Our son was diagnosed with ADHD in second grade and with Asperger's in third grade. We resisted medication for a long time, but finally went to it, and it made a big difference. Yes, some meds will make some kids feel like a zombie. Remember that different meds will affect different kids different ways. The first one we tried, Aderall, made our son depressed. Very scary. He then went to Metadate, which he has tolerated without any problem. We use it every day, including weekends and summers, because he feels and functions better with it. It not only helps him focus, but with the hyperactivity, it makes him noticeably more grounded. As he's gotten older, we've worked on helping him learn safe, non-medicinal ways to achieve the same result—exercise, diet, etc. (Some of this has taken better than others.
) We'll use caffeine at times as well.
One thing that was very helpful for us was a doctor who really understands the meds. Because of the Asperger's, our pediatrician referred us to a pediatric neurologist. That has made a real difference in making sure the meds are not only helping, but also that they aren't keeping him from feeling his best.
Good luck! I'll try to think of some resources, but for my money, a doctor you trust is one of the best resources.
Hybrid Mode
