Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 6/22/2008

Question
I have a nine year old child who was diagnosed with the disease.  Even through he was labeled with this, I have been a skeptical.  He is on Adderal XR 25mg. once a day.  He also takes Risperdal .5 mg twice a day.  He takes Melatonin 1 mg. a day for sleeping.  Ever summer he goes and sees his dad in Montana.  I am from Iowa.  When he goes there, we do not sent his meds along as it is ok with his doctor because his dad is a drunk and likely would not give him the meds.  This year his dad could not afford to get him, so he is with us.  This summer I still kept him off his meds as the doctor told me some famlies do not give it to them unless they are in school.  First I do not understand why his doctor is concerned about his weight.  When he is on the med Adderal, he does not want to eat, but when he is off it, he eats like a pig.  Why would someone put someone on a drug that controls his eating and be concerned about it.  The reason I am writing is that my wife thinks I don't understand ADHD.  When I met Nate He was a very misbehave child at 4 1/2 and still is badly, misbehaved.  My concern with him is his destruction with property.  When he destroys things, my wife makes the excuse, its impulsiveness.  One of the signs of ADHD.  Nate has thrown his toys out a second story window threw the screen, pulled at the carpet and tore it, threw his food on the walls, tore a rug in his room and blamed the dog and lately put his food in the toilet and flushed it.  Their are many more things this kid had done but to many to mention.  I will say he took knifes to school and they didn't appreciate it.  I can not watch this kid 24/7.  To me, he is a attention seeker.  Its hard to find sympathy with a kid which is in destruction mold.  I asked my wife if you had two same age kids who behaved like Nate and one was diagnose with ADHD and the other wasn't.  The first would put the blame on ADHD and the second would be a misbehave kid.  My wife says I don't understand.  I don't.

Answer
Unfortunately I must agree with your wife. It is very obvious you do not  appear to understand ADHD. Your description could well fit in with ADHD. However it also suggests his medication is not working, otherwise his behaviour wold be more acceptable. AS the condition is inherited your description also suggests the biological father might also have ADHD but untreated. As ADHD is a full time ,not a part time condition it is essential for medication not to be stopped during week ends and holidays. It can only have a negative effect. It would be a benefit to become an expert for every-ones sake!