First of all, I would like to say that this part of the class really hits close to home. I was diagnosed in ninth grade with ADHD, but was not put on medication for my condition. I continued to have problems throughout high school and 2 semesters in college.
Since I myself have ADHD and anxiety disorder, I 20320h76u know that there is a greater chance of my child developing these conditions too. Therefore, I think that if my child did have the disorder, I would probably notice something is wrong before his teacher would. If I did miss something and a teacher told me that my child needs to be medicated, the first thing I would do is take him to a mental health professional to have tests taken. If he was diagnosed with ADHD, I would sit down and talk to him to try to explain the condition and the possible treatments for him first. I would also ask him about his feelings. Does he feel that he needs help? Does he have a hard time concentrating at school or getting his homework done? How does he feel about taking medication or going through therapy? I would try to explain to him that having this condition is nothing to be ashamed of and that if he needs help then we need to get it for him.
I know that some people are against medication, I feel strongly that if my child did have ADHD, the benefits would outweigh the risks. Having ADHD myself, I know that it is more complicated than just an attention problem. There is an emotional side that is often not mentioned in articles when the symptoms of the disorder are listed. Not being able to concentrate in class, forgetting things, losing things, and lacking motivation can be emotionally draining. A good analogy would be that if your brain was a TV, with ADHD, all the channels are turned on at the same time.
Assuming my child is diagnosed with ADHD and is willing to seek treatment, I would ask the doctor about non-stimulant medication such as Straterra first. It doesn't have as many side effects as stimulants and is non habit-forming. If he was put on Straterra and it didn't work, then I would then be willing to let him take stimulant medication.
I would also make sure that my child received some form of therapy. I think that the combination of medication and cognitive-behavior therapy would be the best treatment to reduce the symptoms. It would also help prevent any other disorders that sometimes go along with ADHD, such as conduct disorder or depression.
I would ask the teachers at school to give him a daily report card to monitor his progress and reward him for good behavior. I would help him with his school work and most likely get him a tutor to help him understand the assignments he is given. I would also want to create an atmosphere where my child is willing to talk to me about his problems, both emotional and school-related.
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