ADHD — Summer can be especially challenging for parents, siblings

Dealing with children who have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD, is a challenge at any time of year. But summer, when they don't have the routine of school, can present special behavioral issues.

"ADHD children are harder to reason with. It's harder to get them to think things through. That's a constant, whether they are in school or not," says AnnaLisa Hardy, whose 8-year-old son has been diagnosed with ADHD. But summer often allows more free time. "Children need structure or they will invent things to do with their time," says Hardy. "That's true of all children, but it's more intense for ADHD kids."

She tries to work on some of the reading, spelling and math that her son needs for school, "but you can't do that all the time." Still, she's found it's best "to keep on a schedule as much as possible." Another thing, she says, is that "ADHD kids don't transition well. So, if there is going to be a change, I try to give him plenty of warning — in five minutes we're going to do this."

For Kathy Romney, who has two sons, one a junior in high school and the other in seventh grade, who have both been diagnosed as inattentive (ADHD typically has three subgroups: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive or a combination), some things are easier about summer. "We don't have to deal with the homework." But she, too, tries to keep to a schedule, to work on merit badges for Scouting and the extra math and reading that are difficult to work on during the year.

Summer is a good time to provide ADHD kids with chances to socialize and interact with other kids, say parents.

"Sports are really good. Exercise helps," says Romney. "But you have to be sure that other people — Scout leaders, for example — know about the kids' disabilities and what to expect and not to expect."

Family trips are also good, she says. "You just have to plan ahead, so you have lots of fun things to do in the car. You can't expect the kids to sit and watch the scenery."

But schedules, activities and school work are not the only things ADHD parents must think about in the summer. There's also the question of medication.

It used to be that ADHD kids were treated with medication only during the school year, says Samantha Bostrom, M.D. and chief medical officer at the Institute for Neuroscience Research Inc., in Salt Lake City. "But the paradigm of how to treat ADHD is changing."