ADHD high school

[Lauraz180]

Hi - DS has ADHD Inattentive sub type. I would say mild/moderate severity. He is on medication since 8 and since then has done really well at school - before that didnt really start or finish much work despite being very bright. We only use meds for school as no behaviour issues just a "space cadet". I would be interested to know of experiences of high school for inattentive subtypes on medication? new challenges, did the child continue to do well or worse etc. Just want myself prepared for what is to come. He is very shy, and self conscious i would say, academically very bright, bit anxious, generally though a lovely human being.

[ADHD_DAD]

Hi. For us, middle school was much worse than high school. We did switch to a small private school for high school, so likely that was more a factor than the change from middle school to high school, but for boys, the testosterone and its wonderful Accompanying feelings of confidence and power kick in around 9th grade which really helps with self esteem, independence and "swagger." Please consider (or at least discuss with presciber) using meds all the time, not just for school. The idea is to find balance and a way to best manage despite ADHD and allowing your son to function as his best self only at school may not be the best avenue for success. See what prescriber thinks, but we have found a constant dose of meds to be preferable to trying to constantly adjust to a non mediated state. Be well.

[Laura3456 in reply to ADHD_DAD]

Thanks that’s really useful. I had never considered meds at weekend as ds is no trouble and quite happy. It’s an ability to focus in class that was our issue. However I guess I need to think more broadly as I think the point is meds are useful for broader development which is going on during non school time. Thanks

[ADHD_DAD in reply to Laura3456]

You're welcome. We used to do the same as you (medication breaks) for the same reasons you cite, but then we discussed it with prescriber who asked us to maintain a continuous dose. When my son was littler, he loved Legos. Always wanted new sets but could never finish them. Many of the boxes went unopened. The very first medicated weekend, he sat down and completed a Legos set by himself. He was so pleased. Like all ADHD parents, instead of feeling triumphant for making a change that significantly improved his life, we felt guilty for not doing it sooner. As you well know, that is all part of being an ADHD parent. Be well.

[Redpanda5]

For us, it progressively got worse. Middle school was bad and high school was worse - at first. There are some things that helped the inattentiveness get better in high school:

1. Really honing in on an IEP. Until high school we just went along with the accommodations they told us were good. I became more involved in developing helpful accommodations and making sure teachers followed though on them. The best of schools can only do so much. If you have their support though you’re golden. They just don’t have the time to do everything a student needs. Parents have to be a part of the solution.

2. I became her executive function coach. I am way more involved than parents are in high school but her low executive function skills needed support. One helpful accommodation is linking her reduced assignments in a Google doc so it’s easier for her to start assignments instead of hunting them down in emails. I also body double - meaning, I sit with her while she does homework. If she is alone she loses focus.

Some people hire executive coaches for their kids but for her I have the time and her social anxiety was a barrier to her meeting yet another new person.

3. Bottom line, the social side gets harder so parents are the first line of defense. Advocate advocate advocate. Build positive relationships with the staff and teachers. Be there for your child at home. We also never break from medication. It is also a mood stabilizer so our psychiatrist keeps my daughter on it full time.

4. It’s a lot of work. It’s not as though you ever reach the point where they are set in the right direction on autopilot. There is constant tweaking with how you help. The best way to deal with this is “acceptance.”

[Lauraz180]

Many thanks for the reply.

[Aconcernedmom1]

Hi Lauraz180, My DS is the same type. We are also wondering if we need to increase his dose of stimulant as he starts high school. Currently, he is on a low dose and the neurologist says that it may not have much effect.I am planning to wait and see how it goes before increasing medication.

Good luck for high school!

[Laura3456]

Thanks for reply. How has he been doing on the stimulants so far? Did you have many residual issues?