posted
First, please understand that I'm the sort of parent who will debate the merits of Tylenol for a mild fever, so don't just assume anything, okay?
I know some of you have been wondering about how things have been going for Dan. So...here's an update.
My son is now on Ritalin. Actually, he's been on it for about 4 weeks now. It's amazing.
If you're not familiar with us, my son has been getting in TONS of trouble at home and at school. I actually pulled him out of kindergarten for the second half of the year, and then we moved to a new school district. Last year, first grade, he was in so much trouble the principal asked me not to bring him back for the last few days of school. He spent countless days in the principal's office. This year, it was more of the same. But I had help.
We finally found a doctor who would spend the time listening to my concerns. She finally found a program at a therapy center that would take our insurance (no easy feat) and arranged an evaluation for him.
Diagnosis: ADHD
I know some people don't believe it really exists, but until you live with someone who has it, you just have no idea.
So, the first two weeks he got 5mg before school, and 2.5 mg after school. We didn't really see a change in his behaviour, but he started sleeping better.
Then we doubled his dose. 10mg before school and 5 after.
It's like I traded in my troublemaker. He's still ornery. He's still got lots of energy. He still gets in trouble. But now he's not climbing the walls (literally), he's not staying up 'til all hours, he's not stealing food, he's not hitting (as much...still working on breaking the habits), and he can do his homework with minimal prodding.
Oh yeah, he's also been seeing a couple of therapists.
His teacher called me today. She didn't know I'd put him on anything. She wanted to know what I'd done-he's been so good for the last two weeks! He got an A last week for his conduct, and he got an A+ today in gym! A month ago, he was getting straight A's in academics, but D's and F's for conduct. Now it's straight A's!
You might also look into behavioral therapy as well. While Ritalin (and the several other drugs for ADHD) to work...they sometimes loose effectiveness in the long term. The best results generally come from combined behavioral modification and drug therapy.
It is amazing the difference it can make. While I do think stimulant medications (the class of meds that Ritalin is in) are over prescribed, there are some kids that really do need them.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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posted
Yes, there are kids whose survival in this modern world depends on drugs.
In days long ago, young people would be too exhausted to be hyper. The ones wih excess energy were sent out on the hunt, or to war, and made excellent scouts.
In the classroom, these are my errand runners. It's funny. Other students accept this readily, and don;t raise their hands when I ask. They know that by letting Junior go on an errand, they will benefit from a) his absence, and b) his more calm return.
Also, the students in control GET more control. If you set up a bar to reach up to, they will. Always follow through. Children on Ritalin can still be oppositional. What Lupus said is true.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
However, these children with ADHD who are frustrated with their own misbehavior aren't TRYING to misbehave or be oppositional.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Boon
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He's still got lots of energy. I'm convinced I'll have a track star one of these days. Seriously. He runs, full tilt, for miles...and it has no effect whatsoever on his behaviour. His misbehaviour had nothing to do with his having too much energy.
Really, I liken the change to the effect half a glass of wine has on me. It doesn't make me sleepy, sap my energy, or change my personality. Instead, it slows my thinking a bit and lessens the effect of distractions. It's not enough for dramatic physical changes.
That probably sounds bad, like I'm just trying to get my kid drunk on stimulants. That's not it at all. I just don't know a better analogy.
And, as I said in my first post, he's seeing two therapists regularly (at least once a week each) and he also sees his therapy doctor every other week.
I didn't just wake up one day and decide to restrain my kid with drugs. He's a wonderful child who was becoming more and more frustrated and depressed as each school year went by. I think I'm doing the best I can for him, and if I thought there was something better I could do for him, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
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I had two brothers on Ritalin (and may soon have a son on it), and I know it can be a wonderful tool.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
