What percentage of your students are on ADD/ADHD meds?

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I'm curious as to whether this is nationwide or just my area (upper Midwest). The schools around here are VERY aggressive when it comes to having kids evaluated for this, and I have NEVER heard of a child being evaluated who wasn't diagnosed with it.

3 to 5%? Around here, 30 to 50% is more like it and I swear some districts want 100% of their kids on meds.

I'm quite aware that schools get more money for having these kids, so maybe that's why.

Anyone?

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Specializes in School Nursing.

are you a pharmacist ?

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Yes, I am.

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It isn't really possible to tell anymore since the vast majority of children on ADD/ADHD meds take extended release tablets and therefore are no longer medicated by the school nurse. And often the family chooses not to inform the school for fear of having the child "labeled" So out of

450 children I know of only 10 or 12 that are getting stimulents and none are medicated at school. This is in New England, by the way.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

In my school of 1000, I actually give no ADHD meds. Like michigoose said, most are given in the morning, before school. I know of quite a few that are on them, but we really don't track them, so I don't know how the school would get more money for these kids.

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Yes, a lot of the kids (and adults too) are on Adderall XR or Concerta or some other daily med, but around here, a lot of them are also on clonidine or the immediate release stimulants and therefore must take them more than once a day.

Weird thing is, the most severely impaired PARENTS have the kids on the most complicated dosing regimens. You are probably quite familiar with these people - the parents who are mentally retarded, horribly drug addicted, etc. and can barely remember to feed themselves three times a day, let alone care for a child, so the children are medicated as an easy way out.

Or the parents think they can turn an average kid into a perfect trophy child, so they take them from doctor to doctor until they find one who will write prescriptions no questions asked.

Like I have said, it makes things much harder for people who really do have these conditions.

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And often the family chooses not to inform the school for fear of having the child "labeled"

This is contrary to my personal experience, regarding the people I know. It's almost like a badge of honor any more, which I don't understand. Certainly it's nothing to be ashamed of, but it isn't anything to brag about either. IMHO, for the most part, the parents who brag about it have kids with "fake" ADD, in its many forms.

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Specializes in Most all.

I live in a rural area in Oklahoma. I have about 900 students k4 - 12. I have the parents fill out a health form every year so I could look through all them and count the number on meds. I only give about 5 kids add meds at lunch because the others only take it once a day (exented release). I do however need to know who is on even that because as a stimulant with increased heartrate they are higher risk to get overheated in the hot months and need extra hydration.

Our school does NOT get any extra money just for add kids. Unless the child has an iep, there are no extra moneys.:paw:

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My local newspaper recently did a story saying that 30% of the students in our local school district have an IEP. What does that tell you?

BTW, this is a mostly white, middle class, English speaking town in the Midwest.

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