Children with ADHD

[nickay]

Anyone have any suggestions on how to discipline a girl age 10 with ADHD .My daughter thinks she is 18 and is only 10 going through pre-adolescence. I think I have tried anything ,but I am open to ideas .

[jannieC]

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Behavior Modification is the most common used with children who have ADHD. Basically, it involves direct negative or positive reinforcement of desired behavioral changes. Your daughter would probably benefit by working with a therapist on this. Is she on meds?

[xdreamsunwindx]

I don't have any kids, nor am I experienced with ADHD, but I think it's normal for kids around that age to think they're grownups. I mean, I thought I was 20 when I was 10. A lot of little girls I know do. But maybe that's just me. Good luck.

[nickay]

yes , she is on medication to control impulsive behaviors . Last year she was on 5 different meds at one time . Because of the amount of meds and or dosage her doctor took her off all but one . Behavior therapy ??? Where I live the only type of therapy they have is group. Not individual

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by nickay

yes , she is on medication to control impulsive behaviors . Last year she was on 5 different meds at one time . Because of the amount of meds and or dosage her doctor took her off all but one . Behavior therapy ??? Where I live the only type of therapy they have is group. Not individual

Well that really sucks. Group is okay though! It can help as far as lifting her (healthy level) of self-esteem and let her see that she's not alone. You may want to make a drive into a neighboring city for some individual counseling though. What you may want to do is find a group for you, as her parent. You'll probably have better luck finding a group like that, and maybe you can learn from other parents how they are successfully doing things- what works and doesn't work for them.

[nickay]

Originally Posted by jannieC

Well that really sucks. Group is okay though! It can help as far as lifting her (healthy level) of self-esteem and let her see that she's not alone. You may want to make a drive into a neighboring city for some individual counseling though. What you may want to do is find a group for you, as her parent. You'll probably have better luck finding a group like that, and maybe you can learn from other parents how they are successfully doing things- what works and doesn't work for them.

I was thinking about sending her to a summer camp that helped deal with ADHD , but the closes one is North Caolina and is very expensive

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by nickay

I was thinking about sending her to a summer camp that helped deal with ADHD , but the closes one is North Caolina and is very expensive

What does her school counselor say? Maybe he or she can help you find some help.

[nickay]

Originally Posted by jannieC

What does her school counselor say? Maybe he or she can help you find some help.

Her school counselor really doesnt have alot to say about it. She isnt very helpful on the issue.

[Kelly]

The school counselor was a joke when it came to my son and his ADD. He is not hyper but could not concentrate and had horrendous impulse control when he was in school. He is actually a really good kid with no problems at home, they were all in school. He was just not able to sit and focus on the work without getting distracted. Then, he would compensate for feeling different by doing stupid things. I had him in private therapy, school counseling (fricking joke!) and did a bunch of behavior modification stuff at home to try to encourage good behavior in school. NOthing worked, his grades were suffering, his teacher was frustrated....so his pediatrician finally put him on Concerta. I resisted that for three years because I feel he is too young for meds and the school wants them on medicine for every little thing. However, it has been a blessing for him. He has done a complete 180 in school. His teacher called me in tears and said she could not believe the change in him. She said he was like a different child. He went from Cs and D's to straight A's last marking period. He was just Student of the Month, something he has never, ever been. So, medicine works for some and doesn't work for others. I would never recommend it without trying other things first. I am so glad I listened to the doctor and just tried him on medicine because it has completely changed his future in school. He actually wants to go, instead of despises it. I know how frustrating these problems can be and when they are hyper, it can be extremely trying to deal with. Ryan is far from hyper, he is actually really quiet and introverted. I would seriously consider some sort of strict behavior modification regimine at home. Like a reward and consequence system for following and not following your rules. Start out small and use lots of positive reinforcement. Pick your battles as far as what you want to see change at first. Reward her with something she really wants when she follows the rules you have set down. Give her a consequence and stick to it, when she does not follow your rules. It can be extremely tiresome to put so much effort into her behavior but Beh. Mod does work for some kids. If she were my child, I think I might also try to find her some counseling outside of school. Like a private therapist or something. If you do not have the funds or insurance, there are often programs to help with this. Lastly, I would request a Child Study Team evaluation in school, if you haven't already done so. They will evaluate her in a few different areas and see if she qualifies for any special services or help in certain areas. Good Luck with everything.

[nickay]

Originally Posted by Kelly

The school counselor was a joke when it came to my son and his ADD. He is not hyper but could not concentrate and had horrendous impulse control when he was in school. He is actually a really good kid with no problems at home, they were all in school. He was just not able to sit and focus on the work without getting distracted. Then, he would compensate for feeling different by doing stupid things. I had him in private therapy, school counseling (fricking joke!) and did a bunch of behavior modification stuff at home to try to encourage good behavior in school. NOthing worked, his grades were suffering, his teacher was frustrated....so his pediatrician finally put him on Concerta. I resisted that for three years because I feel he is too young for meds and the school wants them on medicine for every little thing. However, it has been a blessing for him. He has done a complete 180 in school. His teacher called me in tears and said she could not believe the change in him. She said he was like a different child. He went from Cs and D's to straight A's last marking period. He was just Student of the Month, something he has never, ever been. So, medicine works for some and doesn't work for others. I would never recommend it without trying other things first. I am so glad I listened to the doctor and just tried him on medicine because it has completely changed his future in school. He actually wants to go, instead of despises it. I know how frustrating these problems can be and when they are hyper, it can be extremely trying to deal with. Ryan is far from hyper, he is actually really quiet and introverted. I would seriously consider some sort of strict behavior modification regimine at home. Like a reward and consequence system for following and not following your rules. Start out small and use lots of positive reinforcement. Pick your battles as far as what you want to see change at first. Reward her with something she really wants when she follows the rules you have set down. Give her a consequence and stick to it, when she does not follow your rules. It can be extremely tiresome to put so much effort into her behavior but Beh. Mod does work for some kids. If she were my child, I think I might also try to find her some counseling outside of school. Like a private therapist or something. If you do not have the funds or insurance, there are often programs to help with this. Lastly, I would request a Child Study Team evaluation in school, if you haven't already done so. They will evaluate her in a few different areas and see if she qualifies for any special services or help in certain areas. Good Luck with everything.

My daughter has been on medicine since she was five yrs. old. The school has been extremely not helpful with her problems. All they have to say is that she is "Spirited Child" . Everything that I have done in recards to treatment for her was done without the school or doctors help. To me they see my daughter as a test object and just try anything , not really researching the effects. Her grades have increasingly gotten worse with medication. She sytarted off with A , B & C. Throughout the year ,with med changes her grades dropped to C& D's . Her ability to focus in class and follow simple instructions has bottomed out. she hates school as a result of no one-on -one instuction. The teachers at her school dont want to take the time to teach her ,yet they refuse to give her the assisstance she needs . They beleive she capiable of doing the work that she is given . I think her report card shows different 3 D's and the reast C's . They dont beleive she has a learning disablitiy . Her doctor just writes the scripts and sends us on our way as fast as we came in . We have tired every medication used to treat ADHD . We have tired postive rewards and things. The medication concerta is reallly good !! she had alot of growth taking that med . I think now its not so much the ADHD thats the problem its just she is going into pre-teen stage . I thank you for your advice

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by nickay

My daughter has been on medicine since she was five yrs. old. The school has been extremely not helpful with her problems. All they have to say is that she is "Spirited Child" . Everything that I have done in recards to treatment for her was done without the school or doctors help. To me they see my daughter as a test object and just try anything , not really researching the effects. Her grades have increasingly gotten worse with medication. She sytarted off with A , B & C. Throughout the year ,with med changes her grades dropped to C& D's . Her ability to focus in class and follow simple instructions has bottomed out. she hates school as a result of no one-on -one instuction. The teachers at her school dont want to take the time to teach her ,yet they refuse to give her the assisstance she needs . They beleive she capiable of doing the work that she is given . I think her report card shows different 3 D's and the reast C's . They dont beleive she has a learning disablitiy . Her doctor just writes the scripts and sends us on our way as fast as we came in . We have tired every medication used to treat ADHD . We have tired postive rewards and things. The medication concerta is reallly good !! she had alot of growth taking that med . I think now its not so much the ADHD thats the problem its just she is going into pre-teen stage . I thank you for your advice

Is it your pediatrician prescribing the meds? If so, it would be good to get her to a psychiatrist. Clearly the pediatricion doesn't know what he's doing. As far as what you do, just be consistent. She is all over the place and needs you to be steady.

I don't have children but my brother has ADHD and my parents struggled hard with it. It's only now in adulthood that he knows he's smart because he's done so well at work. That's cuz he's interested. ADHD people can hyperfocus when they are interested.

Also, I'm sure there are some good books on the subject you could check out. If you're better informed you'll make better choices. Good luck, I know what a challenge a "spirited child" is! God I used to babysit my brother and I would get in trouble for what he did. I'm like, you guys can't control him what makes you think an 11 year old can? Ugh.

Kelly, I wish my brother had gotten the kind of help your child did. He was put on Ritalin which gave him a tic so my mother took him off it. She's not very pro-med anyway. It was just a sniffle so I probly would have kept him on it if he were my son because he said it helped him.

I also have ADHD but without hyperactivity and I didn't really realize it until I was an adult. I didn't have trouble in school until highschool and in college I was motivated to do well so I did very well. But it was so hard. In hindsight I wish I'd gotten treated because I knew I had a problem with attention but I just drank coffee!

[Kelly]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Is it your pediatrician prescribing the meds? If so, it would be good to get her to a psychiatrist. Clearly the pediatricion doesn't know what he's doing. As far as what you do, just be consistent. She is all over the place and needs you to be steady.

I don't have children but my brother has ADHD and my parents struggled hard with it. It's only now in adulthood that he knows he's smart because he's done so well at work. That's cuz he's interested. ADHD people can hyperfocus when they are interested.

Also, I'm sure there are some good books on the subject you could check out. If you're better informed you'll make better choices. Good luck, I know what a challenge a "spirited child" is! God I used to babysit my brother and I would get in trouble for what he did. I'm like, you guys can't control him what makes you think an 11 year old can? Ugh.

Kelly, I wish my brother had gotten the kind of help your child did. He was put on Ritalin which gave him a tic so my mother took him off it. She's not very pro-med anyway. It was just a sniffle so I probly would have kept him on it if he were my son because he said it helped him.

I also have ADHD but without hyperactivity and I didn't really realize it until I was an adult. I didn't have trouble in school until highschool and in college I was motivated to do well so I did very well. But it was so hard. In hindsight I wish I'd gotten treated because I knew I had a problem with attention but I just drank coffee!

Yea, the meds can have some serious side effects, so you have to sort of weight the pros and cons. Ryan doesn't have too many side effects, just a decreased appetite during the day (he eats like a horse at night when it wears off though, so its no big deal) and he doesn't fall asleep too easily. However, they are totally managable and the benefits far, far outweight the negative side effects. He actually told me this morning that he never ever wants to go to school without his medicine again. So, he obviously feels much better and more "normal" when he takes it. He is only eight years old and that is a pretty profound statement to make at his age. It's funny you mention drinking coffee because that can be very beneficial for ADD or ADHD. Its a stimulant, just like the medicines are, so you can get the same basic effects. (short term) They just do not last all day and who wants to give their five year old coffee?

[jannieC]

Nickay, I think if your daughter is not responding to any ADHD meds and is not responding to any ADHD behavior modification, you may want to consider having her re-evaluated by a psychiatrist.

Typically, when a child has severe ADD/ADHD, the experience with medication is similar to what Kelly expressed with her son.

[skcin]

I agree with Suze, meds should be prescribed & monitored by a pediatric psychiatrist. And like Jannie said, in conjunction with therapy. Hope things get better for you & your family soon.

[WildHeart69]

did ADHD exhist 20 years ago???