<p>Did you have the evaluation done by your school or privately? I don't know about your state, but in mine, the school is required to support a child who has been mandated with a learning disibility or ADD. The testing is usually done by the school psychologist and accommodations are detailed in a written document based on the results of the testing, and teacher, professional, and parental imput. For example, you could request that he be placed in the front of the class away from any distractions (like a window), or that someone check daily that he has copied his homework down. In addition, this educational/psyc evaluation will be necessary if he qualifies and chooses to seek services in college. Unfortunately, in college many kids forget to take their medications, or follow up on services - so picking the right college is very important (I think there is a whole thread on that). I understand your anxiety and ADD can run in families. But if your son is doing well in school, the issues you presented can probably be handled without medication.</p>
<p>This might be reassuring about letting go of the meds</p>
<p>"RESULTS: At 3 years, 485 of the original 579 subjects (83.8%) participated in the follow-up, now at ages 10 to 13 years, (mean 11.9 years). In contrast to the significant advantage of MedMgt+Comb over Beh+CC for ADHD symptoms at 14 and 24 months, treatment groups did not differ significantly on any measure at 36 months."</p>
<p>Controversial, I know, but this might mean kids/familes who learned skills did just as well with or without meds in the "long" term. I think it's also been shown that for adults, without the skills, medication doesn't change the outcome.</p>
<p>Another idea: Read the book "How your Child is Smart" by Dawna Markova. She identifies learning pathways that lead to attentiveness or inattention, and knowing this might help your son to understand contributing factors towards his inattention. By reading that book I finally understood why lectures don't help me very much; the auditory pathway is my weakest route to learning, and it sometimes puts me into a daydreamy state. If I take notes - making the information more visual and tactile - it helps me to pay attention. By contrast, I've had to advise my kid to read some material aloud, as her auditory pathway is her strongest one and sometimes reading assignments are a struggle. The books is full of these sorts of suggestions. Every little bit helps.</p>
<p>A suggestion for kids that are hyperactive and disorganized: have them take a college course during the summer and guide them through the organizational stuff that they'll have to deal with at the college level. It's probably easier to deal with boredom issues and organizational issues with only one class and with parents around to ensure that the child gets things done on time. And the parents can explain and demonstrate organizational tools to the student at this time.</p>
<p>I was just reading an article this weekend that said Omega 3 Fish Oil has been proven to help with many things, including ADD, depression, and bipolar disorder. I was researching it for its anti-inflammatory properties but now that I know it is helpful for ADD, I think I may have certain family members give it a try. Maybe your son wouldn't mind taking supplements instead of the prescription drugs.</p>
<p>I'm reading this thread with great interest as I simply CANNOT send my 11th grader off to college next year unless his organizational skiils and study habits improve. He has Asperger's and is ADD and takes Concerta, but, of coure, it does wear off as he is doing homework.</p>
<p>I just ordered a couple of the recommended books (Amazon.com was $5 less than Barnes & Noble, by the way.)</p>
<p>Interesting about the fish oil supplements. Last week my eye doctor told me to take them. Now you're saying they help with ADD. The idea grosses me out....do you smell like fish or taste fish when you take them?</p>
<p>missy==my daughter started on Vyvanse which lasts longer and helps her deal with the extra work she has as a junior with AP work etc. my daughter is looking forward to college with trepidation as she recognizes the support she still needs -- we are looking at colleges close enough to home (1-3 hr drive) that if she needs addl support of a visit she can know its there. she toys with living at home but I encourage her to believe she can do it...</p>
<p>I do want to warn everyone that a child who is on meds should probably be monitored pretty closely his/her first year. THere are so many temptations for kids when they go off to college. Dealing with the freedom, independence, responsibility is a lot for many, and with "everyone" happily imbibing, it is very difficult to say "no". In my experience, many of the kids who are on ADD meds sell or share their stash to others. Yeah, I know, you don't think yours will do it, but I know many very nice, terrific, responsible kids who have gone down that path. In doing this, they are not only illegally supplying others with a med that has potentially harmful side effects, they are depriving themselves of their meds. This is an abuse that is rampant, and no parent should consider their kid above it until after the fact. And, yeah, they are technically drug dealers when they start doing this stuff.</p>
<p>Lindz, Vyvanse scares me. That is one that should be monitored carefully, and mixing with drink and other drugs can be a real disaster. </p>
<p>All the meds, supplements, admonishments, etc will not take the place of maturity. If they can strike a good balance during these difficult years, it does get much easier for most of them. These are truly the difficult years for them as their hormones, moods, emotions are in a turmoil as they try to become adults, try to fit in, try to be great, try to be cool, try to be good, try to be bad, try to do well....the list goes on. My heart goes out to each of these students, and to all of us parents as well.</p>
<p>isnt Vyvanse just a medication taking advantage of Adderal XR whose patent is running out?</p>
<p>I have been on Adderal XR for years and of all the medications I have tried to assist my ADD/dyspraxic symptoms in the past 20-30 years, it works the best, with the fewest side effects.</p>
<p>We have been through this all. Son is finishing up his freshman year of college. He would not have made it to college without the meds. He had support in middle school but when he went to a large high school he just had a list of accommodations for his teachers. It was up to him to ask. He has ADD plus LD. His grades and concentration improved dramatically on meds. We had to try many to find the right one. Like several of the posters children he did not like what the meds did to him. If you are not already getting your meds prescribed by a psychiatrist I would suggest that as a first stop. They have much more experience then your family MD. My son tried many different meds.. different dosages and for a time took Adderall XR in the morning and then regular ritalin for his night class at the community college. He did not take it on weekends and usually took the summer off.
My son felt it took away his personality. What the meds did was curb that impulsiveness that got him into trouble.
My son then went off to college. We set up meeting with the director of disablities. They worked out accommodations that get sent to his professors. He can have extra time for exams and a distraction free room. He has to ask. Of course first semester he didn't. A couple of his grades reflected this. Plus he decided he did not need meds. 2nd semester he has still used meds only occasionally. His class load this semester is of the nature that in 2 of the 4 classes he is taking he can get by without meds. We will see how the grades come back. Once the grades all come in we might have to sit down with him and his psychiatrist and work out some sort of compromise.
It is not easy dealing with an ADD personality. My son is very stubborn and he is not one who is easy to get to do something he doesn't want to do. We can't insist he take the meds. What we can do is set a boundary as to what we will pay for and what gpa he needs to keep. He has a scholarship that requires a 3.0 to keep. He must keep it to stay at his present school.</p>
<p>When my son's meds wear off in the evening, everyone in the family can tell. He monologues without ceasing. If he does that to a college room mate, I fear the room mate will strangle him after a few months and it will be deemed justifiable homicide. (Only partly kidding-I worry about room mate issues. What is he going to do when he safe spot - home - is a dorm room with a person there who is not his mother?)</p>
<p>cpt--what specifically are you scared of with vyvanse--my daughter was on adderall xr as you emerald and it worked well for her--but wore off early--her psychiatrist suggested this change just a couple months back as she is a junior and has real need to stay focused til later in the day and I was informed Vyvanse was designed to do this. (I had my daughter checked out by a cardiologist prior to starting any meds as I was concerned about issues with stimulants and the heart--they are now recommending this across the board as kids can have an underlying heart condition and w the meds it would be dangerous) I have talked w my daughter about meds and drinking etc. she at this point is open with me and her maturing has helped her see some of her unique needs. I agree w all--our kids need addl support and monitoring as they step out on their own...</p>
<p>LIndz, as your daughter is under doctor's care, and I am sure you know all of the side effects of the med, it is fine that she is taking it. What more can anyone do than due vigilance which is going to an expert about this which you have done. You know the side effects of the drug and the interactions that it can have. It is not one to play with. There is a huge problem with young people sharing these meds. This is one NOT to share. I think that by having your D checked by a card is a huge deterrernt in her giving her meds to others who will want it. Many kids have no idea what this stimulants can do. I know of two healthy kids who died of heart attacks in the last year. No more info given, and I'm not asking the parents. I, and others suspect drugs were involved. The kids had no known heart issues, and none were brought up after the deaths. There are some meds that can cause some real problems when mixed.</p>
<p>You see ritalin for all of its bad press, has been around and studied up the whazoo. Some of this new stuff, we really don't know how it's going to pan out. </p>
<p>Missypie, if you send your son off to school, you might want a custom picked roommate. Maybe one interested in the field of disabilities, meds, etc. Maybe even a grad student or med student rather than an undergrad. Maybe you can give him some payment to help monitor your son. I think an arrangement like that will be a lot safer than throwing him into the room lottery. These kids have a lot they are dealing with. It would be difficult to find a kid that can help or even tolerate your son. Many freshmen who are "normal" have adjustment problems, and any aberration is an issue to them.</p>
<p>I would strongly suggest that any parent of an ADD child and the child visit the Learning Services Dept on Accepted Students day or any day after acceptance. They can be a great help but only if they are asked. Upon meeting my daughter, the director told her, " I am your new best friend." And she has been. The amount of service and advice given has truly amazed me. I know it is her job but I feel she goes the extra mile as long as the student is willing to go that mile with her. Our daughter thought about tranferring for next year (for non academic reasons) and has decided to stay where she is -I know this woman and her dept were factors considered in her decision.</p>
<p>We went through this, more or less, starting in kindergarten. My D' s teachers wanted her tested, wanted her on meds, because she couldn't sit still, didn't want to leave tasks once started, couldn't sustain eye contact, day-dreamed, etc. We had her tested by the child study team. The result was that she was probably ADD, with another LD, that we could confirm with more extensive testing. However, the psychologist who delivered the news said that D was already compensating for it by performing well academically, so that medication and/or LD coping instruction wouldn't have much benefit. He stressed that medication should be used only by those who had real trouble socially, behaviorally, and/or academically. (This was backed up by her pediatrician, who independently came to the same conclusion.) </p>
<p>The short story? I spent much time with her helping her organizational skills, demanding that she maintain eye contact, and talking to her about what her body language conveyed to others. Now she's not only at a top LAC in a tough academic major, but she has an incredibly high GPA. It hasn't been easy, but she obviously has learned the skills to overcome her problems. Last semester, she was more thrilled that two professors remarked about her neatness (!) and commendable organizational skills (!!) than she was with her perfect grades. </p>
<p>There are varying degrees of ADD and ADHD. Some people with these disorders cannot function well without medication, but others--those who are borderline--can be taught to cope. My father is obviously ADHD, much more so than my daughter, yet he became a CEO, all without meds. It all depends on how severe the disorder is. The OP's son is old enough to be able to decide whether medication makes life more bearable or worse.</p>
<p>It's probably best to be the CEO if you're ADD...you can make best use of your strengths and hire people to fill in for your weaknesses. I was just talking to a guy a couple of weeks ago...the big boss is very ADD...makes impulsive decisions-some brilliant, some potentially disasterous...the guy I was talking to had been hired to be the guy to fix the potentially disasterous acquisitions.</p>
<p>Missypie- I think you are on to something. I know quite a few extremely successful men who are ADD. They are not afraid to take risks. Also they are sometimes able to see a bigger picture then others. Seeing possiblities for success where others do not. But the risks are also there.</p>
<p>missypie, not-to-worry, your son's med will probably wear off just about the time everyone is getting back to the dorms, its down time for lot of kids and noisy. Plus, alot of maturity happens those first couple months of school - you will probably be surprised at how well he does in that respect. I was actually pleased the way my ADD child adapted to college life. I think perhaps some of the social isolation she experienced as a child helped her to feel comfortable on her own. But she had a difficult time with the academics (and has since transfered). We made a few mistakes; she took too many credits her first semsester, she now makes sure she limits them to 12 (or the amount you need to take to be considered full time or progressing towards a degree), she takes only one intensive reading or writing course a semester, and no classes after 3pm (when meds are beginning to wear off). Also, if your child gets into trouble academically be sure they know they can come to you for help and guidance before entering the death spiral. As a freshman they may not understand a schools probation system (or be embarrased to bring it up to friends), how to drop a class, or the pass/fail options. And truthfully, while alot of college resource programs sound good on paper - I haven't heard of many that really are.</p>
<p>I agree with the coaching.
I have "mild" ADD, (what? I don't daydream as often? I dunno)
and my mom chose not to put me on meds because they staunch the flow of creativity. The coaching helps put focus back into life, but still makes it okay to follow creative tracks.
and a friend of mine has super-bad ADD/ADHD and he was on ritalin, then aderol. When he's on the drugs, he's more zombie-like, because it stops attention deficit and hyperactivity. He's thinking of getting off them in college, because it's bad.
:/
on the other hand- congrats to your son for getting through his first two years of college without meds and coaching! :)</p>
<p>My understanding was that a student was supposed to be on meds while he was learning behavior modification techniques, so that once he established good habits, he could wean himself off the medications. Perhaps you could try that.</p>
<p>Also, just was reminded of this: I read one idea that the ADD son who was in high school woke up to the alarm clock going off and immediately donned his headphones.
He then listened for an hour to his favorite music playing in the background and his own voice telling him what he needed to do to get ready for school. </p>
<p>Obviously, the tape was recorded the previous weekend or whenever, with the ADD boy stating what to do, then being silent and doing it, then stating what to do next, repeat. </p>
<p>Cut down on all battles to do his morning routine and not forget any steps!</p>