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Eastern Nebraska | I am sorry if I came across as biting back at you about Ritalin... .I was not... I get frustrated with some of the posters that know nothing first hand but are quick to judge.... I agree that meds should be the last line of defense and I am very lucky to have a school district that does not try to be a medical person... They have been very good at working with me and my son in finding solutions for him other than increasing his meds... he has not had a med increase in three years... I have a great book about ADHD/ADD that gives many pages of ideas for parents, schools, teachers, and families on dealing with the issues.... You are right in that there is no one cookie cutter thing that sets off behavior issues.... It is different for each child... We have been on many medications... There are a couple of reasons that we are using Ritalin now along with Zoloft.... We moved and my new job at that time offered health insurance at a premium that I could not afford so we could no longer afford his other meds.... Without insurance they were over $600 a month... Ritalin is more affordable.... The biggest thing I like about Ritalin is that it last about 8 hours and is gone.... I do not give it at home in the evenings we deal with the increased activity and attention issues in different ways.... On weekends we do not always give the Ritalin unless we are going to be in a situation where he needs to pay attention or is going to be confined for a while such as a long car ride.... Other ADHD/ADD meds have to be given every day in order to maintain a blood level so they work... He does take his Zoloft every day as it is for the depression that accompanies this .... Just some thoughts... Again every child is different and meds should not be the first line of defense.... Our goal is that by the time he is in high school he will have enough tools in place that the meds will not be needed.... Those kids you see so sleepy and doped up are often so adults or others do not have to deal with them.... the goal should be the least amount of medication possible and teaching them other coping mechanisms.... Sorry the post is so long... | |
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6 year old with listening/paying attention issues...
