For anyone who is knowledgeable with ADD/ADHD

[kandb]

Hi everyone,
My son who is 7 1/2 years old was diagnosed with ADD yesterday by a pediatric neurologist. The doctor is going to start him on a very small dose of medicine for us to try on the weekend to see if it improves his concentration. The doctor also told us no more video computer games/dsi that are not educational. He pretty much said the video games are detrimental when they are just fast/movements/things you shoot at etc. The doctor recommended that my son do animation on the computer, which he did last night and loved. The doctor did not recommend the Wii. Does anyone know if that is OK for my son to play? Don't want to cut out all his fun. Any thoughts/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Linda

 

[raenyny]

I don't know the answer but I actually have a question for you...What prompted you to have him checked and what exactly did they do for the testing...I am taking my almost 7 year old to a pediatric neurologist at the end of June due to issues at school but I am not sure he has a problem or if its his this years teacher we have no issues with him at home

 

[stashbin]

My daughter was recently diagnosed with ADHD. She is on a 20 mg dosage of Mededate. So far this has really helped with her concentration at school. I can tell when she is not on it as she is a lot more hyper.

The doctor didn't tell us anything about the Wii or other video games. We have started limiting her time on them just because I have noticed she behaves better during the week when she knows she has something to look forward to on the weekend.



We took our DD to a pediatric phsycologist. This is how the diagnosis was made. They ran a bunch of tests on her like IQ, verbal and linguistic...some type of computer test that tested for impusivity. No neurologist.

 

[dizneechic]

I have 2 boys with ADHD, one hyperactive, the other is combined. I by no means consider myself an expert, but no way no how would I 100% remove their hand held games... first it's a big bargaining tool for me, and secondly it allows them a way to "escape" for a few if they need to unwind. They aren't allowed shoot em up games anyhow, they play a lot of puzzle types (Professor Leyton, Scribblenauhts, Rhythm Haven, Puzzle Quest, Sims, MillionHeir), and they use our computer for school work and research. Our Wii doesn't get used that often, but we do use it for special occasions, play dates, snow days, school vacations etc. We find it's a great physical activity for them, especially when the weather isn't as cooperative as we would like to get them outside to burn some energy.

As for meds and focus... unless you saw a lot of this at home, it may be hard for you to track it's success. One of mine is medicated, the other is not (cardio issues). My medicated child when on his meds can control himself a LOT better, but also lets his guard down at home so will choose not to stay in check if he doesn't want to. What it is for us is a conscious decision vs completely impulsive. His teacher however sees a huge improvement because it's a controlled setting, and he knows and can handle keeping in check there. Days I have forgotten to give him meds she knows within the 1st hour because he has difficulty reading (he says words move on the page vs on meds they stay in a line) and he has trouble fidgiting during writing where the meds he can write beautifully.

Anyhow if you are going the medicated route, you will more than likely need to try it longer than a weekend to know if you are having success. It took us a few different medications to find a good fit, and it's still a moving target. Our 1st was a disaster, so if the results aren't what you were expecting or you notice any changes you don't like communicate with your doctor work together until you find something that fits.

Adding in after the previous replies - ours was evaluated though Childrens Hospital Dept of Developmental Medicine and had a full developmental and neurological assessment performed. We were originally referred to just a psych for the eval but we wanted a complete assessment performed.

 

[mapmakerj]

My DS is 11 and was diagnosed w/ADHD at 7. We have never been told to limit his video game play to certain types of games. His Dr. actually encourages him to play WII games to help burn off some of his excess energy, especially the ones that get him up and moving.

 

[ENSOCK]

my DS11 was just dianosed with a combined. We started the meds and I notice when he is on it and when it wears off. As I decribed to my BFF it is like open the cage door and let the tiger run. But today was his first checkup with his Dr. he lost 4 lbs in a month. It has helped his grades somewhat and he is not getting in as much trouble in school.
Our DR did not mention video games at all. But he does not really play that many anyway. He is more of a outdoor kid.

 

[gibsontrio]

Can I ask you ladies what prompted you to take your children to a neurologist for a diagnosis? My son has recently been diagnosed with ADD by a child therapist (took the connors test). I never even thought of taking him to see a neurologist, what kind of process was done to reach a diagnosis?
My sons therapist basically said she does not recommend medication and until he is old enough to grasp the concept, or it interfers with his schoolwork (he is extremely bright) she doesnt think cognitive therapy would help either. So I am kind of at a stand still. We know there is a problem and what it is, we just dont know what to do from here. Does anyone recommend I take him to a neurologist?

 

[Sugar Jones]

My son was diagnosed with ADD in December. He has a hard time focusing, and his teacher suggested the testing. He's always been a dreamer.

He get's decent grades and is a great kid. He does need to be prompted and reminded to do things on a daily basis. If he's watching T.V. the house could burn down around him and he'd have no idea.

Medication was not an option for us. He was causing no problems in his class,he is thriving socially, he is still getting average grades and with prompts, schedules, strict routines he can stay on task.

We give him high does Omega 3 supplements and it has made a world of difference in his ability to concentrate.

Now remember he has ADD NOT ADHD. If had ADHD was disruptive, had mood problems etc... I would not rule out medication.

 

[momto2inKC]

None of my sons dr's have ever said anything about limiting his game playing or the games he plays. I've honestly never heard of it. I wonder if this is just your dr's personal feelings?

 

[kayrosek]

My son was diagnosed ADHD a few years ago on top of other diagnosis' (ASD and LD's) Our doctor recomended him having structured physical activities (marshal arts, gymnastics)but did not say not to let him play video games.

 

[squirrel]

My niece was diagnosed with ADD. She doesn't like video games so I can't help with that.

She has had trouble concentrating and doing school work. After being diagnosed just before the end of Grade 1, she was given medication to help her concentrate. She only takes it on school days.

This year she is doing so much better in school. My sister has noticed that she doesn't sleep as well and she doesn't eat much when she takes the medication.

The reason my sister and the doctor went with medication is because my niece was feeling like she was stupid. They may do something different later but for now they want to improve her self image before seeing if something other than medication will work.

 

[MademoiselleBelle]

Hi there. I'm a college student with ADD (was diagnosed at age 9 about 13.5 years ago), and I have to say that I don't understand why your doctor would tell you that. I'm no doctor, but I do have to say that I have a pretty severe case of ADD, and it does often affect my every day life even though I'm on meds (30 mg of Vyvanse once a day); but I still played computer games quite a bit growing up -- though not really violent/fast-paced ones -- and I don't think doing so had any negative long-term effects on me, lol. I did and am doing pretty well in school, have a good handful of people I'm close to, etc.

I know sometimes people with ADD often tend to hyper focus on one thing, even if it's not what we should be concentrating on. If it's not video games, though, it's something else. Moderation is important, obviously, but that's true for EVERYONE.

Anyway, I feel like I contributed nothing. Just rambling on, sorry, lol. But, for what it's worth, there's what I have to say.

 

[bethy]

Our DD has a fairly severe case of ADHD Inattentive type. She was diagnosed with a full battery of neuro and psych testing performed by a Pediatric Neuropsychologist over the course of several weeks. We felt that when dealing with something this significant we needed a holistic and whole picture of her psycholocially.

So far we have been having much success using behavioral therapy and also just by understanding her better. We have avoided meds so far but do manipulate her diet and exercise level for the physical component of her treatment.

ADHD is not well understood IMO and there are so many varied opinions on how to address it. Some professionals don't really even believe it's a medical conditino. In fact for some people in the long run there can be some great benefits that come of having a brain that works this way. So I'd not just take one doctor's word for everything your son needs. Try different approaches and find a professional whose approach clicks well with your. People who have ADHD are individuals and need individual and customized and holistic treatment approaches in my experience.

 

[Leajess99]

Hi everyone,
My son who is 7 1/2 years old was diagnosed with ADD yesterday by a pediatric neurologist. The doctor is going to start him on a very small dose of medicine for us to try on the weekend to see if it improves his concentration. The doctor also told us no more video computer games/dsi that are not educational. He pretty much said the video games are detrimental when they are just fast/movements/things you shoot at etc. The doctor recommended that my son do animation on the computer, which he did last night and loved. The doctor did not recommend the Wii. Does anyone know if that is OK for my son to play? Don't want to cut out all his fun. Any thoughts/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Linda

My kids play the Wii and do just fine. It helps them get out some of their extra energy since it requires so much movement.

Also, in order for any medicine to work he would need to be on it for at least 30 days. You will notice a difference but at the same time the medicines are amphetamines. Medicines are also a trial and error as kids react to them differently. What works for one may not work for another or the reactions may be different.

One weekend will not show a true reaction. My middle one is going through trial and error with her meds as the one that worked best gave her headaches when they increased the dose. Since then we have had difficulty in finding meds with no bad effects to her.

Good luck.

 

[katla33]

My DD has ADD. The doctor never said anything about video games. She is on 18 mg of Concerta. She started out on 27 mg but lost a ton of weight, even though her appetite remained good, so we have lowered her dosage. We put her on meds because she was having an incredibly hard time focusing in school. It was a very hard decision but I feel it is necessary because I also have ADD and was not diagnosed until college. Meds made a world of difference for me and I wish that I had been diagnoed earlier in life, it would have made a huge difference. DD always said she was stupid and her self esteem was plummeting, now she proudly tells me that her teacher said she is one of the best students in the class. She had a D in Math and now has a B.
By the way, she was evaluated by a ped. psychiatrist.

 

[grafxgirl]

My nephew is ADHD, and I have two students in my preschool class who are also. I would think the Wii for a little while would be a good thing because he is a naturally active child. It would help him to spend some of his energy.

 

[Order66]

No expert, just living with an ADHD child for 11 years. Never heard of video games being detrimental to kids with ADHD. Again, no expert......but it sounds like that's just one doctor's personal opinion about video games. Our pediatrician in general recommends "2 hours screen time" per day and that's including video games, computer and television. For both my kids, one with, one without ADHD. So we don't always listen to what the doctor tells us.....

As a PP mentioned, ADHD people often tend to hyper focus, when it's something they like. My son loves his video games and he totally hyper focuses on it. To the point that if I'm at work on a weekend, my husband will sometimes forget he hasn't had his medication. I can tell in 2 seconds of talking to him yet my husband will say "he's been fine all day". Sure he is. He's happy playing his games.

I'll also agree with another PP who said games are a good tool to use for his behavior. I can reward him with them.....and I can remove them until his behavior, grades, attitude, etc.... improve. My son would rather lose anything else in the world over his video games. In his case it usually calms him down and gives him goals to reach.

As to meds.....you'll likely find you need way more than a weekend to see if something is helping. My son started meds at 6 years old. It took us a couple of months to find the right meds at the right dose. Then as he's grown he's required increased dosages. It takes me a good 30 days to know if something is right for him. First month of a change he's good. Second month I can tell it's not working right. Don't give up if the first thing you try doesn't help.

We also had a ped neuro consult to rule out any other problems. She agreed he is severely ADHD. We could have continued with her, but my son is very comfortable with his own pediatrician so we stick with him for the managment of his condition.

Good luck. Parenting a child with ADHD has it's moments.......but honestly his non-ADHD twin brother gives me waaaaaaay more trouble than he does.

regards

 

[millerpjm]

I'll chime in also...our doctors have not specifically said anything about video games.

However, as a general rule I am picky about what my DS (8) plays. I don't like "shoot 'em up" games as a rule anyway. My DS has games like Mario Party DS, Mario Kart, Pokemon, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games...things like that.

Basically we try to balance everything as far as his treatment - meds, behavior modification, Tae Kwon Do (beneficial for multiple reasons), healthy diet, etc.

Good luck! I know what it's like to be a parent looking for answers - feel free to PM me, or head over to the disABILITIES board also.

 

[LilyWDW]

None of my sons dr's have ever said anything about limiting his game playing or the games he plays. I've honestly never heard of it. I wonder if this is just your dr's personal feelings?

I am thinking that this doctor just doesn't really like video games as I have never heard this opinion before from the doctors of friends and family who have been dealing with this condition.

In fact, when asked about video games, the doctors say to limit time for all the kids, but that it wouldn't be any different for the child with ADD or ADHD. For one child the doctor actually recommends the use of specific games in order to help the child focus (he also suggested a martial arts class that has also really helped this child with focus and impulse control). It also allows a bit of escape for the child when things get too crazy around him.

 

[WeLuvDiznee]

My 12 yr DD as been diagnosed & taking meds for ADHD since she was 5yrs.old. She wouldn't sit in her seat,she would walk out of her class,sit under her desk,never do any class/homework,we didn't even know she could even read or write until she was on her meds for 3 wks! She was extreme ADHD! I would get phone calls from the school every day! 6 mths into the school year I brought her to a neurologist for testing. She's been on Concerta ever since.We just adjust the dosage as she gets older.We never heard about not letting her play the Wii.We were told to let her play! Her Dr. told us to let play active games and anything that let's her let out alot of energy-especially afetr being in school all day!