How to Manage ADHD at School

adhd medication for children

Focus is a valuable thing, and for a lot of people much of what they get done each week can be attributed to it. Being able to tune out distractions and keep your mind on a single track is a real-life skill, and it’s one of them that becomes important at a very young age. It applies to schoolchildren the same way it does for adults, and that’s why the growing prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a concern. Estimates are that 10% of children nowadays have it, and this is why ADHD medication for children is more of a priority for some parents who don’t want their kids disadvantaged at school.

Let’s keep in mind as well that parents of all children are going to have concerns after the past two years of COVID times and whether they put the youth behind with their education. Distance learning during the COVID 19 pandemic wasn’t so bad for some kids, but others didn’t take well to it at all. Even though the students may have moved ahead one grade with their classmates, some of them may not have gained the full benefit from the online learning year. If those children have ADHD, the shortfall may be even greater.

This adds to the problem of ADHD in the classroom. Another reality attached to this is that with classrooms with 30+ students are becoming the norm across the country and in major metro areas. Teachers struggle to give students the individual attention each of them needs. For ADHD children, this is also even more of a problem. Providing ADHD medication for children helps them pay attention in class more consistently, but the problem with overpopulated classrooms in North America really needs to be addressed too.

So Much for Sitting Still

The primary concern with ADHD is with the inability to focus and pay attention on anything more than a short period of time. ADHD medication for children like Intuniv and Strattera are proven to help with that, but this mental health condition also presents other challenges for parents and teachers alike. Ask any teacher how challenging it is to keep their own focus and teach a class when there’s a student who is not paying attention or off task. Among the other ADHD symptoms is the inability to sit still, keep engaged, and on track.

That makes up the ‘hyperactivity’ end of the equation, and you can be sure it’s just as much a part of the problem with ADHD in the classroom. Some teachers will have the patience of Job, but others won’t and if children do have ADHD it’s going to be important that they are properly diagnosed and put on the right course of medication as soon as possible. Not only for their own education and development interests, but also for those of their classmates – and the teachers!

Another thing that’s interesting to note is that ADHD is more common for boys than girls, and even if you’re not a parent you will easily understand that a boy who’s not able to sit still or ‘wait his turn’ is going to be more of a problem than a girl. Sure, there are going to be exceptions to that but most of the time it’s easier to reign in a girl who’s bouncing off the walls with energy compared to a boy. Fortunately, ADHD medication for children helps.

Running in the Family

Level 42 was a great band in the 80s, and this certainly was one of their best songs, but that’s not what we’re talking about here with this discussion of ADHD medication for children. Instead we’re talking about genealogy and how we all inherit traits from our parents. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is something that children tend to inherit from their parents. But because it’s only something that’s received a lot of focus from the scientific community more recently and diagnoses were uncommon for previous generations, many parents who’ve passed it on to their kids may not even know they had it.

Was ADHD in the classroom a problem many generations ago? It very likely was, but unfortunately not enough was known about it back then, and the classroom structure as well as disciplining problematic students was different as well. Perhaps in this sense ADHD children nowadays are fortunate to have the classroom structure, resources, open communication about the behaviour, and good ADHD medication for children. Those who can’t take standard ADHD medications may have their doctor prescribe antidepressant medications like Wellbutrin or Effexor, as they can also be effective for treating ADHD in children. It’s important to find a medication that works right for your child. Since no two person is completely alike, it may take some trial and error before the right one is agreed upon by both yourself, kid, and family doctor.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.

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