Teacher wants my child on meds for ADHD

[Olahh]

Does your child suffer from allergies or food/chemical sensitivities?

He never seemed to have any outbreaks but I noticed that he got more active after he had lunch at school. That day, they served spaghetti, corn and fruit (canned).

Are you ensuring adequate Omega 3 intake?

For the past week I have been giving him a liquid suppliment.

Is your child's physical health good, generally, or are there some issues with this? (for example, any gastrointestinal upsets?)

His father had childhood asthma and he has had a few breathing problems in the past. Example: Pollen season he will have one or two episodes in a year where he would need a inhaler. His doctor never diagnoised him with asthma.

Is your child's psychological health good, generally, or are there other issues with this, aside from the attention issue?

He loves to ride his bike and play at the playground. He likes Playstation 3 video games. He communicates well and plays well with other children. No one has ever had anything negative/ or concerns about his mental/psychological health.

Have you considered that a low fat raw vegan diet may be your choice but that your child might have some right to decide what he eats? Yes, I do not force him to eat raw. I am adding alot of raw fruit and veggies to his diet but he is not limited to only raw. It would be a great shock to him if I were to drasticly take away everything. I am quickly eliminating junk foods. (provided it's wholefoods, not junk). I'm not criticising or patronising here, I'm just pointing out that raw veganism is a relatively narrow dietary philosophy which an adult can comprehend but which a child may struggle to comprehend. There are potential pitfalls if one is not very widely-read on the subject (Shazzie discusses some of these on her website: http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2...e-on-rais.html and partly in Revvell's interview: http://rawkinradio.com/2008/07/15/re...views-shazzie/). The developing brain, for example, has quite specific nutrient requirements.

These are just a few of many possible avenues one might explore before resorting to medication and I respect your desire to avoid medication if at all possible; your son is fortunate that you care about this.

[Olahh]

I read the original post and none of the responses so I hope I don't repeat a bunch of stuff.

I worked in a special education classroom for the past three years as a one on one for children with special needs. I am also a senior psychology student (just so you know my background). I have to say that teachers want to make their lives easier and once they get an idea in their heads, it rarely leaves until they get there way.

If you truly don't see attention issues with him at home then I doubt it is anything that he needs to be medicated for. What are his favorite activities at home?

Riding his bike,playground and video games. Sometimes Raymond and his dad play the vid games together. They also like to play basketball. Play fight/wrestling each other.

Lastly, when you are in his classroom observing him, I would like to know what the teacher is doing. How do they teach? She lectures them, writes on a dry erase board and sometimes use props to explain and show the children. How old is your son and how long does he have to sit in a desk at a time? He is 6yrs old. Yes a hour. Sometimes the children work in groups, so that gives him a chance to move around. Maybe he needs to get up and move for 5 minutes every hour or so or perhaps the issue is that your son is bored with their teaching style. He didnt like to sit still when they had to watch a video about weather. Perhaps he knows the material to well and needs something more advanced to hold his attention. I started my son in school early, headstart/pre-k and then kindergarden , now he is in the first grade.

I would also say that if you are going to take him to a doctor, I would take him to one that has a GOOD background in ADHD (you should be able to get their credentials by calling them). Often (in my area) the doctors are quick to medicate. I would suggest taking your son to a psychologist for an evaluation. He won't get labeled for having to go (as many people are scared of), but psychologists are often more extensively schooled then MDs about things like this. I would also perhaps consult a naturopath for natural remedies.

[Olahh]

Change your son school if you have too. They want your child medicate to have their day goes by easy. Medication do nothing to help your sweet angel, nothing. STAND YOUR GROUND. Your believes has to be stronger then hers. If you believe in the power of prayer do so, send her love, don't judge her but pray for this situation to be resolve with love and it will be.

I had to put up with the school system regarding the raw diet of my daughter and for her not to receive any vaccination. Now, they support me and ask for advice.

To help your child, don't give any sugar breakfast except for fresh fruit. No cereal or food colouring or any chemical. He is a very sensitive child. Look into diet.

Replaced his breakfast with fresh fruits. Peaches with skin, grapes, watermelon. He can only have water at school. Ditched cow milk. Got some almond milk.

Seriously, diet is everything. Are you following with a psychologist or a counsellor that truly loves children. We do not have a psychologist or a counsellor for him. If I dont see any big chances then I will consult with one. So far the small changes we have made are showing at school. You can ask them, if they would be willing to sit in the class for observation and assist the teacher. I had problem with my daughter and it was a great help to do this (She would come for one hour observation and maybe once every three months). Not only the person helped the teacher but it has helped other children.

Don't allow this labelling with ADHD with your child no more and knows he is perfect normal. Teacher are the ones that need to upgrade their way of teaching with children, not the child to come to their level.

Fruits will rebuilt the neurology system. They are that powerful. Watch dr. Robert Morse on youtube (morsend). If you give cow milk, ditch that and quick.

You will find a way. Remember, your believes has to be stronger and more powerful then them. Research, education is critical to deal with the system.

Love to you sweet mommy, you are a wonderful mom and you will be there for your angels

[Olahh]

We recieved his weekly progress folder yesterday. It contained his work for the past two weeks. He recieved all A's except for one worksheet with story comprehension. He answerd 4 out of 6 correctly. We will definatley work on that with him. We told our son that we are very proud of him and to continue the great work.

What concerns me now; each student has a conduct chart on the back of their daily folders, his teacher has removed his chart since last thursday. The last comment I left on his folder was requesting for a lesson plan or outline of the topics the students will be taught. His father left a comment also, expressing his concern for wanting to know if our son is learning or not.

Friday, I went to visit and that is when she gave me a parent portfolio. It was a general packet that shows the learning requirements that should be met by first graders in each quarter on each subject.

[maggiesdaddy]

That's not right. Showing you what the district says they need to learn are different from her goals for the class. I think that you should call the principal directly and ask to set up a meeting to discuss this. You, as a parent, have every right to know what is going on in the classroom. She may not have her lesson plans in advance (but I am guessing that she does), but she DOES KNOW what is going on in her class on a week to week basis. This teacher does not deserve to have a wonderful student like your son in her class nor does she deserve to have such wonderful parents who are actively engaged in their son's education (believe me, it is a rarity).

Again, I really suggest a meeting with the principal.



Thanks for the update! Like I said in a previous post, I have experience working in the classroom (Although it was as a special education attendant, but I still have a small understanding of how the system works and parent rights). If you have any specific questions please PM me or leave a visitor message on my profile. I am on this site like 100 times a day throughout the day when I am trying to escape from doing homework!

[Raw Angel Mom]

I am so happy that the little changes with his diet is showing already great result.

Stand your ground for your son. I recommend to do this from love and to clear out your upset feeling before meeting with them but be firm while coming from a place of love. I had to go through so much none sense from people that don't get it with diet but my believes were stronger then them. If you feel things aren't right at his school, meet with the teacher first or the principal if you feel more confident but i would just ask the question to the teacher. She will get the message and most likely will change thing. Let them know that you support them but you need to feel supported too with your choices to help your son and you are doing the necessary to help your son to focus in class. If you pray, send love in advance, angels whatever you feel guided from your heart. You will see the light at the end of this tunnel and you are also helping the system to shift their focus in another direction. This pushing medication, has to heal now because it is simply none sense and poison the children.

Hang in there sweet heart, you are doing a great job!

[shasha]

I'm a parent of a child who was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago. We did make the decision to medicate him as part of a four-pronged approach to his diagnosis and treatment. Bear with me for a few minutes. I'm going to fill you in on our 4 approaches and why we use them all. Medication is critical to our son's daily success. However, it is not a miracle cure all. Just first see the doctor to seek advice for add/adhd medication!

[Mary Kay]

No one, absolutely no one has suggested a "mental/physical" approach. Oh, I absolutely agree that someone may be predisposed to ADD or ADHD after they consume GMO corn, with Spaghetti etc////lots of carbs, sugar, preservatives, gluten --for lunch. And I would recommend you not give him any of the school lunches, but prepare them yourself. And do not allow ANY food to be given to him at school. We are homeschooling because this is one of the main reasons --food issues.

However, eating any kind of junk is not the issue with my son and he is mildly ADD. We do not eat any artificial ingredients/GMO's etc. He is moderately high raw...but I digress: You mentioned your son liked Playstation and those games....THESE ARE THE MAIN CULPRITS IMO. For some reason, boy's brains are hotwired to mesh with these games. These games give instant gratification in an exciting pseudo world. When they look up from their games, everything else is moving in slow motion! And boring!

I cannot stop my kid from playing these games. Many of his friends do, and he enjoys them. It's just that I must severely limit their use. I would suggest that you do the same.

May I also suggest a book - "Ritalin Nation" ---he talks about SAD in there. LOL, not the SAD we know (Standart American Diet), rather his is Sensory Addiction Disorder. I believe this is what many of our children are facing today.

I'm ADD. And I've made my kids somewhat ADD (I have twins and interestingly, his twin sister is not as affected) --I do it with an example like this: They're eating, and I'll allow them to watch tv, then I'll ask them how their day was over at their friends house....etc. Understand? Instead of just eating quietly, focusing on our food...getting into the Zen of things, we just constantly bombard them with stimulus, food, the tv and then converstation....too much.

My thoughts......hope they make sense!

Mary Kay