Interesting Article

[cfred]

Lol...yeah, he's still a little rough. It might be that I feel it more now because he's 6'1" and towers over me! He's been off his meds now for a couple years, but it was touch and go for a while. He now seems to have himself under control for the most part. The ADHD I see in him now is he still has that 'buzzing' way about him. If your child is ADHD, you know what I mean. Can't walk into a room without drumming on stuff, touching things, bugging whoever's there or peppering me with questions. He almost vibrates! I've talked to him about conversational skills and have worked on that for years. I'm sure you're familiar with the feeling that you're being talked at rather than with? He'll shoot a question at me, then when I'm half through a sentence, there's the next one. Gawd! It's like he's not really listening, but waiting till it's his turn to say what he wants to say next. It's getting better though and I can see improvement. When he was little, it was almost unbearable! The biggest problem he has now is a bit of lack of impulse control and the ability when horsing around to see when enough is enough already.

I have also maintained some of the old ways of dealing with his behaviours, which at his age is waning. He chronically complains that 'there's NOTHING TO EAT MOM!!!". We have loads of food, but there's no processed crap. God forbid he should have to eat an apple! If you haven't hit the teen years, may the force be with you Fortunately for me, my son is gullible. Amazingly so. If he threatens to leave (only did it a couple times) I offer to help him pack and call his dad for him. He refused to get in the car once after a school BBQ (younger for this one). I told him that was fine, but there was a thunderstorm coming, so don't stand under any trees, got in the car and started to back out. LOL.....the boy can run!

And like your son, mine also commented that he found it easier to behave on his meds. I feel whole heartedly that it was the right decision.

So far as a past comment posted about the negative effects of ritalin on the growth of children:
BS.....I don't buy it for a second. My son is 16 and 6'1" and still growing. My neighbour's son who was on it since he was 5 and is now 21 is 6'4". The meds can effect the appetite, but that can be countered. I found the key was to pump as much fat and protein in him as I could. I did the following to keep his weight up:

*milk cut with 1/4 whipping cream
*double peanut butter on all sandwiches
*slather on the butter
*cream cheese, whipping cream and cheddar in mashed potatoes
*high fat yogourt on pancakes,french toast
*Protein supplements in his "Funky Monkey" shakes
*Milo every morning for breakfast
*breakfast is biggest meal of day as meds haven't kicked in - always a huge breakfast of eggs, meat, toast, fruit, yogourt, etc......
*feed dinner as soon as meds wear off when appetite is strong.
*mulitiple kinds of nuts around for free snacking