Conversations, Part 2
6. Talk with your child’s doctor.
If your child is taking ADHD medication, or if you are considering a trial of ADHD medicine, have a conversation with the prescribing doctor in late summer and make a plan for the beginning of school. If this is the first time your child will be taking medication, you may want to start soon after this appointment, so you’ll be able to fine-tune the dose and timing before classes begin. If your child has taken medication before, he can resume shortly before school starts.
7. Have a second conversation with the doctor.
After a few weeks of school, you should have another conversation with your child’s psychiatrist or prescribing doctor. In this conversation, perhaps held over the phone, you and the doctor can review the information you get from your child, his teacher, and your own observations to decide if the current course of ADHD medication is right.
8. Talk with other parents.
The new school year brings new chances to talk with other parents at drop-off and pick-up, playdates, back-to-school night, and other events. How much should you say about your child’s ADHD diagnosis? This is a personal choice, which you might base on your ease in discussing such matters, your child’s wishes, and your sense of how the information might be received. Based on personal experience, I advocate disclosure without shame. I find that other parents are generally supportive. If you share your struggles, you are inviting other parents of children with dyslexia or ADD to share with you—and to lean on you, as well. If your child knows that you believe in speaking openly, he is less likely to feel that he is bearing a shameful secret.
9. Talk with your family.
Have conversations with everyone in your family. Such talks can, of course, occur at any point, but the start of the school year is a good time to review certain understandings. ADHD affects the family dynamics. Your child has ADHD, but he may not be the only person in the family with ADD. Share your experiences with each other. Have your child describe to his relatives what his symptoms of ADD feel like. Ask him to tell everyone what kind of support is helpful. Have family members talk about what their challenges are and what support they need. If everyone puts their heads together, positive things develop.
10. Talk with yourself (and your spouse).
Alone, or with your spouse, review what you’ve learned about your child with ADHD in the last year. What helped him toward success in the previous grade? What made success difficult? As your child grows, your knowledge of him grows. Maybe an old idea needs revision. Keep a current, holistic, and detailed impression of your child in mind as you move forward. Know that you may face some new challenges this year, but empower yourself as the expert on your child and trust that you’ll make the right decisions.
This article comes from the August/September issue of ADDitude.
To read this issue of ADDitude in full, purchase the back issue and SUBSCRIBE NOW to ensure you don't miss a single issue.
