School can be fun, even for kids with ADHD.

In a classroom setting, the teacher doesn’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to determine which child might have “something’ interfering with his ability to learn. Attentional disorders manifest themselves in a variety of ways.

Some clues might include:

1. the student who often asks that the teacher’s comments be repeated

2. the student who becomes distracted to the point of obsession by something unnoticed by others (for example, a fly buzzing around the room)

3. the student who is chronically disorganized , has difficulty with turning in homework, loses papers and assignments, comes to class without supplies and materials, easily forgets, has difficulty with multiple-step directions

4. the hyperactive student can’t sit still, stay in his seat, is constantly talking, interrupting, moving around and annoying his peers with noises, playing with things on his desk

5. the student who constantly attempts to anticipate the teacher’s remarks (impulsively interrupts the teacher and others or speaks out in class)

Behavior problems are often the result of attention problems. However, not all children who are inattentive, impulsive, or overactive have a disorder. A comprehensive assessment, by a team of professionals working with the child, parents and teacher, can usually determine if the problem is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or other factors.

So what do you do?

After the teacher comments on the first report card or calls you in for a conference, only to tell you that “Johnny” seems to have problems with focusing, completing assignments, and getting along with his peers, what do you do?

The first tip is don’t panic.

According to the CDC publication Vital and Health Statistics (PDF; September 2006) report,

* 4.5 million children, 5-17 years of age, have been diagnosed with ADHD.

You are not alone and there is help out there.

After speaking with your child’s teacher, take action:

1. To be the best advocate for your child, learn about the disorder from credible sources. The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is a great place to start. There is a Guide for Families on the AACAP site. Easy to understand information on everything relevant to understanding your child’s condition and behavior can be discovered there. Another site that will help you is LDonline. This site is dedicated to families and educators on the topic of learning disabilities and ADHD. There are links, book lists, articles, reports and other resources to help. Join CHADD and connect with other parents and find valuable information.

2. Consult with your pediatrician. He can determine if there is a need to professionally assess your child. The school can assess your child, but often times a more thorough assessment can be completed through your health insurance. Adding a report by Boston Children’s Hospital would be a great tool to add to the school’s assessment in developing a plan for the teacher’s to follow.

3. Don’t view your child’s diagnosis as a “stigma.” These kids are generally very intelligent, creative and have a natural tendency to think outside the box. These qualities are gifts. But when a young child struggles in school, his self esteem suffers. That is why it is your duty to seek out professional opinions. There is no harm in finding out that the teacher’s opinion, although good in intention, was inaccurate. Be thankful she was doing her job. Never shoot the messenger. The teacher is looking out for her student’s best interests.

4. If you suspect a problem and the teacher doesn’t, request a school evaluation in writing to see if your intuition is right.

5. Again, you need to be proactive with the school and make sure your child is receiving the proper instruction that he deserves. Understanding the difference between an IDEA and a 504 form is needed so you can attend a team meeting prepared. When the team meeting is scheduled, come with a notepad and pen. Take notes so you’ll remember important points. Before the meeting, write down your ideas, and all of your questions. That way, you can refer to your notes during the meeting, to be sure you covered all your points.

6. After evaluation and testing, the school may determine that your child may not qualify for special education. If you are not happy with this decision, again advocate. Check out the Pacer Center site. It’s a non profit organization out of Minnesota, and it advocates for parent rights and their children.

7. Having witnessed your child in a variety of situations over a number of years, you have information that is crucial to determining whether or not your child might have an attentional disorder. You’ll be asked to fill out forms or questionnaires, like the child behavior checklist. You’re child’s teacher will be filling out a teacher form that is somewhat similar and then responses will be compared. Obtaining an overall family history, current family functioning (for example, are the parents separated or was there a death affecting your child?, etc.) and important events in your child’s medical and developmental history are needed to determine whether or not ADD or ADHD is present.

8. Learn about the disorder and the various treatments, like social skills training, behavioral therapy and support groups available. Research the various medications used to treat and ask questions. Keep an open communication going with your child’s teacher.

9. Teach “Self-Talk” skills. The goal of this technique is to help develop self control and reflection skills and to develop organization skills. It’s a process where the child develops key phrases or stops, closes his eyes to picture an image (like a mental image of a pony needing to slow down, a key word used by you to make him stop and picture the image could be “Woah.”)

These key words or images can help him get through a complex task or difficult situation. He learns to repeat these phrases to himself at appropriate times of need.

This technique works best with kids who are highly verbal rather than those who process information through visual or kinesthetic modes.

10. Use an egg timer for homework, or set up a homework chart and reward him at the end of the week. The reward could be to help mom cook dinner, or choose a special spot to have a family picnic that Saturday. Maybe earn a private game of football with dad. Rewards don’t have to be monetary, but an incentive to promote desired behavior works great with these kids.

11. If your child is less verbal and stimulated by movement, look into Brain Gym. The principal behind this technique is that “movement is the door to learning”. This has been found to be effective with children with specific language disabilities. You can try it at home, and elementary teachers who are willing might be able to use it as a time filler for the whole class waiting in line to go out at recess. All young children benefit, not only kids with ADHD.

12. Don’t wait for the assessment to be done before speaking with the teacher again. Ask her to tell you what learning style she thinks works best with your child. See if she can develop a behavior chart for the target skills he needs to develop. For example if Johnny is a “good listener” he gets a smiley face in the morning box. If he has trouble listening, leave the afternoon box empty. The emphasis is positive and it’s a visual way to show your child how he is doing that day. Children will feel good when they can “see” that they are mastering a skill. Have a weekly chart or daily chart that comes home for you to sign. Don’t punish your child for having a bad week, but encourage him. Reassure him that “Next week will be better. I believe in you, you can do it.” But also ask him why he thinks he had trouble on Tuesday listening. You might find out the assembly his class attended in the gym with the Science Guy and his experiments got him all fired up. Returning to the classroom, he couldn’t stop thinking about all the excitement, so he couldn’t help himself to make noises the fire made coming out of the beaker.

13. Getting information from your child and his teacher will help you see the big picture. The behavior chart told you Tuesday Johnny had a bad day. Talking to Johnny, you discovered the Science Guy was over stimulating. This simple shift of a daily routine was enough to get him off track. The teacher should be understanding, or develop an awareness to help Johnny prepare for the transition the next time an assemble occurs. Let the teacher know about what Johnny told you and suggest that next time maybe she could help him prepare for the quiet classroom by using gentle reminders or checking in.

A good teacher knows how to teach children with attentional deficits. She should be knowledgeable of differentiating instruction. She needs to prepare Johnny before returning to the classroom. A simple one-on-one exchange between teacher and student can help the student transition effectively. he teacher should prepare him next time to help him transition back into a quiet classroom.when students line up to leave the exciting Science Guy act, she should (without classmates noticing) say to Johnny, “That was an exciting show. It will be hard to stop thinking about the balloons and fire. But lets work to get a smiley on your morning box. I’m so excited to give you a big sticker at the end of the day. Will you help me give that to you? What will we try to do when we get back in the room?” and Johnny should respond “Good listening”. Then the teacher should once in a while pay Johnny a compliment for good listening or a give a gentle reminder to focus.

14. See if your child is interested in meditation and yoga Studies have shown the advantages of ADD kids learning yoga. Read Yoga Journal pp.96-103 by Fernando Pages Ruiz (2001) If classes are not offered for children in your area, find a video that you both will do together. Make it fun.

15. Martial arts is another activity that may help.

16. Find books to help your child. Reading a book can open an ongoing discussion that will provide reassurance and information. Let your child know that the problems they have are not unique to them.

17. Find Audio Books or CDs that your child can listen to when reading a story. This auditory tool may help him read that chapter and stay focused. It might may reading more enjoyable. If he is finding reading difficult, he won’t want to do it. Try to help him see it as a fun activity and not a homework chore.

Recommended reading might include:

* Shelley the Hyperactive Turtle, written by Deborah M. Moss, for use with younger children

* What Do You Mean I Have Attention Deficit Disorder? written by Greg A. Flory, use with children ages 8-13

* Putting on the Brakes by Patricia O. Quinn, M.D., use with children ages 8-13

* Ask your librarian to recommend more books for you.

Did you know that kids with ADD or ADHD are usually very intelligent, and very creative?

According to Tony Buzan, author of Use Both Sides of Your Brain, people are more likely to attend and remember something if it moves, is colorful, imaginative, exaggerated or absurd. Kids with ADD or ADHD are attracted and interested in things that have this quality. Think about it. Haven’t you noticed that Johnny can sit for hours doodling on his art studio, but is unable to tolerate 10 minutes of reading. That is because the art work is colorful, stirs his imagination and creates interest.

Supporting this finding, Purdue University researcher, Sydney Zentall, makes a point in her research of stating that “ADD” kids” have a preference for novelty in acquiring new information. For example, they might respond to music so the teacher could “sing” instructions ( most kindergarten, first grade teachers would be willing to do this , but middle school may not be so willing, due to ages of students) There are strategies the teacher can implement that will help your child.

Suggestions for the teacher:

1. If she’s not doing so, ask her to write lists on the board that clearly outlines multi step directions for the whole class. If he’s in Kindergarten and unable to read, have the teacher “draw” the lists with picture symbols , a form of rebus writing. Many children are visual learners and would remember assigned tasks this way. A checklist of assignments written on the board or on a post it pad taped to his desk will help him remember what he needs to complete before recess. If your child struggles with auditory skills, his teacher should be accommodating this learning style.

2. Ask her to employ methods that build on student’s strengths and help them compensate for the disorder, such as previewing expectations about what students will learn and how they should behave during a lesson. The whole class will benefit.

3. Use behavior management, such as rewarding the student for good behaviors.

4. If your child impulsively forgets to raise his hand or shouts out, a small construction cut out of a hand taped to the desk could work as a visual cue or reminder. Maybe the teacher could come up with a hand gesture or movement to help your child get back on track. For example, instead of drawing attention to Johnny when he is talking, see if she can come up with a quiet signal for the whole class and use it to redirect Johnny and others who love to chatter when the teacher is teaching.

A good teacher will not stop a lesson to embarrass a child with “Stop the talking Johnny”. Not only does this make the child feel bad, but it makes all the children stare at him and if this happens a lot, the kids will label Johnny too. A seasoned professional will keep teaching, avoid losing teaching time, by simply moving her body to the desk of the noisy student. She should continue to teach, talk the lesson, but by her physical location being next to the chatterbox, and or maybe gently placing a hand on Johnny’s shoulder, all the while talking the talk, the student will redirect and focus, stop the chatter and the whole class benefits. Not once was the lesson interrupted and no child was made to feel “bad”.

5. If your child’s teacher has experience, she should be able to think of many ways to modify instruction, help your child attend, be interested in learning. But once a plan is in place, by law she needs to implement modifications and be flexible. A 504 plan or an IEP should be able to address your child’s learning needs.

Parting Nugget:

Most importantly, be your child’s cheerleader. “Pump up” his ego and try not to criticize or compare him to another sibling. It’s his own frustration that causes many of his outbursts at home. Encourage him, and stay encouraged yourself. Raising a child with ADHD takes patience and some new skills for communicating, and disciplining, but with the right help from trained professionals, your child will learn to control his impulsiveness and frustration. Remind him daily of his many gifts and take pride in knowing that your child is creative, smart and special. Today his distraction might be problematic, but tomorrow he might end up on Wall Street or become a CEO of a large company. The sky is the limit for Johnny and others like him.

References:

Dennison, Paul E. Ph.D. (1989). Brain gym. Ventura, CA: Edu-Kinesthetics, Inc.

Parker, Harvey C. (1995-1998). Assessment of attention deficit disorders: a team approach. (www.oneaddplace.com. 3 pages).

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