<p>My friend from high school has a daughter who is a freshman at one of the acronym schools.<br>
She has been thriving in her tough school but claimed that she was having difficulty focusing on math calculation.
While she has no trouble understanding all the concepts, she said the calculation became more complex and made several mistakes. She said she would have got a better grade in math without those miscalculation. </p>
<p>My friend took her to a doctor and she was diagnosed with ADHD during the srping break. The doctor recommended her to take a drug for ADHD, telling her it would help with better focus. Obviously my friend was shocked as she never thought about the ADHD before. </p>
<p>Anyway, here's her question:</p>
<p>Does she have to consult with the school advisor on this? What impact will it have on her D? Isn't here any chance that the school may kick her out by concluding that students with ADHD may not be able to cope with academic rigor. </p>
<p>The point is that they didn't know she had ADHD until recently and my friend is very worried about the possible chance of being forced to leave. Her D has so far received decent grades and teahcers/ kids like her a lot at the current boarding school. </p>
<p>Any advice? Any similar medical exprerience?</p>
<p>Schools are not allowed to kick you out for that (they would be violating federal law). I have ADHD and ASD and attend an acronym school, and I never had any accommodations. From my experience, it is not a setback but a gift. It makes me see connections others don’t. Yes, I may have gotten a B- in calc BC and in multivar because of it but I will be attending college in the fall and am no worse off than my peers. Definitely take the medication, though. She should talk to her advisor, but it is not necessary more than once to make the situation known, unless you want to get accommodations. </p>
<p>By the number of prescriptions for Adderall and the like, I’ve come to believe that over half the class of every BS has some type of “focus” problem. Not only will your friend’s BS not blink an eye about controlled ADHD, you might warn your friend that her daughter may be approached to share some of those marvelous “focusing” drugs as they appear to be worth their weight in gold for those students vying for top grades. You might scan the archives here for discussions about the rampant use of Adderall and other attention-enhancing drugs–prescribed or not, needed or not.</p>
<p>Most boarding schools require that prescription drugs be checked in with the health center to be dispensed by a nurse when required. Generally, students are not allowed to have possession of prescriptions drugs in their rooms or on their persons.</p>
<p>I would be VERY wary of this diagnosis for a child who has not exhibited symptoms of ADHD until high school and beginning a stimulant medication for someone who does not actually have ADHD can be very dangerous. Making more mistakes while doing complex math calculations is more a function of executive functioning (planning, organizing, checking) than of lack of attention or hyperactivity. If it is ADHD, the child should be experiencing symptoms in many more areas.</p>
<p>As Ironmom1 said, be very careful. Additionally, even if the ADHD diagnosis is true, there’s not always a need to medicate it if it’s only cropping up in math; she can also train herself to very carefully review her work. I’d be careful with the idea of medication and diagnosis.</p>
<p>My DS had ADD and is at a HADES school. There are LOTS of kids with some variant of ADHD, executive function issues, etc. Some have accommodations (like extra time on tests), some have meds, some have both. The school knew my son’s diagnosis and treatment before they accepted him. They are VERY used to dealing with these issues, and would never kick someone out because of a new ADHD diagnosis (although, if they don’t think the student can succeed in the school because of a pretty severe issue, they won’t accept them or occasionally, if a student starts and isn’t able to keep up, they might suggest to the parents another school might be a better fit). As noted above, all medications are kept at the health center. Teachers are notified about accommodations, but, at least at my son’s school, the student sees and approves of the notice to the teachers before it goes out (and can say he/she would rather the teachers not be told, or only be told a limited amount). On the other hand, also as noted above, medication is not always necessary, and, if this is only an issue that came up in high school, and only seems related to math, I would get another opinion before putting her on meds. The school might suggest some neuro-psych testing, to really figure out a diagnosis-- but, even if not, at least get another opinion. I wouldn’t worry at all about any stigma (these days)-- just about whether meds are necessary. Sometimes they are, and can make a huge difference-- but the story does sound just a little funny, so I’d get another opinion on the diagnosis. As with any medication, there are some risks and definite side effects.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, this thread is the poster child with the downside of CC: everyone has a firm opinion, irrespective of experience or expertise. Other than Daykidmom, has any poster here any real experience with an ADD/ADHD kid at BS? If so, say so. In re: ADHD symptoms appearing in teenage years - this is quite common amongst gifted kids who have been able to skate on sheer intellectual ability until they hit the complexities of advanced academics. That has been the case with my children. OP, you have had a physician diagnose a condition; you might seek second and third diagnostic opinions from other specialists. In re: your question, I trust you will heed parents who have actually confronted this issue in its specifics, rather than from random comments from whomever happens to post on this site. This is too serious an issue to knock around for casual discussion.</p>
<p>I have experience with this type of thing, sorry for not mentioning that. What I said about the medication was not geared towards the actual diagnosis. I would just think long and hard about whether or not the medication is actually necessary for her degree of ADHD- sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes it’s worth it to take the struggles for the good parts of ADHD and for the lack of side effects. That’s completely a personal decision and one that you should get the confirmation of your doctors for.</p>
<p>Best thing I’ve done for my oldest two daughters was to get them evaluated and treated for ADD. The first child probably tried 3 different drugs before settling on current one that worked well for the last 4 years. Both kids are zombies without medication but straight A students with treatments. You have to work with a doctor you trust and be open to trying different options. Behavior modification is still part of treatment. By the way, ADD/ADHD is a chronic disorder. They don’t grow out of it but may find better behavior modification to help mitigate the symptoms.</p>
<p>I’m of the mind that such a kid would likely benefit from a comprehensive neuropsych evaluation to ensure that ADHD was the real problem. There might be other causes for the math issues. BTW, a non-stimulant ADHA drug is Intunive (long-release guanfacine) — been very successful for some. </p>
<p>I agree with dyiu13. “Physician” covers too wide a range. Was it the child’s local pediatrician, or was it a specialist in learning disabilities? I would want a full specialist evaluation for ADHD before contemplating medication. </p>
<p>No boarding school will expel a student for making mistakes on complex math. If your friend’s child is thriving at the school, the school will not expel her for an ADHD diagnosis. If she is managing well at school, except for not making the highest grades in math, I would be reluctant to leap to medication. She must have great time-management skills, and she must be able to concentrate on her schoolwork in an appropriate fashion. I agree with other commenters on this thread, I would want a second opinion, and full testing.</p>
<p>My son was diagnosed with ADD - Inattentive in 3rd grade. He has taken medication since 4th grade. You MUST let the school know if the child is taking medication. Those pills are VERY dangerous, and the school will have very strict rules about dispensing them. Failure to comply could result in expulsion. </p>
<p>My son has to pick up his pill every night at the Health Center. He sees a Psychiatrist at school who prescribes the pills and the health center fills the prescriptions. </p>
<p>Feel free to P.M. me with questions or if you need more info.</p>
<p>To all who responded, thank you so much for sharing your opinions and experiences.<br>
I delivered your comments to my friend. </p>
<p>@Ironmom1, there might have already been some symptoms of ADHD or ADD but the parents did not come to think about the chances of ADHD until they saw the doctor. I talked to my friend and they were aware of the side effects of the medication. </p>
<p>@Leafyseadragon, what do you mean by ‘very dangerous’? Would you please be more specific? Are you talking about the side effects? </p>
<p>@dyiu13, thank you. They went to a family doctor first and then saw the specialist. I think the specialist had her tested. </p>
<p>@Agincourt, thanks for the comment. Yes, they will have a second opinion from another specialist before they make the decision. </p>
<p>@Daykidmom, thank you so much for sharing your experience. IT will help my friend. </p>
<p>@dyiu13 I absolutely agree with the neuropsych as well as an evaluation with a pediatric developmental expert. But keep in mind some insurance companies won’t cover these evaluations. I had 3 developmental assessments completed for my oldest at about $1500 a piece without coverage. I wanted to make sure nothing else was going on. I can’t imagine most families having the opportunity or access to these specialists. It took us a good 5 months for the appointment with the first specialist. I can see that from the insurance company’s perspective, it is so much cheaper and easier for them to pay for the medications.</p>
<p>My oldest daughter only had problems with the non-stimulants. Typically abdominal pain, thirst, or anorexia. Neither child have experienced any side effects with Adderall. They take their medications at home before school. We only informed some teachers for feedback in case we need to increase the dosages. These stimulants are dangerous in patients with preexisting heart diseases such as repaired Tetralogy of Fallot. For those patients, the non stimulants may be the only options.</p>
<p>Do not try to keep medication secret from the school. As with any prescription medication, there will be forms to fill out, and as others have mentioned, most prescription medication will be controlled by the nurses/health center. Sending a child to school with a secret supply of Ritalin (or other medicine) is asking for trouble.</p>
<p>I have a dd who was diagnosed with ADHD (combined type) in 3rd grade, has had 2 neuro-psychs to confirm and has taken medication (stimulant) with great success since 4th grade. Schools must know about the medication and may be set up to help with accommodations so there is no reason not to tell them. They are also bound by confidentiality, so medical information will not be shared with colleges or even teachers unless absolutely necessary. I do want to correct something said earlier - ADHD (or ADD) are DEVELOPMENTAL delays, and most kids grow out of it when their frontal cortex completely develops (early 20s). They are are not “chronic”. </p>
<p>Any school that receives Federal funding is subject to the rules of the IDA (Individuals with Disabilities Act) and must provide IEPs (Individual Education Programs). This includes all public schools, all public universities and almost all private universities and colleges - because even though the latter are private, they usually receive Federal funding of some kind for research, special grants, programs, etc. Boarding schools as a rule do not receive federal funding of any kind; as a consequence, they are not subject to IDA/IEP regulations and are not required to provide extra time for tests, quiet test rooms or other accommodations.</p>
<p>As daykidmom attests, there are boarding schools that voluntarily make accommodations (all honor and praise to them!) but please understand that not all do and there are significant differences as to how different schools approach these matters.</p>
<p>This may affect the OP’s friend’s daughter, not so much as to whether she will be dismissed because of her condition (highly unlikely) but rather how her school’s response to her condition (or lack thereof) may affect her testing and heavy homework projects. If she happens to be at a school such as the one described by daykidmom, all may be very well indeed. If she attends a school with few or no accommodations, it could affect both her academic performance and her overall experience.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there is a list somewhere detailing how each boarding school handles ADD/ADHD?</p>
<p>All USA private schools are subject to the federal americans with disabilities act (ADA) regardless of whether they receive any federal funds, and must provide reasonable accommodations at the school’s expense, including auxiliary aids and services so that the student has equal access and a level playing field, individualized to the needs of the student pursuant to the student’s documented disabilities. Many of them dont know this or otherwise violate this but some have gotten in big trouble from the federal or state civil rights enforcing authorities from parents who filed complaints. </p>