I need some input. My son just started taking Adderall about 2 months ago. He is six and was diagnosed with ADHD and Learning Disabilities. The medicine helped him focus in school so in the last few months he probably learned as much as he learned the entire school year.
He will be going to day camp in the summer. He is not an overly hyper child but there have been some behavior concerns. He just doesn’t know when to stop. He makes friends easily and actually is known as the class clown. We were recently told that when he walks into a room his personality overtakes everyone in the room. The camp he is going to does activities all day long. All these are things he enjoys. His developmental pediatrician wants him only to take the medicine to help him stay focused so he can learn. Other people have told me to keep him on it all summer long. I would rather him not be on it if I can help it.
Any suggestions or experiences with this issue?
Re: Stopping meds over the summer
The point of this post is to second Marycas’ suggestion on flexibility and to warn you that the rules may change as the child ages.
Barb Bloom
(edited after friend saw. No need to bore everyone.)
summer medication
This is every parent’s decision. When I was making it, my son’s doctor told me learning doesn’t stop in the summertime. He told me the greatest benefit of the medication was learning the skills to not be one it. Those skills were also social skills and the medication helped my son as he worked through the social issues of camp.
As a teacher myself, I’d also say this - teachers and camp counselors alike are human and many of them look askance on their trying kids. Too many times the name of a trying child is brought up in the faculty lounge and eyes are rolled and everyone shares their horror stories.
I never wanted my own son to be the subject of those stories. I didn’t want him to be the kid all the counselors dread to have. I took my son off medication when he was able to handle it and not evidence behavior very different from everyone else.
It’s a very hard decision though and it’s only yours to make. Good luck.
Re: Stopping meds over the summer
Learning social skills and how to participate in activities over the summer,can be every bit as hard and more important then academics. I personally would consider continuing the medication for this reason. I have two boys both diagnosed ADHD,both had difficulty in the social area that sounds similiar to what you describing,medication helped them with the impulsivity that most always gets in the way of more socially accaptable behavior. Learning life skills will always be needed.
I have done both with vacations, both summer and holiday
My guy is ADD inattentive only so we dont have the behavior issue(until very, very recently and I think something else is going on) But I felt he tended to zone out and miss conversations when off meds and I wanted to keep him on so he could stay involved and increase his vocabulary, learn more if we were visiting a historic site, etc. I also found I could help him with his reading weakness better if he was on meds-less easily furtrated
Flip side is the weight-he has always been thin, but has been stuck at 60 lbs now for well over a year. Also wearing the same shoe size. In the past, Ive commented that taking him off med didnt help but, in retrospect, that wasnt a firm commitment. Id ‘take him off’ but give it to him for tutoring or even a ball game so that initial observation was probably a shaky one
This summer he is off Adderall totally. He is up to 65 lbs in just 3 weeks. I do have to have more patience working with him academically, but so far Im surviving. I have to watch his behavior more but this recent ‘impulsivity increase” happened 6-8 wks ago, unrelated to meds as he was still on regular dosing. I cant say losing the meds has made it any worse(no better either)
You just have to try and see and dont be afraid to change your decision as circumstances change