Taking ADHD Meds at Private School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm purposely putting this in the private school forum because I think it is more of a school issue.

What does your school do to support your ADHD student in remembering to take prescribed medication? What do you as the parent do to help the child remember? In this case, it is an ADHD booster. Kid is in 8th grade. Kid says the booster helps and wants to take it. It is kid's responsibility to remember to go in at the appointed time (after 2 pm per doctor. School stops administering meds at 3:30, but child can take it as late as 4.) She remembers about once a week. I've given her a non-smart watch with a timer that goes off at 3 pm each day. That worked for about two weeks. It is written in her planner (never helped). It is sometimes written on her hand (seldom helps). School will not page the child or go find her. Child does not have her phone until 330 and does not have a computer/device at all during the day. Doc has authorized self carry, but school says absolutely not.

Short of pulling her out of sports to come home and take a booster, what other tricks are there to remind this kid to take her meds?? We don't really want to adjust the morning dose to be shorter acting because the wheels would really come off if she forgets to take a lunchtime dose.

Aderrall XR or Concerta. Why can’t your child use a 12 hour release pill? Take at 7 am and it should be good through 7 pm. Any sort of bump before sports will raise her heart rate, which may not be helpful for the sport. But I question the safety of a child administering a controlled substance during the school day. Many schools have medication policies to prevent things like the distribution/sale of controlled substances as well as children losing or misusing controlled substances while at school. I realize there is a stigma associated with going to a nurse (literally), but I would question if there is an absolute need for your child to be in this position in the first place.

Any slight performance enhancement conferred is probably not worth the risks. And the fast acting ADHD medication is much easier to abuse. Just lots of flags here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm purposely putting this in the private school forum because I think it is more of a school issue.

What does your school do to support your ADHD student in remembering to take prescribed medication? What do you as the parent do to help the child remember? In this case, it is an ADHD booster. Kid is in 8th grade. Kid says the booster helps and wants to take it. It is kid's responsibility to remember to go in at the appointed time (after 2 pm per doctor. School stops administering meds at 3:30, but child can take it as late as 4.) She remembers about once a week. I've given her a non-smart watch with a timer that goes off at 3 pm each day. That worked for about two weeks. It is written in her planner (never helped). It is sometimes written on her hand (seldom helps). School will not page the child or go find her. Child does not have her phone until 330 and does not have a computer/device at all during the day. Doc has authorized self carry, but school says absolutely not.

Short of pulling her out of sports to come home and take a booster, what other tricks are there to remind this kid to take her meds?? We don't really want to adjust the morning dose to be shorter acting because the wheels would really come off if she forgets to take a lunchtime dose.

Aderrall XR or Concerta. Why can’t your child use a 12 hour release pill? Take at 7 am and it should be good through 7 pm. Any sort of bump before sports will raise her heart rate, which may not be helpful for the sport. But I question the safety of a child administering a controlled substance during the school day. Many schools have medication policies to prevent things like the distribution/sale of controlled substances as well as children losing or misusing controlled substances while at school. I realize there is a stigma associated with going to a nurse (literally), but I would question if there is an absolute need for your child to be in this position in the first place.

Any slight performance enhancement conferred is probably not worth the risks. And the fast acting ADHD medication is much easier to abuse. Just lots of flags here.

**I meant potentially not literally - autocorrect strikes again.

[Anonymous]

Ridiculous that she can't self-carry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ridiculous that she can't self-carry.

What if someone steals it? What if she sells it? It’s a controlled substance. It’s not insulin. And she will not die if she does not raise it prior to a SPORT PRAcTICE. She is taking it prior to cross country or basketball, not math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ridiculous that she can't self-carry.

No it isn’t. Stimulants are extremely abused prescription drugs. Middle schoolers should not be carrying them unsupervised. If she dropped it or misplaced it and some other kid found it, that’s a huge liability for a lawsuit. Middle schools don’t allow most students to carry OTC meds for headaches or colds, much less schedule II controlled prescription drugs.

[Anonymous]

Has she tried the longer acting extended release?

[Anonymous]

At Washington Episcopal/WES, the nurse comes around in the afternoon and hands out medicine. Other kids just see it as normal, and it's a quick action between classes. They got that down.

[Anonymous]

Administering medications is the school's responsibility, not the child's.

FWIW, I am have taken the medication administration course that is required for anyone who gives out medication in DC schools (including private schools) and this sounds completely contrary to DC regulations.

[Anonymous]

Hi, DS was in an identical situation at the beginning of the school year. The school went phone free and they are reliant on the technology for reminders.

Work with the learning coordinator to get this built into their accommodations. For us, DS is now allowed a phone after 12pm on phone free Friday's.

PPs have had great suggestions. Put the timer/alarm for a transition time. Put multiple reminders on throughout the day so they get better with time-blindness.

Buddy up with a friend or trusted teacher to help provide reminders in the period before athletics. If that's study hall or something similar, find the adult that is always around and ask for their assistance.

She needs to get into the routine and it won't come without tears. It took about a month for DS to realize he hated feeling that way in the afternoons and he made it a priority to remember and get into that routine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm purposely putting this in the private school forum because I think it is more of a school issue.

What does your school do to support your ADHD student in remembering to take prescribed medication? What do you as the parent do to help the child remember? In this case, it is an ADHD booster. Kid is in 8th grade. Kid says the booster helps and wants to take it. It is kid's responsibility to remember to go in at the appointed time (after 2 pm per doctor. School stops administering meds at 3:30, but child can take it as late as 4.) She remembers about once a week. I've given her a non-smart watch with a timer that goes off at 3 pm each day. That worked for about two weeks. It is written in her planner (never helped). It is sometimes written on her hand (seldom helps). School will not page the child or go find her. Child does not have her phone until 330 and does not have a computer/device at all during the day. Doc has authorized self carry, but school says absolutely not.

Short of pulling her out of sports to come home and take a booster, what other tricks are there to remind this kid to take her meds?? We don't really want to adjust the morning dose to be shorter acting because the wheels would really come off if she forgets to take a lunchtime dose.

Aderrall XR or Concerta. Why can’t your child use a 12 hour release pill? Take at 7 am and it should be good through 7 pm. Any sort of bump before sports will raise her heart rate, which may not be helpful for the sport. But I question the safety of a child administering a controlled substance during the school day. Many schools have medication policies to prevent things like the distribution/sale of controlled substances as well as children losing or misusing controlled substances while at school. I realize there is a stigma associated with going to a nurse (literally), but I would question if there is an absolute need for your child to be in this position in the first place.

Any slight performance enhancement conferred is probably not worth the risks. And the fast acting ADHD medication is much easier to abuse. Just lots of flags here.

NP. This isn’t accurate and why such things are best left to a doctor. My kid takes a booster prior to their evening activities. When I asked the Dr if the xr was still effective by evening, his response was “absolutely not” and proceeded to prescribe a smaller dose immediate release pill they can take as needed. The lucky thing for my kid is their activity is not at school and they come home first and take the booster around 4p, so no reliance on the school administering the booster.