Saturday, July 14, 2012

Research that benefits children and families


If you have been following my blog for a while now, you already know that both of my girls have been diagnosed with ADHD.  I am not fond of medicating children, as I have seen through my profession that there are times when children become over medicated and end up “zoning out” most of the day.  I did not want this for my children so I tried several alternatives before finally having to put my children on medication so they could focus during school hours.
           Since their diagnosis, I have always kept an eye out for articles that deal with ADHD in hopes of some new findings as to new things to try in place of medication.  Anyway, as I was looking this week, I came across an article entitled “Timing of ADHD Medication Affect Academic Progress”.  I was immediately curious about this article because maybe I have been looking at my children’s medication issue the wrong way.
           After reading this article, I realized that maybe taking my children off their medicine or replacing it with something else might not be the best idea.  This article definitely helped me realize that having my children on some medication to help them get through their school day doesn’t have to be a negative thing. 
           I wanted to share this article with you in hopes that maybe it could help you or other families you know understand the importance medication can make on children’s academic progress.  Just something to think about!

Resource
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine (2012, June 25). Timing of ADHD medication affect academic progress.  Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120625065338.htm.

5 comments:

  1. Hi, Melinda
    I know that you are going to do the best for your children health. Just keep reading and researching for the best medication for your girls. Making sure that it does not harm them in anyway physically or emotionally way. You are a great mother and foster-mother to have open your home to 13 foster children. Keep up the good work.

    Gloria

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  2. Hello Melinda,

    Hang in there. I admire you for seeking alternatives for your girls but then realizing that the end result is doing what is best for them through all aspects. I do not have any personal experience with this issue but there are other things that I am dealing with right now with my daughter. Regardless of the situation, I always remind myself that it could be worst. Keep researching and doing what is best like I know you will.

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  3. Hi Melinda,

    Like you, I had always felt that medicating children was not the best option. While I do believe that quite often, doctors rush to medicate children without exploring other options first, I do not wish to compeltely disregard the effects of the medication.

    I am glad that you are happy with the benefits of the medication. It sounds as if you have found the best dosage. Some advice to parents would be to take the time to work with the doctor to ensure that the child has the correct dose of medication. Quite often that can be the reasoning behind the 'zoned out' effect you can see with the children.

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  4. Melinda,

    I see this often, children who are on medication one week, then off the next. I try to explain to parents/guardians that that can have a negative effect on the child because of the chemicals in the medicines. It is nice to see parents like you following the research and thinking about what is best for your children. Keep up the good work! You are a great mother!

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  5. I agree I'm against medicating children. If there is a different route I would try that. However, some parents get use to their child one the medication and give it to them so they can have peace. I too have seen where the child has been or been over medicated that they are zoned out.

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