The Monday Consult: ADHD and School
This week's Monday Consult question comes from a reader who is concerned about a friend whose child has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): "Last year, after a horrible start to the school year (for both of them), my friend's child was diagnosed with ADHD. He was disruptive in class and getting poor grades. "Medication helped his behavior, although not profoundly, and he did manage to bring his grades up. Now that a new school year is is starting, my friend has decided to hold off on giving her child the medication to 'see how he does.'
"My question is this: If a child is a problem at the beginning of the school year, does that color a teacher's opinion of them for the rest of the year, even if the child's behavior improves later on? I feel like she is putting her child at a disadvantage by not giving him one of the tools he needs to succeed." For the answer, we consulted Dr. Larry Silver, clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical Center, and author of the book, "Dr. Silver's Advice to Parents on ADHD." “If the child was correctly diagnosed with ADHD and medicine made a significant difference, it would be my recommendation that the child starts school on medication. "I would do this not just to prevent the teacher from having a negative experience but more importantly from preventing the child from having a negative experience. "If this parent is ambivalent about medication she should discuss it with her prescribing physician.” Dr. Silver recommended two Web sites for parents of children with ADHD and other learning disabilities: LDonline.com and LDAmerica.org.
Comments
Thanks for answering my question. Dr. Silver's advice was along the lines of what I expected.
Posted by: SM | August 31, 2009 8:31 PM
I think that the key language in Dr. Silver's quote is if the meds made a "significant difference." The question indicated that the medication improved the child's behavior, "but not profoundly." Perhaps the parents made a judgment call that the amount of improvement from the medication was not worth the side effects. Isn't that really their call to make (in consultation with their child's pediatrician)? If the other parents are your friends, what they need is your support, not your second-guessing of their parenting choices.
My perspective is that of a parent of two children with ADHD who are both on medication which DOES help significantly. So I am not anti-medication, but I also don't think it's a panacea, and it can have significant side effects. Deciding to medicate or not medicate a child with ADHD is a difficult and thorny issue that I'm sure most parents don't take lightly. And the "just give him some meds" attitude is part of what contributes to the stigma attached to a diagnosis of ADHD that my family deals with on a regular basis.
Posted by: DP | September 1, 2009 9:55 AM
As an adult who struggled with ADHD throughout his school years and beyond I can say that medication is definately not a magic bullet but can definately help. More importantly this mother needs to cultivate what her child truly has passion and interest in, and point him/her in an educatonal direction that incorporates thses passions. these subjects are more often than not the only subject adhders can truly focus on for a long period of time.
as far as getting on a teachers bad side i can remember teachers who LOATHED me because i looked spaced out or figgeted, i definately think that teachers perciptions could be tainted by early bad behavior.
Posted by: Clinton | September 3, 2009 3:43 PM