NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT AND EDUCATION

SIMON EPSTEIN, M.D.
91 STRAWBERRY HILL AVE. #140
STAMFORD, CT 06902
203-348-8579

Monthly NewsNotes

Monthly NewsNote

September 2004

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MEDICATION IN SEPTEMBER

A year ago I wrote a Note indicating that I thought it was important to take medication in September. As school was about to start last week, I received a letter from a Mom saying her teenager did not want to use his medication. She agreed to let him stop. I strongly advised against this, and decided, with some changes, to run the material of a year ago, which explains why if a student isn’t properly medicated at the beginning of school, the whole year can suffer. Here is that NewsNote:

It’s usually the case that when ADD students return to school un-medicated, the first marking period goes best and is then followed by a significant decline. I believe this is due to a few factors. One is the renewed energy and optimism of both teacher and student as the year starts. Another is the fact that early material is often a review of information that the student already knows.

Probably the most important reason school may initially go well is that any new information is presented slowly and without many demands. For example, the teacher may explain how a book report should be done, review what is required, and go easy on test grading because it is new material. But by the second marking period the teacher expects the student to know the material. If they had been distracted and inattentive during the learning period, the student will get poor marks.

Additionally, a student who falls behind early may have a difficult time catching up. For example, in math, learning equations requires paying attention and doing homework. As the year goes on, there are more equations and several may be needed to solve a given problem. But if the ADD student hasn’t been able to concentrate, he can’t draw on several months of learning. Therefore, the failure to concentrate during the first marking period leads to poor performance later on.

What this means is that a poor start can translate into a poor year!

It’s always important to understand why a student wants to stop medication. Is he/she having side effects that we don’t know about or that bothered them more than we knew? These might include a mild stomach ache or loss of appetite. Could it be related to a derogatory remark made by a friend or family member? Or is it related to self esteem and the feeling that needing medication makes him/her a weak person? Should there be a specific side effect causing the student’s attitude, please talk with the child and the prescribing physician. Whatever the reason, it is worth some time to understand and address those feelings.

If a child needs medication and stops, grades will fall and the school year will go from good to bad to worse. Homework won’t get done, the family will be stressed, and what is most important, the ADD student will suffer. Therefore, I believe it is essential that medication be used when school starts! The need for medication can be reviewed in October or November. Please don’t lose September.

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