritalin is our drug of choice, Adderall was horrid for dd. It really caused some freaky reactions in her. However Adderall is great for most people.
Joan