I am writing my question here because it may be one that other parents have. My daughter is doing GREAT on meds. Still she doesn’t contribute much in class discussions. This seems perfectly normal to me given what I believe is her natural temperament, without anxiety. Here’s my question though. Her psychiatrist says the meds act as a dis-inhibitor and when one comes off of them it is natural that they become somewhat more inhibited. So if she is too inhibited ON MEDS to speak in a group much doesn’t that mean that off the meds she will be even quiet in school and then it does become a problem? I hope this question makes sense. Best to you.

Answer

Yes, medication does disinhibit our children in many ways. However, you should be working on behavioral coping skills so that when she does come off the medication she will have the skills necessary to COPE in these group settings. If your daughter is not speaking in a group setting when called upon, I suggest working on ways to help her feel more comfortable in these settings. Start with one or two children, have the teacher meet with your daughter and a few kids…..To expect a child to speak in a group, having never built up from a few children at a time is like taking a person afraid of heights to the 30th floor and asking them to look over and feel comfortable. You need to start slowly.

Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum