Please go to a private doctor. Child psychiatrist is best if you can.

Millions of kids take meds successfully and there are a bunch that are not amphetamine. There are plenty of alternative therapies but it really depends on your son.

The first step is the proper evaluation and the second is a treatment / Cognitive behavior therapy plan.

As far as time of day again it depends on the person. Do you feel better in the morning or after a long day of work? How would you feel if you had to bring home work every night? Especially if it was difficult to do.

You say you are at a loss to help him. Of course, We all start out as novices here. Don’t worry, we are happy to help. Keep on learning and hear our the doctor. If they are experienced with ADD than you can listen to what they have to say and decide what works for you and your son.

Here are a bunch of links to more information: http://addsherpa.com/resources/

Good Luck and keep in touch.
Augie

I know it’s even hard to think about medicating a small child. But remember, his brain is not retaining enough chemicals to keep him focused and motivated. ADHD (the term for all three types) is a medical/neurological problem.

Those who are treated apropriately experience more success, less stress, and might avoid developing the depression and anxiety disorders that often accompany ADD (AD/HD). They also tend to do better as teens, especially in # of car accidents.

As a school social worker, I worked with many small children who were very sad because they couldn’t keep up or couldn’t behave because of serious ADHD. They described themselves as dumb, bad, retards, and other negative names. They know they aren’t doing well and kids often start teasing them when this becomes apparent.

Learn as much as you can about this problem. Things don’t improve if there is very serious inattention. You might want to try counseling, at school and with a psychiatrist to make sure there isn’t any other problem causing the inattention.

I wish you good luck and stamina. That’s what a parent needs to raise a child with ADHD. And I’ve been there.
Patricia Aust: CT Task Force on ADHD; author of HYPER HARRY for kids 8-12 (available on Amazon .com and in the Kindle store.).

Thank you for the responses.  I will look into the links.  I’m thankful he isn’t hyper.  The focus issue is enough to deal with.  I don’t want him to feel negatively about himself.  His brain isn’t wired for school, but I know he will be fine the real world if he choose a career where sitting still and listening to someone talk all day isn’t a requirement. He is a lot like my husband, and my husband has done quite well.  He HATED school though. 
We are trying some IntraKid, amino acids, fish oil, probiotics and I’ve ordered a trial of the Total Focus program.  My doc recommended Fiengold diet but I haven’t ordered it yet.

Hi, I am new to the group and the website itself. My son is the same way but then the school nurse is giving him Focalin Xr at the afternoon. He has good and bad days even with the medication. I am constantly getting complaints from school as if my son was a terrible child ( a Dennis the menace). I don’t know what else to do?