ADHD 11 year old boy

[Flob1234]

Hi there, I've joined this because I'm looking for some advice. My son has just turned 11 and while I've always felt that ADHD was a possibility, I'm now almost convinced he has it. I'd spoken with the school when my son was 7 and they hinted towards it but part of me didn't want to go there and I managed to convince myself he was just spoiled (only child) who was immature. I'm particularly worried now because he hasn't been able able to keep any friends as I feel that he is fun in the beginning and the hyperactivity just becomes to much for them. The thing is, he seems to be able to have control at times. He's a lot more naive and immature than his peers, it doesn't take them long to see this and then they exploit it subtly. In school, he has some friends but I feel like he's know as the kid who's a bit of a pain and blows hot and cold with them. He's starting high school in the summer and I want to be able to give him a clean slate, was wondering if has tried medication with their kids?

My son was similar but actually ended up with diagnosis of autism at 12. Like your son he could concentrate for (quite long) stretches but more struggled to "read a room" and so came over as hyper and silly. The consultant did not think he had adhd as well but said there's a lot of overlap. If GP won't refer to CAHMS talk to the school, they can take a view, they were the ones to kick-start the process in my sons first year there. You can get private assessments but not cheap. Dont worry my son has calmed down a lot with puberty, less of a bouncy puppy. Still socially awkward at times not that its been an issue in lockdown!

DS had medication from age 9. His work improved as well as his relationship with friends. He is always too full on without meds, never heard the word ‘stop’ so took things too far and annoyed people or accidentally hurt them. He couldn’t walk down the street without stepping on my feet and hurting me, it annoyed me and I’m his mum and love him to bits, I imagine friends were more annoyed and far less forgiving. However, it did take nearly 2 years from being referred to being assessed. He never slept more than 3-6 hours a night, constantly on the move, really impulsive and very demanding but he really never had control at any time.
The medication caused loss of appetite and wore off around 8pm which meant from 8- bedtime he ate nonstop and was hyperactive as hell. A couple of years later he was also diagnosed with ASD. As an older teen he ended up refusing to take the medication so we are back to hyperactive, I had been hoping he may grow out of a few traits but no sign of that yet as he is not performing well at college now he’s off meds and can’t focus on his work.

I’m a secondary school teacher and I’ve seen children’s lives change for the better when they have been medicated for ADHD. Like previous posters have said there are side effects and it can take time to find the right dose.