New Here, Q's about Kindergarten - Tips from those who've been there???

Seems like it was time for a subject line change...

I've been reading with great interest this spirited debate as I have an 11 yo
son who has ADD (notice no "H" there) and who takes medication for the problem.

I think it's especially interesting to read Sandi's reflections from what I
gather was some time ago -- at least 10-15 years from what I can tell from her
posts. How far we've come... in some ways perhaps a bit too far the other way.

Today, a new generation of ADHD medication is non-stimulant (brand name
Strattera). As such it is not a controlled substance and does not require the
written prescriptions each month that Marjorie described. It's much more
convenient from that perspective but of course when you are dealing with a
serious diagnosis, your child's education and mental health, convenience is not
a deciding factor.

We had some experiences to the ones Sandi describes in terms of Henry's
reactions to Ritalin-like medications (we used Adderall briefly). He had great
difficulty controlling his emotions and had what I'd describe as "rages" while
on the medication. It would not have been a long-term solution for us.

Just then, Strattera came on the market and for us it's been a godsend. Far
from the "stoned" kid that Sandi described in one post, we have our own real
child back. Even Henry says he feels more "himself" when he is on Strattera.
I'm sure some kids have similar feelings of success and growing self-confidence
on Ritalin-like meds such as Adderall. For us, the right combo has been
behavior mod and Strattera.

Incidentally, without the school's involvement I'm not sure we would have
gotten the diagnosis. We were seeing clear and maddening symptoms at home (a
simple 10 minute homework assignment that Henry had the intellectual ability to
do with ease might take 2 or 3 hours) but since he was not a behavior problem
at school they were reluctant to diagnose. Only when we asked the teacher to
complete the diagnostic ADD questionnaire did the "aha" moment come.
Sandi, I think you need to realize that times have changed. While we are truly
sorry for your experiences none of us with ADD/ADHD kids are seeing that as the
reality today. You fought the good fight for us back in the day and we are
grateful... I'm sure our kids are better off for it.

I do think the pendulum may be swinging too far in the other direction. As I
mentioned earlier, a group of celebrities (I've noticed Tom Cruise and John
Travolta, I'm sure there are others and I'm sure they are not all affiliated
with the Church of Scientology) has taken up medications for ADD/ADHD as their
"cause." It broke my heart when my 11 yo son heard Tom Cruise on Oprah Winfrey
talking disparagingly about medications for learning disabilities in sweeping
generalizations that left us both feeling as if this icon who we both admired
was basically saying that medication can never be part of a good solution for
an individual child.

And so I want to express my appreciation to Sandi for the fight she had to wage
when she fought it, but also ask her indulgence in understanding that our
situations today are very different. The new generations of medications are
safer and better, and the schools and medical communities have learned a great
deal and are, in my experience at least, more open to a myriad of interventions
-- certainly including medication but not limited to that. Please take care
when you talk about your experience that you understand that ours may be
different.


-Dawn
Mom to Henry, 11