|
Monthly NewsNote
September 2003
 Email this article to a friend
SEPTEMBER MEDICATION
Today I received two calls from parents of 13 year olds with ADD. They said
their children had been off medication since school ended, and summer had gone
very well. Now the kids wanted to try school without medication. I strongly
advised them not to do this and here’s why.
It’s usually the case that when ADD students return to school un-medicated,
the first marking period goes best but 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. Another is the fact that early material is often
a review of information that the student already knows. Probably the most important
reason 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.
Let me go back to the two boys, Jeff and Alan. Jeff had done reasonably well
in elementary school but began struggling as he got into sixth grades. About
January of seventh grade he was diagnosed with ADD of the inattentive type and
treated with medication. He required a long acting medication in the morning
and a shorter acting form for homework. He started paying attention in class
and did homework, which was a new experience for him. His marks went up at once
and he was very pleased with his improvement. He didn’t need medication
during the summer, and I must admit I was surprised when he said he wanted to
try school without any. After all, he had only gotten out of trouble a few months
earlier.
Alan had been on medication for several years. When I met with him in June
he was pleased with his performance and made no comment about wanting to start
school without anything. Again, I was surprised.
It’s always important to understand why a student wants to stop medication.
Are there side effects that we don’t know about or that bothered him more
than we knew? These might include a mild stomachache 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 fact that medication makes him feel that he
is not doing the work himself or is weak for needing medication? Whatever the
reason, it is worth some time to try to understand and address those feelings.
But without medication, grades will fall and the school year will go from bad
to worse. Homework won’t get done, the family will be stressed, and most
importantly, 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.
|
