ADD/ADHD - controlled naturally?

Sherri Tierney

Sherri Tierney

New member
There has been no diagnosis, but my husband and I are starting to think that our son may have ADD. He has always been a difficult child for us. He is spirited, very sensitive, gets distracted easily, can't control his emotions, and sometimes just doesn't seem like he is even capable of listening to us. I've started noticing more and more lately that bothers me. I had a long conversation with his teacher about what she is seeing at school. She said while other kids are working quietly he is doing somersaults on the rug. I work at the same school he attends and my room is right next door to his. I see him periodically throughout the day and I have the opportunity to observe him when he comes into the computer lab (my room) several times a week.

For years we have noticed little things with him but never really knew whether it was maturity, just being a boy, his personality, or something more. Now I am starting to wonder if there may be a reason that he behaves the way he does sometimes. At times he stays focused so well and his behavior is spot on. Other times his eyes sort of glass over and he is just 'gone'. He doesn't catch on to what is going on around him.

Academically he is doing well. He is at the top of his class. He gets everything done that needs to be done. He just loses focus a lot when things don't interest him. He doesn't have any behavior issues either. Well, none outside the typical kid behavior that we see from all of the 2nd graders. He gets silly now and then and has to move his clip to a different color but he has never been written up or had behavior that was bad enough to take to the next level. His worst offense this year was hiding in the bathroom with another boy and scaring students as they came in.

Anyway, I am opposed to medicating a child unless it is absolutely necessary. In my son's case, while I want answers, I don't feel like it would be necessary to medicate him. He isn't out of control. He isn't doing poorly in school. We just see that he has potential he isn't meeting and we want to find ways to work with him at home (and for his teacher to work with him at school) so that he is thriving instead of just coasting. Right now I feel like he is coasting.

I remembered reading an article on a blog I follow a while ago about a blend of essential oils that helps with ADHD. I just purchased a small bottle to see if they help. There is nothing in them to HURT, after all.

Does anyone have more insight on controlling ADD/ADHD naturally? While we don't have a diagnosis, we do recognize that our son does have problems in certain areas and we just want to be proactive and do all we can for him.
 
I know going gluten free and even dairy free can help change a lot of behaviors. Also making sure to stay away from artificial dyes and colorants in foods as well. The systemic reactions a body has to certain things can really alter behaviors. My husband is ADHD and I totally notice a difference when we alter our normal diet and he eats a lot of dairy and gluten. We aren't totally gluten free or dairy free, but try to keep our consumption to a minimum for both and it has definitely made a difference for him.
 
I got nothing :( but wanted to say HUGS....Peyton not only has ADHD, but Asperger's as well and he is only 6 :(
 
Ryan's ADHD is... bad. Him not on his medicine is extremely noticeable. We didn't start him on medicine until last year, and that was only after much debate and angst. (It wasn't what we originally wanted or even considered an option.) While your son does sound like he has some of the same characteristics, it doesn't sound as extreme. I don't mean that as I have it worse than you deal, but as a disclaimer. :)
We tried going gluten and dairy free and eliminating almost all artificial dyes, and it did help some, but not enough to make all the hassle worth it. The main thing that we found worked with Ryan was using certain phrases. Control your body. Who are you letting be in charge right now, your brain or your body? Allowing certain behaviors also helped, things like not making him sit in a chair to do thing. Break tasks down one teeny tiny step at a time. (Example - cleaning his room was, pick up all your dirty pants, now your shirts, now your underwear, now your socks... ) Bribes, constant reminders about said bribes.
All these things did work to an extent, but still weren't overly effective, and didn't help him when it came to being at school at all.
 
I agree with Trish and I have to do the same with Ben when it comes to breaking down tasks...I can't tell him to go clean his room because he has no idea where to start...I have to tell him "pick up all the trash...then put all your clothes away....then put all your books and stuff back on your bookshelf,,,,,etc etc".....Ben and Peyton get easily sidetracked~
 
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I just started with essential oils to help my family with staying healthy and avoiding the doctor this upcoming winter. It's amazing what they can do and I've already had some success with them for various things. I have seen some information on ADHD/ADD being helped with them.

Be careful what kind you use though - they are not all the same.

If anyone wants more info, PM me. :)
 
Trish's advice about how to talk to your kid is all I've got. DS is 4, so obviously younger, and he's amazingly bright, but he needs to be approached differently. He learns better if we talk to him while he's moving around as long as we know he is hearing us. We have to warn him about situations beforehand so that things won't get out of hand. Even for picky eating I just have to talk him through tastes and textures and after a few times of trying foods he will eat most of them.

It takes a different level of patience, and some days are harder than others, but knowing him and his limitations and working with him instead of against him has helped a lot.
 
1. I agree with the others about teaching him ways to cue himself. Find phrases he can say to himself. Teach him how to build variety into his day, like taking breaks, etc. I had one student who we gave two desks to in class. During individual work time, he could always work for a bit at one and then pick and move to the other on his own to break things up a bit. Another student I had would work at the counter where he could stand. Others liked sitting on balls or having an old sewing pedal under the desk they could pump to get out some of the fidgets.

2. I don't know what I think about this, but I worked with a social worker who said she had great success with kids who were adhd but not enough to need high levels of meds to have a caffeine group first thing in the morning. She would have them come to her office first thing when they got to school. They would chat for a couple of minutes and drink a mountain dew or a mug of hot chocolate. She said that the caffeine that would buzz the rest of us, really helped to settle and focus them.
 
MommaTrish said:
Ryan's ADHD is... bad. Him not on his medicine is extremely noticeable. We didn't start him on medicine until last year, and that was only after much debate and angst. (It wasn't what we originally wanted or even considered an option.) While your son does sound like he has some of the same characteristics, it doesn't sound as extreme. I don't mean that as I have it worse than you deal, but as a disclaimer. :)
We tried going gluten and dairy free and eliminating almost all artificial dyes, and it did help some, but not enough to make all the hassle worth it. The main thing that we found worked with Ryan was using certain phrases. Control your body. Who are you letting be in charge right now, your brain or your body? Allowing certain behaviors also helped, things like not making him sit in a chair to do thing. Break tasks down one teeny tiny step at a time. (Example - cleaning his room was, pick up all your dirty pants, now your shirts, now your underwear, now your socks... ) Bribes, constant reminders about said bribes.
All these things did work to an extent, but still weren't overly effective, and didn't help him when it came to being at school at all.
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Very helpful. :) I also wouldn't have took your statement to mean that you have it worse off, etc. I actually don't think our issues with Declan are extreme at all, I just don't want to ignore things if there is something I can do to help the situation, you know? I had heard of eliminating gluten and dairy as well as artificial dyes. I wouldn't know where to begin with all of that, but I'm not opposed. Right now we are eating pretty clean and I doubt we are getting much gluten.

nun69 said:
I agree with Trish and I have to do the same with Ben when it comes to breaking down tasks...I can't tell him to go clean his room because he has no idea where to start...I have to tell him "pick up all the trash...then put all your clothes away....then put all your books and stuff back on your bookshelf,,,,,etc etc".....Ben and Peyton get easily sidetracked~
Click to expand...

We have always had to break tasks down like that for him. If we don't he completely melts down. If I say 'clean your room' he screams "I hate cleaning!" or "I hate my life!" and a big fight starts. Instead I ask him to spend 15 minutes in his room and I tell him what specifically to start with, and what to do next.

maryinaz said:
I just started with essential oils to help my family with staying healthy and avoiding the doctor this upcoming winter. It's amazing what they can do and I've already had some success with them for various things. I have seen some information on ADHD/ADD being helped with them.

Be careful what kind you use though - they are not all the same.

If anyone wants more info, PM me. :)
Click to expand...

I ordered Jeddy's Blend from Spark Naturals. It had good reviews. I know NOTHING about essential oils in specific. I just have a very basic knowledge.

glumirk said:
Trish's advice about how to talk to your kid is all I've got. DS is 4, so obviously younger, and he's amazingly bright, but he needs to be approached differently. He learns better if we talk to him while he's moving around as long as we know he is hearing us. We have to warn him about situations beforehand so that things won't get out of hand. Even for picky eating I just have to talk him through tastes and textures and after a few times of trying foods he will eat most of them.

It takes a different level of patience, and some days are harder than others, but knowing him and his limitations and working with him instead of against him has helped a lot.
Click to expand...


This sounds like Declan since he was a tiny thing. We have to talk him through everything and we can't change plans without it frustrating him to tears. Declan is also very bright (he was reading at age 3, taught himself), just difficult to get through to sometimes.

LeeAndra said:
I don't think it sounds like AD(H)D as much as it sounds like high ability/giftedness.
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I wouldn't rule this out as well. My daughter is gifted and her brother is following suite. He hasn't been tested at school yet, but he is above where she was at the same age. That's part of what his teacher and I talked about. She wasn't sure if he just isn't challenged enough or if he can't focus. She said he gets everything done that he needs to get done though. *shrugs*

ChristyHC said:
1. I agree with the others about teaching him ways to cue himself. Find phrases he can say to himself. Teach him how to build variety into his day, like taking breaks, etc. I had one student who we gave two desks to in class. During individual work time, he could always work for a bit at one and then pick and move to the other on his own to break things up a bit. Another student I had would work at the counter where he could stand. Others liked sitting on balls or having an old sewing pedal under the desk they could pump to get out some of the fidgets.

2. I don't know what I think about this, but I worked with a social worker who said she had great success with kids who were adhd but not enough to need high levels of meds to have a caffeine group first thing in the morning. She would have them come to her office first thing when they got to school. They would chat for a couple of minutes and drink a mountain dew or a mug of hot chocolate. She said that the caffeine that would buzz the rest of us, really helped to settle and focus them.
Click to expand...

Some great ideas there for the fidgety kids. We have lots of them at school. The caffeine is interesting. My brothers were both like that. My grandma gave them caffeine every morning and often before bed too. One drank coffee, the other soda. It mellowed them right out. I've had people tell me over and over that caffeine will not calm a kid down. I'm happy to see that someone else has experience that proves otherwise.
 
I had a boyfriend once who's mom was a nurse and she gave her ADHD kid caffeine, too, to calm him down.
 
Maybe I have ADHD. Maybe that is why caffeine doesn't wake me up. Maybe it is because I have consumed it all my life... LOL

Kidding aside, I probably do have a touch of adult ADD. I've never been hyper but I do have my struggles in staying focused.
 
me too Sherri and since computers and the internet have come along.....I have really noticed it (like now I have PS open, Spotify open, am dowling 3 things, eating a hot dog, and have FB and 4 other tabs open as well.,....oh and I am doing laundry in between!!!)LOL! Peyton actually takes Risperadone which totally calms him down and puts him to sleep at night, does the EXACT opposite in adults!!!!
 
great thread! sorry if i don't have anything helpful to say. only on a sidenote: i heard that ritalin doesn't actually calm down the brain but it speeds it up. so coffee for calming an adhd down (while speeding up the brain) makes perfect sense.
 
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