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Ask the Educational Consultant: Tina Laredo, B.A. (Honors), B.ED
Tina Laredo has many years of experience dealing with issues such as Behavioral Management, ADD/HD, Special Education, Autism, and many more topics of concern to parents inside the classroom and out.
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ANSWERS

	My son is 13 years old, and in the 7th grade. I have always suspected that my son has A.D.D., because of his actions growing up, plus I found out that his dad was on drugs when I became pregnant, now that he is getting up in age I am very worried about this. He cant focus in school, he forgets easily, etc. I just want to know what can I do, please help me.
	I would begin by bringing your son to his family doctor and having him tested for ADD. If you express your concerns for your son's attention difficulties, forgetfulness and the fact that his father was taking drugs while he was being conceived, your doctor may have some other tests he/she may want to administer as well. Whether your son is diagnosed with ADD or not, it is very important to talk to you doctor and figure things out as soon as possible. Informing his teachers (or selected teachers) about your concerns, may help as well. If your son is in fact diagnosed with ADD, there are strategies that will help him focus better on the subject at hand. Sitting at the front of the class or writing important information down to aid as reminders, are a couple of examples. If these strategies do not work well enough, then there is a drug called Ritalin that has proven to be helpful with ADD issues. Again, this is something that your doctor needs to recommend and prescribe if he/she finds it appropriate. Having your doctor, the teachers, yourself and your son working together as a team, can only be beneficial for your son's progress. I would recommend that you have an open line of communication with your son. It is always important to monitor our children's personal and academic lives, however this is especially true when they become teenagers. Talk to your son before you go and see the doctor about what you can do together to help him with the problems that he is experiencing. It is crucial to continue communicating throughout the entire process. With an open line of communication, you will be able to monitor his progress, his behavior and how he is emotionally feeling about himself and his own progress.
	I am writing you from Honolulu, Hawaii. I have a 9 year old daughter that goes to a prestigious school whose academic curriculum is fabulous. The problem is that in my daughters earlier schooling, we have seen problems with her focusing on the tasks at hand, reading comprehension and verbal instruction comprehension. The school did bring in someone to test her. Well her test results were above average in some areas and below average in others. The difference between the two are wide. We are working to build up the low areas to meet the high areas of her testing. It was suggested by the tester that she may be ADD (the quiet type) that most times goes undetected. My daughter is very shy and I have been working on getting her to be more involved in classroom verbal activities, with progress. The school did enforce a Schools Attuned program for her where all her teachers as well as myself work together to watch her progress and where she needs help. Combined we have made a lot of forward strides but are still a long way from fine tuning. She has come a long way since kindergarten and I have seen some progress. Although not a swift as anyone would like it is still progress. Her counselor has suggested I consider putting my daughter on ratline. I really do not want to but feel that if she cannot stay focused that it may be a last option. I wanted to get more information about ratline. and its short and long term effects on a child. I explained to the counselor that before I do make a final decision that my daughter also does have a say in this decision. I do not want to keep her out of the decision process. I am very apprehensive about this matter and am looking for some assurance that this is okay for her. One of the side effects that the counselor had mentioned was that ratline. can cause a loss of appetite. My daughter has migraine headaches when she does not eat and this side effect really worries me. Can you please respond to my questions, I would really appreciate it. I have a meeting with her teacher and counselor on 10-9-02. I want to be absolutely sure that I am doing the right thing if I do decide to put her on ratline. Your advise would be most appreciated.
	I would like to begin by commending you on being such a caring and involved parent. It sounds as if you have kept on top of your daughter's schoolwork and have done a good job of having her academic strengths and difficulties, assessed. I am pleased to hear that all your daughter's teachers have collaborated together in order to try and help your daughter with the difficulties that she is facing in school. I am going to assume that the teachers have done all the basic "teacher tricks" to help her succeed, such as placing her strategically in the classroom and during group work so that she is less distracted. I would just like to ensure that these teachers have your child's best interest at heart and are not just making their own lives easier. With that said, I am going to make the conclusion, from your e-mail, that your daughter has been easily distracted in most of her classes for the last 5 years in school. First and Foremost, before putting your child on Ritalin, ask the advice of your pediatrician. I can only give you advice as a teacher and relay my experiences to you in hope of helping you reach a decision. For starters, there are specific tests that can be done in order to see if your child is ADD. You had mentioned that the tester from school, had suggested that she MIGHT be ADD. They should be able to give conclusive opinions based on these specific tests. Otherwise, please ask you own pediatrician to administer the test himself/herself. Second of all, I think that it is a good thing to involve your child in the decision process. It is good for her to know what she is putting inside her body. I have found it helpful to tell a child that the medication will help her concentrate in school and she will therefore be able to keep up with her work. This may give her the chance to gain some control over her disorder and help her focus on the tasks at hand. You can always begin with a very low dose and move on from there. From my experience, Ritalin is helpful with children who have ADD. It is however, very important for your daughter to take the amount of Ritalin that is right for her. Too little with not have the maximum effect and too much can have a child feeling low. This is why your doctor should recommend the dose he or she finds appropriate for her. The side effects that I have seen are a reduction in appetite and difficulty falling asleep at night. I believe that there are a couple of different ways of taking this oral drug. There is a form of Ritalin that is time released and therefore releases itself naturally throughout the day. There is also a form that can be taken 2 times a day. One pill is taken in the morning before school and the second one is taken at about lunchtime. The second option means that you will either need to give your child the medication during her lunchtime or you will have to register the pills at the office or nurse and your daughter will have to go the designated area in order to have the drug administered to her. A third option would be to give her one pill in the morning and skip the one in the afternoon. This way, the teacher's can comment if they have seen a progression in her levels of concentration or not. Also, since she has taken the pill so early in the day, she may have less difficulty falling asleep at night. Hopefully, your daughter will be able to eat at least some of her lunch in order to avoid her migraines. I believe that often, these side effects (sleeplessness and lack of hunger) dissipate and the child eventually adjusts to the drug. Unfortunately, you can only know how this drug and its side effects will affect your daughter if and when you decide to try it. I know that the concept of putting your child on any drug is scary, but remember, you will only be doing it for her benefit not yours. You can always change your mind. Please note that I am in no way suggesting that you put your child on Ritalin, I am merely giving you the results of what I have seen in my classroom, as an educator. As far as I know, there are no long-term effects of Ritalin. Once again, you need to confirm this with a doctor. Finally, when you are at the meeting with all the teachers, you should stand tall and be proud because your daughter is lucky to have you in her on her side. Remember, you are the mom and the final decision whether to have your daughter on Ritalin or not, is yours. I wish you good luck with your daughter's progress. I hope for her to have a successful, fulfilling and happy school life.

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