Whatever decision you make - just make sure you make an educated decision.
As far as the research goes the evidence is not strong that diet etc will 'fix' the problem.
Think of it like this - would you hesitate to get medication if your child had epilepsy or diabetes?? Psychological disorders ARE medical - so by trialling the medication you will be able see how she reacts to it. I also agree that this may be the perfect time to trial the meds - if she reacts badly you have time before school starts to get the mix right. Also it can take a few weeks for the meds to kick in properly.
As a psychologist working in schools I see lots of parents reluctant to medicate (and of course the opposite - parents too quick to medicate) - there is no shame in your child needing this support even if it is so you can get something done for 5 minutes!! as long as medication is not the ONLY strategy you use to support her behaviour and learning.
Maybe the next step is to get some guidance re: behavioura strateiges that could support her to self monitor and control her behaviour at home. This will be equally as important - and will ensure you are not relying on medication alone.
There is some evidence that natural medication - efalex - is supposed to help with concentration (I'm not sure how strong the research is, but it could be another thing to try)
Be careful about subscribing to the 'pop' psychology strategies - and make sure whatever you try is an evidence based intervention - that is, it has a research base proving it's effectiveness in adhd populations (for girls!)
There are many different diets so lumping them under the one banner will absolutely make for a mixed bag of results. Dr Campbell-McBride is a neurologist and nutritionist. She compiles solid research based evidence to develop her protocol which is at this point ahead of the medical science. Personally, my son can't wait for the research to catch up. He's proof it's working. I just strongly suggest reading the book before making a decision.
I've had plenty of exposure to ADHD through my life. I have two brothers with it (one very severely affected), and my 14 year old DSS has it also.
Growing up with my brothers, my parents tried everything under the sun to avoid medicating them. Naturopath, dietitian, special exercise programs, kinesiology, craniosacral therapy, and the list goes on and on. Eventually they trialled the meds and never looked back. My severely affected brother became a much more well adjusted child that was able to concentrate at school and actually started to make friends! He was much happier. He's now 22 and working in a stable, well paid job and is quite enjoying himself. My less affected brother had major learning difficulties and self confidence issues as a child and the medication not only helped him with school, but also helped him gain a much healthier self image. He's also 22 now (twins) and after school actually went on to do a tafe course.
With my step son I saw the process repeat all over again. DH and I took DSS to a leading specialist in ADHD (luckily we managed to see her because we know her son) and we had a diagnosis of ADHD when he was about 9. His Mother completely refused to medicate him even as a trial. Having seen the difference that the meds can make, I really wish he had gone on to meds straight away, but also having seen the journey my parents had to make to accept meds, I understood where the Mother was coming from when she wanted to go through all the alternative options. If I thought we went through a lot with my brothers, it was nothing compared to DSS. I have a feeling he actually saw a witch doctor at one point! Once again, absolutely nothing changed.
My DSS got to the point where he hated himself and his life and DH and I were seriously fearful for his life. When he turned 12 he made the choice to come and live with us (his younger brother also moved in with us as well) and he made the choice to try the medication. We've never made him take the medication, and yet he sees such a difference that he's now 14 and is still taking the meds by his choice. He went through a stage where he really resented his Mother's choice not to medicate him as he learnt from his doctor that the earlier kids go on the meds, the more often they are able to learn to control themselves easier and earlier when they are off their meds. We had to explain to him why she chose to try all the other options first to alleviate his anger.
I guess what I'm trying to get across is that although it's such a hard decision to medicate a child, it's definitely not a bad thing to do if it benefits the child. ADHD is a chemical imbalance in the brain which the medication corrects, therefore it's not just a psychological condition, it's a medical condition. And like someone else mentioned, would you hesitate to give a child diabetes or heart meds? I think it's great that you are looking at all your options though
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Once again, absolutely nothing changed.
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