Dear Dr. Silver,
I have a high school senior who has a learning disability, not ADHD. He was thought to have ADHD and was medicated when in middle school. However, when he started high school things changed and we stopped the medication due to behavioral misconduct that appears to have resulted from the medication.
As parents we have tried to help him with his behavioral problems. They have improved, but his grades have not. He starts off well but by the end of each semester he always falls short.
I am lost as to what to do. My son wants to be successful but is lacking the determination and motivation to get there on his own. He constantly needs reminders and supervision. How do I groom him to become independent, determined, and self-motivated?
Your description of his problems sound like a possible executive function disability (problems with organization and time planning). This disability might be a reflection of ADHD or of LD and often begins to be a problem in middle and high school. Discuss this possibility with the professionals at his school.