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15 votes.
Many of the ideas expressed in “3 Steps To Conquering ADD” fly in the face of our current medical solution for ADD ADHD.
While many countries have become more progressive (like Australia) the USA is still very entrenched in the “drug only” approach to ADD ADHD.
Dr. Mary Ann Block is surely an Ally in the War against ADD ADHD misdiagnosis and mistreatment.
She sums up the situation nicely.
Enjoy :-)
Jon
ps – please leave your comments below
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I agree with you 100%. We own a martial arts school where we have an after school program for kids. We find that parents that cop out to putting their kids on drugs just because some school teacher says so, turn out to be bad parents in many ways. They do not discipline their kids at all and they let their kids have free reign over their world. No respect or manners from the kids or the parents. There has never been a bad child born. All children are what their parents have turned them into. We refuse to give the kids their drugs {it’s not medicine}while they are at our DoJang. I had ADD when I was a kid {I’m 51 now} and I was cured of this horable disease by my third grade teacher. After getting hit side the head with a 18″ wooden ruler a few times I learned to pay attention and follow the rules.
well how we all know what happen to you….it is wrong to hit anybody or animal on the head.that not how you teach or discipline some one.
Is Dan kidding???? he cant honestly be for real…My 12 yo son has ADHD and i knew since he was about 18 months old he was unlike other kids his age…yes eventually i had him on meds to help him but he is such a hyper child that they wore off quickly. I stopped the medication when our paediatrian wanted to put him on some drugs that would knock him out…so instead we moved to the country, to a small school of 44 kids and took him off meds. Though we still have probs with him its now a matter of patience on ours and his behalf to battle through.
I DO NOT THINK A HIT ON THE SIDE OF YOUR HEAD WOULD CURE YOU…..MMMMMM
Dan sounds very ignorant and narrow minded.
Dan I don’t think the teachers can get away with hitting students in the head…LOL. I agree with this 100% to. I thought my child had ADD the inatenative part. You know having a problem focusing, but in reality she focuses when she wats to and that made me think. Yes, some kids do have a learning problems but if we keep telling our kids what the signs and symptons are they are going to act them out. I know because I have a step-cousin that supposedly has ADD and everytime his mother talks about the symptons he displays them right then and there.
Dan I here what your saying people need to understand how to toughen up a bit and not be so passive and scarred to raising there children. There is nothing wrong with a bit of discipline my child would run my life and destroy my house daily.It’s not about the 18″ruler it’s about parents taking charge even though it is not only physically draining it’s mentally draining to. What works for my child is teaching him daily routine and being consistent about it if you don’t create some kind of structured rutine you will only be the one that suffers in the end.Hitting I agree doesn’t teach children it’s pointless.
WOW!!! The wacks in your head explains alot!
I am confussed, why all these Dr.’s say its ADHD, okay where and how do you find out all these actions our Grandson has, how to help him.
This is an interesting take on the diagnosing of ADD and ADHD. I have been diagnosed with ADD as an adult. I have tried all the drugs and have had no real success. In fact in trying some of the stimulants (Ritalin & Adderall) I have found that I am driven to abuse those meds. So im off of it now for about a year or so. I am currently getting treatment for depression and anxiety.
My son was diagnosied with ADHD 2 years ago he is now 13 years old and from the beginning we told the doctor that we would not be putting him on any drugs to “help” his problems. I have tried a few natural ways myself vitamins – Omega’s and DHA. As you mention you say to try and find the root of the problem how do you do that when all the doctors want to do is prescribe drugs?
The comments made were correct. Most children are over medicated because it is the easiest way of solving the symtoms. My child has ADHD without the physical distraction. We decided not to medicate him. He is growing up to be a successful college student. But I must say there were times that were frustrating. The most important thing a parent must look at is the ability the child has at succeeding. If the child cannot get through traditional schooling find an alternative. We are fortunate that we are living in a time of where this problem is validated. There are web sites, books, teachers, and family that came help the children to become successful. ADHD can be an exhausting experience for the family and child but it is your responsibility to find the path.
Eight months ago we found Dr. Block and she has opened our eyes to the truth. Our 6 yr. old daughter had been on meds for ADHD with horrible side effects for 1 1/2 yrs. After Dr. Block’s extensive tests the facts revealed that our child desperately required to be on a gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free diet. In addition, she was very low on several vitamins and minerals. Lab results showed that she had several heavy metals in her body that weren’t being flushed out, all of which definitely cause severe mood swings, anger issues, hyperactivity, destructive behavior, etc. which had previously been diagnosed as ADHD. THANK YOU DR. BLOCK. YOU HAVE GIVEN OUR PRECIOUS BABY BACK!
I agree, we took my son to Dr. Block when he was in 1st grade. He is now 19 has an associates degree (continues to work on his college degree) and is in the US Air Force. If we had not had that test to see what his body was lacking, put him on the proper vitamins and minerals, as well as the EPD shots at the time (now they do LPD shots), he would not be the person he is today.
He was highly allergic to chemicals and all we needed to do was walk down the detergent isle of the grocery store to see his pupils would be totally blown from this. He also had some inhalant and food allergies as well. Through the years this not only helped him with the ADD/ADHD issues, it also made his immune system super sonic! It gave back what all those antibiotics took from him, when he was a toddler with all those ear infections. We now hear about lacto bacillus everywhere, but 12 years ago you did not. She was on target with putting the good and the bad bacteria back into his gut and he no longer has tummy/bowel type issues anymore.
When we would get ill (family of 5), he never was sick with Dr. Blocks treatments, before he was sick all the time. People can say what they want about Dr. Block, but I truly feel she saved my son. She is AWESOME in my book!
P.S. When we were there for his allergy testing those 4 or 5 days, there were people there from all over the world! I remember this one family from Portugal in particular. Thank You Doctor Block, you truly are doing wonderful work!
Your 6 yr. old sounds like my 15 yr. old. He has been struggling with ADHD since he was 8 yrs. old. We have done the meds also and nothing worked. I did not like the person it made him out to be. We are now doing the natural way. But still yet my son is struggling through school. He is not so much hyper but looses focus in school and still is forgetful. He has anger issues which I always thought it was the fustration with his ADHD. Sometimes I feel that maybe there is something else going on with him that I am not aware of. He has a negetive attitude about himself. And yes, mood swings. I need help to help me help my son in finding out what his real problem is.
Wow, powerful video, I agree 100% and I am so glad that the some in the medical field can see and are being vocal about the ADD and ADHD label and the underlying causes. It is truly heart breaking that doctors are so eager to medicate children.
I agree that children are too readily diagnosed as ADD/ADHD today. I suspect that many (not all) come from homes where there are missing parenting skills, or parental vacancies due to working at night when kids are home from school, parents with drinking/drug addictions, divorced/single parents, etc.
I also suspect that ADD in children might be a risidual effect from mother’s who took speed/coccaine in early pregnancy and/or parents that “teach” attention deficit to their kids because they don’t talk to them with interest and especially don’t listen to them.
The Ridilin feeds their habit and won’t cure the problem. All it is doing is burning out energy and taking a toll on their hearts and bodies.
I am not a doctor, but wish there were studies that could prove my theory. I feel schools should support helping these kids to “unlearn” these traits that were taught from early childhood, get the ones that don’t need to be off the drugs, and give these kids the special attention they need to “relearn” positive thinking skills to carry them through life.
I disagree with this. She only says there is no such thing as ADHD OR ADD. She then says find out the cause- & not just the label. this is a little easier said than done.. if this were the case, then there would be no problems with kids! I guess my point is, what is the solution????
I LIVE IN IRELAND AND I HAVE 11 YEAR OLD BOY WITH ADHD HE IS ON EQUASYM XL 30mg I HAVE ADHD TO I AM 38 YOUR OLD AND I AM ON STATTERA 80mg I LOOK AT YOUR VIDEO AND LIKE IT A LOT WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP ME AND MY SON DO BETTER IN LIFE
Great video, and I couldn’t agree more!!! BUT, how do I find the cause? What should I request my doctor do. He know’s I will NOT medicate my son, but still does nothing. Do I ask to see a specialist? What kind of specialist?
Thank you,
Nanee
Thankyou so much.I have felt the same and did not want
to put my child on drugs.He has problems focusing and
now it’s affecting his schoolwork.I am seking all other
avenues and methods so I can help him.
Thankyou very much,
Helen Duff
Absolutely right on. Well put.
Yes, I appreciate her point of view. But I AM wondering what actually DOES cause the symptoms.
I have a 4-year-old grandson who shows symptoms of mental imbalance. I would definitely never recommend or give him drugs! I feel that most drugs are dangerous.
We have given him natural mood-calming supplements, such as Lemon Balm, L-Theanine, valerian, chamomile, etc, which do help temporarily. He has dramatic mood swings, from divinely loving and affectionate to blackly hateful and murderous. It can happen within the space of a few seconds or minutes. Sometimes he is good for hours, other times he is troubled intermittently throughout the day. He is hyperactive, jumping, grabbing, running, contorting, hitting, throwing, yelling, shouting, screaming, using vulgar language, extreme disobedience to his mother.
Many times he is almost impervious to punishment or pain, while at other times he is overly sensitive to the slightest scratch or look of disapproval. He has made my daughter old. She deals with him usually very patiently but many times has totally lost it with him. I have lost it with him, many times also, just seeing his behavior with her. I feel sad to lose it and so does she but being imperfect and small souls sometimes it is not possible to tolerate his terribly disruptive behavior.
His father is from Assam, very short, and very “bi-polar”. He is always EITHER at the North Pole or the South Pole. Never inbetween. In fact he seems ‘paranoid schizophrenic’, since his main negative focus is on all the injustices that have been dealt him by almost everyone, which he cannot forgive or forget and always brings up in his “reports”. He bangs his head against the wall until blood spatters out, and chased my daughter with a knife. A half hour later he was calm. (She had escaped to a friend’s place.)
She could not live with him. He is in India and she is here in the U.S.
So I am sure that the mental imbalance is inherited from the father’s genes. Her attitude is simply to keep training him, and she does well, though one can never depend on good behavior or peaceful mood with him.
He is exceptionally intelligent, very wise and knowing, and very talented and can absorb himself in drawing, coloring, glueing, etc, for hours. He very much likes things to be organized and regulated, even though he seriously disrupts those states.
We all know for sure that drugs are NOT the answer! We take help from natural agents, as mentioned above. But we would really like to know if it is simply a matter of balancing the neurotransmitters in the brain, and how this can be done reasonably, or if there is some other hormonal imbalance that needs to be addressed.
my comment is unless we have traning for parent and teatcher
to deal with children with this problem we will always need to use the medical as replacemnt as most of the child time spend in school , so problem must be solved by talking to aducation authority
to impose traning for all teacher to deal with any student how show such problem
I am so happy that I know about effects of using these medications that are said to alleviate ADHD symptoms. I also know that there are so many ways to help your child if he has attention problems than to resort to these unnatural and harmful medications. Two steps that I took was to take my 8 year old child to a school with a small class size of 13. I monitor the things that he eats at home and at school. In addition I educate him about healthy and unhealthy eating.
Dr Block,
WE are a Montessori School and Having experienced many ADD ADHD students are very thankful for your Findings on this very difficult behavoriaql problem. Especially since many students are not of the ADD ADHD problem.
We are recommending that parents read the Jon Bennet book and we intend to use your comments and the others who have testified to personal family members who have died because of the use of these drugs.
do you think that adults have this condition that was never addressed when they were children?
My son, Thomas, is 11 years old. We live in Pittsford,NY. He has been diagnosed with ADHD since he was 5 years old. He has taken Adderall, Straterrra, Medadate and is now taking Concerta. We have tried many different medicines to help him and he seems to be doing best with Concerta.
I agree with your diagnosis…we are medicating our children to cover up underlying causes of these ADHD behaviors. I hate the fact my son is on medicine and am trying to find a way or someone to help us find the underlying causes of his behavior when not on medicine. He is doing fantastic in school and socially. When he is not on the medicine we want to tear our hair out. He is a WONDERFUL boy who needs something to help him survive each day in a positive way. Do you know anyone in this area who will give him the extensive testing needed to figure out what the underlying causes are? We do know he has severe outdoor allergies and he is on a 5 year shot plan. We are presently in the 3rd year…going every other week for allergy shots. I know there are deeper underlying causes for his behavior when not on medicine. I want my son to be happy and confident. I am praying for someone to be able to help him so he can cope in life by not taking medicine. Do you have any suggestions or know of anyone that would like to meet a wonderful boy who is willing to be a part of study or be put in the hands of a wonderful doctor to help him so he is not on medicine the rest of his life? Thank you for putting this video out and I hope to hear from you.
Becky Cincebox……concerned mom
I am a single parent of 3 children, my youngest having extreme behavioural issues. Where do I begin when the school system pushes me to place my child on medication for his behaviour? How do I access people like Dr. Ann Block when my income is so limited. We barely get by now as it is. Please help. My son is currently on risperidone, a very serious drug. Although it has helped, I fear the long term effects this drug will have on my son.
Dawn MacNeil
My 6 year old son has been dignosed with ADHD since january this year, I as probaly like many parents got overwhelm by it, I was told he need to be n medication wich after my reaserch on them I was not conviced, but I was told by a behavior therapist, Psychatrist, That ADHD is a anxaety problem,she said if I decied to give him vitamis suplements she could not treat him. My son was only 3 weeks on Ritilin and his behavior worsen he turn violet and deprest, his Pediatrician got him off medication inmediatly,I’m glad that some Doctors or speacialist desagree with how ADHD is been dignoised and treated that I’m not some creasy mom after all, my son is not on any medication any more, and he has score above average in school.
I am 79 years old. As a child I showed all the symptoms in the book and was in constant trouble for my inability to stay still, forgetfulness, lack of concentration etc., especially as I had an above average IQ I still have the problem and write notes to remind myself all the time. I still lie awake at nights. I have also been diagnosed as a Type 2 Diabetic. I also experimented with Ritalin when it came out and it felt wonderful! But I soon realised the dangers and quit. I am impressed by the research that suggests the neurotransmitters may be the problem and I am going to try GABA and/or Neubecalmed. I have long suspected that there is some connection with the Diabetes, which is supposed to come on in adulthood, but I recognise symptoms (low blood sugar shakes)which I had as a child and adolescent., and I know I have always had it. I know I would have been a sucker for street drugs if they had been available in my youth. You are right that a drug is not the answer, but the symptoms are very real and painful. There are also many kinds of ADD. And it is inherited; my mother was a perfect example, and probably my grandfather.
I should add that I was a child in England during the war and candy and sugar were rationed, but we lived on a lot of bread and potatoes. (Lots of starch!)_
So True So True !! My sons school was trying to say my son may have ADD/ADHD. In my heart I knew he did not, but I took him to a doctor and he said my son showed some signs of ADD, and he percribed medicine for my son. My heart was still telling me that they was wrong. I went and had my sons precription filled that same day and I had plan to start giving him the medicine the next morning. Something still bugged me about this so that night after everyone went to bed I started pulling up information about ADD/ADHD. Thank God I came across the 3 steps information. The information I got from this book and the videos is what stoped me from giving my son that first pill. I stayed up all night reading and finding out so much information that nobody even bothered to tell me about the medicine I was going to give him .The side effects from the medicine I was going to give him scared me to death. I was schocked because nobody bothered to tell me how dangerious this stuff is. This books talks about how so many other problems a child can have and it look like ADD/ADHD but isent. In my sons case, it was his vision. Even though my son had his vision checked before school this year. The eye doctor who saw him apparently didnt know what he was doing because when I took my son to a different eye doctor. he found out that my son is severaly far sighted, he has astigmatisums in both eyes and he has a right eye turn. This was why my son was having problems in school. Now my son has glasses and is doing great in school. I havent heard another word from the school about ADD/ADHD. Thank you so much 3steps. You saved my life and my sons life. Denise
I totally agree and have been saying this for years. I believe in food sensitivities, poor parenting skills, lack of proper discipline, hearing problems, eye site problems, but I do not believe in ADD or ADHD – I also believe the school system has much to be blamed with these labels. Teachers love the kids that please makes their jobs easier.
Thank you for your research.
Jennifer Renaud
I think too many parents put their children on these drugs for ADD or ADHD because they can’t do anything with a child who acts up and just wants to calm them down. This is really creating a big problem for our children.
Of course the doctor’s say they need Meds for this behavior. It is hurting our children in the long run with health issues. Shame on these doctors who do not care for our children and only in it for the money. And we wonder what is wrong with our children today – think about it!! They need our HELP!
oh you schould have a PhD for good sense and human understanding. i give you the outstanding human award. you are so right. trouble is how can you get it across to the parents doc’s and oh the teachers. i wish i could make you president for all the kids in the world thank you
I completely agree. My son is one of the worse of these symptoms. His school has contacted me so many times. They think drugs are the answer. I will not put my son on any drug, but I would like to find out a cure. Maybe natural. I wish you could send this video to my son’s school.
I will send this to other parents struggling with a child in a classroom setting.
My son is a pretty intelligent child and I have found that if I give him challenging things to do that he is interested in, he can concentrate for a long time and is much less disruptive. He is also very much a people pleaser and tries to help all the time which at times can get a bit annoying. Especially when I am in a hurry to get something done and he insists on helping. I think that it is just his way of trying to learn. And yes they also need discipline. Lots of it.
No doubt children need direction to live normal happy lives. My direction came from the street and never learned discipline growing up. Teachers who were physical with me did little to change anything. I was always disruptive and in trouble for one thing or another. In fact, I spent a great deal of time in the prinicpals office, intertaining the police or fighting with school mates. In fourth grade a teacher made me sit in front of the class wearing a dunce hat I thought it was funny. Another teacher slammed me up against a concrete wall, for running, that cuased me to black out for a moment. This didn’t stop me from running. I was left at a very abusive foster home from the age of 4 until I was 8 that if I told the story would probably make a normal person sick. I have managed to get through all that and reach adulthood, though doubtful at times. I think the result of my childhood problems was due to ADHD and now as an adult ADD. At least, when I take the on line ADD test it points to moderate to severe conditions. What ever the case there is something wrong when I have difficulty reading thru a book especially when I’m a good reader.
I too agree with this doctor but as parents we are put under incredible pressure by the schools to “conform” – as indeed the kids are in the education system with its zero tolerance of any “misbehaviour” (eg any physical contact) inc those which most of us wld consider normal kid stuff;
As newcomers to the USA 4 years ago (I’m British, my husband Indian but our son, now 10, was brought up in Singapore where we lived for a number of years), I was frankly shocked by the way in which his private school in Manhattan basically refused to deal with his attentional issues unless he was medicated. After 2 years of heartbreak there, we moved him to a much more sympathetic environment but we are still under pressure to medicate.
I closely question his doctor at every appt about the real need for meds and the options available but am always persuaded into it, largely because we’re told that not to do so would diminish his chances of doing well at school, fostering social relationships etc (btw he’s both naturally bright and sociable) plus that it’s better to take action early, that the stats prove a higher incidence of problems later in life in untreated ADHDers.
This is such an inexact science – as the doc says, it’s completely unlike diabetes (my husband is diabetic so we can easily compare and contrast) yet what parent doesn’t want to do their best for their child(ren)?
We are concerned, involved, educated parents who can advocate for our son yet even with all those advantages we end up on the receiving end of this inexactitude and the resultant trial and error approach to medicating.
Keep up the good work…Jane
I agree with what the doctor said, I took my 14 year old son off adderall a month ago. He was depressed and doing worse than ever in school. The teachers all said he was a pleasure to have in class, but that he would drift away. After alot of reading I decided to try him on a multi vitamin and a high dose of good cod liver oil. He says he feels great he’s no longer depressed and he’s doing much better in school. Don there are children out there who have not been given good parenting i.e. not taught to say please and thankyou or to respect authority or thier elders, but I realy think its more to do with getting the right nutrition, we are not all born equal and some of us need help absorbing the nutrients we need for good brain function. Anyway thats the path I’ve chosen and so far so good. Good luck out there to all you sufferers
Wow….Dan, thats what you got out of it?
Well, you didn’t need a smack in the head with a ruler,
you needed love and understanding. I am sorry you
didn’t get it. I will give you some now in the form
of advice…stop listening to Glen Beck, and Rush Limbaugh.
Good to hear someone talk with a bit of common sense – we are fed garbage due to the greed of food corporations so the greedy drug companies can push their products. As for me, I decided not to pay attention to the ‘professional’ that are easy with their use of labels. I’ve changed my diet, my awareness, and exercise program to alter the label from ADD to ADG (attention deficit GIFTED).
LOL! Love it, Dan! At first I didn’t believe there was any such thing as ADD/ADHD, then I wasn’t so sure, but I keep weighing the evidence. Even my PAC (Physician’s Assistant) sides with this. And you are so right about parents anymore. I was babysitting an eight year old recently, and the first thing I did was refuse the sugary treats his dad provided. By the end of the first week, he was a normal kid again.
Awesome video! I was recently given an example as to why I should give my son the “meds”. The person related having a bladder problem with ADHD. Two totally differet things! I agree with Dan! My son acts one way with the people who makes excuses for his behavior (an I can do whatever I want because I can’t help it attitude) and a different (more controlled) way with my husband. I believe there definitely is a boundary as to how far a child should be allowed to go. I am doing all that I can do to find natural ways to handle his ADHD. I just don’t feel good about “just giving it a TRY” as suggested to me.
When my son was less than 2 he was talking in sentences and “writing” words with plastic letters on a “magnetic board”. By the age of 4, it was noticed that he was writing words backwards and that he was left handed.
He was taken to a clinic,[at the suggestion of his nursery school teacher who was concerned about him], where we were told by specialists that he was above average in intelligence, performing some tasks at the level of a 7 year old, but that they could find no problems such as dyslexia.
He entered school when he was 4, and had difficulties right from the start. For the next 8 years he bounced between remedial and gifted classes, with no significant change in his performance.
Eventually we took him to an ADD specialist who told us that he definitely suffered from ADD and recommended strongly that he should be on Ritalin.
We had reservations about putting him on drugs, and obtained more testing from a children’s hospital, who told us that he was a gifted child with a learning disability. They said that the information was enering his brain successfully, but for some reason he was struggling with getting it back out, particularly when he had to provide written responses.This gave the overall appearance of a child with reasonable intelligence who just wasn’t trying!
The specialists at the hospital provided a list of suggestions that could be used to help him succeed in his academic work, including allowing oral rather than written exams, giving him longer to complete tests, and providing him with a computer to do written work.
We were able to obtain a double identification from the Board of Education, allowing some special help from the guidance counsellors in the school. They implemented the recomendatios provided by the hospital, and with their help my son graduated from high school at the top of his class with a 4 year scolarship for university study. He went on to complete a university degree with an average of over 80% in each year. I was told by one of his professors that our son had written some of the finest essays he had ever read in his over 30 years of teaching.
Our son never went on Ritalin, never had any special supplements to his diet. What he did have was what appears to have been a proper diagnosis of his condition, proper recommendations to help him develop coping strategies, and sympathetic caring people who were willing to help implement the plan.
I still believe my son fits the definition of ADD, and I’m convinced that I have had ADD all my life too. I believe that the conditions we have are probably inherited, but fortunately we’ve both been able to develop coping strategies that have allowed us to achieve a modest degree of success in our lives!
I have an 8 year old child that Public school labels as a “trouble maker”, “hyper”, can’t sit still, blurts out answers, gets “bored” quickly and often, and doesn’t sleep very much. My question is according to your video you state to get to the root of your child’s problem. How are you supposed to get to the root when doctors, teachers, psychologist all have met and discussed with your child and they all say ADD or ADHD. Where are you to go?
Thank you for that message, I am not happy with the idea of using my child to test out medications. I am concerned though that there are very few places to turn to for assistance with this issue. I believe my childs pediatrician to be a very caring Dr. who seems to try to find the best solutions for the children, however, I think that even the professionals really don’t know what to do with this.
It seems that they are all trained to say the same thing which is that these meds are really helping lots of people.
After trying Concerta, which made my son depressed and suicidal who had not been before, his Dr. said well lets try him on another med, which I had read had caused death in another child.
Is there anyone out there who can acually diagnose the issue or issues and help us get to the true matter.
I have an ADHD 9 year old son. At first I had refused giving my son any medication for his attention deficit. He struggled from Kinder to 3rd grade doing his homework, but he was academically successful because my husband and I were constantly tutoring him and making sure his does not fall behind in class. His report card would state he needed improvements on: staying on task, using his class time efficiently, getting along with other, respecting other student’s property, mostly behavioral problems. He wouldn’t stay in his seat. Homework was becoming more difficult to complete by the end of 3rd grade. When he started 4th grade he could no longer keep up with the homework. His test scores would be 65% 55%, etc..
I when to Kaiser to get intervention. I attended their 4 or 5 classes on ADD/ADHD for parents. They taught me about SST, IEP, ways to modify test-taking, etc…, they taught about structure for study, diet, etc…. Then I got to the class about drugs. After much discussion with the child psychologist, we agree to give Ritalin (5mg) a try. He takes one pill from Monday thru Friday. No meds for the weekend. What a world of difference! My son’s test scores are 95%-100% on average. His scores on school benchmarks are at proficient or advance in English Language Art & math. All of his behavioral problems are gone. He does his homework by himself. I still have to prompt him to get started. His self-esteem is up and now he is socially acceptable among his classmates. I give him vitamins and Ritalin. Life is much easier for the whole family. Life is good. I can’t complaint.
This is so true. I did medicate my children and refuse to do so now. Diet is the key but it is not easy. We need to get schools and Doctors to pay attention to this before there are more deaths and depression.
Well thats fine and dandy to say that we shouldnt just settle for a drug, but HONESTLY VERY FEW doctors are WILLING to take their time to figure it out, and VERY few kids can be helped in the time frame they have to succeed in the school systems today. I struggle everyday and I can only PRAY that one day out of the last 20 Dr.s I will find one like this who will HELP me figure this out.
Jon BENNETT! !!!1 Thank you , thank you, thank you, for all these informations. You made my life simple. I would never give my child any of those drugs. I agree with you 100% too. =)
I’m bringing up a boy whose parents were both drug addicts. The father is dead and the mother has just come out of re-hab (been there before. This boy of 13 has been professionally tested and certified as dyslexic with dysgraphia and ADHD. I know the results are correct but I refused the doctors when they recommended medication for ADHD. Fortunately the doctors were very responsive when I told them that their education and training in medicine grooms them to prescribe medicines for every disorder but not all medicines are without side effects and particularly the psychotropic medicines.
As a child I too was slow and had attention deficiency particularly for subjects that didn’t interest me. While I took the knocks from a ruler (12″) I was lucky to have a teacher who reasoned with me that if you are slow you have to work harder and if you lack attention then simple exercises like “deep breathing” and meditation can work wonders. These surely worked wonders in my academic life and I’m teaching my child the same way. Fortuinately the results are very positive.
Darius
I wish I knew where to find Dr. Block, I would love to take my children to her to help us find the ‘underlying’ cause for my childrens diagnoses.
We homeschool our children as opposed to using meds that the school wants them to use. Now, they are thriving. I wish more parents would be their childs advocate instead of looking for a ‘magic’ pill to solve the problem.
Thank you so much for forwarding this video to me. This truely makes me feel better and confirmed of why we took my son off of metadate.
I agree, my doctor is doing a saliva test to check the different levels of hormones in the endicrine system and will treat as needed with nuerotransmittor supplements for the specific areas of deficits.
Well I have read and understand what your trying to say but I have my son on meds and they should of put mp husband on it way back when. I’m having an awful time with things. Ionly give my son the meds 5 days a week while school is in session. Weekends and anyime off and during the summer I don’t give anything. I hate to have hime on meds but his grades suffer drastically and I can’t have it neither does he. I tried to keep him off for two weeks without the teachers knowing and when he got his report card he was he went from and A to C and 3 B’ to 3 C’s. My husband is uncontrolable and I loose patience with him. I wish we could spank our kids like back then but thank the government.
Dear Sandra,
I know exactly what you are going through, believe me. It’s is the most difficult thing to deal with, especially when you are feeling that it is a lost and lonely battle. However there are some help out there. I don’t think that there is a miracle cure or even an overnight solution. It’s a lot of work daily!!
There are, however, programs that helps you to learn how to deal more effective and guilt free with ADHD children. You can try:
* Triple P _ it’s an Australia gov. program to help parents to deal more effective and guilt free with ADHD children. You should go through your doctor or psychologist to go on those. I know for sure that it is available in Australia and UK.
* Chronic Reverse Polarity treatment – herbs that help children with those condition to improove concentration and behaviour – Dr. Keith (San Diego) – (001) 760 489-6889 – look up for his website.
* Sacral Cranio Therapy – look in your area for teaching clinics. It’s normaly 1/3 of the normal price.
* Body brushing – long treatment but very helpful.
Most importantly, try to remember every day how especial your child is and how your relationship with this child can be even more especial. Don’t pay much attention to what people around you say; they don’t live your reality and cannot measure it really. Concentrate on what your child has to offer rather than on what people expect him to offer. We all have something good to offer without much effort; it’s just a question of find what it is. Life will be much more pleasant for you and your child.
All the best for both of you.
Lilian
Linda, I love this comment..
“Concentrate on what your child has to offer rather than on what people expect him to offer. We all have something good to offer without much effort; it’s just a question of find what it is. Life will be much more pleasant for you and your child.”
If we all looked at it this way instead of listening to what society or the education system considers the norm we’d be a lot better off.
Take care,
Harve
what about adults my husband has been diagnosed with add
and takes strattera
i’m worried about him taking this but dont know what else to do
Crystal
I can tell you that I have ADD and am taking another medication (dextroamphetamine i think is the name) and I can tell you that these types of meds, as far as i am concerned really help me to concentrate. my wife felt the same way that you do, “is it really helping”. Since I have been taking these meds, my wife has noticed a distinct change in my behavior. I can do more things around the house without getting tired all the time (I am 58) and can do things now that I wasnt able to do years ago. Just sit down and talk to him about it and ask him what does HE think and whether he thinks that the meds are helping or not. Mike.
I have a 9 year old son. He appears to have all the characteristics of ADD. I believe nutrition is a huge part of his problem. he has a diet of approx. 5 things he will eat. no veggies unless ketchup counts chicken spaghetti, pancakes, pizza minus the cheese no dairy products unless i hide an egg in this pancakes. VERY FRUSTRATING. I was hoping the vitamins would help but he will not drink them. We have had battles which result in crying screaming he still resfuses to drink them. I’m at my wits end and don’t know how else to get these vitamins in him. Will they work the same if i try to hide them in his food.
You may want to try mixing them in juice – OJ works the best with most children!
Hi, John im a little confused i understand about the liquid vitamins how about the neu-be calm? do these 2 work together? im anxious to start my son but im confused about the neu-be calm should he take it too along with the liquid vitamins? thank you
Yes, they can be taken together indeed! Most people do take both daily, but you may need to find out what works best for you. For instance, my brother takes the vitamins every day but only takes the supplement when he has a meeting, or heavy work load that requires him to be extra focused. I hope that helps!
My son has been diagnosed with ADHD and I knew it since day one of his life when he couldn’t be breast feed; he could not calm down enough to do so. However I have decided to go through the daily pain of dealing with a child that acts differently from the others rather then drug him. He was officially diagnosed when he was almost 5. He is now nearly 9 and with a lot of patience, good routine, a lot of disciplene and a suitable life style for his condition he is starting to get his school work done and getting better grades at as well. I work very close with his teachers and make sure he understand that we are he for him but he also needs to cooperate and make the effort to concentrate and behave. It is by no means an easy job but and yes, as a mum I don’t have much of a social life but has been well worse all the effort.
YOU SHOULD NEVER EVER HIT ANY CHILD ON THE HEAD!!! ESPECIALLY A CHILD THAT BY NO FAULT OF HER OWN CANNOT CONCENTRATE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE THE SAME KIND OF SCHOOL RESULTS THAT A CHILD WITHOUT THIS PROBLEM CAN.
I have a son that is 7 years old who has all the symptoms of ADHD and his quite negative teacher needs to speak to me often about his impulsive behaviour. I believe he is VERY intelligent, reads very well for his age but mucks around alot. He gets to sleep very easily but wakes up around 6.30am. I have him on a falsafe ellimination diet which has helped him and I have been searching the intranet for any info I can get to help before I even consider THINKING about medication. I was quite upset when I came across the DRAFT ADHD Guidelines on the Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Website. It was like a reality check, – ‘yes it is a problem and we need some guidelines to control it’.
To whom this may concern, the solution to the problem would be to get a full outside of the district psycho-educational assessment.
Depending on the assessment findings, one would highly suggest the district provide a behaviorist and an IEP team can get a positive intervention program and or a 504 plan developed and implemented immediately.
As for meds you could get a change in diet or a natural alternative or a medication. I am not giving legal or medical advice, I am just giving my suggestion based on 15 years of legal advocating for children. Along, with years of litagation in court
I feel parents may want to learn more about there educational rights. Most importantly, my your child be a success in his or her life. I hope love and pure joy to all!
I was “disgnosed” with ADD while still in the military when I was about 41 years old. All my life I struggled in school, never being able to pay attention in class. I barely made it thru High School. When I tried to go to college (at a Junior college) I also struggled there to the point that I was placed on Academic Probation for my second semester and still did not do any better. I returned home as a “pissed off” 19 year old where my father told me that i was not going to hang around the house and do nothing and that I needed to get a job. Thats when I went back to Arizona and joined the Army. That was the smartest thing that I ever did in my life as I made it a 28 year career. However, during that time my father passed away and I got severly depressed and was even hospitalized for it. While undergoing outpatient therapy I told the doctor that I had a hard time concentrating and after a lot of questioning and if I remember correctly,I completed a written questionaire about ADD. The doctor “diagnosed” me with ADD and started me on Ritalin. From that day all the way until today I have been a different person. I am able to concentrate and have the “energy” to continue working for the Army as a “civil servant”. BUT, I still have this “problem” to where I am unable to concentrate on one task. I am “sidetracked” constanty! I start to do one task, then I think about another and stop that task and go to another, and another, and another. It is very, very frustrating and am finding that it is getting worse. Does this sound like ADD, or ADHD to anyone. Could REALLY use some feedback! Thanks for letting me share.
Have you tried changing your nutritional intake? Often times your nutrition is the root of the problem. The problem with Ritalin is that it’s basically speed, so on some people this slows them down, on others it simply messes them up. Not to mention the underlying problems that can be caused later on in your life in taking this drug. Have you read the side effects for this drug? go to http://www.webmd.com and look up the drug you are taking you will get all the information on it, plus you will get some natural ideas for a cure of what you think you are diagnosed with. Good luck!
i gave son ritlan when he 9 years old was not knowing the effects of the drug he failed to succeed in his work he blames me for giving him ritlan he is messed in head he hates me full of anger he is going to be 21 in august i wish i had never given him ritlan, i do not know what to do
Let him know constantly that you love him. Let him know that it was not the fact that you gave him Ritalin, it was the fact that YOU was misled by people you trusted (Doctors, Pharmacist, other Professional people), remember, we live in a money based world and that creates greed and the lust for money regardless if it hurts someone. Let your son know that with the proper nutrition, love and care, he can gain ALL of his faculties and succeed in life like he wants to. But, he has to be as strong as you. He can’t hide behind the fact that you gave him ritalin for the way his life is. YOU were misled and he took it. Now it is up to BOTH of you to reverse it. It can be done, and then from this point forth, let your voices be heard to others that are put on this horrible drug. Let them know that the path they have been led on is the WRONG path! Be a voice for truth!
I will nor put my child on any meds at all. I have done a lot of research and I believe there are other ways to deal with the problem. The video talks about finding the real problem. How do you find the real problem and who can help you do this? Our family doctor does not want to see my son unless we plan on using meds. So who scan help me? I am living a very stressful life trying to care for a 6 year old with several problems.