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Advice on moving ADHD teens to another school/country

4 replies

oyster07 · 07/01/2025 11:10

I am an expat living in Europe. My children are younger teens and are well settled in their private school but have no special/best friends (perhaps due to their ADHD). I am an undiagnosed ADHD mother and will most likely remain so as there are no appointments available in my area.
Given that my mental health is precarious right now, my children have zero chance of getting therapy ever, and other issues....would it make sense to move them back to my home country temporarily?
There are other advantages to the move especially for me, but I don't want to traumatize or make things worse for my children with ADHD. They are both averse to moving because of the anxiety of change.
The positives are getting therapy and psychological services, a new school which will help stimulate their brains and help with hyperfocus, a change in lifestyle and routine which will also help with the above. It will help me tremendously to be closer to my family and friends, restart a career I dropped when I moved abroad and get psychological help for myself. It will also help get a perspective about a strained marriage.

OP posts:
onlytherain · 07/01/2025 19:38

Depends on your home country and if your information that you and your children might be getting therapy and find accomodating schools is correct. What kind of therapy are you looking for? A diagnosis ADHD usually wouldn't mean children qualify for therapy.

Are you children on medication? That often makes a huge difference in their ability to focus and emotionally regulate and reduces the risk of substance abuse problems further down the line.

When you say "temporarily", how long are you thinking? I would not move for say 2 years.

No one will be able to tell you if this move will be beneficial or not. I know people who have moved countries and one child loved it and the other hated it. However, the fact that you will be closer to family and you could restart your career, which might improve your mental well-being, are big advantages.

oyster07 · 08/01/2025 14:00

Thank you.
I guess I was looking for advice for any disadvantages of moving school in teen years and more so for ADHD kids.
Both children have been diagnosed and therapy is not recommended for them because there are no resources unless suicidal. They are prescribed methylphenidate but react negatively to it and psychologist will not prescribe anything else. They see their psychologist every 3-4 months but not as a therapy session but just to ask how they are doing.
The move will be great for me but I don't want to be selfish.

OP posts:
BrightYellowTrain · 09/01/2025 12:24

I agree with @onlytherain. It depends on what you mean by temporary and whether the support will actually be better in practice. Also, will the diagnosis be recognised in the country you are moving to?

It can be hard socially for teens to move countries. It can be even harder if the teens already struggle socially.

I’m not sure I would move a teen who is settled in school unless it was unavoidable.

TabsForever · 03/03/2025 18:32

Hard to say as so many variables involved. I moved my ASD Preteen from another country and the move and trauma involved for us was not great and I would not do it again. However, our move was unplanned and pretty quick due to extenuating circumstances outwith my control, so we had little time to prepare. I would consider how well they cope with change, any languages differences, how settled they are and how the school curriculum varies between countries depending on where they are in their school careers.

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