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We had the parent-teacher conference the other day. ARR's doing great, and his teachers are over the moon about the effects of medication - he's having such an easier time in class, and is much less frustrated and much more able to apply his gifts. They're great teachers, and they obviously really care about not just his achievements but his general well-being.
But the other thing that was interesting was that I made an off-hand comment about how we talked to ARR about the whole decision to medicate and how he's gotten to have input in whether or not to medicate on weekends and holidays. And they were very supportive and happy and checked in on the terminology we were using, because apparently a number of parents tell their kids that it's vitamins. Which I was totally shocked and kind of appalled by (and I get the impression the teachers are also not happy with but bite their tongues). We were very careful when the whole ADHD diagnosis first started being floated to talk to ARR about what we know about the biological underpinnings (in age-appropriate language, but very straightforward). And it seems like a terrible idea to me to let your kid's brain chemistry to wildly fluctuate because of medication and not give them any idea that it's not their fault. Like, do you just let the poor kid think they're stupid and lazy sometimes when their meds have worn off? ARR doesn't get final say in this - he's still just a kid - but he's been an active participant all through the process in learning and evaluating side effects and figuring out his dosages. He's the one who tipped us off that things weren't kicking in until mid-morning, so we could readjust what time he took his meds. And he has all the tools he needs to be able to learn to manage his own brain chemistry as he grows up. He's been very responsible and thoughtful, and I can't imagine just taking away all his bodily autonomy like that. Yeesh.
Anyway, though, he's doing great in class at the moment, and I'm so glad. It's been a hard year, but he's tried so hard.
But the other thing that was interesting was that I made an off-hand comment about how we talked to ARR about the whole decision to medicate and how he's gotten to have input in whether or not to medicate on weekends and holidays. And they were very supportive and happy and checked in on the terminology we were using, because apparently a number of parents tell their kids that it's vitamins. Which I was totally shocked and kind of appalled by (and I get the impression the teachers are also not happy with but bite their tongues). We were very careful when the whole ADHD diagnosis first started being floated to talk to ARR about what we know about the biological underpinnings (in age-appropriate language, but very straightforward). And it seems like a terrible idea to me to let your kid's brain chemistry to wildly fluctuate because of medication and not give them any idea that it's not their fault. Like, do you just let the poor kid think they're stupid and lazy sometimes when their meds have worn off? ARR doesn't get final say in this - he's still just a kid - but he's been an active participant all through the process in learning and evaluating side effects and figuring out his dosages. He's the one who tipped us off that things weren't kicking in until mid-morning, so we could readjust what time he took his meds. And he has all the tools he needs to be able to learn to manage his own brain chemistry as he grows up. He's been very responsible and thoughtful, and I can't imagine just taking away all his bodily autonomy like that. Yeesh.
Anyway, though, he's doing great in class at the moment, and I'm so glad. It's been a hard year, but he's tried so hard.
