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First I want to agree with the poster who said that a child shouldn't even be tested for ADD/ADHD that young. I believe that the ideal testing age is considered to be around 8. It sounds more like a parenting skill problem.

My 11 yo granddaughter was on concerta for over a year & it was a God send but it did not fulfill all her needs. If she had an evening activity, we had to give her a dose of adderall to get her through.

This past summer, she switched to strattera & that has been so much better. It lasts 24 hours so she has much better control. Also it is not the same type of medication & is supposed to have less side effects. She is doing good on it. It doesn't work on everyone but is worth a try.

I would get copies of all the child's records & take them to another doctor for a second opinion & then go from there. Also it is important to find out just who made the diagnosis & prescribed the concerta. If her pediatrician did it, I would challenge that. A pediatrician or Family Practice physician is not qualified to make that diagnosis.

Good luck & God bless
msme

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!

It is somewhat unusual but very definitely happens, probably more than most people would think. It is some sort of a defense mechanism. It happens when there is so much trauma in a pre-pubic child's life that his /her sub-conscious decides that there is no way they are going to grow up & enter the adult world. They just shut down all the growth processes & remain at the place where they are.

He was about 10 when he shut down & it was diagnosed when he was almost 16. I didn't know what was wrong at first but I knew something wasn't right. Our boys were 3 months apart & while he was a bit smaller than mine, up to that point they had grown pretty much at the same rate. I  tried to get her to have him seen earlier but she threw a fit every time I mentioned it.

It got caught when his regular pediatrician died suddenly & a new doctor saw him for the flu. He was shocked when he did a routine hernia check & saw how delayed he was. He really reamed her out for not being on top of his development.

I do know that the treatment was a horrible ordeal. The hormones caused him to get morning sickness & he grew so fast that he had terrible bone & muscle pain. It is supposed to be accompanied with therapy because essentially, he went through puberty in about 1 year. She dropped the ball on that too & I guess that is why he is still having emotional problems now.

The bottom line is that all parents need to have regular conversations with their kids about the changes that are going on. It is a lot more than just telling girls that they are going to get their period. How can you know if your kid is developing properly if you can't discuss the changes & know what stage they are at.

If you start young & explain that it is important that mom or dad know that they are growing right on track, most kids will welcome the opportunity to also get info they glean at school clarified.

msme

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!

You are absolutely right. I was responding to  St Paulie Girls statement:

"I haven't seen my kids genitalia since they were old enough to go to kindergarten. Unless there is a very good reason, you don't invade your child's privacy."

I would have gotten CPS involved in that, I think. To subject a child to such humiliation is both sexual & emotional abuse.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!

Thank you! It is so good to be back.

Failure to thrive is different. The child is usually frail & often sickly looking. I can't remember the exact name they called it, but he looked like a healthy, rosey cheeked 10 year old. except he was almost 16.
Fortunately, the treatments worked & he is over 6 feet tall & well built. Unfortunately, I don't think he will ever recover from the emotional injuries. He is in his 30's & seems unable to have a normal relationship with a woman. He dates some but rarely more than one date with any woman. His younger brother took the hard road with drugs & such & took his own life at 21.
In this case, both parents were equally to blame. They both worked overtime trying to make the kids hate the other one. It was heart breaking.

I have a friend who was involved in a very bitter & nasty divorce & her son shut his growth off at 10 years old. Everyone said that he probably just wasn't going to be very tall. At 15, he was visiting & my youngest was changing in the same room as the older boys. He came & asked me why if xx was the same age as my oldest, how come he didn't look the same. (I had already had to explain about his brother becoming a big boy) I asked my friend when was the last time she had seen him & checked his development & she had a fit about his privacy. It had been maybe 8 or 9 years. About 6 months later he went to a doctor with the flu & he picked up the developmental delay. The boy was rushed to an endocrinologist & his body jump started with hormones. It was awful. He grew almost 8 inches that next year & had morning sickness. The endocrinologist said that if he hadn't got treated when he did, he could have passed the point of no return & remained a physical child for life.

Bottom line: Every parent is responsible to check their child's physical development. Single parents who do not have a working relationship with their ex must assume that the other half is not doing it & stay informed. Dads need to talk to sons & daughters & know where they are develomentally. It is probably best to recuit an aunt or grandma to look at their daughters from time to time & see that everything is progressing properly. Moms need to do the same. If you always tell your kids that a parent has to make sure they are developing right & don't get crazy about it, they won't have a problem with it. If you have a good relationship with your sons, & they are comfortable talking to you, they will probably be quick to tell & show you any problem they have.

msme
Is back in town!

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!