My son who is 15 with adhd is constantly using fowl language, which gets him into trouble in school,

Hi Jan,

Welcome to ADHDcentral!

In regards to your son, my first question is whether he's getting the proper treatment for his ADHD. Swearing can be due to a number of things:

1. Impulsivity
2. Frustration
3. Mood
4. Poor interpersonal/social skills; i.e. is he swearing so he can "fit in" with a certain group of kids who also swear? Does he swear because he thinks it's "cool?"

You might want to calmly talk to him to first try and find out which of the above might be the culprit. If he's not getting the appropriate treatment for his ADHD, you might want to talk to a specialist who may recommend medication to help with the impulsivity and/or counseling to help with his frustrations, mood and social issues.

It's also possible that he is looking to get a reaction from school staff, in which case, that too, needs to be addressed.

I do feel it's best to sort things out and try to work with him in a proactive way before considering punishment. If he thinks swearing is cool, you could explain that people who swear a lot often lack self control and self confidence. Since this behavior is getting him into trouble, ask him if that is what he wants or if not, what he can do instead to prevent himself from getting into trouble.

Perhaps he can learn to remove himself from frustrating situations at school, to cool down. The staff can help him/you set up a plan to help with that.

If you think he purposely uses foul language, asses why you think that might be so. Many kids with ADHD are also oppositional and this needs to be addressed by professionals so that he can learn better coping skills. Otherwise, he may find himself in even more trouble.

They key is to try and figure out how much he can control and how it's related to his ADHD. Getting the proper treatment and school support is essential.

Lastly, make sure that the adults around him are not swearing!

you may want to get him diagnosed. that was the first sign i had with my son at that age. he is now 20 and at age 14 i foud out he had oppositional defian disorder (ODD) he also had a problem with athority figures, arguing with me over everything. not listening to any simple order given him, could not make friends easily ect. if this sounds like your so get him help asap. not only for him but for your own sanity. raising a child with o.d.d..  is espically hard on the parents.  get him diagnosed, it may be just being a teenager but if its not getting him meds will save you alot of hurt!  chattycathy