Pioneers - Our Daytrana experience

I got a call this AM from my son's doctor. The neurologist who treats his ADHD. The patch is available and they want him to try it. But we may have to tweak the dosage. Ok, no biggie except.. Tomorrow is the first day of school. That means a new set of teachers who don't know him. They don't know what kinds of behavior can be expect from him. So how do we get the feedback we need? So I sent his homeroom teacher the following email:

Hi Mrs. C,

I just wanted to let you know that Bobby will start with a new medication for his ADHD tomorrow (Wednesday). He will be using the new patch. The directions have us put it on his hip. The doctor said he may need more medication than this, so it is experimental. We’d love to hear feedback from you or any of the other teachers.

I realize that you have not had him in class before and it may be difficult to determine what his normal behavior is.

Appropriate behavior:
ð Paying attention
ð Not being a huge distraction is class (we have been having issues with him whistling at inappropriate times this summer)
ð He tends to need to get up and move, sharpen his pencil, use the bathroom. However, sometimes he needs a gentle reminder to use the bathroom when he is interesting in something.

Behavior that needs attention:
ð Belligerence, arguing
ð Frenetic activity
ð Emotional meltdowns

He is unable to recognize that his medication is not effective.

Thanks so much. I apologize that we were unable to do this before the first day of school, but this just came available.

Iw as trying to remember what behaviors the unmedicated B exhibits. The arguing seems to be the biggest. He has had 2 days in his 7 years of school where he has been basically unmedicated. Once is second grade when we gave him only Straterra and no stimulant with it, and once last year when he just did not take the meds. He came home from school and they were sitting on the kitchen table. That day he came home with 3 demerits for behavior. He had never had these before. He would not obey a teacher and he was disrespectful of another.

But anyways, check back for reports on how he does.