Joseph spent a lot of first grade in the principal’s office. He spent a lot of second grade there, too. He was impulsive, and he enjoyed being the “class clown”, but some of his behaviors were disruptive to himself and his classmates. At age 6, Joseph was diagnosed with ADHD and put on a 504 plan at the school. By the time Joseph was in fourth grade, he was on a stable medication that helped him focus, and his behavior improved.
Fifth grade, however, has been Joseph’s gleaming trophy of a year. Joseph gets good grades, participates in extracurriculars that previously caused him severe panic attacks, and any behavior issues he may have are few and far between. All of this remained true until February.
Of course, as Joseph’s primary caregiver, I was aware of the shortage of ADHD medication happening nationwide; however, we hadn’t been impacted by it yet. In February, though, the pharmacy was experiencing a delay in shipments. As a result of the delayed medication refills, he would sometimes be on a lower dose of his medication than normal. Any change in his dose resulted in an immediate change in his behavior, as reported by his teacher, but also by Joseph himself, who has been advocating for himself since second grade. His appetite fluctuates with the medication and his sleep can be impacted as well.
Many people, parents and nonparents, will shake their fingers and give me unwanted advice. “That medicine will make him a zombie.” “Those pills are terrible for your kid, you should be glad there is a shortage.” But the truth is, without them, Joseph may be going down a completely different path, both academically and socially. The toll that getting in constant trouble at school can take on a kid could be detrimental to him at the present and for many years to come. Things went from bad to worse, though, when the delays turned into complete absences.
For the past month, I have been working with Joseph’s doctor to plan his dosage based on what the pharmacy has. We have been cutting his doses, doubling lower doses, and skipping doses on non-school days, but he has inevitably run completely out, with no change in the supply in sight.
Joseph, being in his fifth-grade year, is about to graduate to middle school. There are fun events planned for their students to help them celebrate, of which can be taken away when a child gets in trouble. Joseph is at a distinct disadvantage now because of his lack of medication. His appetite has been drastically changed, his focus and ability to complete tasks is diluted, and he has already begun getting into trouble at school. Joseph is at risk of losing everything he worked so incredibly hard for all year, and as his mom, my heart breaks.
The ADHD medication shortage has real impacts on real students. The medicine provides kids with the chance to access their learning without the distractions that ADHD symptoms create. He isn’t the only one suffering, and our kids will continue to suffer until the DEA and the pharmaceutical companies put the lives of the people most impacted by ADHD into perspective.
This is more than just some fifth-grade celebration; this is a child’s life.
Ashley Castillo Del Muro
Rio Rancho