Skip the Ritalin and Treat Parents Instead

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I worked in a residential facilty for youth and the majority of them were on meds, one of my co-workers said that facilities get more funding for children with behavior/mental issues so I believe many of the kids that I worked with were on meds for that reason. Now I work with a private family and after reading the previous post suspect the family may be doing the same...Oh forgive mispelled, incomplete sentences, I BROKE MY GLASSES!

Medi Tate of CA 12:16PM July 05, 2010

As a live-in childcare provider I agree that parents should be REQUIRED to take parent management classes and then have a social worker observe home interactions before a child is placed on meds. Ive always questioned parents as to why their child behaves are fine during the 8-10 hours that I am with them but has ADHD symtoms while with their parents only a few hours a day? Parents and teachers can be triggers for misbehavior. "Spare the child, train the parent".

Medi Tate of CA 11:38AM July 05, 2010

I believe that some parents are asking for their children to be put on ritalin so that they can claim disability allowance.

Patsy 4:38PM June 14, 2010

I believe that some parents are asking for their children to be put on ritalin so that they can claim disability allowance.

Patsy 4:38PM June 14, 2010

I have learned over the past year that food additives affect behavior as well. Taking the food dyes out of my family's diet and adding probiotics (kefir smoothies) has helped my son settle down and has helped my alcoholic husband kick the booze. Also, when I am consistent with the strategies taught in 1-2-3 magic discipline system, I get better results than nagging. And, when my son's teacher and I work together to strategize about appropriate consequences and rewards, my son's behavior improves. Check out my blog: www.healthyhappyhome.squarespace.com

Penny Arcos of MN 1:14PM December 31, 2009

I started my 8 year old son on Concerta last week. He's been in the special ed program at school for 2 years due to his poor reading skills. Our district tests these children for ADHD, so when he started deteriorating and saying he wanted to die this year, and having an extremely hard time concentrating in home and school we decided to open his case back up and retest him.
I don't like the fact I'm "drugging" my child.
But he has improved 100%. We haven't told the teacher, yet, that he is taking meds. She has called me everyday this week and reported outstanding behavior and participation in class. This has NEVER been the case with my son, and I feel he is really shining. I feel this was a quick fix, and meanwhile I am searching for social skill classes, and classes that will teach me (and my husband) how to apply behavior techniques that will benefit everyone in the family. I feel you must weigh the pros and cons of giving your child medication. Would my son be "okay" without the medication? Maybe. But he was suffering from extreme low self esteem, no friends, not being able to "keep" friends, being impulsive, extremely distracted in all areas of life, and numerous other issues. I consider myself a good mom, and set aside afternoon and evenings just to help him complete his homework. So far the Concerta has worked, and I will continue other ways to help him. I think education is key for all parents considering ADHD meds. Not to mention, close monitoring of your child while on them.

heidabelle of IL 12:55PM November 11, 2009

Usually when a child or adult are diagnosed with adhd they always add some kind of other diagnosis(Bi-Polar) so they can perscribe more drugs.The doctors may know medication but they don't know the patients the therapist they relate their lives to do. Yes, I was diagnosed with ADHD & Bi-Polar but I'm questionable on the Bi-Polar more than the other. The doctor didn't take in the consideration that I've worked 21yrs at the same factory 7 days a week 10 or more hours a day to support my children & 1 grandchild. I did this so my daughters didn't have to live with the abuse physical & mental abuse that I brought them into with their father. In the beginning I chose to treat violence with violence and shot him in self defence before he harmed me more or my children next. Wrong choice but helped them diagnose me with Bi-polar. Maybe it was sleep depersation or combination of stressers in my life. I'm on short term disability know & have been for 3 months. For the first time in 21 yrs., and getting atleast 7 to 8 hours asleep a day. This has changed my mood swings and my self control. I only take adderall and not half as much as I did while working full time. Yes I still get depressed but its not as deep and I do take pain meds., when I'm in severe pain. The depression only comes from everything to not knowing where the money is coming from or workman comp lawyers and my employer refusing to take responsibility for my injury to my back. Maybe we need to go back to the basics & simplify things more instead of making a diagnosis that no doctor in the same field will disagree with because they go up against another in the same field so lets just keep experamenting on humans with drugs instead of treating them with some-one to listen and give them different approaches and directions. Let 1 parent stay home and raise the children and the other work and get a decent salary to support them. Give single parents a chance to be both and live a less stressful life. I'm not who I was 4 months ago but I'm sure I will be when I return to my job & the long hours so I can support my daughter and fight the results of the lawsuit I started. Thats not what I choose but will have to be because I'll never put my children in harms way just because their father should pay child support. Its not worth their lives. Its not all about drugs its people honestly caring and helping others instead of just turning the other way. They can know the medication & not the person or vice-a-versa. Its all about money not the person. Alot of things wouldn't happen if we took the time to treat the people instead of always giving them mental drugs to which there is no proven test to diagnose except some college giving them the right to give out perscription drugs because of what they want to diagnose you with without all the facts in the same bucket.

penny mcclanahan of MO 9:46PM September 21, 2009

Well...kids were and will be kids forever. Every generation had to find way to deal with children's exhuberance. It is part of growing up. Any other way it is abnormal. Ehe quiet child that sits still in the corner is the one who may have a development problem.
In simpler societies of the past the children, most especially the boys were sent outside and told to be physical: run, jump, climb, swimm. Then came chores that also involved physical movement. School and brain use were almost secondaty. That was true for thousands of years of evolution. That made us how we are.
Modern society locks the kidds in a classroom, more often stuck in front of a computer for hours at the time. Then they are sent home where busy and tired parents put them in from of the TV, the computer, the viii or other game player and tell them to be quiet.
Pity the boys of this and future generations. Stop and notice the distorted shape of their bodies. Numbers are scarry.
Also count the ones wearing glasses. The weak vision come from having their young eyes focussed for long periods at one spot without eye movement, without looking close and far. without looking at bue sky and green grass and red and tellow flowers.
Unless we change our perception and change the grownups attitude toward boys ...and girls growing up we may end up raising mutants instead of humans.

Paul Roman of CA 6:14PM August 14, 2009

country responsible adjust intense increasing efforts

dionnawall of AZ 2:39PM April 30, 2009

I have a stepson with mild ADHD. His mother would not describe it as mild, and she insisted that he be put on medication about 1 year ago now. He was doing poorly in school, he was argumentative and loudly disrespectful to her, and she "just couldn't deal with it anymore". His father also has mild ADHD and does not take medication. We have only had partial custody up until recently, but we saw none of the same symptoms of which she complained except disorganization. We objected to the medication, but she did it anyway, feeling she had the right since she had principal physical custody.
His father and I noticed negative changes in his behavior over the first 3 months of being medicated. Over the summer, we insisted he be taken off it. The doctor agreed, as these stimulants are often habit forming. In the fall, his mother resumed the drugs. His teachers complained that he was jittery in class, so his mother had his dosage doubled, since it "clearly wasn't strong enough anymore". Over the 3 weeks that he was on this increased dosage, his behavior changed radically, yet she stubbornly maintained it was helping. Consistent outbursts of rage, both in school and out, spinning in circles for several minutes if left unchecked, screaming at other kids and getting suspended for a week. How could these not be seen as direct effects of the increase? There were worse behaviors beyond these even, and eventually we were awarded temporary custody by the state. Since being with us his behavior has changed radically again. Why?
One, he had no set bedtime at his mothers. By his own words, he'd be up until 3, 4, even 8am, even on school nights. She was inconsistent in consequences, and rarely stuck more than a day or two of any dictated punishment for misbehavior. She screamed and rarely explained her reasoning beyond "don't do this, i said don't do this, what's wrong with you." I've witnessed some of it, it's ridiculous. No structure, no interest in his homework or anything he was doing in school, she never checked his homework, never helped him study. We have changed all of it. Expectations are clearly stated and clarified as unforeseen points arise. There are consistently-implemented negative consequences of undesireable behaviors. Bedtime is bedtime, mental control is much harder on no sleep, and we stay up until he's asleep to make sure he's not sneaking upstairs to watch tv. Games and books stay out of his room at bedtime, reducing temptation. Homework is checked as are grades. Disagreements are kept calm, and emotional outbursts result in a 5min break to control his temper, repeated ones in grounding. We work with him on memory and organization. His grades are now nearly straight As, not even Cs, and his teachers think he's a great student.
So from my experience, increased focus on counseling IS required. Too many people think issues can be fixed with a pill, and except in extreme cases, this is no more than an easy way out for lazy parents.

Rita of MO 12:44PM February 10, 2009