Any success stories of high school students with ADHD stopping stimulant medication to qualify for a service academy?

[Anonymous]

Join the FB group Raising Aviation Teens.

The new guidance from the FAA is 4 years off of stimulants. The thing is you need your kid to be successful now, not when they're 18. ADHD is really an issue of a delay in the frontal cortex. It's entirely possible that he'll be caught up to his peers by the time he graduates but do you want him to struggle while his brain develops?

The other issue is that he may need the medication in order to focus in order to get the grades and EC activities necessary for the service academies. So it's a bit of a catch 22. As the parent of child who was set on going to the Naval Academy to become a pilot, I understand where you're coming from. For her, she eventually realized that she couldn't manage AP courses, SAT prep, learning to drive, and playing sports without her medication.

Does your child want to be a pilot or go into the service academy? I ask because not all candidates even at the AF get to fly. Would your child be happy going to the AF if he didn't get to fly? Has the AF been identified because he wants to serve or because he wants to fly?

And lastly, there's no reason why he can't become a pilot when he's 22 or 25--after his brain is done developing and he's been off the meds for a few years. The Raising Aviation group will tell you your child needs to start in college but that's because they want to get seniority clock started. But even the military pilots who eventually become commercial pilots start at the bottom of the seniority list at the commercial airlines.

[Anonymous]

Why does this restriction exist for flying? It's absurd to think that someone who would do better on attention meds might need to try not to take them to qualify for this, when attention is absolutely what will be needed. It seems like a case-by-case qualifying situation would be far better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does this restriction exist for flying? It's absurd to think that someone who would do better on attention meds might need to try not to take them to qualify for this, when attention is absolutely what will be needed. It seems like a case-by-case qualifying situation would be far better.

Of course a pilot should not need meds in order to fly/attend. What if they lose their meds, forget to take them, cannot refill a prescription due to the shortages etc.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Join the FB group Raising Aviation Teens.

The new guidance from the FAA is 4 years off of stimulants. The thing is you need your kid to be successful now, not when they're 18. ADHD is really an issue of a delay in the frontal cortex. It's entirely possible that he'll be caught up to his peers by the time he graduates but do you want him to struggle while his brain develops?

The other issue is that he may need the medication in order to focus in order to get the grades and EC activities necessary for the service academies. So it's a bit of a catch 22. As the parent of child who was set on going to the Naval Academy to become a pilot, I understand where you're coming from. For her, she eventually realized that she couldn't manage AP courses, SAT prep, learning to drive, and playing sports without her medication.

Does your child want to be a pilot or go into the service academy? I ask because not all candidates even at the AF get to fly. Would your child be happy going to the AF if he didn't get to fly? Has the AF been identified because he wants to serve or because he wants to fly?

And lastly, there's no reason why he can't become a pilot when he's 22 or 25--after his brain is done developing and he's been off the meds for a few years. The Raising Aviation group will tell you your child needs to start in college but that's because they want to get seniority clock started. But even the military pilots who eventually become commercial pilots start at the bottom of the seniority list at the commercial airlines.

Thank you for the helpful information and FB group suggestions. My kid is more interested in flying than attending a service academy, though he was turned on by a recent tour of the AF when we were there for a sports tournament. It looks like he could still get his private license while on stimulants, and he could potentially even join a flying team somewhere like Embry Riddle while on stimulants. And given the risk of life not going well without stimulants, an engineering or similar degree would be a good fallback even if he pursues a commercial license later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Join the FB group Raising Aviation Teens.

The new guidance from the FAA is 4 years off of stimulants. The thing is you need your kid to be successful now, not when they're 18. ADHD is really an issue of a delay in the frontal cortex. It's entirely possible that he'll be caught up to his peers by the time he graduates but do you want him to struggle while his brain develops?

The other issue is that he may need the medication in order to focus in order to get the grades and EC activities necessary for the service academies. So it's a bit of a catch 22. As the parent of child who was set on going to the Naval Academy to become a pilot, I understand where you're coming from. For her, she eventually realized that she couldn't manage AP courses, SAT prep, learning to drive, and playing sports without her medication.

Does your child want to be a pilot or go into the service academy? I ask because not all candidates even at the AF get to fly. Would your child be happy going to the AF if he didn't get to fly? Has the AF been identified because he wants to serve or because he wants to fly?

And lastly, there's no reason why he can't become a pilot when he's 22 or 25--after his brain is done developing and he's been off the meds for a few years. The Raising Aviation group will tell you your child needs to start in college but that's because they want to get seniority clock started. But even the military pilots who eventually become commercial pilots start at the bottom of the seniority list at the commercial airlines.

Thank you for the helpful information and FB group suggestions. My kid is more interested in flying than attending a service academy, though he was turned on by a recent tour of the AF when we were there for a sports tournament. It looks like he could still get his private license while on stimulants, and he could potentially even join a flying team somewhere like Embry Riddle while on stimulants. And given the risk of life not going well without stimulants, an engineering or similar degree would be a good fallback even if he pursues a commercial license later.

PP again---DD is learning to be a Sport Pilot. It's not commercial but it only requires a drivers license and does not need a medical. The gotcha is that the student cannot have ever been denied a medical by the FAA. So as long as you don't go through the medical process, sport piloting is an option. Gliders are also an option and less expensive!

For his PPL, he's still going to need to pass the FAA medical in order to get his 3rd class medical. Same rules still apply to stimulants for a 3rd class. DDs first choice is Embry Riddle (we're currently waiting on a decision) and she's going to pursue mechanical engineering while flying recreationally.

[Anonymous]

One of my college friends is a commercial airline pilot. It has been kind of a miserable career, though he still loves flying airplanes. Help your son think through all the dimensions of career and what might be desirable for him. Here are real pilots talking about the pros and cons: https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/wii9ar/airline_pilots_how_are_you_liking_your_career_do/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does this restriction exist for flying? It's absurd to think that someone who would do better on attention meds might need to try not to take them to qualify for this, when attention is absolutely what will be needed. It seems like a case-by-case qualifying situation would be far better.

are you actually asking this? because we need people who fly airplanes to be able to have HIGHER than average exec function and focus. not lower.

[Anonymous]

I think there cart before horse. If he can thrive without the medication, he can pursue paths that require theay level of rigid concentration. If he needs the medicine to thrive, pursue paths where he can achieve success with it. Aeronautics is a wide field with many careers that aren't as obvious as "pilot" to a teen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does this restriction exist for flying? It's absurd to think that someone who would do better on attention meds might need to try not to take them to qualify for this, when attention is absolutely what will be needed. It seems like a case-by-case qualifying situation would be far better.

are you actually asking this? because we need people who fly airplanes to be able to have HIGHER than average exec function and focus. not lower.

And (medicated) they may be able to achieve it. If they can’t take the med, they couldn’t fly that day. But it seems odd to care how they are able to focus and fly safely as long as they CAN do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does this restriction exist for flying? It's absurd to think that someone who would do better on attention meds might need to try not to take them to qualify for this, when attention is absolutely what will be needed. It seems like a case-by-case qualifying situation would be far better.

are you actually asking this? because we need people who fly airplanes to be able to have HIGHER than average exec function and focus. not lower.

And (medicated) they may be able to achieve it. If they can’t take the med, they couldn’t fly that day. But it seems odd to care how they are able to focus and fly safely as long as they CAN do it.

Things happen. Sometimes a plane gets stuck on the tarmac for hours, or diverts to another airport stranding people somewhere else overnight (or even longer). Etc.

[Anonymous]

My brother tried this. He managed to get into the cadet program at Texas a&m but I think the hit to his grades put a service academy out of reach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does this restriction exist for flying? It's absurd to think that someone who would do better on attention meds might need to try not to take them to qualify for this, when attention is absolutely what will be needed. It seems like a case-by-case qualifying situation would be far better.

are you actually asking this? because we need people who fly airplanes to be able to have HIGHER than average exec function and focus. not lower.

And (medicated) they may be able to achieve it. If they can’t take the med, they couldn’t fly that day. But it seems odd to care how they are able to focus and fly safely as long as they CAN do it.

Who is actually going to monitor whether they have taken their meds or not. The safety of hundreds of passengers is at risk for each flight.
Schedules cannot be swapped out easily at the last minute. You are living in la la land

[Anonymous]

The service academies don't allow ADHD meds, IEPs within a certain period of time and SATs have to be taken without accommodations.

What about talking about college ROTC? I think that is a great way to have a nice college experience combined with military.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, my husband was at a service academy and now that we both know more about ADHD from our son, there is no way my husband doesn't have it. I think the structure helped him a lot. He taught himself habits to stay organized, at least at work. Home is a whole other story, but he has been working on it. (He's 55, so...). He has been unmedicated this whole time. He was infantry though.

Structure, highly defined career pathway with clear supports to next steps, high degree of oversight and accountability, interest and adrenaline can sometimes make up for ADHD meds. My kiddo cannot learn to pick up his room. He would learn it (the hard way) if he were in a service academy. I chose not to be his drill sergeant on that in order to preserve our mother-son relationship.

He is not doing a service academy but a paramedic program. He would forget critical items for school, but he will never forget paramedic stuff because the interest, novelty, urgency and challenge all help his focus. The real life practical hands on teaching and high degree of physicality help. OFC, YMMV since ADHD is a wide-spectrum.

I think one thing to member is that getting into a service academy in no way guarantees that you will become a pilot, so you better be happy with a wide-range of military outcomes because if you choose that path, you may not actually have that much control over your final career.


I think commercial passenger aviation also has a lot of rules about medication, so check that out carefully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my college friends is a commercial airline pilot. It has been kind of a miserable career, though he still loves flying airplanes. Help your son think through all the dimensions of career and what might be desirable for him. Here are real pilots talking about the pros and cons: https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/wii9ar/airline_pilots_how_are_you_liking_your_career_do/

They seem to only mention pros