DS 6 Year old diagnosed ADHD

[mewmewpower]

I wonder if anyone can help us, our DS is diagnosed ADHD and is currently on medication. He seems to respond well to it at home, but school are reporting disruptive behaviour. Has anyone else had this experience, if so any ideas? Also does anyone know of any specific ADHD forums that we can go to? We are getting to our wits end :(

My brother had the opposite reaction when put on medication, at home his behaviour was disruptive and a constant problem, however at school they saw a definite response and a marked difference in behaviour quickly.

For us this was due to the lack of structure to our home life, as opposed to the very structured school day. Just an idea, but perhaps it could be a similar problem? Is his school day structured? Does he know what to expect from each lesson and day? Are his teachers consistent with him, and does he have enough support in the classroom?

My brother also had hearing problems so had a support teacher which dealt with only a small subsection of the class. This meant he had supervision and someone to keep him on track and behaving well, and also to monitor and deal with distractions from other children in the classroom.

Hope that helps a bit. I only accidentally came across this section of the forum, and have no personal experience with a child of my own in this situation.

How does his disruptive behaviour take place? If you work out the trigger for the behaviour, you might be able to"manage it out". DS is nearly 5, and not on medication, but we have a few systems in place. Having said that, much of DS's restlessness is due to sensory processing issues, so some of it relates to that. Stuff like weighted blankets and sensory cushions for circle time etc. Also things like time trackers, visual schedule reminders etc.

I'm lucky that DS is very rarely violent or aggressive - it makes it much easier to get teaching staff and professionals on board and engaged with getting the best for him.

I have adhd myself and take ritalin la 20mg every week day and it has revolutionised my life. However, I still need the systems and processes in place to help me manage myself. You can't manage adhd through medication alone. I wasn't diagnosed until I was an adult, but my parents could have really helped me by teaching me how to manage myself and my schedule, and helping me with the hardest things (remembering all the things I had to take to school, which homework was due when etc) so I could focus on the stuff I could handle. Homework in on time, and textbooks remembered would have meant fewer punishments and a more positive attitude from my teachers.

I know he's young, and you have a long journey ahead of you, but if carefully managed, there's a lot of positive things your DS can get out of growing up with adhd that in some ways will make life easier later on. It's all about enabling that potential :)

There are always ADHD threads on the special needs board- look on the talk board list and click onto the sn board.

Ds1 has ADHD and has been taking Vyvanse for 8 months or so. He's 10. There are lots of other ideas, including adding zinc and omega supplements, and Epsom salt baths that some parents believe is helpful. There is also a Tinsley House thread running that other posters believe can make a difference to behavior etc.

But head over to the sn board. Loads of ADHD about.