ADHD-6 yr old son - ADD / ADHD Message Board

troublex2 · 12-04-2005, 07:06 PM

my son is 6 yrs old and was diagnosed with adhd the end of last year.he is now on ritalin la and strattera.that is to help in schoo; with focusing.at home he does not listen and he is very aggressive.we have at home behavioral psychology and he has been seeing this lady for the past month.i have seen no change in him.i dont know what to do.he does not listen to me.is there any other way to help with his behavior?

index.html · 12-05-2005, 01:37 AM

First a question for you: Has his behavior at home worsened since he started on the medication?

troublex2 · 12-05-2005, 08:06 PM

actually it has.but that was when he was on concerta.but it hasnt really changed.he also lost weight on adderal.so the doctor said if he doesnt gain atleast a pound on his next visit,she is going to take him off the ritalin because it can cause you to lose your appetite.

index.html · 12-06-2005, 01:16 AM

There are 2 possible ways to deal with the increased aggression at home. One, take him off the medication. Two, ask your doc for an additional short-acting dose to give in the afternoon to help get him through the evening. Before you go with the second, you need to make sure that his teachers aren't seeing more aggression at school, too.

As far as the appetite problem, try to get as many calories into him as possible in liquid form - milkshakes, smoothies (my son lived on Yoplait smoothies for a while), Ensure, even extra juice. The reason for this is that although he might not be hungry, he does still get thirsty - use that to sneak in extra calories. Also, load him up when he DOES get hungry - breakfast and late in the evening.

moreinfoneeded · 12-06-2005, 12:58 PM

In order to understand or deal with any aggression it must first be understood what the underlying cause may be. Though, as parents, we always try to do our best, it is always good to reflect on what we've done, what we are willing to try, and what is overall the best thing to do for our child.

Here are some thoughts that I'm sure you've already taken into account, however, it is never a bad thing to review again; sometimes we may find something we never thought of before could be revealed.

For reflection:
- parent communication (volitile, pleasant, quiet, loud)
- communication with children (respectful, authoritarian, bullying)
- childs personality (intravert, extravert)
- childs self esteem ( proud of himself, feel bad, feel guilty, self persecution, or external persecution).
- sports or artistic interests.
- school system, child focused or institutional focused?
- teacher, child focused or institutional focused?

Personal Growth.
- has he had opportunity for social growth.
- has various supplemental learning options been considered, computer programs, fun learning booklets.
- has he been interactive with board games, if so which ones?
- family excursions / interactions
- involvement in community activities, cubs, swimming, soccor

Quiet, nonpressured discussions with your child about his 'feelings', should assist in narrowing down some of the causes.