ADHD maturity level - holding back ility

[BaylorFan]

We have a 6 year old grandson who during the middle of Kindergarten finally got diagnois and started a low dose of medication. His kindergarten teacher feels as it would benefit him to repeat because he isn't as mature as a lot of the other children. I ask another teacher their opinion and they feel like repeating first grade is more beneficial assuming they dont mature in that time period. So I am curious have any of you had your children repeat due to maturity not an acutal learning disability in Kindergarten or 1st grade if so what is your opinion after the fact? Thank you in advance.

[erinvrie31]

As a parent of a teenager with ADHD, I strongly recommend holding him back, and doing it now, early. I'm very aware of all the arguments about this, pro and con. I come down firmly on the side of holding the child back, and doing it as early as possible. ADHD seems to be, among other things, a developmental delay (there are increasingly sophisticated brain imaging studies which show this; the cortex is developing more slowly in these kids). The lack of maturity will continue through middle and high school and into college. It will impact his ability to do independent projects, to juggle multiple classes and extracurriculars, to deal with the more demanding social relationships of later childhood and adolescence, and to handle risky issues like drugs, sex, etc. that will come along. Holding him back will not solve all those problems, but it can take the edge off somewhat for him. You're giving him an extra year of development before he has to handle 5 different classes in middle school, for example. And you're giving him some extra time before most of the peers that will be his friends and cohort start dealing with some of the social issues of adolescence. The earlier you hold him back, the better: he will feel the social sting less, and have more time to make a new pack of friends in kindergarten, when kids still have a little more time to socialize and play than in first grade. We did not hold our son back, and I very much wish we had. I can see many ways in which the extra year of maturity at each grade level would have helped him. Of parents I know who did hold their kids back, I don't personally know one who has regretted it.

[seller in reply to erinvrie31]

I agree wholeheartedly! Our son has an early June birthday, but I wish we had held him back, either in pre-school or kindergarten. He could have used the extra year.

[Crunchby]

We did an extra year of preschool, tried first grade Montessori, then to kindergarten. Mine is in 6th now, and still immature despite being one of the oldest in her class. It depends on the child's Intelligence too. If she does kindergarten again, then she may be bored, but I think I'd choose that and augment with at home work. Either way, good luck!!

[anirush]

My grandson had an August birthday and was very smart but has less of emotional issues. I wish we had kept him back when he was younger I think he would have done better