Summer is here and for most children, it could not come fast enough. Children spend all school year looking forward to the warm summer weather, long days at the swimming pool and, of course, summer camp!

Dr. John Seals was presented with the EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award at the San Antonio Missions' Nelson W. Wolff Stadium on June 22, 2006. Dr. Seals received this award as part of the Disability Awareness Night program, which recognizes those who are dedicated to treating and serving people with disabilities. This award is sponsored by Exceptional Parent magazine and Shire Pharmaceuticals and is named after the founder and former editor-in-chief of Exceptional Parent. Foto: Sam's Studio of San Antonio, Inc.

But for parents of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, the months without the structured routine of school can be so difficult that they dread summer vacation all year long. Further, many parents face the difficult decision of whether they should continue their child on his or her ADHD medication through the summer months or stop their medication and allow them to have a “medication holiday.” I’ve written this article to assist you in making this decision.

As a physician who has treated many patients with ADHD, I often have parents ask me whether it is acceptable to take their child off of their ADHD medication for the summer months. In return, I ask them, if they had a child who wore glasses, would they allow their child to not wear them in the summer or if their child had diabetes, would they let them skip a few months of insulin? Of course not. ADHD should be no different. There’s no reason to take children off of their ADHD medication if they are performing well while taking it. If they are not doing well while on medication, it’s time to reconsider the medication, dosage or even the appropriateness of the treatment.

What is ADHD?

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder that manifests as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development. While all children have times when they have trouble controlling their behavior, children with ADHD have problems with their behavior most or all of the time. They often cannot sit still, will talk excessively and will have problems interrupting others.

ADHD affects approximately 7.8 percent of all school-age children, or about 4.4 million U.S. children aged 4 to 17 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ADHD is the most prevalent behavioral disorder in children and represents a costly major public health problem.

Structure is Key

I suggest to the parents of my child and adolescent patients that during the summer vacation months, parents should continue the same behavior management techniques that they use throughout the school year. This could mean maintaining a consistent schedule for children while at home (including consistent reasonable sleep/wake cycles), rewarding positive behavior to help develop self-esteem and setting small reachable goals such as helping with the dishes, cleaning their room or feeding the family pet.

All children, but especially children with ADHD, need to have structure. Most kids who have ADHD do best in structured environments and summer might be trouble for kids who are used to the routine of the school year.

The summer is a perfect time for kids to socialize and interact with other children. Sports, swimming and scouts are good activities that help children build self-esteem while also offering an outlet to release some extra energy.

Allowing your child to participate in summer camp is important in the development of social skills for all children, but especially for those who have the symptoms of ADHD. Some children will benefit from a traditional summer camp environment, while others may require a more specialized program. For these children, there are various summer treatment programs for kids with ADHD around the country that have all of the traditional camp activities such as sports, arts and crafts and computers. These summer camps deliver confidence building and academic success in kids who have ADHD. In addition, the camps are an ideal way for children with ADHD to experience independence, improve social skills and increase self-esteem while allowing kids to have fun at the same time. I recommend that as you plan your child’s summer camp plans, you consider the following points:

• Choose a camp that is well supervised. You could contact local chapters of CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) to learn about different programs in your area.

• If you are sending your child to a regular day camp, let the camp staff know that your child has ADHD and how this may affect his experience at camp. You should also let staff know about your child’s medication needs.

• It is important to make sure that your child takes their ADHD medication every day before going to camp.

Why Is It Important For My Child To Continue His ADHD Medication During the Summer?

I constantly urge the parents of my patients to leave their children on their ADHD medications throughout the summer. Stimulant medications such as Adderall XR remain the gold standard of ADHD treatment because of their proven efficacy, and I see no benefit in taking the ability to manage their ADHD symptoms away from children simply because they are not in school. Throughout the summer there are many scenarios where the child will need to have their ADHD symptoms under control. ADHD symptoms do not only exist in the classroom. An inattentive child may have trouble with team sports or a hyperactive child can make home life very difficult for the rest of the family.

In closing, I remind you that ADHD medications are safe to take for a long period time and can help make the summer months go smoothly. Children are sure to have a better summer if medication is taken year-round.

To learn more about ADHD, visit http://www.ADHDSupport.com. 

Last updated: 6/06

Related Stories

back to top | news index