Can meds affect decoding ability?

My son had a full-battery of intelligence and achievement testing many years ago and was subsequently placed on Ritalin—a similar medication to Adderall. I asked the Chief of Staff of the Child Development unit at my local children’s hospital the same question you asked me. His response was, “No, I believe that the assessment is valid and complete.” I questioned no more.

Why not ask the same question today and see what kind of answer you receive?

Hi,

I had my son tested with the SCAN-C test (he scored in the bottom 1%). He was subsequently diagnosed with inattentive ADHD and put on Concerta. After 30 days on the meds, he re-took the SCAN-C. His scores improved, but he was still in the “Clinically significant” range and continues to be identified with an auditory processing disorder. I have never had his IQ retested.

After about 90 days on the meds, my son took reading tests in school to test for a reading disability (he had a 17 point discrepancy in WISC and WJ-III for Broad Reading scores). His scores were significantly better on the school tests than the WJ-III - but that could have been due to a number of other factors that need to be taken into consideration.

Lil

I have known of situations where the child did receive higher scores, across intelligence and academic measures, after starting ADHD medication. Parents have reported it right on LD Online in the past, more than once.

I believe it may be due to the increased ability to attend, the child is able to demonstrate what he or she CAN do w/o the interference of ADHD.

Well, if they don’t affect anything, why are you using them?

Yes. the medication should make a student better able to attend to the test. I would expect test scores to be at least slightly better and, if the meds are actually what is needed, much better.

Far more important in my personal experience are the glasses. Problems with eyesight can mimic many LD symptoms, including disorganization, fatigue, clumsiness, irritability, reading difficulties, and a host of others. I know, I myself have been there and done that.

I would be tempted to try keeping the glasses and gradually cutting down on the meds (I have read that you should not stop suddenly) to see which is helping more, or if it is really the combination.

In the area of decoding, my son could not read at all coming out of first grade. He started meds toward the end of first. He attended Corrective Reading for the entire year in second grade as we were trying to find the perfect balance in his meds-something that doesn’t happen overnight!!!. By the end of second we had it right and he tested out of Corrective Reading.

We did find that he had an Eye Teaming and Visual Processing deficit that following summer while having an IQ test done privately. Having that remediated effected his ability to comprehehnd the things he had learned to decode the previous year. However, this summer he went med free for the first time (going into fifth now) and his Visual Processing Computer progrma that he uses on a daily basis dropped from scores ranging from 75-85 to scores ranging from 15-34!!!!! He went back on meds on August 21st and has been scoring consistently in the 70-75 range.

His meds effect his ability to do everything. His performance in sports is even affected-my ex once forgot to give him his meds before his baseball tryout and he couldn’t have hit the side of a barn with the bat let alone a moving ball. His karate teacher asked me, on the occasion of the first class he had after stopping his meds, “what is up with him today-he is falling over during his kicks”? His football coach pulled him from his straing Center position due to the fact that he was hiking the ball 6 feet in the air while the Quarterback is only 55” tall!!!! He is in the process of earning his starting position back, but this in the end effects their self esteem.

If a child truly has ADHD and no other underlying LD, the meds should positively effect their performance in school as well as their inerest in school. If it is not, maybe another med or a different dosage is in order.

“the medicine makes my reading better because it makes all the noise in the room go away”.

I find this amazing. Meds can really help motor issues. I really wonder about the connection to ADD and something like dyspraxia. The symptoms are similar and now it seems that the treatment is also the same.

My son is doing Interactive metronome it has definitely helped his motor issues and I see some improvements in overall mood and he is all around easier to deal with and more in tune with things going on around him. I have to wonder what area of the brain affects motor and attention issues and if these two issues are not more related than previously thought. VERY INTERESTING!

I don’t know if I would say that the meds help with motor issues so much as the ability to know where their body is and what it is doing. It is hard to follow where a ball is in the air when a bird chirps without meds for my son.

I have seen my son’s attention improve as his motor issues have been dealt with through IM.
My son’s therapist said that with IM some kids who were boderline ADD did not need meds. Others have been able to lower their med dosages.

I still think there is some connection. Sensory integration issues look so much like ADD. It is difficult to say if the motor issues cause them to not pay attention or if the poor attention leads to poor motor planning. I guess the point is mute if a treatment for one improves the other.

I know an 8-yr. boy that I suspected was ADHD. Parents in denial,”He’s just being a boy.” Repeated kindergarten, still having problems in 1st.G. Public school teacher referred him for evaluation. Prior to dexedrine, the child rarely talked , very impulsive, attitude problem. Post-med., he initiates conversation and does not wear the scowl he had before. His parents said his reading “kicked-in” after 2 weeks of med.! They are believers now.