Hi all

I have asked this once before but in need of some first hand experiences again. So, please if you have any knowledge or understanding of the following I would be hugely grateful for your comments:

1) How is it diagnosed ie:
a) over how long a period?
b) what professional bodies are involed?
c) where do meetings etc take place?

2) Assessments
a) What will the child be assessed on
b) What is classed as ADHD symptoms & what is "normal child" behaviour?

3) What treatments are offered ie:
a) are other options given before medication?
b) are there herbal treatments
c) is there family workshops/behavioural meetings or classes?

4) What about medication?
a) does it depend on the severity of the ADHD?
b) is a trial period given?
c) can it only be given ie just for school time?
d) should it be given at set times?

Again, I would be hugely grateful to hear about any experiences, our family will come to blows soon enough as we are split down the middle about my 7 year old nephew & his behaviour (more so about his parents behaviour).

Many thanks in advance
Caz xx

hi there
my step sonhas it he behaved that bad before he was diagnosed with it that his mum sent him to live with us,then i got the help.at first we was given like a questionaire asking if the child can sit for a long period of time,if the child is talkative stuff like that.the parents will get one and the school,they then add the scores up and theres a target and if your scores and the schools meet the target on the doctors (well peadritrition)they called a meeting with me at the school and started him on the lowest dfose of concertra xl kept him on that for 2 wks and moved him up to the nxt dose,at the end of each dose you again have to fill in the questionaire,and then she will put him on the dose of which suits him ,but it doesnt always suit him ive just got liams dose ok now afer 9 month ish i was always seeing her at sure start or at school.hope this helps if you bneed anything else just ask me...
oh there is a class you go on to help you how to cope sort of,oh and liam takes 1 tablet in the morning even when his not in school.
linzi

i'll just tell you my brothers story and if i answer the above questions they might not be in order.
well my brother is the 3rd child and my mum noticed when he was about 4ish that he acted different to what me and my sister did at that age. so she took him to the doctors but all they said was that he had learning difficulties it took a couple of years and a lot of doctors appointment for them to eventually diagnose adhd with the learning difficulties. he was first put on ritalin to calm him down because he was very hyperactive so that calmed him down. i remember my mum or dad had to come to school each day to give him his medication.
one thing about my brother he has a temper he wouldn't hurt anyone just break things. he had to have his bedroom walls covered in this special plastic thingy because he always broke them by putting his fist through them!! It was a bit hard growing up because he didn't look any different to anyone else and everyone just thought he was just a naughty boy! but he was and is very loving and caring and very loyal.
if he likes someone then he likes them forever but if he doesn't then he wont change his opinion. he's very strong minded.
once he got in one of his rages then you'd just had to ride it through i am one of the lucky ones it's only me and my mum that can calm him down.
i do remember that they had to meet up with a child doctor of some kind from the local hospital every few months to see his progress but once he passed the age of 16 he hasn't had that much support.
at the moment my brother is 19 he works part time, he did do his gcse's and did recieve help in school eventually with a one to one teacher.
i'm sorry if this is all mixed up but thats how it was growing up with him!! but i wouldn't change him for the world.
my parents have split up now but it had nothing to do with my brother and he has a flat of his own. He isn't on any medication now only because he refuses to take any and you cant force a 6ft 19 year old to do something he doesn't want to, saying that when he was about eight ish he had to go to the hospital for an operation tha he didn't want to have and the doctors wanted to put him asleep and it took 6 grown men to hold my eight year old brother down!!
It's not the end of the world if a child get diagnosed with adhd at the end of the day my brother will always be my brother even if he is calling me every name under the sun once in a while!!

i hope our story helps you a little
all the best

rache x

I have no personal experience of this so can't really help ...
Had a quick look on tinternet and found this that looks quite interesting .. http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/F/family-/problems/adhd.html
you may have already seen it but it may be worth a read.

Good Luck

x x x

hmmm.

Anyway can't help but hopefully someone can.

Ladies?????

thankyou so much for your replies, hopefully we can draw upon these experiences & come to some sort of agreement with one another.

I know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with ADHD sufferers & would no way think of my nephew in a way if he has it. Our main concern (not being the concern of his Mum) is that he is being given drugs, when really he doesn't need them. My no means do I class myself as a doctor but 99% of our family disagree with the ADHD diagnoses - but here's the thing - has there been an ADHD diagnosis? His Mum is a lyer & so is his Dad (my brother). She never bonded with him & for the whole of his life he has stayed at my mums EVERY weekend. He is as good as gold for her & for me & dp - it only seems to be what we have heard from his Mum about how he behaves with her (but funny - cos not when its infront of anyone else)! Ok, he has his tantrums now & them, nothing major, just ones you see every day from a child - even me when I was younger. From what I have read & heard from other peoples experiences, he has never acted in the way of distruction or rage. I grew up with a friend who had autism & have seen the rage he can put out & the rocking back & forth in the chair, so I would like to think that I could notice it in my own nephew (not saying ADHD sufferers are autistic - but thats another thing his mum mentioned)!.

His Mum told my Mum that he is on Ritalin & that it is only for school time - 1 a day - now the letter that she showed me did not say Ritalin, it said a trial of Miteletin (or something like that - any ideas?). Now, this letter also said that some characteristics the mum & dad had explained point to ADHD - but thats about it!!!

Can anyone tell I'm getting irate now!

I personally think that if he does have behavioural issues then they should seek alternatives ie workshops etc - or actually paying him some attention - which by the way they dont do.

The way they are carrying on about it, demorilises actual ADHD sufferers & their families. I completely sympathise with the parents & the kids who suffer with ADHD & who have gone through ALL the correct procedures to get answers.

if you got to the bottom of this, thank you for eading & I hope I haven't offended anyone xx