Thanks for everyone's responses
Has anyone tried caffeine? I've read a couple of article which suggest that it has a similar effect to the stimulants in prescribed medication but obviously it isn't so strong. I'm wondering if experimenting by giving him a double shot of espresso before school would be really irresponsible parenting
I guess the thing I'm struggling with is the fact that there is no 'cure' or 'fix'. That it's almost as much a personality type as it is a learning disorder. I'm a bit masculine in that I hate it when things can't be fixed with actions.
I have a pile of books about 2 foot tall that I got out of the library today but I suspect I won't find the answers I seek in them.
I'm also struggling a bit with his current teacher in that I suspect that she wants him fixed up so that he is quiet and compliant and she wants me to do that. The paediatrician we are seeing is wonderful and he gave me a sheet of classroom strategies for her but I suspect that she won't use any of them.
No direct experience, but have taught heaps of AD(H)D children. I've seen parents at their wits end who swore they'd never try meds cry with relief after the difference it made, and other tear their hair out even more on the medical merry-go-round trying different meds and doses. I've seen many medicated children turn into 'zombies', and many become more quiet and compliant at school but cause a whole range of issues at home (most notably sleep disturbance). I've seen great improvements from diet and supplements too. And working on behavioural strategies has been successful.
One Mum I developed a close relationship with did a lot of research and had tremendous success working with a naturopath/dietician. We all thought her child had been medicated. When he reached adolescence (last year of primary), he ended up being medicated though, which again, helped enormously.
I personally think combining many strategies - behavioural, diet, supplements, medications - is the best approach. Trial and error and see what works for our LO.
Teachers like compliant kids, what can I say?! But, some teachers also like whatever means the least amount of work for them.... IMO, the teacher is an essential part of the process. They need to be involved in getting the behaviours they want in the classroom, along with parents, specialists and the child themselves. Not very eloquently put, but I hope I got my point across.
Zazou, I have a friend who is an educator and her DS 14 has been diagnosed with ADHD. My GF also suffers ADHD herself. My own DS is almost 8 and is very active and at times he seems to struggle to focus, perhaps more so than his peers. I see a lot of similarities between my DS's behaviour and my GF's DS! My own DS has had a gamut of testing done as he has had some struggles with his literacy despite being of exceptionally high intelligence. One of the things we discovered during all of the testing is that he does not suffer ADHD. He does have a visual processing disorder, but that's a separate thread...
Anyway, the point I am getting to is that my GF has researched the effects of caffeine on children with ADHD and truly believes that it has an effect. One day, her DS was particularly active and unfocussed and she said 'watch this' and gave him a glass of coke. Within 10 minutes, he was sitting down, focussed on building lego with my DS and he remained there for well over an hour. No suggestion from his mother, just a glass of coke. I haven't done any research myself, but watching my friends DS (as well as the respect I have for her professional knowledge and experience) has convinced me that there is something in the caffeine theory!
As a side note, my GF and her DH have avoided Ritalin for many years due to a desire not to medicate their DS. Mid last year, he was falling well behind academically and experiencing behavioural problems at school. He started Ritalin and by the end of the year he had caught up and his behaviour had improved hugely. He actually verbalised to his parents his thanks for agreeing to take the medication.
Good luck, it's a hard road when our kids deviate from 'the norm'!
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