Since August he has been suspended off the bus twice and suspended from school once. My thoughts? He's only 5!!! What could he possibly be doing that is SO bad to get suspended. He was hitting and kicking friends, talking back to teachers, not listening, focusing or completing his work. I had no idea what to do. Taking away things didn't work, punishment and grounding didn't phase him. It continued to get worse! After counseling with the school, I decided to do what all mothers dread....seek medical help. I was pregnant with my daughter, and desperate to help him because lets face it, it was probably harder on me than it was him.
We were referred and got an appointment fairly quickly with a counselor. After a few visits she decided he would benefit from seeing the child psychiatrist. We take the 30 minute trip for him to tell us that my dear, sweet baby boy has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). We were prescribed "Focalin" and went on our merry way. Well that was a kick in the face, it only made things WORSE! After 2 weeks, that bottle got tossed.
The second visit we were prescribed Vyvanse. Thank you GOD for Vyvanse. My son went from bringing home "red" in school every day for 4 months to "green" EVERY DAY!! Only one problem, instead of being able to sprinkle the contents onto apple sauce, I had to somehow convince my 5 year old to swallow a PILL. After trial and error we got it down even though it took about an hour every morning to get him to swallow. My son was starting every day upset, and angry over having to take the pill. We suffered for over a month. On top of that, the meltdowns started to get horrible in the evenings. I could not control him. We needed a higher dose to get him through the day.
After another appointment we were prescribed Adderall... the name scares me. Braden requested a different pill that we can sprinkle again so that's what we got. He has been an angel, just as he was on Vyvanse, and so far no meltdowns. The teachers say he does his work with them only having to tell him once, he's neat and organized, and polite to everyone including the friends he was once mean to. This has brought out the best in my son. He still has his great spirit and personality, and he is still as cuddly as he used to be.This has been a road that I never wanted to travel, but I feel like by helping him that he can reach his potential without ADHD holding him back. His grades have turned around, and I'm a happy mom! We may not be finished traveling our road with ADHD, its not something that can just go away. I can say that I am no longer afraid to tackle that ugly monster when it raises its head!
This is my personal experience, and I urge anyone who has a child with ADHD symptoms to please get them help. The search for the right medicine is a struggle, I have been through three, and that's not to say that we wont need to search more or get higher doses. I did not want my child on medicine, but as I said, his potential shines through it now. Although each day is anew day and we don't know what is in store for us, We could not be happier!
Has your child been diagnosed with ADHD? What has been your experience? Please do share. Feel free to link your blogs in the comments section if you have written down your story!
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