Comments on: Helping an ADHD Child Remember http://www.adhd-inattentive.com/85/helping-an-adhd-child-remember/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=helping-an-adhd-child-remember Who Put the Ketchup in the Medicine Cabinet? Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:49:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kayla http://www.adhd-inattentive.com/85/helping-an-adhd-child-remember/comment-page-1/#comment-3579 Kayla Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:32:22 +0000 http://adhd-inattentive.com/85/helping-an-adhd-child-remember/#comment-3579 For our ADHD-inattentive daughter, she also flourished and was a better student in classrooms where teachers engaged in a more structured teaching style. In classrooms like you describe for your daughter in third grade, she faced similar dilemmas. It's interesting to me that even the personality characteristics you describe -- shy in certain situations and exhibiting leadership capabilities in areas she's confident -- all sound extremely familiar. Like you, our family tried various behavioral strategies to overcome her distraction. Spelling to a rap, going over social studies facts in a different room from math facts, offering peppermint tea to jump start focus, setting a timer for a dreaded task, etc. -- we tried a lot of things too. It sounds like you're savvy enough to have been proactive in your approach. Our family also postponed medication for as long as possible. In hindsight, I wonder if we waited too long. It's a tough call. Although Leslie exhibited symptoms as early as kindergarten and was diagnosed in fourth grade, we didn't agree to medication until she was in 6th grade. By then, her confidence was lagging and her self-esteem suffered. I don't want to portray the medicine as a cure-all, but in our daughter's case, it was an effective tool. Let me address this part of your comment: <em>I began to wonder if some of the social problems might have to do with her difficulties being able to respond to comments being made…so some girls tend to ignore her because she does not continue the conversations. </em> Her ADHD-inattentive tendencies can indeed affect her interaction with others. If she zones in and out of the conversations around her or interjects random comments, the others may decide to ignore her as you've mentioned. Social reasons are just as valid as academic reasons for you to weigh as you make the decision to medicate or not. As you make this decision, I would encourage you to seek the counsel of professionals you trust -- the school psychologist, teachers who know her well and her pediatrician or family doctor should be excellent resources. One of the questions that Kayla and I have both posed through the years to medical professionals from orthodontists to surgeons is "If this were your child, what would you do?" If a doctor, teacher or counselor has a reputation for advising medication for many children, you want to know that. You want the decision best for YOUR child - not all the other children in the class. I wish I could give you a pat solution, but I can't. ADHD isn't a one-size-fits-all diagnosis. We wish you the very best as you continue to ask questions and discover what's best for your daughter. Keep us posted on your next steps. We would love to hear from you soon. For our ADHD-inattentive daughter, she also flourished and was a better student in classrooms where teachers engaged in a more structured teaching style. In classrooms like you describe for your daughter in third grade, she faced similar dilemmas. It’s interesting to me that even the personality characteristics you describe — shy in certain situations and exhibiting leadership capabilities in areas she’s confident — all sound extremely familiar.

Like you, our family tried various behavioral strategies to overcome her distraction. Spelling to a rap, going over social studies facts in a different room from math facts, offering peppermint tea to jump start focus, setting a timer for a dreaded task, etc. — we tried a lot of things too. It sounds like you’re savvy enough to have been proactive in your approach.

Our family also postponed medication for as long as possible. In hindsight, I wonder if we waited too long. It’s a tough call.

Although Leslie exhibited symptoms as early as kindergarten and was diagnosed in fourth grade, we didn’t agree to medication until she was in 6th grade. By then, her confidence was lagging and her self-esteem suffered. I don’t want to portray the medicine as a cure-all, but in our daughter’s case, it was an effective tool.

Let me address this part of your comment:

I began to wonder if some of the social problems might have to do with her difficulties being able to respond to comments being made…so some girls tend to ignore her because she does not continue the conversations.

Her ADHD-inattentive tendencies can indeed affect her interaction with others. If she zones in and out of the conversations around her or interjects random comments, the others may decide to ignore her as you’ve mentioned. Social reasons are just as valid as academic reasons for you to weigh as you make the decision to medicate or not.

As you make this decision, I would encourage you to seek the counsel of professionals you trust — the school psychologist, teachers who know her well and her pediatrician or family doctor should be excellent resources. One of the questions that Kayla and I have both posed through the years to medical professionals from orthodontists to surgeons is “If this were your child, what would you do?”

If a doctor, teacher or counselor has a reputation for advising medication for many children, you want to know that. You want the decision best for YOUR child – not all the other children in the class.

I wish I could give you a pat solution, but I can’t. ADHD isn’t a one-size-fits-all diagnosis. We wish you the very best as you continue to ask questions and discover what’s best for your daughter. Keep us posted on your next steps. We would love to hear from you soon.

]]> By: maureen http://www.adhd-inattentive.com/85/helping-an-adhd-child-remember/comment-page-1/#comment-2745 maureen Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:09:13 +0000 http://adhd-inattentive.com/85/helping-an-adhd-child-remember/#comment-2745 I found your site as I have been searching for info on adhd inattentive type. my daughter is 9 and was just diagnosed with this.....having a background in special ed and neices and nephews with adhd combined i have been concerned about my daughter for a couple of years. I know that she is a bright girl and in the past she has had very well structured teachers that have worked well with her learning styles. This year, in 3rd grade her teacher is less structured and tends to leave a concept once it has been taught....this has not worked well for my daughter especially with her writing skills. As the year has progressed the holes with her ablity to focus have become more evident to me. Although the teacher was not seeing it as she is not a behavior problem the school psychologist who was brought in to observe her( thanks to my pediatrician) was able to identify that she is often distracted. This concurred with the observations we had from outside of school life. She has always shown a bit of a strong will towards things she does not want to do or does not find exciting enough and we have always parented using behavioral strategies to help her. Socially she has a tendency towards shyness but can easily be outgoing.....all depends on the day and situation. She tends to have a leader type of personality if she is comfortable in the situation. This year I began to see more and more problems with her confidence and we have enrolled her in activites to help build it back up. This year the girls in her class have shown a lot of cattiness and we have been talking a lot about how to handle it. I began to wonder if some of the social problems might have to do with her difficulties being able to respond to comments being made...so some girls tend to ignore her because she does not continue the conversations. Once the doctor gave the diagnosis (which I was not surprised with) I said I wanted to hold off on medication. At this point I feel that she is not drowning in frustration, however I know that some days are a real struggle and some days are pretty good. Some days she comes home from school and everything about homework is a meltdown. Other days she seems to be able to cope with very little difficulties. She is very tall for her age and I know her body is changing so hormones are all over the place. How do I judge when the inattention difficulties are overriding all of the other challenges. And do I wait until she is slways struggling to put her on medication. Any info would be a great help. Thanks. I found your site as I have been searching for info on adhd inattentive type. my daughter is 9 and was just diagnosed with this…..having a background in special ed and neices and nephews with adhd combined i have been concerned about my daughter for a couple of years. I know that she is a bright girl and in the past she has had very well structured teachers that have worked well with her learning styles. This year, in 3rd grade her teacher is less structured and tends to leave a concept once it has been taught….this has not worked well for my daughter especially with her writing skills. As the year has progressed the holes with her ablity to focus have become more evident to me. Although the teacher was not seeing it as she is not a behavior problem the school psychologist who was brought in to observe her( thanks to my pediatrician) was able to identify that she is often distracted. This concurred with the observations we had from outside of school life. She has always shown a bit of a strong will towards things she does not want to do or does not find exciting enough and we have always parented using behavioral strategies to help her. Socially she has a tendency towards shyness but can easily be outgoing…..all depends on the day and situation. She tends to have a leader type of personality if she is comfortable in the situation. This year I began to see more and more problems with her confidence and we have enrolled her in activites to help build it back up. This year the girls in her class have shown a lot of cattiness and we have been talking a lot about how to handle it. I began to wonder if some of the social problems might have to do with her difficulties being able to respond to comments being made…so some girls tend to ignore her because she does not continue the conversations. Once the doctor gave the diagnosis (which I was not surprised with) I said I wanted to hold off on medication. At this point I feel that she is not drowning in frustration, however I know that some days are a real struggle and some days are pretty good. Some days she comes home from school and everything about homework is a meltdown. Other days she seems to be able to cope with very little difficulties. She is very tall for her age and I know her body is changing so hormones are all over the place. How do I judge when the inattention difficulties are overriding all of the other challenges. And do I wait until she is slways struggling to put her on medication. Any info would be a great help.
Thanks.

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