My pharmacy couldn't get my 6 year old's Ritalin last month, so for a few days she had no medication until I could get it from a different pharmacy. Not knowing this, her teacher told me she'd been rolling around on the ground, taking her clothes off, and singing in the middle of class for days. - ThreadSky

toobigtofail.bsky.social • 1 day ago

My pharmacy couldn't get my 6 year old's Ritalin last month, so for a few days she had no medication until I could get it from a different pharmacy. Not knowing this, her teacher told me she'd been rolling around on the ground, taking her clothes off, and singing in the middle of class for days.

Reposted from Ellen Kushner

“Even as prescriptions rise to a record high, some experts have begun to question our assumptions about the condition — and how to treat ADHD.”

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toobigtofail.bsky.social•1 day ago

This framing of "maybe you should just work through the behaviors" drives me insane. She has to be put in special education next year because she can't read: she'll sound out a word, figure it out, and then immediately go back to it and have to sound it out again because she's already forgotten it.

nshrubs.bsky.social•1 day ago

OMG. I have a student for whom it is immediately obvious when he hasn't taken his meds. He quite literally vibrates, talks at a rapid speed, & the whole day is an academic waste for him because he cannot remember it. His parents tried EVERYTHING before meds. Meds are the ONLY thing that worked.

nshrubs.bsky.social•1 day ago

Just remembering - these parents tried biofeedback, behavioral counseling, hired a behavior coach, took him running before school, and even resorted to having him drink tea or eat espresso beans before school. At that point they decided try meds. The change was amazing - coherent, complete thoughts!

imaginaryerika.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yeah. My friend’s daughter went from not being able to read because she couldn’t concentrate to reading far above grade level at 6 years old once she was medicated.

nshrubs.bsky.social•1 day ago

I believe it. I've seen the difference in my classroom & in my students' success.
And yes, I have also seen some parents try to blame academic issues on ADHD & try to get meds & 504s when they aren't needed, but that is very rare - maybe 4-5 times in 27 years. Majority are 100% legit.

hobbidysparks.bsky.social•1 day ago

Sounds like working memory issues, similar to my son. My son has always preferred non-stimulant medication to treat his ADHD. Your child is 6 - plenty of time to try different treatments.

toobigtofail.bsky.social•1 day ago

She was nonverbal past age 3, and unresponsive to stimuli. She never cried, she never interacted with us at all. Turns out she didn't know how to pay attention to her body to know if she was hurt / thirsty / hungry, and had to be taught how to be aware of such things. But yeah, it's just made up.

lanelmorgan.bsky.social•1 day ago

This brings back so many memories of my child's early years, less intense but right in that zone. Even assuming good intent, anti Ritalin people don't get that the meds provide the breathing room to work on the behaviors.

czhorat.bsky.social•1 day ago

We only do this with mental and emotional issues

The NY times is (this far) not saying that diabetics should just learn to metabolize better and not be dependent on insulin.

faineg.bsky.social•1 day ago

I was once the Incorrigble Severe ADHD Kid and this minimizing shit makes me so mad

jnana108.bsky.social•1 day ago

I was in grade school during the 60's. My parents would of medicated me with Ritalin, if they could. Glad to have dodged that.

lisab1962.bsky.social•1 day ago

We were offered meds twice for my son, but we declined hoping it was a maturity issue. In 3rd grade the parent/teacher mtg was right before we moved to AK. I came to find a baseball rug under my son's desk. "We're working on keeping him on the rug." She'd turn to find him climbing the cabinets.

izzos.us•1 day ago

"So uh...I don't think the medicine is working anymore..."

toobigtofail.bsky.social•1 day ago

It is WILD how differently she acts when she has or hasn't been taking her medication. It doesn't solve every problem, and I think we need to up her dose, but it makes an enormous difference.

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