ADHD is a medical condition but the symptoms are often behavioral and medication is used to help increase focus and reduce impulsiveness and hyperactivity. Because medication is not used to control bodily functions, some parents wonder whether giving medication during the summer time is appropriate or if children should be given a "medication break." Parents wonder if this time without medication will help children that have slowed in growth will help them catch up or if the time should be used to help children learn to find non-medication ways to control symptoms.
To help parents, I went out an asked the "experts" what they thought, whether they recommend continuing medication or if they thought a break was better.
The following are the answers I received:
It depends. Some kids really need medication every day because their impulsive or hyperactive behavior is too problematic otherwise--they run across a busy parking lot, they play too rough with siblings, they can't sit still and are constantly getting into things, etc. Generally, they are causing more family discord and provoking more yelling from parents. This isn't good for anyone. There are other kids (particularly those who are more inattentive and less hyperactive/impulsive) who may do pretty well at home without medication. Or there may be some days that medication might be more helpful (such as at camp or when all the cousins are coming over) whereas other days where it is less necessary (like a day at the beach).
Dr. Tuckman's website: http://adultADHDbook.com
Marie Paxson:
The question of whether to continue ADHD medication over the summer can be more complex than parents envision. The best advice I could give is that this needs to be an individualized solution that "one size fits all" will probably not apply. It can be a misconception that children and teens with ADHD need their full focusing abilities just for academic tasks. Everyday life is full of decision-making, weighing risks and benefits, choosing activities instead of just going along for the ride, etc. The ability to filter out unnecessary distractions makes for better choices.
For children with impulsivity, using medication over the summer can reduce their chances of injury. When my son was young, children automatically stopped their ADHD medication when the school year ended. My son would have several minor accidents and injuries as he adjusted to the lack of helpful medication and he once had a very scary bike accident in June. I've heard some experts compare this to only wearing eyeglasses during the school year, and disregarding that people need to see clearly in other aspects of their lives.
For those with concerns about proper weight gain, getting individualized advice from your pediatrician is key to striking the right balance.
Marie Paxson is the Immediate Past-President of CHADD: www.CHADD.org
