Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 1/21/2008

Question
I have been looking and reading things I'm trying to find out about ADHD, on the Internet. My son in school has seem to have struggled from the 5th grade and up. He is now 14.
He is in the 8th grade. He was diagnosed in the late fall of last year having ADHD. He takes concerta 36 mg. That worked great He seemed to do a full circle. This year the first report card was GREAT. This one coming up is not as great. He struggles in math, thats his most challenging. I guess my question is .. is it possible that finding out later at his age having ADHD, and now being on medicine that its hard for him to learn now, how to listen and write things down , to prepare and to organize and to be able to take it all in? As to where before he was on medicine things he just could not focus. Is there maybe an organization for teens with ADHD?  hoping you understand my question.

Answer
Concerta 36mg will only work well if the dose is optimal. Rating scales are required on a monthly basis to optimize the dose. Even then he will need to be motivated and perhaps need additional help with a weak subject. It is important to remember that as Concerta only works for about 12 hours, in the evening he is off his medication.The  website in the USA,CHADD is worth looking at or <adders.org> in the UK is another website worth while.