Dealing with ADHD & ODD

I had always heard my mother say ADHD is something parents made up; so they wouldn’t have to make their children mind. I believed this to be true for many years; and was so ashamed after we found out my second son, Logan has ADHD.

When Logan was a baby he would sometimes become upset over little things but we never thought anything of it. As time went by his aggression became more & more out of control. He would become agitated by simple things: such as one of my other sons getting too close to where he was playing, if they looked at him the wrong way and especially if he thought they were laughing at him. He would occasionally turn to physical retaliation; which he would be punished for but never seemed to help. When Logan was 4, Jordyn, our younger son came to us and told us “Logan scares me sometimes.” I do believe that was the most chilling thing I had ever heard one of my sons say. He started kindergarten in August 2011, and the first few months were a nightmare. He was not able to sit still, concentrate on his work, control his emotions or retain anything he has learned. I didn’t know what to do, where to go, or to punish Logan every time he did something that was against the rules. I was so confused not wanting others to think of me what I had thought of other parents for years. I had to have some kind of help, so I called the pediatrician to find an answer. She referred us to a psychologist to have Logan assessed. After months of play therapy, the psychologist was leaning more towards Asperger’s Syndrome. We tried several different techniques but to no avail; Logan still had his issues.  We decided to try another psychologist; someone that would exclusively treat pediatric patients. After only two sessions with the new doctor, he decided Logan needed to be tested for ADHD. We had to wait four days for the results; it was like waiting an eternity. The results came back diagnosing Logan with ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) and ODD (oppositional defiant disorder). There was finally a reason why he acted out the way he did; could there possibly be peace in our home? I kicked myself a thousand times for believing my mother all those years. A decision had to be made to place him on medication or let him be the way he was. There are so many different views on the medication for ADHD, but I had to use my motherly instincts and put Logan on the medication. A whole new world opened up to him and I do not regret anything we have done. Logan seems to be at peace and does not look for every little thing that might agitate him. He actually enjoys school now and he & his brother get along great.