change in awareness | ADHD Information

OK, for those with teenagers, I'd love your thoughts...for those with younger ones, I guess this may happen to you.

My ds is almost 13, ADD, maybe more.  In the last month or so, he's suddenly become very aware of his behavior and how he is viewed by others.  He does not want to be connected to "special needs".  He was in a class called Study Skills that had mostly kids with some LD issues and he was very embarrassed and he asked to be taken out of it.  (he has no academic issues).  He also decided to go off his meds and I've been waiting for a call from the teachers but have not gotten any.  He thinks he's less "spaced out" without the meds.

He just keeps saying he just wants to be normal.  In many ways it's good because when he starts to have a meltdown or something, I just point out he's acting "special needs" and he stops right away.  It's like a light turned on in his head.

Anybody else have this?

 

No, but congratulations!!!! That is fabulous. I hope he succeeds. I hope everthing go excellent, be positive.

As a teen I took 3 sets of asthmatic medication, I decided one day I was going to come off them, it was something that went in a negative direction, and that was the only way it could go really lol.

And though its different situation the basic principle is the same.. I made a choice and I learnt from it - growing up is about right and wrong choices and how you go forward from them...  

Unlike me at the time, your son though has a chance that things will work out well for him. He is a young man, who wants to be accepted for who he is, and not the condition he has. He's ready to make choices for himself.   My only advise is to allow him the chance to make his choice, to support but to also put up boundaries. 'If I get more than 3 calls from your school, you'll have to take the medication' (For example). Which then gives him a chance, a compromise and a boundary. Don't forget if it all goes well to mention the posative side too.

Good luck and Take Care

Louise.

My daughter's doctor likes to try a med break at the start of the school year to see if maturity has lessened or eliminated the needs for the meds. It also would remind us how much they are needed if there were any doubt.