Guanfacine my son takes it and its not a stimulant.. It has done wonder for us..

Sure: try eliminating gluten and all artificial dyes or coloring in all the child's food. Use as few processed foods as possible. Use Melatonin to help with sleep - you can get liquid Melatonin now as well as chewable ones. Pay close attention to triggers - you can track them on paper before taking steps. and make sure to be fully knowledgable about sensory issues such as noise, textural sensitivities, cold/hot sensitivities, etc. Also too much talking and whatever causes anxiety can be triggers as well. Also with some kids who also have ADHD vigorous exercise can be very helpful. Good luck!

I actually got an app for my iPad where we tracked everything: weather, sleep, stress, physical activity, bowel movements, food intake, sensory events, along with number of aggressions, tantrums, bolting, property destruction, etc. we found NO trends whatsoever! That's when we knew we had to at least try some form of medication. I'm an OT and have my son on a daily sensory diet with weighted materials, oral motor tools, brushing, mini trampoline, etc and it just wasn't enough. When it got to the point that he would cry himself to sleep from remorse after an episode we knew we needed to at least try. IN OUR CASE, we're glad we did because it made all the difference in the world to my boy. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! Even reading all the replies here I don't see another mention of Celexa, which has been so incredibly effective in our case... I guess that proves the fact!

My son cannot take any stimulants. He has been on effexor for over 15 years and gets aggressive whenever he forgets to take it - I can always tell!

Each person is a unique individual... the point of most responses is that YES, if you find the right medication/supplements/diet for someone, their moodiness, distractibility, and other hindrances to their success in life are reduced considerably. It is a long journey and takes a lot of commitment, but the only way to do it is to work with a good doctor to develop a plan of action that is right for that particular person. For my son, it is Geodon, Lemictal, Prozac, Trazadone, and Focalin. Plus dietary guidelines. Of course, he's also schizophrenic/bipolar, so some of those medications are specific to those conditions. You CANNOT make a medication choice based on what is working for someone else... what you CAN do is decide to try different medications until you find a helpful one because you know so many others have been helped in going that route.