Hi,
On the rebound tantrums, sometimes just knowing that time will be a fragile one is enough to act preventatively. A well timed snack, cartoons on TV, or some low pressure outdoor time is sometimes enough (not a time for crowds or perfectionistic hobbies). Or as said above even sometimes a tiny chip of a pill if timed right can avert the trough.
ADHD runs in my family and I've noticed one family member goes to sleep most easily if they drink a lot of coffee about 1/2 hour before bed. Otherwise they think about all sorts of things and can't fall asleep. Really is a differently wired brain than most. On that note if you do have ritalin in the evening bedtime is best not 3.5 hours later (well I guess it varies a little kid to kid but what I mean is bedtime will be rough if it's in the rebound).
On good behavior 8 hours after a pill -- that is not the pill, that's the kid managing to keep it all together all on their own as regular ritalin doesn't last nearly that long. Wonderful news they have that in them. Of course, having a day going well does predispose to continue that successful feeling. Kudos to you also for managing the rebound so they didn't lose that momentum.
I know you don't want criticism of the decision to medicate, and I am not meaning this that way but rather as an anecdote with how a pretty badly ADHD boy can turn out. There's a very noticeably ADHD member of my family who's gotten through life with every measure of success met without medication (the parents were against the idea). College, sports cars, address, career, family, all just how he wanted. He uses large amounts of exercise and a lot of caffeine and goes from dawn to dusk with boundless energy. As a young child there was no activity he could really excel at due to his impaired attention, and he was pretty hard to be around. But he is incredibly successful as an adult in the fast paced world he chose for himself. Just so you know that down the road it may be possible.
