Any warnings on stopping medication | ADHD Information
Hi, my DS is 10 and also takes Vyvanse, but he takes it every day. I think for many kids it is important to take it every day to get consistent behavior and also for social reasons when they are not in school, but this may not be the case for your son. I wanted to reply to the incident with the knife since something similar happened to my son a few months ago. He was taking Prozac for his OCD and it made him very irritable because the dose was too high for him. He stabbed a kid who was bullying him in the hand with a pencil. Since a pencil is a weapon under zero tolerance, they immediately sent in a slip to have him automatically transferred to a disciplinary school. The principal said if he did it again she would have to call the police to arrest him and take him out in hand cuffs! We had to contest this and get a lawyer to represent us at a hearing at the school district. At the time he did not have an IEP, so they could have sent him directly to the school, but they agreed that he needed an IEP instead. He is not a bad kid either. Now they cannot transfer him automatically like that again, but there have been no further incidents and he is getting social skills classes and help with his writing. Perhaps since your son has an IEP (I think) they cannot send him to another school or arrest him without a hearing to determine whether the incident was caused by his ADHD, and in which case they have to do a functional behavior plan to address the issue, not arrest him. So you may not need a lawyer but I would certainly urge you to get one if he was arrested or otherwise disciplined because a felony is a very serious matter, even for a child.I really hope that he is just spoken to and given an "warning". Any thing harsher, is just ridiculous in my opinion.
Yes there are those young children who are juvenile delinquents, but this situation does NOT warrant it.
I also agree, keep him on his meds. Your son is adhd 24/7. Please help him by giving him his medicine. Look at it like needing glasses, being a diabetic. It is always.
AND their meds do more help in other areas like social, impulse control, blurting out, etc.
Let us know what happens when you meet with the principal.
It's really unfortunate that typical childhood mistakes have to turn into such big issues in our schools these days, but with so many tragedies happening in schools, I can see why schools feel they have to be so tough. BUT, kids are kids and will do silly things and then feel terrible that they made a mistake. If you have trouble communicating what your son's motivation was to the school, try to find someone to act as a go-between or moderator for you. His record as a good kid should go a long way to helping him out. Make them see him as an individual and not just a case. Good luck to you both. This sounds like one of those "do-over" moments when we wish we could just turn the clock back a few hours and try again.
First, if you think he does better on the medication then maybe you should try not taking him off the meds at all. He may do better by keeping the medication steady and not starting and stopping. Just a thought...
About the knife, yes it's wrong, yes there should be some punishment BUT try to keep it in perspective. If he's really never been in trouble before then I wouldn't panic too much. All of us have made silly mistakes as kids and most of us were just trying to be accepted or liked by other kids. Things like this happen! The key is how you deal with it. He needs to know it's unacceptable and cannot happen again, but you need to keep in mind that it's not the worst that could happen.
Ok my son ( 10 years old in July)started 20 Mg a day vyvanse back in NOV 09 only on school days ( weeksdays). It has help a lot in getting A and B, plus reading comprehension has been approves as well . And No he does have IEP or small group.
Well I guess it was my fault that I decided to stop the medication on WEDS since he had no test , 3full days and 2 half days left in school. And I feel really bad because he excel in his grades. If I did not stop his medication I am sure this would;ve never happen. I guess next fall I need to check his pockets every day b4 school.
Past FRI I got a call from school to find out that he brought in a pocket knife to school, which is unacceptable!! No he did not threat anyone or got into fight. It appears he just want be cool and brag.As soon he showed it to girl in the morning , whom responded to put it back because it is wrong, he immedatliy put in his backpack and left it in his homeroom. well as the hours pass kids talk and the teacher heard and discover he indeed brought the pocket knife and left in backpack in his homeroom class.
The school principle was out sick and it was reported to the police officer so I guess i will have deal on Mon. This is a felony I believe ( zero tolerance).
I do want to make the adhd made complusive by bring pocket knife to brag without thinking. But this he is a sweet kid o. He tries so hard for kids to like him. So how to do I defend child. I guess my first step is to talk to the principle and see what possible outcome we get He know what he did was wrong and he depressed. This never happen and it is the first time he had to go to the principle office.
Any advise would be thoughtful.
He had never been into this trouble ever!!!!! part of his fault is wanting to be popular.