ADHD Expert Advises Against Summertime Medication Vacation

In response to a parent's question about the wisdom of allowing her 16-year-old daughter to stop taking medication for her Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder during summer vacation, educational psychologist Brent Cooper cited concerns about safety and socializations. The exchange was published in the June 6 edition of the Palm Springs, Calif., newspaper The Desert Sun:

In the summer, even if things seem OK at home, an ADHD symptom like impulsivity could cause your teenage daughter more difficulties with her peers, social situations and safety than you realize.

Dr. Daniel J. Fitzgerald III, a Palm Desert psychiatrist, said, "It's proven that teenagers with ADHD who take their meds have a much lower rate of car accidents than their peers with ADHD who don't take their medication. During the summer when your child is biking, skateboarding, and around pools and boats, safety is a big concern. It's only logical that a child or teen who's not distracted and is paying good attention to what they're doing will have fewer accidents."

"No matter what you decide," Cooper wrote to the parent, "you must talk to your youngster's pediatrician or psychiatrist before stopping any medication that's been prescribed."

Echoing Cooper's advice, Molly Shannon-Blake, MSW, of Talisman Camps in North Carolina, cautions parents against allowing their children to take an ADHD medication vacation if the children will be attending summer camp or a similar program.

Labels: Attention_Deficit_Hyperactivity_Disorder, medications, summer_camp