My son and I both struggle with ADHD. We did have to put him on medication, he even says how much better off he is. It was a exteremly hard decision but we did it. My daughter however has inattentive ADD and that is a totally different beast. I understand how to redirect my son and help him but my daughter, I am at a loss. For example she is doing a math problem. Lets say division. You multiply, divide, add, and subtract. She knows how to do it. Not a problem. But what happens is she looses focus and forgets where she is in the problem then winds up getting it wrong. YES she has used graph paper but that doesn't help her to keep her focus. The same thing happens. Unless I sit with her for every single problem. But its just not math. She could be vaccuuming a room and forget to do a whole section of the room. I don't want to be yelling all the time. I try so very hard. My husband doesn't want to put her on medication. It was really hard for him to do that with my son. He doesn't seem to think she needs it. With the start of another school year I am stressing about how to handle it. Suggestions please......
Holy cow, your daughter sounds just like my son! I have to sit with him for most of his school work, too, just to keep him going. He reminds me of the dog on UP.... "Squirrel!" LOL About the only thing that does keep his full attention is something with a screen, but all of the computer-based curriculum we've ever used has bombed, for some unknown reason. When he cleans his room, I have to constantly walk in and point out whatever he's missed, bc he'll think he's getting it all, but leave a big area untouched. He does do ok vacuuming, but I think it's only bc we only have an area rug in the living room, so it only takes a few minutes. Sigh...
My older has i-ADD too. When he can't focus, I make him do 20 jumping jacks. It usually works for a while. He's able to focus for about 10-15 minutes after that.
Have you tried diet changes? Getting rid of dye (esp red) would be the first step and it's fairly easy to do. This step alone make s HUGE difference in many people with ADHD. Then you can move on to http://www.feingold.org/ What about sensory issues? Lighter room? Darker room? Quiet room? Background music? Is she too hot? Too cold? Has she done some 'heavy work' first (push, pulling, lifting) or exercise? What about smells int he room she is working in? All these things can affect the concentration of people with ADD/ADHD. It's a lot to figure out, but worth a try to avoid medication, IMHO. Stephanie-my son has the same room cleaning problem, here's how I fixed it. I took photos of sections of each room when they are totally 100% clean. Ex: I took a photo of the top of his chest of drawers, one of his made bed, one of his shelf unit, one od his desk top, one of under his desk, etc Printed them out and laminated them. Now instead of telling him "Clean your room" Which can be an overwhelming task to the ADHD brain, I hand him a card (or cards) He now knows exactly what is expected and knows how the end result should look. Totally cured our problems in that area!
yes we have done the feingold diet to no avail. Listen to today...... I said to the kids lets do at least one day of school today. OK, here we go. We will start with math because they are extremely strong in math. When they test they test post high school. I started with addition. LOL seriously..... Just a light review! FOUR HOURS LATER....... Beat my head into a wall...... REALLY....... I am laughing now, but when I am working and school I feel like my head will pop!
My daughter has an auditory processing disorder that makes her very easily unfocused. I give her something caffeinated before she has to work [or before her speech therapy]. The difference is unmistakeable. And, before anyone jumps down my throat about the evils of caffeine, it's half a Coke a day, and it was done at the recommendation of the neurologist. At any rate, if you feel like you've tried everything else but haven't tried that, I'd recommend it. My daughter's speech therapist practically begged me to make sure she got a Coke before coming when she saw the dramatic increases in her scoring.
I've also tried caffeine, but it didn't work for us. I know it works wonders for a lot of kids, though! (Mine also has an APD that causes him to lose focus.)
I can also empathize - our oldest was diagnosed ADHD, though I think his symptoms are aligned more with 2e kiddos. My DD (2nd grade) has ADHD, combined type. Between the hyperactivity, the impulsivity, the inattentiveness, OYE!! I want to put my head through the wall! We attempted Ritalin (the shorter-lasting, 3-4 hours, supposedly). DD's OT (she has sensory processing and fine motor issues) saw better results using a set of sensory exercises (Astronaut Training, though they used to do Brain Gym). I am also getting her a weighted blanket, since being weighted down tends to help her focus. We also purchased a Rody Horse to bounce on (even adults can use it, so her older brother and his friends enjoy it as well!) - she can get some sensory stimulation and hopefully it will help her focus more. Of course, between battling with the almost-2-yr old's tantrums, battling with the 9-yr old and his groaning, then managing everything else, I keep forgetting to implement all of the sensory strategies. Now that our year is underway, I need to get my act together! Oh, and maybe I need to try coke...she has had some coffee drinks, but the sugar I get in mine I think counteracts the effects the caffeine might have. Wonder if the Coke would be the same, hmm...
Hope it works for you, you wouldn't believe the amount of stress this takes off me when it comes to their chores! It's been a life saver for me and my oldest loves that he can do it 'on his own' It has really helped him feel more confidant and mature since I don't have to keep going back in his room and saying 'you missed this, this and this." every 5 minutes when he thinks he's done. (the little one, who doesn't have ADHD but likes to push boundaries, hates to see the chore cards come out because then he knows he has no excuse for not cleaning it like it should be cleaned! LOL) Ps-sorry to hijack your thread Christine
At one time, caffeine was considered almost "diagnostic" for add/adhd. If a cup of coffee helped, even a little bit, then they knew that a stimulant medication was indicated. ADD and ADHD are just two ends of the same spectrum. Just because the body isn't bouncing off the walls, doesn't mean that the child's brain isn't doing the same thing figuratively speaking. More often, boys tend to have the "H" type, and girls tend to have the "I" type, but of course that's not a hard and fast rule. Proper medication can be helpful for both, along with teaching coping strategies to the child. I once tutored a student (a boy) whose mom was an RN but medication had never occurred to her, because he wasn't adHd. I suggested a trial run. The focus that it gave was nothing short of miraculous in her eyes! He flew through the rest of algebra, graduated on time, and is finishing up law school as we speak. No more "poor little lost soul", he!
I have to say medication has been such a blessing for my son. He has add and adhd combined type. BUT he does not respond well to a stimulant. I know my daughter would respond fantastic to the right med. I just need to get her father on board. One of the reason I haven't medidated her is she begs me not to. She gags at the site of pills.
You might also look at V-8's V-fusion Energy drinks. They have 80mg of caffeine [more than a Coke but slightly less than a cup of coffee]. We just started those this week. It's getting the caffeine from a green tea extract.
From the looks of the ingredients on the cans, no. It's pretty much all fruit and vegetable juices. I checked their website, and nothing was listed about milk products there, either. But, I may be missing something so don't take my word for it! LOL
