School Daze

R. has always struggled in school, although struggled doesn't seem quite the right word because the truth is R. has always spaced out in school. He has fun when it's something he enjoys - science, art, gym, recess.  But for the rest he's very passive and all this is probably typical of kids with ADHD.

The truth is he's doing much better. He's not way behind the class but he still sits back and waits for school to come to him. He's not engaged unless he's interested.  And so we hear that his teacher is keeping him at recess sometimes to complete work and one day my husband returned ho to find that R. was in tears after staying up late to complete an assignment and having to stay in and rewrite it in script.  Why? There was an assignment sheet with directions that he forgot to bring home or take out. 

And his teacher says she hates to crack the whip but he seems to need pushing and at the same time, she doesn't want to go too far.  I have the same dilemma. He mostly just resists doing anything I ask him unless I sit and ask him six times.  But he hates transitions, he hates doing anything difficult and that makes it all very difficult.

So now I'm trying to see if maybe we should increase Raymond's medication but I know only too well that increasing medication doesn't mean increasing his motivation and I don't know how to do that.

Next year, Raymond goes to middle school where he'll have five different classes and be expected to bring home his assignments and work independently. I'm already having nightmares about that.