Hi there!

I couldn't help putting in my $.02... I was diagnosed ADHD before there was ADHD. Back then they called it Hyperkinetic. I was 5 at the time. They put me on Ritalin. I don't remember much about it, but my mom said that I went from drawing bright and happy pictures and being active to sitting in one place drawing black circles for hours. She got me off that and we tried the Feingold diet, which removes all artifical colors, flavors, preservatives and sugar out of one's diet. That didn't really work either. About 5 years ago I tried Stratera, which made me sweaty and shaky. No go on that. I'm turning 40 this year, and I'm realizing in my personal growth that, as far as my own situation goes, the only real issue I have is that people have issues with me. I'm pretty happy being a brilliant, creative and vibrant, drug and alcohol free person. I'm way eccentric, weird, quirky, word of your choice here, but I like who I am and have worked hard to learn to just accept me. It hasn't been easy, and I've been alone at it for most of my life, but, I'm finally to a point where I am just happy with me.
The point I'm trying to make is this... Ask why. Why medication? Is it for the child, or is it for you? We Indigo kids (ADD, ADHD, and Dyslexics) are a strange and unruly lot to be sure, but give us a good focus, and we are all over it. If you are medicating the child for you, don't. Trust me. We're not stupid, and we end up feeling like there is something wrong with us and that we are alone in the world. Try observing the child for what we call hyperfocus, which is where we focus in to something to the exclusion of all else. Encourage that. Most of us are geniuses, and you might be surprised what we can do in hyperfocus.
Also, I took my daughter (dyslexic and add) through a program that teaches us how to focus on the world around us. The main problem with us is that we think in visuals and tactile sensations. There are over 200 words in the English language that have no image or sensation to them, like the word "the". The program has the child make those words out of clay to give them both tactile and visual imagery. It was amazing to see my daughter focus and be able to read without stumbling or switching words around. These things work. If you choose to medicate, they have come a long way with dosages and such, and it is a good way to get a child slowed down enough to find the focus or passion of their heart. I'm not saying no to medication. I'm saying, maybe use it as a bridge to your child's true potential. ADHD, ADD and Dyslexia are not medical conditions, although the medical community would argue this, as they make a nice profit from it. These are gifts of extraordinary potential, that, when fostered correctly and with love, can open up, not only the child's world, but everyone's around them. Just some stuff to think about.
Bright Blessings

Dr. Jasper Goodnow