Sue Smith (On 19 Jul 97) was overheard saying to Mark Probert:
 Hi Sue...
 'scuse me for butting in ....
 SS> Thanks for the support.  I understand that eventually they are suppose
 SS> to outgrow this stuff.  I hope so as I just hate drugs period.
 SS> Thanks again for your input.
 When our 6 year old (now 10) son was first diagnosed with ADHD our
 former pediatrician told us that he would "outgrow it" about the time
 that puberty strikes.  Not knowing much about it _THEN_ we took his
 professional "word" for it...for a while.  I gathered and we read as
 much as was available, there is quite a bit and the body of
 information continues to grow, regarding ADD/ADHD.  It wasn't very
 long before our doc ran out of answers that were acceptable, I think
 now that I know more about ADD/ADHD than he does; of course he didn't
 have our motivation to learn.  One of the earliest things we found
 out was that kids don't "outgrown it".  ADD/ADHD is a life long
 thing.  What a very large number of kids do is learn coping skills to
 enable them to get along with the business of life fairly well.  We
 tried all manner of things before trying MPH (Ritalin).  A year or so
 ago our current doc (a pediatric neurologist) suggested a trial of
 clonodine in conjunction with MPH since the one med, while helpful in
 addressing the attentional problems in school wasn't doing much for
 behavioral outbursts...that lack of impulse control.  The two meds in
 combination have helped him to bring himself under self-control
 together with semi-regular counseling sessions.  He is also active in
 organized sports year round with only 2 - 3 weeks off between the
 various seasons ...  these are things he enjoys, likes to do and is
 fairly good at .. well quite good at one ... the point is that he has
 this year round frame work _structure_ to build the rest of his day
 to day life on.  That it involves things he is successful at is a
 major bonus!  We don't have the perfect kid by any means, we also
 don't have a 'drugged up' automaton.   We just didn't feel that it
 was in his best interest to not use meds (that have proven to be
 effective for many) and waste X number of years hoping he'd learn
 some coping skills.  As you've noticed with your child the difference
 can be amazing almost across the board.  Meds alone are not the
 answer to, and certainly not a cure for, ADHD.  For us they have
 become just another tool that is used.  I don't know if you noticed
 but I don't refer to his meds as anything but that ...meds... we
 don't use the work *drug* (even tho that is what they are) because of
 all the anti-drug use exposure and education kids get in school.  We
 don't want him to equate the use of a prescription medication with
 the abuse of street drugs.
 I'm an advocate of the use of meds for _my_ child after running
 through all manner of alternative (IMHO ineffective) 'treatments.'
 All others have to arrive at a decision that works for their child
 and that they are comfortable with.
 Best regards.... Bob
... Just my observations.  Retail Value = $0.02  Void where prohibited.			
--- PPoint 2.03
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