During the summer parents sometimes make changes to their child's ADHD medication regime by reducing or removing it from the child's diet. Why do they feel the need to do this? Most parents wouldn't do that with other childhood disorders or diseases, so why ADHD? Is there a concern about the safety of ADHD medication that parents feel they need to have their child take a break from it? Or is it because the schools are forcing parents to put their child on these medications to allow them to stay in school. At summer camp there are no such restrictions or demands. Unfortunately, the summer camp counsellors now have to deal with an ADHD child free of all inhibitions brought on by use of the medication. The child's ADHD symptoms while at summer camp can actually become worse. Those emotions and hyperactivity has been suppressed by the medication all year long.

Parents should be concerned with everything that goes into their child's body. From the water we drink to the huge amount of salty foods and snacks with all sorts of ingredients mixed together effects our bodies and in turn, how our body reacts. So genuinely they are concerned and want their child's bodies to "normalize" to their previous natural but disordered state while they are out of school. The child's normal state is when there is no ADHD medication present in their body.

This may not be a big deal to the parents but the counselors at these summer camps are having trouble. They now have to deal with these out of control kids who need their ADHD medication. These children are being put into situations, at summer camps and day care, that the medication was prescribed for. Throughout each of these days children are learning, interacting with others, following directions and doing many school like activities. Their ADHD medication helps them to function in those situations so they need their medication, especially at summer camp, where the counsellors only just met the campers.

That is where the root problem of ADHD medication comes in and that parents feel they need to let their children "take a break" from it. Everyone wants the good effects of the medication to last with none of the bad. At a certain point, the medication is working at it's optimal level for the child. The time where it hits the right chemical balance with the body so that the child can function at their very best. They can easily do things like concentrating or sitting still. Before and after that time there is an imbalance in the system which has some negative side effects. Parents know the child definitely doesn't like that time and will often try to avoid having to take the medication. During the summer parents often give in. Little do they know or understand the pain and suffering they are inflicting on others. Sending children with ADHD to Summer Camp with their prescribed medication may become mandatory and parents could face child endangerment allegations.

Parents who want to stop giving ADHD medication to their children must turn to an alternative medical treatment for their child's ADHD. Medication is not the best long term solution for their child. There are many options from sound therapy and biofeedback to nutritional diets and mineral supplements. The effects and success of these other treatments have been scorned by many in the pharmaceutical industry.