As a child I was diagnosed and took Ritalin for a while. My parents didn't like the way it altered my behavior. However, they then tried coffee twice a day - Breakfast and Lunch (I was in 2nd or 3rd grade).
The coffee worked well. Entering highschool I couldn't stand coffee and didn't do anything to address the ADD symptoms. In college I powered through on other caffeinated beverages. I now enjoy the occasional cup of coffee (1-2 cups a week) and can definitely tell the difference in my ability to focus when I've been drinking coffee and when I haven't.
I have a similair story, as I child I never liked taking meds or how it effected me, I refused to take a blood test one day and was removed from treatment, I'm now 26, recently I tried matcha (green tea powder) and found it to be much better then coffee as it's a stimulant & relaxant (no crash, very calming and alert). I also found as I got older it got easier to manage, it also left me with the ability to hyperfocus when I'm in the zone working.
The coffee worked well. Entering highschool I couldn't stand coffee and didn't do anything to address the ADD symptoms. In college I powered through on other caffeinated beverages. I now enjoy the occasional cup of coffee (1-2 cups a week) and can definitely tell the difference in my ability to focus when I've been drinking coffee and when I haven't.