Ritalin

[dinulip]

Hi - Just wonder if some of you teach, or ever taught, a child who was taking Ritalin...  If so, did you notice any physical side effect of this medication on him/her?

[listesso_tempo]

I don't teach but I have an ADHD diagnosis and use Ritalin myself. Physical side effects other than tachycardia and loss of appetite are rare. Definitely no noticeable effect on my playing, but improves my ability to learn music multi-fold.

[keypeg]

Decades ago when I was teaching in the classroom (gr. 2) there was a little boy who was run by every impulse.  In one lesson on some topic he suddenly shouted out "How do we spell world?"  Another time he was inspired by the white dress of the little girl beside him at the paint station, and started to paint her dress.  His parents told me how frustrated their son was that he could not pay attention to anything long enough to be able master anything (that is what he told them).  They consulted their family doctor, who prescribed Ritalin.  The first two days on the drug he looked drowsy and "drugged".  After that he seemed his normal self, except that he could pay attention.  This particular child had a boost of confidence because he could finally master things - he had a mature attitude beyond his years.  That was my one an only experience with Ritalin fwiw.

An addendum: The following year this boy was in a different classroom since he was now in gr. 3.  One day as classes were starting, I saw a figure dashing about in the hallway.  On a hunch I asked him, "Did you forget your pills at home?" and he said, "Yes, Mrs. B.  I can't help it." (about his dashing about).  I suggested that he run around the school once to burn the energy, hoping that might help - which it seemed to do.  I made a mental note that since being on Ritalin, if he missed a dose, his agitation was much greater than I had known him before he was on Ritalin.  I had no knowledge of the drug, and I still have no knowledge of it.  Things may also have advanced medically since that time, which was over 30 years ago.