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Post by hsmom on Sept 5, 2014 12:42:39 GMT -5
My 16 year old son with ADHD decided to start the school year off his medication (Metadate CD 40 mg) He was off his medication for the entire summer, even during a two week Institute on Current Issues and Youth Activism that he attended at the School for International Training mostly with neurotypical high school students. He has his doctor's approval as as my son explained, he sees no difference when he is off medication on how he functions in lectures, in discussions, when being tutored in Algebra and doing homework, and when he is reading a book.
Have any of your teens with ADHD gone off medication in high school? How did it go?
My son is at a boarding school for students with language-based learning difference and the school nurse is aware of the situation. She will check in with his teachers in a few week's time. However, I am concerned that my son is not doing what's good for him; but I can't get my teen to take medication he feels is not necessary.
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Post by healthy11 on Sept 5, 2014 13:27:01 GMT -5
Your son has ADHD-inattentive, correct? My son has ADHD-combined, so his experiences off medication may not matter.
How do YOU think your son behaved when he was at home this summer and off his meds? I'm wondering if your son, when he initially started taking the ADHD medication, mentioned whether he thought it helped him then? If he doesn't think it's helpful anymore, I wonder if it might be that because he's probably hit puberty and had a growth spurt such that the dosage of 40mg. is not effective and should actually be increased? On the other hand, some people with ADHD no longer require medication as adults, and perhaps your son is one of those fortunate few.
The fact that he was able to participate in a two week school-type summer session with neurotypical peers is certainly encouraging, although maintaining his attention for an entire school semester/year may be different. Also on the plus side, however, is that your son is not a Freshman, and he's in a smaller boarding school setting, where he probably already knows all his classmates, teachers, and their general expectations/policies/procedures. Similarly, they know what's "typical" for your son, and should be able to provide important feedback if they sense he's not acting in a way that they've come to expect. Let us know what they say!
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Post by hsmom on Sept 5, 2014 16:30:58 GMT -5
Thank you for your response Healthy. Actually, my son is diagnosed with ADHD-combined though his hyperactive and impulsive symptoms are not as noticeable as they used to be. At his old school, OT, physical activity, and developing his executive function skills were built into his curriculum and at his current school, the academic day is very structured, teachers pay close attention to whether or not each student is getting his work done, and participation in sports/physical education is mandatory each day. Being at these schools may have helped my son with controlling his hyperactive and impulsive tendencies which he did have as a younger child. This past summer, I saw a more mature teen in some areas, more willing to be independent and take some responsibilities. Still, he is a typical 16 year old who packing for school forgot some important and some less important items although he was working with a check list. He also spent way too much time on the internet, although less playing of games and more keeping in touch with his friends who live all around the US, in Canada, and abroad.
There was no doubt that medication was necessary and beneficial to my son. It kept him focused in class. I remember when we increased his dose from 30 mg to 40 mg during his second year without telling his teachers. They noticed the difference immediately. We tried upping his dose again about a year and half ago when some teachers commented on my son losing focus in some of his classes. At 50 mg his hands started to tremble and it wouldn't stop even after keeping him at this higher dose for some time. My son was very sensitive to it and requested to go back to the lower dose.
My son did well at 40 mg transitioning to a new school last year. I expected him to continue to do well this year. I will have to see. None of my son's teachers taught him last year so they don't know what he was like in class.
I will keep you updated.
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