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© Prufrock Press Inc. • School Success for Kids With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Permission is granted to photocopy or reproduce this page for single classroom use only.
Tool 12.1
Tips for Parents and Teachers on Medication
for Children With ADHD
Ten Tips for Parents:
TEN TIPS FOR PARENTS
1.
Seek the best help for medication consultation! Ask your pediatrician,
therapist, family, and friends for names of physicians. Make
sure to check their credentials.
2.
Do not be afraid to ask questions. The physician must be able to
explain what he or she is recommending to your satisfaction. If you
are not sure whether to ask a question, ask anyway.
3.
Learn as much as you can about the medication.
4.
There is no magic cure. Medication can help but it must be used in
combination with other non-medication interventions.
5.
If the medication is not working, reevaluate or get a second opinion.
The diagnosis may be correct but there can be another coexisting
condition that is not being addressed. Children are constantly developing
and their diagnosis is always evolving or changing.
6.
Always consider non-medication options along with medications.
Lifestyle and daily routines such as sleeping patterns, nutrition, and
activities can improve or worsen EBD symptoms.
7.
Review your family history for psychiatric disorders and medication
response of relatives. Most psychiatric disorders such as ADHD,
anxiety, and depression have a genetic or familial predisposition.
This information will help your physician with considerations for
diagnosis and treatment.
8.
Do not change your child’s medication without the physician’s consent.
Some medications can have dangerous effects if stopped
abruptly or when doses are changed.
9.
Use daily logs to monitor changes you observe in your child while
on medication. Changes in mood, behavior, weight, appetite, sleep,
energy, and school performance are hard to recall when you see the
medicat ions physician. It is important to bring this information at every physician
visit. This will help guide medication adjustment.
10.
Are brand medications better than generic? There is no simple
answer as it can vary from one medication to another. Generic drugs
cost less but not all drugs are available in generic form. Newer
drugs are not available as generics for several years. There are
several companies that can make the generic drug, therefore the
quality control can vary. The child might be sensitive to the inactive
ingredient of the drug such as the coloring or dye and this can affect
her reaction.
T Tips for Teachers:
TEN TIPS FOR TEACHERS
1.
Do not suggest medications to parents.
2.
Be open and flexible to suggestions from parents and medical providers
as their goal is the same as yours. We all want the child to
behave and perform to the best of his or her ability.
3.
Stimulant medications for ADHD work quickly, therefore there will
be a major change in behavior and performance when the child
has missed his or her daily dose.
4.
Medications for mood take 2–6 weeks to start working; however,
p. 265 school success for kids with emotional and behavioral disorders
© Prufrock Press Inc. • School Success for Kids With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Permission is granted to photocopy or reproduce this page for single classroom use only.
the side effects can occur early. Sedation, agitation, and appetite
changes can be caused by medications.
5.
Tell parents right away if you notice any significant change in mood,
attention, alertness, orientation, and behavior, as these changes can
be signs of medication toxicity or due to a serious medical condition
such as seizures.
6.
Anger and defiance can mask depression and anxiety in school-aged
children. Active listening and patience generally will work
better than negative reinforcement and can help reduce tension in
a volatile situation. Adolescents are highly sensitive to shame and
embarrassment, especially in a school setting. It is extremely important
to talk to them privately instead of in the presence of their peers.
7.
Never compromise your safety and that of your students.
8.
Call parents to share positive and negative feedback about their
266 school success for kids with emotional and behavioral disorders
child. This will improve your credibility to both the child and the
parents.
9.
Refrain from making comments about the child’s medication in class,
as each child has a different sentiment about medication. They child
could become the object of teasing or bullying once peers know he
or she has a condition or takes medications.
10.
Open communication is always best between the school and the
family. Teachers have a very important role and influence in a child’s
life and, next to the parents, no one spends as much time with the
child as teachers do.
© Prufrock Press Inc. • School Success for Kids With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Permission is granted to photocopy or reproduce this page for single classroom use only.