I need advice on how to keep an extremely ADHD boy on track!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I am lost. He is extreme ADHD and he has tourettes. Im lost. What can I do to keep him focused? I will not medicate him (he is only 6) I am looking for btdt ideas! I am going to cross post this on the special needs forum as well, though I am not sure I would call him special needs- is tourettes and ADHD special needs??? I dont know. HELP! The boy is driving me nuts (I love him dearly :leaving: ) but i swear he has the attention span of a newborn! :willy_nilly::willy_nilly:

 

He has diagnosed ADHD and Tourettes.

[Abecedarianmama]

I sat with my son and taught him something, and then would give him a time limit, you have 5 minutes to do these three problems. Now that he is 9, I give him a list to complete and a time limit and he can finish it. If he doesn't have a time limit and clear directions he is lost. Having something to hold and squeeze during school helped give him something to relieve energy (? weird way of wording that.) I've also heard people using a large yoga/playground ball instead of a chair to let them bounce.

[Mosaicmind]

Hey!! I responded to this on the other forum so read and let me get back to you. If you don't want to call him special needs, that's up to you--but he does have "specific" needs and he is "specially" challenged. My son would not be in a special needs classroom, but may be pulled out for special class time during the school day if he was in ps.

[PrincessAriel]

This website has helped me with some ideas:

 

http://www.headsupnow.com/

 

She also has a book with lots of ideas and has CD's of her talks and sells various products to help with the ADHD child. I am in no way connected with her and do not profit financially but her ideas have helped my ds and dd with ADHD.

Good luck!

[Guest mhl92]

I have an ADHD boy (10 yr) and movement is key. Reviewing math and spelling, I have him jumping once for every letter he spells outloud, or solve a math problem, run around the dining room, solve a math problem, run around the kitchen, you can also put book on tape and let him jump up and down on his bed, the couch or one of those little mini trampolines while listening to the tape. As he gets older you should be able to increase the length of time between movement and sitting still. Also, when he was younger, asking him to sit in a chair was almost killing him. So we have him stand at the table not sit, that way his feet can move while the upper part is doing the work. Some of it can be sensory, so try no shoes on him or a weight vest (or backpack). Try jogging with him for 10 minutes before you have him do any concentration activities. Just keep him moving!! Also, I know you are resistent to meds. I was too, have you gotten him a sleep study? Our son had one, and it revealed he has sleep apnea. This adds to the hyper activity. But it became apparent that he needed something to help him through the bulk of the day so we went ahead with the meds. The first day on it he sat at the kitchen table for 4 hours straight working through several lego kits (reading the directions himself ) I was floored at the difference. It has taken us a while but we have found a med that allows him to still be him, but a little less bouncy during the bulk of the morning. By afternoon, its out of his system and we resort to all of the above mentioned tricks of the trade. We also have a short acting (lasts maybe 2 hours) med that we can give him in the afternoons on those rare occasions when we need him to sit still (or at least not climbing the walls, no this is not an exaggeration) like cub scouts or religious services. Also, there is a great magazine simply titled ADD that you can get at your local bookstore. It gives great tips on dealing with these bouncy little things and such. Give them a try. Hope some of this helps! I know it can be frustrating for you so imagine the frustration your bouncy boy is enduring. Also, I was told to try Mountain Dew with him. That the caffine has a very equalizing, calming effect on the ADHD brain. Never got to try it because my son has a sensory aversion to carbonation. You can probably google it and read up on it. Just a thought. Good Luck!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I have an ADHD boy (10 yr) and movement is key. Reviewing math and spelling, I have him jumping once for every letter he spells outloud, or solve a math problem, run around the dining room, solve a math problem, run around the kitchen, you can also put book on tape and let him jump up and down on his bed, the couch or one of those little mini trampolines while listening to the tape. As he gets older you should be able to increase the length of time between movement and sitting still. Also, when he was younger, asking him to sit in a chair was almost killing him. So we have him stand at the table not sit, that way his feet can move while the upper part is doing the work. Some of it can be sensory, so try no shoes on him or a weight vest (or backpack). Try jogging with him for 10 minutes before you have him do any concentration activities. Just keep him moving!! Also, I know you are resistent to meds. I was too, have you gotten him a sleep study? Our son had one, and it revealed he has sleep apnea. This adds to the hyper activity. But it became apparent that he needed something to help him through the bulk of the day so we went ahead with the meds. The first day on it he sat at the kitchen table for 4 hours straight working through several lego kits (reading the directions himself ) I was floored at the difference. It has taken us a while but we have found a med that allows him to still be him, but a little less bouncy during the bulk of the morning. By afternoon, its out of his system and we resort to all of the above mentioned tricks of the trade. We also have a short acting (lasts maybe 2 hours) med that we can give him in the afternoons on those rare occasions when we need him to sit still (or at least not climbing the walls, no this is not an exaggeration) like cub scouts or religious services. Also, there is a great magazine simply titled ADD that you can get at your local bookstore. It gives great tips on dealing with these bouncy little things and such. Give them a try. Hope some of this helps! I know it can be frustrating for you so imagine the frustration your bouncy boy is enduring. Also, I was told to try Mountain Dew with him. That the caffine has a very equalizing, calming effect on the ADHD brain. Never got to try it because my son has a sensory aversion to carbonation. You can probably google it and read up on it. Just a thought. Good Luck!

 

I like these! Right now I have him jump up and down 100 times when he gets to antsy (that would be every other phonics blend he does :glare:)

 

I was wondering about energy drinks. I had heard that caffeine works opposite in AHDH. I wonder how the drinks like Monster or Rip It would work... does anybody know if they have anything in them that would not be good for a kid?? :bigear:

[mo2]

I like these! Right now I have him jump up and down 100 times when he gets to antsy (that would be every other phonics blend he does :glare:)

 

I was wondering about energy drinks. I had heard that caffeine works opposite in AHDH. I wonder how the drinks like Monster or Rip It would work... does anybody know if they have anything in them that would not be good for a kid?? :bigear:

 

Search for "caffeine" on the special needs board. There have been lots of threads. I personally don't have any experience with it, but I do know there are several on here who have.

[Ottakee]

The Omega 3 fish oils help here. We use Omega Brites or County Life Omega 3 mood. Caffeine can help as well.

 

Honestly though, nothing works as well for us as meds. With them, life is just so much better all around and school work gets done and learning happens.