Carla Barnhill from Minneapolis, Minn, is a finalist in the Dear GMA Advice Guru Contest. Read her response to a viewer-submitted question below!
Question from Tyna in Boiling Springs, S.C.: "I'm a single mom and my 9-year-old son was just diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The doctor wants to put him on medicine? I didn't think his behavior was that bad (his teachers disagree), but I am concerned about his grades slipping. Do you think I should let them put him on medication?"
Carla's Answer:
One of the challenges of diagnosing and treating ADHD, especially in a boy your son's age, is knowing which behaviors are ADHD related and which are just part of being nine. You obviously don't want to medicate the child out of your son, but it sounds like his teachers have enough concerns to warrant some kind of intervention—medical or otherwise.
It's not unusual for you to have a different perspective on your son's behavior than his teachers do. School presents kids with a whole other set of challenges, expectations, and distractions than home. Even if you run a pretty strict household, chances are your son rarely needs to sit in one place for 40 minutes or follow directions for 7 hours or avoid talking to the 25 other kids in the room. Instead, he can move from activity to activity at his own pace, operating in a way that works for his brain. The teachers, however, see him working within the educational and social boundaries of a classroom setting, boundaries he's struggling with right now. If you haven't already, talk with his teachers to get the full picture of what they've observed.
Once you have a few more details, you might decide that medication is the best option. While I don't believe every child who can't sit still needs meds, if your son's having significant academic problems I think it's worth giving them a try—you can always stop them if you don't like their effect. Ask the doctor to start your son on the lowest recommended dosage and adjust it until you get to the point where your son can focus at school and still maintain his 9-year-old-ness.
If you feel strongly about avoiding medication, you can try making some dietary changes and see if they help. More and more studies point to the impact of diet on brain function, particularly in children. Foods high in vitamin B complex, protein, omega-3, and complex carbs—fish, eggs, yogurt, whole grains, cheese, fruits, and leafy green veggies—have been found to ease the symptoms of ADHD. And as gross as it sounds, fish oil is like rocket fuel for the brain--you can find flavored fish oil pills for kids at the grocery store. I swear they don't taste like fish. Or oil. If your son's ADHD is mild, these changes might be enough.
Whether you opt for medication, diet changes, or a combination of both, you'll also want to work with your son's teachers to set up a handful of clear, achievable behavior goals for the classroom. Plan to meet with the teachers every month or so to see how he's doing.
One more thing: A lot of kids with ADHD get positive attention from their friends because they're funny, lively, and interesting. Once they start changing their behavior, they can miss that attention. Help your son maintain friendships by being intentional about setting up play dates, encouraging his involvement in extracurricular activities, and giving him a bit of leeway for goofiness when he's with his buddies.