From: sara@austin.ibm.com
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: Attention Deficit Disorder
Keywords: ADD
Date: 13 Aug 92 02:01:07 GMT
Reply-To: sara@austin.ibm.com
Organization: IBM Austin
Originator: sara@drwho.austin.ibm.com


I have a 7 1/2 year old son who was diagnosed with ADD when he
was 6 years old.  Nothing had been noticed by his pre-school or
by us at home, but kindergarten was a different story.  He was
lucky to have a very sharp teacher who noticed that although he
was learning very well and was well-mannered, he had unusual
difficulty sitting still without squirming in between lessons, 
standing in line without sqirming, and so forth.  We took him
to a neuro-psychologist for a general work-up because his
teacher thought he might need O.T. (Occupational Therapy - sort
of like physical therapy for fine motor stuff).  Anwyay, we were
quite shocked and dismayed when the work-up (4 1/2 hour exam)
indicated he had ADD.  Jon didn't have noticable hyperactivity,
and we had always thought the two went together.

At any rate, my first bit of advice is to make sure that this
diagnosis is done by a neuro-psychologist or by a neurologist,
and not by a pediatrician or a psychologist with no special
neurological training.  ADD is a neurological disorder, not
a psychological one.

Back to our history.  Everyone agreed that it would be a good
idea to avoid medication, so Jon took O.T. (also recommended by
some for ADD kids) all summer.  When school started, we (parents)
met with his teacher and worked out behavioral strategies.  The
school provided O.T., and he went to a special educational clinic
for "special needs" kids twice a week for an hour.  His grades
remained Excellent (literally) in his academics all year, but
his ability to shape his behavior to expectations worsened
steadily despite all our efforts.  Jon just couldn't get himself
to finish boring assignments without constant monitoring by the
teacher, which isn't really possible in a large class.  He also
had difficulty remaining in his seat.  Finally, in late March,
after discussions with his teacher, pediatrician, and psycho-neurologist,
we started giving him Ritalin.  Magic!  All of a sudden, no more
problems.  He rushed through the boring assignments and got to do
all the fun stuff he wanted.  There really weren't any side-effects,
and so we continued with the Ritalin through the school year.  We
haven't given it to him this summer, but I can't tell his general
behavior, attitude, expressiveness, etc. on Ritalin from off it.
It's only in the school setting where his behavior really shows up.

This is not always true of children with ADD.  Many have significant
hyperactivity which shows up in many venues.  Also, because they've
frequently been labeled "naughty" or "bad" or "devilish" or whatever,
they frequently have emotional/psychological problems, as well.  Also,
it's not uncommon for some of these children to have difficulty with
interpersonal relationships.  Given all this, psychological therapy
is often required in addition to the Ritalin.  We were lucky that
Jon's condition was caught early, that he was bright enough to
compensate for his disability, and that he didn't have hyperactivity
or impulsivity leading to aggressiveness.

I don't know what your daughter's situation is, but I wouldn't
be afraid of medication.  I still think it is great if you can
avoid it, but they don't turn into affectless zombies or bouncing
balls.  Also, be sure to get any support you need.  If things have
been "bad" in your family due to stress from this situation, 
consider family therapy.  Also, look into an ADD parents support
group in your area.  My city has one, and it gave me invaluable
insight to hear other parents' experiences.

I wish you the best of luck!  Sometimes it's really hard to hang
on to the thought that these kids really, really want to be good
and fulfill our highest expectations.  We think, "He/she's so
bright.  He/she could do it if he/she'd just buckle down."  It
just isn't so.  Despite intelligence and desire, they can't
control their behavior.  One thing to remember is that many of
these kids do grow out of it.  I know a 14-year old who just
completed his first Ritalin-free year since he was 9, and he 
did beautifully.

-- 
Sara Blatt
internal:	sara@drwho.austin.ibm.com
external:	sara@netmail.austin.ibm.com
My opinions are my own, not necessarily IBM's!