Sheri
I am a Master's level Social Worker and have been a school social worker for the district in which I live for over 11 years. As such I have had lots of experience in the area of hyperactivity, including working with the children themselves, parents, school personnel and physicians. Surprisingly, many pediatricians do not have a solid informational background or extensive experience in dealing with hyperactivity or other attentional difficulties. Any time medication that was once effective no longer seems helpful, a physician should re-evaluate treatment and make adjustments, either by changing the dosage of the current medication or trying the child on a different medication. It is very common for this to happen, because children grow and change chemically and thereby respond differently to medication over time. I suggest that you contact your child's school and ask for an appointment with the school's social worker. She or he can gather some information about your particular situation and then make recommendations about which physicians in your area have not only a great deal of experience in dealing with this disorder, but also a balanced approach that includes medication and behavior modification. The latter is important because those impulsive behaviors can soon become ingrained as habits that need to be addressed as well. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me. Best Wishes, Sheri