grades worse on meds | ADHD Information

The meds may be out of his system by time he starts homework. 

Or the time when meds are wearing off can have a rebound effect of having worse symptoms than before meds.

Or the med dose is high enough to take care of some of the symptoms but not fully effective and needs to be increased for more optimal symptom control.

Discuss with the doc the options. It might also help to keep a diary of the times the med is given, and effectivness and symptoms with the times they occur.

Part of it may be his age. A lot of kids get like this around 12 or 13. I had
almost all As when I was in 7th grade and failed half my classes in 8th
grade. Now I have almost all As again. Aslo, he may not like taking medicine
or how it makes him feel. I started taking medicine when I was 11 and hated
it. Once I got to high school and matured a bit, I realised I need to take it on
school days. I would ask him how feels about taking medicine and if he gets
any side effects. If he gets a stomach ache or other side effects it could
effect his school performance.Help, after much psychological testing, our 12 year old was dignosed with ADHD.  He had always been an "A" student until last year in Math.  We suspected this disorder when he could not concentrate and started not doing homework.  He was also very emotional over little things.  Now he has been on meds for a few months.  he is calmer and sweeter (he never had defiant behavior) but he is failing Math because he does not do homework and half way does assignments worth lots of points.  Now his attitude is  "He really does not care".  It used to be "highly upset when he had bad grades in anything". Could the medicine be making him not care about his grades now.  He is less emotional in general.  He is on Concerta 27 mg.  thanks for any advice! momto4kids39385.4822685185just my two cents.  i think that it might be his age, or maybe just him.  the medication is not going to make you want to do your work, just help focus, stay on tast etc.  from what i gather it does not give drive.  if it did we would all be on meds.  (think how clean my house would be.) my daughter, when she wants to, does a fantastic job with her school work, but man when she doesn't.  i would think that he is old enough to articulate, what does he say is the reason for not doing his work?  can he tell if the medication is nolonger being effective, or not lasting long enough?  does he feel more distracted and forgetful.  also at that age they have a lot more responsiblity for their work, maybe he needs a more efficient way to organize his schoolwork.  or maybe he is just not motivated. 

adhd,,,that thing that we all would like to burn at the stake,,,but does not leave,,,so what should we do,,,for one,,,don't stop,,,,,be there for our children,,,do what we have to do to help them,,,,have structure,,,pray alot,,,and push to get the help they need,,even if it means not making friends for yourself,,,in school,,,treatment,,,,ext.,,,ANOTHER THING,,,(i have a 12 yr old,,adhd bipolar and tourettes,,,and another adhd),,,our children are normal,,,everyone else has problems,,,,lol,,,,,,but on the real side they are ok,,,not as alot think,,,,yes we have to give meds,,,,or therypist(sp),,,,but don't we all need that in someway,,,,or time in our lives,,,your child just went into jr high,,,well mine is in there,,,and boy is it different,,,,it is a mind blower,,,no structure,,,noise,,,not the close to one on one,,,,,,no space,,,,teacher has gone done the hill,,,for our kids and us,,,,because of classroom size,,,etc,,,doesn't mean they are bad,,,,but the system,,,,I am now getting a tutor for home with mine,,,math is the number one,,,lol,,,,,homework,,,never see it,,,see the grades,,,If you have an iep,,,for your child,,,get the bullheadest for your child and go there and let them know what you need for your child,,,,they can not break the law and when the iep says what they are doing they can not do it,,,,that means trouble for them,,,,,,so go get them,,,,,,

The medication is definitely not making your child lose interest in math in particular.  In fact, I have to be honest, if ALL of his grades were falling (or at least all of the classes that have homework at night on a regular basis) then I'd say it may be a rebound issue, but it seems isolated to math. 

It is possible that now that he has a bit more emotional regulation, he doesn't freak out over anything as much as he did.  If his success in math was based on anxiety (which children, particularly those with primary attentional deficits) will utilize for motivation, then it's not shocking that with a reduction of anxiety comes a reduction of motivation.  I'm not sure how convinced I am of that one, however.

Try to find out what's going on with math now.  How has it changed since last year?  Was there never any homework before?  Has your child hit a part of math that is now too difficult?  when a child stops doing their work, there's normally a reason for it.  If he was doing it all while he had untreated attentional deficits, then it's more than a little surprising that he'd do less with it treated.  Something else is going on that is unrelated to the ADHD (as much as anything can be).  Also, check his assessment scores.  How was he on the different math processes?  Did they suggest any other LD issues?  Dysgraphia, for example, could explain the half-completed homework.

Good luck!