[jkke]

Hello:

My husband and I recently adopted a boy -7 and girl 5 from the foster care system. They have been with us over 7 months and things are going well. The beginning was rough due to some transition behavior issues but most of them have smoothed out.

Question: Anyone out there who has experience with ADHD and adoption issues? Our son was given to us already on medication for ADHD - Tenex. I have added some natural supplements like Omega-3 and Amino Acid which have helped a lot. Our son appears to have mild ADHD. Have not gone for the full investigatory testing to determine this but his therapist and psh. both believe he is so we have kept him on his meds. And we wanted to wait until he was throughly settled with us before really testing him.

He is very bright, straight A's, he can be very calm and focused if he wants to but when he is with a lot of other children or a hyper child - he is gets a little out of control. I know most kids like to get out of control but they have the willpower and knowledge that they can get in trouble if they don't calm themselves down. Or they listen and respond quickly to first warnings. Our son - can't do that yet. He has a tendency to not to listen or do his own thing even after the consolers or teachers told him to do a specific task.

I am not sure if this is typical ADHD, adoption transistion issues or typical 7 year old boy attitude.

Any advice or information to help me help him would be great. I am looking in an occupational therapy evaluation.

His doctor wanted to increase his dosage and add concerta only after 6 weeks with us. I refused and researched and discovered the supplements, Feingold diet (no food allergies), behavior modification with a reward system and consistent love and attention. That all appeared to work well.

Also, his behavior was really bad when he first got here in December and he has improved so much that I am elated. I would just love to help him follow directions better.

[twotimesamommy]

I can't tell you how happy I am to have read this post. I am about to encounter a similar situation and I'm glad to hear there is hope!!

[Kansas Girl]

A lot of things can mimic ADHD in children who have been through trauma - sensory issues, PTSD, attachment issues....there are probably others. I would just push for testing beyond that for ADHD. Our son had both sensory issues and attachment issues that caused behaviors that could have been called ADHD. We never took our child to a psychiatrist - we went for an adoption/attachment therapist. A good one will recommend the overall testing - sensory, etc.

Fran

[bromanchik]

I agree with Fran. Especially since his hyperactive behavior tendsa to be situationally specific. If it were true ADHD he would be hyper all the time when not on meds. Do you give him meds on week-ends? How is he in the hours after receiving them?

[bromanchik]

I agree with Fran. Especially since his hyperactive behavior tendsa to be situationally specific. If it were true ADHD he would be hyper all the time when not on meds. Do you give him meds on week-ends? How is he in the hours after receiving them?

[bulrusmama]

I don't know.....my son has ADHD, RAD, FAE, ugh......I think that's all! Anyway, when we first took him to therapy at 4y.o. she said just by being with him a few minutes she knew he was ADHD, however she wanted to work on the RAD first because some of the behaviors are alike and sometimes they go hand in hand. Anyway he will be 7 next month he is on med. for it and he only has a problem when there is a lot of distractions during class. He is a straight A student (in regular classes) on target for every academic milestone and is one year ahead on reading, I can always tell when kids in the classroom where not quiet by the papers he brings home. If the kids where rowdy that day he doesn't do well. So I guess that is situational.
bulrusmama

[MomwithFive]

<<Omega-3 and Amino Acid >>

Which amino acid are you using? Also, have you found an easy to swallow omega 3 supplement? My son has a hard time swallowing pills. tia for any info

[AdoptTalkToday]

Thanks so much for posting. Our daughter sounds very much like your son. We've done OT for sensory issues and attachment therapy. I know that that these issues can look like ADHD. We haven't taken the next step for a full ADHD evaluation. I just keep hoping that it's being a 5.5 years old. She can control herself at times. It's just those times when she can't that drive us all crazy. The things that bring out her worst are crowds, loud noise, lots of commotion around her. What we see at those times is truly an out-of-control child who can't keep her hands to herself, can't listen, can't focus, etc. I am so thankful to you all for posting. This is something that has concerned me since we brought her home 4 years ago.

[beept]

I give my sons an Omega 3/DHA supplement called Chromega. It comes in little ketchup like packets and and tastes just like pudding. I think it comes in Orange, Chocolate, and Lemon lime. Both my boys love it!

[beept]

I checked and the pudding like Omega 3 is called Coromega.

[marythemom]

We found it at Sam's Club in a gummy bear! My 9 year old son takes 3 Omega 3 gummies and 2 multivitamin gummies a day (recommended dose). The older kids all take the pills. The ones at Sam's don't have some of the troubles I've heard about (fish burps!).

Mary
mom to T(9), K(11), C(almost 13) and D(14)
We may not have it all together, but together we have it all!

[MomwithFive]

Originally Posted by beept

I checked and the pudding like Omega 3 is called Coromega.

I just bought this and started my son on this. He still complains of the taste but I refrigerated it. I'm glad to have found something he can take/swallow.

[D28Bob]

As an adult adoptee and ADHD person, I can only advise you that it's very common with adoptees. Get a good therapist to combine medication with coping strategies; that's the most effective way to reduce the effects of ADHD. Being bright is almost a bad thing - I was never diagnosed with it because I was smart enough to get by. so I was accused of being lazy and not working to my potential. Would have helped had I known what ADHD was...

[momraine]

I found omega 3-6-9 in gummy bears. My son also takes vitamins, fiber and calcium in gummy bear form. It's the only form I could get him to take and not hide.