If your child is on medication for ADHD, you may have heard of a medication vacation or a drug holiday. In short, it means taking a break from their usual medication — for a few days, weeks, or even months. It sounds simple enough, but deciding whether it’s right for your child is a different story.
On this episode of Parenting Behavior, host Dr. Andy Kahn talks with Dr. Liz Harstad, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital, to get the scoop.
Related resources
Timestamps
(1:30) Why would someone take a “drug holiday”?
(2:29) How has thinking evolved over time?
(3:42) What are the impacts of a break?
For a transcript and more resources, visit the Parenting Behavior page on Understood.org.
We’d love to hear from you. You can email us at ParentingBehavior@understood.org.
Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to. Start listening now.
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