When a doctor prescribes meds for ADHD he or she often forgets to tell the parents a few home truths which could make life easier for everybody. Maybe the doctor is pressed for time maybe he does not know that much about ADHD meds for kids and their side effects. The main thing she should be telling you is that meds for ADHD are only a means for controlling the symptoms. They do not cure the condition and they certainly do NOT train the child in life skills! There is no way that he is going to mention seeking an alternative ADHD therapy which has NO side effects and will do the job just as well. We all have to look after our jobs and the doctor is no exception.
This is where parenting and school will play such a major role in any treatment program for ADHD.
First thing to do is to talk to your child and explain that ADHD is just another way of saying that he can do some things really well but has problems in doing other things like homework if he is suffering from ADHD inattentive type. You need to stress that ADHD children grow up to be successful and famous and mention such personalities like Michael Phelps Einstein and Ty Pennington just to name a few. It needs working on so they have to make an effort too and ADHD is not an excuse for bad behaviour. You can also explain that the meds for ADHD are not a magic pill. They are there just to give them a helping hand.
Making sure that the school set up is not going to disadvantage your child is the next step. That means talking to the teacher and find out what is going on in the classroom where your child spends a large part of their lives.
The Center for ADD/ADHD Advocacy Canada has made a few suggestions which may help. These are directed at teachers but the parent can find out what they are and what special facilities are available. The above mentioned body mentions giving reduced homework and more time for tests and sometimes where justified of giving the test in an alternative format. These can sometimes help in making school tasks less challenging for an ADHD child. The school will also want to find out which meds for ADHD are being given to your child. You can choose whether or not to answer that question because you know as an informed parent that while ADHD meds for kids are sometimes effective their side effects far outweigh their advantages
Most ADHD experts are now agreed that children do not have enough contact with nature which can exacerbate ADHD symptoms so making sure your child gets ‘green time’ is a great healthy way of releasing energy to reduce hyperactivity. A University of Illinois study showed very clearly that children after some ‘green time’ were less inattentive and able to focus better. Diet too is rarely mentioned in the doctor’s office but a simple step like drastically reducing carbohydrates and favouring proteins at breakfast can be a great help. Find out what else what was not mentioned in the doctor’s office about ADHD meds for kids by clicking on the link below.