This is News?

I read overviews of two ADHD studies this morning. One stated that there is little evidence that long term use of stimulants by kids with ADHD is effective. The other said that kids with ADHD should be allowed to squirm because it helps them focus.

Duh.

Don't most medications lose their effectiveness with prolonged use? I'm not a chemist, but it would seem that your body would build up a tolerance to a medication and that as that tolerance increased, a different approach would be warranted, IE different medicine or other treatments.

And of course squirming helps a fidgety kid concentrate. Who hasn't seen this with their own kid, ADHD or not? You're nervous, tense, anxious because you have to use a lot of energy to concentrate. Those repetitious movements are comforting (rocking the baby sound familiar to anyone?).

I guess what I find so striking about these studies is the one obvious missing component. Parents. If you have a child who is sick, or suffers from a chronic disorder, you have to help them all the time. If your kid has asthma, you have to make sure they get their maintenance medication. You have to make sure there's an inhaler at school. You have to make sure other adults who spend time with your child know what the triggers are. ADHD is no different. It's a lot of work.

First you have to accept it. Energy is normal in young kids. Crawling around the classroom floor is not. Occasional forgetfulness; normal. Disorganization to the point that things are always missing; not normal. The sooner you accept that your child may have a problem, the faster you can get help.

Next, you have to get help. Talk to your pediatrician. Take report cards, take school work, take drawings, provide copious examples from your daily interactions with your child that support why you feel there is evidence of ADHD. Your pediatrician should refer you to someone for an assessment. If they don't, ASK WHY NOT! It may be that you are helping your child enough that they are already learning to cope with their disorder and outside help is not necessary. It could be inexperience. I am not a clinician, but I do know that if you ever have a question about any advice you are given by a doctor, you should ask right away.

Next, after you have your child assessed, follow up with teachers, pediatricians, family, etc. Let everyone know what the main issues are and what can be done to help your child achieve success. And never give up. Schools have limited resources but they are required to help you to a certain level. Become familiar with criteria necessary in your school for developing a 504 plan. Be prepared to conference weekly with your child's teacher, even if just for 5 minutes to discuss strategies you've found effective at home.

Finally, don't ever give up. Having a child with ADHD is not easy. It is often exhausting, but these creative bundles of energy can be very entertaining members of your household. You will find yourself learning to appreciate their blunt assessments of every day observations. For example, you may struggle to politely explain why you can't eat candy for breakfast only to have your child blurt out, "Candy rots your teeth." Yes it does, and it there's a lot to be said for succinctness.

If you haven't guessed, I speak from experience. Our beautiful boy went from sailing through kindergarten to struggling from day one in 1st grade. We have been very fortunate to have a wonderfully supportive teacher who has listened and worked very hard to help our child have a successful academic year. It would be great if everyone could have teachers like this but it isn't the case. But they all have parents and as parents we need to commit ourselves to doing whatever it takes to help our children succeed.

Stepping off the soap box now. Enjoy your day.