Fortunate is the child with ADHD whose teacher is flexible, innovative, and consistent in providing reminders and organizational tips. This child will have a head start in gaining academically and socially, with increased self-confidence and self-esteem. There are a number of tips that can make life easier for both student and teacher. You, as the parent, can suggest these tips and request they be written in an IEP if your child needs them.

The teacher can be a tremendous influence on how peers view your child. However, teachers as well as others often hold misconceptions and bias towards children with ADHD. Your child is entitled to teachers who have a basic understanding of the disability. Teachers should be provided any training necessary to acquire the tools and strategies necessary for your child's academic and social success. Such training and understanding can be gained in a reasonably short time at any number of high powered workshops held nationwide each year. You have the right to request teachers receive such basic training. With education come understanding and competency, as well as tolerance and respect for the child who learns differently. Indeed, I believe tolerance, mutual respect, and self-respect are the most important elements of a child's education.

If your child has a teacher who is set in the "old ways," has a "my-way or no-way attitude," and views ADHD simply as an excuse for poor performance, I would head right to the principal and request a change of teachers immediately. You do have the right to expect someone with a genuinely positive attitude towards your child.

Successful teaching techniques for the child with ADHD are helpful for all students. It's pretty hard to fault visual reminders, peer tutoring, breaking tasks down into manageable units, use of computers, allowing controlled movement, and a providing a refuge when needed. (We all need that at times. Teachers hopefully have their lounge for short breaks.) If a teacher feels that your child would then have privileges others would not, you might suggest that such techniques be made available to the whole class.

Let's talk about some of these modifications and accommodations.

Great Classroom Accommodations for ADHD

Allow for extra movement. When given a choice, no ADHD child of mine ever sat at a table with feet on the floor to study homework. Indeed, when they had to study in a setting that didn't allow movement, their performance declined. I've seen classrooms where children are allowed to sit on low tables, or even under the tables, to read and write. The room was relatively quiet and orderly, even though there were a number of children with impulsivity and hyperactivity. You see, when the impulsivity and hyperactivity is accommodated, it tends to diminish with such accommodations.

Build a quiet corner. A soft rug, some beanbag chairs, make-due foam pillows in a back corner offers a more natural setting for leisure reading.

Study carrels offer privacy and personal space when needed. Carrels can be placed against the back wall or folding individual carrels can be constructed of hardboard and placed on the student's desk. Student can decorate as desired.

Preferential seating. ADHD students may perform better when seated near the teacher and where visual distractions are reduced. Others are so self-conscious when seated up front, it actually diminishes their performance. This has to be an individual call.

Have an escape hatch for this child. Children with ADHD don't filter incoming information as most people do. You know how you have a certain boiling point beyond which there's no return, until you blow your anger? Children with ADHD usually have a very low boiling point.

Additionally, the overload of sensory input from the natural noises and activities in a classroom can really aggravate the situation. Imagine how you'd feel if you were left in a room with a dozen TV's all blaring forth at the same time on different stations. Children with ADHD often can't distinguish between important incoming information and unimportant information. It all comes in at a feverish, screeching pitch when there's a lot of activity and noise. It's easy for them to totally lose control and no one else around them understands why.

By learning the danger signs, teachers and parents know when to intervene before a youngster loses it. This works at home, as well as at school. Build in breaks for these children if you see the frustration building. For teachers, send the child for a drink, let them sort papers for you by your desk, offer a wet paper towel to wipe their face, anything to give a bit of relief and to redirect them. Losing 5 minutes of teaching time may gain you several hours in the long run.

Home-school communication log. This has been the most valuable tool for staying on top of things. Teachers who haven't used such a log sometimes are apprehensive about the time involved, but once they get used to it, they find it makes life much easier.

As the parent, you accept the responsibility for seeing that it gets into the backpack for school. One person at school accepts responsibility for seeing that it's in the backpack to go home. At no time is this log ever used punitively to write unpleasant opinions or observations. It may include, and should include, encouraging notes from both parent and teachers. It can log any unusual concern and ask to visit with the other party. It can track unfinished homework and timelines for upcoming homework. Teacher and parent design it to fit their needs.

An extra set of books at home. Many parents and teachers are unaware that a child with organizational or impulsive difficulties has the right to have an extra set of curriculum books at home. If a child is distractible and forgetful and getting poor grades for unfinished assignments because books are left behind, ask for this accommodation. I know of a junior high that has recently provided this service for all its students. Life is much easier for everyone.

Classroom Strategies to Help ADHD Kids

Provide a structured setting. Children with ADHD function more successfully with well defined routines.

These children very often fall apart if their routine is suddenly changed or interrupted. Nowhere is this more apparent than when the class has a substitute teacher. In fact, we often find it necessary and helpful to define within a child's IEP what supports will go into place when there's a substitute teacher. It's helpful to assign an inhouse adult who knows the child to inform the substitute of any special needs and to assist when necessary.

Structure shouldn't be at the expense of novelty and innovative teaching techniques. A child with ADHD craves novelty and new ways to learn. Repetition can be extremely difficult to impossible, i.e. worksheets and writing spelling words over and over.

Give a warning shortly before a change of activity will take place. Since they can hyperfocus on an activity of interest, they can be easily frustrated when pulled away suddenly without warning. They often have difficulty transitioning from subject-to-subject.

If you use a reward system, stickers and charts are most likely meaningless to this child. Children with ADHD seem to be born entrepreneurs. A tangible reward, something the individual child enjoys, is much more successful. One team was horrified to learn a teacher had been giving a child a candy bar twice a week as part of working with unacceptable behaviors. The mom just laughed and said "she'll do anything for chocolate, good going!" You see, the teacher's carefully chosen reward was meaningful to the child and had resulted in turning around some really negative habits over the course of that semester.

Children with ADHD are particularly vulnerable to overexcitement and lack of structure at times of transition between classes, at lunchtime, and before or after school. It may be necessary for such a child to pass at a different time, have close supervision, and be redirected if off-task. These are peak times for them to get in trouble for shoving, shouting, speaking out of turn, etc. They don't do well with waiting in line due to both impulsivity and/or hyperactivity. There are creative ways to work around such problem times, but the team needs to brainstorm together on the setting, the time of the repeated problems, and what personnel need to be involved to provide supports.

Children with repetitive behavior issues could be considered for a positive behavior plan and possibly an alternative discipline plan. Through such interventions, they're most likely to learn more appropriate behaviors. These plans can also prevent arbitrary and often unconstructive punishments handed down by personnel not knowledgeable about the child. Write in specific responses for common behavior issues.

Don't ever depend on a child with ADHD to independently ask you for help. They're usually very, very painfully aware of their shortcomings and want to hide them, not showcase them by physically approaching a teacher to ask for assistance. However, if you approach them discreetly, they're most likely to be very grateful for help. A visual cue understood by teacher and student can be helpful.

Children with ADHD often only process about 30% of what they hear. Repeat, repeat repeat. Say it, write it, draw it, sing it, whatever you can think of to present instructions in varying ways. Ask to have the student repeat what he hear you say.

Timed tests can be counterproductive for the child with ADHD who is easily distracted and who doesn't have a built-in sense of time. Frequently, uch tests don't allow this child to demonstrate what he or she actually knows.

More Classroom Tips for Teachers

This child craves praise and encouragement more than the average child. Even if the successes are small, encouragement pays off in higher self-esteem and self-confidence.

Help discover the hidden talents and strengths of the child. Building on the strengths in childhood can build a great foundation for work and leisure in the adult years.

Be aware that the typical child with ADHD has poor social skills and doesn't read nonverbal communication well. They can easily misread a situation. Role playing after the fact can help this child see how a situation might have played out. Asking, "How do you think you might do things differently next time?" can lead to improved problem solving skills as well as improved social skills. This is an excellent exercise for both home and school.

Work with the parents to establish consistent rules and similar rewards. This also demonstrates to the child that you're working with the parents and communicating with them.

Pairing an ADHD child with another student can sometimes assist concentration and organization. Peer tutoring can work wonders helping the child with ADHD stay focused. Sometimes just the nearby presence of a successful student assigned to help can make all the difference in the world. This also encourages the development of social skills.

Passing out a prewritten assignment list can help not only the ADHD child but also children with other disabilities to successfully complete homework. Emphasis on responsibility is shifted to the actual assignment rather than on poor organizational skills, visual perceptual skills, or dysgraphia, (a handwriting disability).

Novelty, novelty, and more novelty. Children with ADHD will not stay on task with repetitive activities. Their worst nightmare, (and teacher's in the long run) is worksheets. Unless it's reinforcing a new concept, they should be eliminated. Individual projects, work centers, an art project, research on the computer, all can reinforce learning areas in a way that will benefit all children. When given the opportunity, these children can come up with some powerful, creative, resourceful projects.

Close communication between home and school. Neither teacher nor parent can afford to let little problems that repeat themselves go unresolved. Little problems have a way of growing into gigantic problems that can damage relationships. Both parties must shoulder the responsibility of keeping the other informed.

Any list of rules for the child with ADHD should be simple and short. Pick your battles carefully. If a child is faced with too many rules, you're likely to get noncompliance to most of them. The child simply can't focus on all of them at the same time. It's amazing the progress that can be made if the focus is on small steps rather than giant leaps with these children. It's critical to keep in mind that the typical child with ADHD is about 30% behind his peers in emotional and social maturity. Because so many of these children are very bright, it's easy to forget their limitations.

Always be sure to have eye contact with this child before giving specific instructions. Some children can't handle close eye contact, and in this case a predetermined signal between student and teacher can be enough to focus attention.

Children with ADHD respond well to positive interventions and discipline strategies rather than punitive interventions. Since punishment only heightens an already over-stimulated brain, it's self-defeating in the long run.

If a child has an IEP and is receiving special ed services, the IEP document is now required to address what extra services and supports you, as the teacher, need in order to be successful with that child. That requirement is a result of the 1997 IDEA Amendments, which is the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. You should not hesitate to take part as a member of the IEP team and let them know if there is an area of concern, and how they can help you address those needs or concerns. You should also be able to rely on all team members, particularly your team administration member LEA for support and guidance when you need it. A good IEP will have those details listed in writing, so you'll know who in special ed is directly responsible to assist you.

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Dyslexia is an inherited condition that makes it extremely difficult to learn reading, spelling, writing -- despite average or higher intelligence -- using standard teaching methods. The cause of dyslexia is neurological - it's caused by a brain difference that affects 17 to 20 percent of people everywhere.

A person with dyslexia has great difficulty hearing sounds within words -- the individual "phonemes." As a result, when they learn the alphabet, they don't solidly understand the relationship between letters and sounds. Without special training, most never learn how to "sound out" unknown words. That means their reading will "top out" between second- and third-grade level - limited by the number of words they can memorize. These students then fall farther behind each year. Many drop out before high school graduation.

People with dyslexia CAN learn to read, but only with special systems that:

1. Focus on the sounds within words (phonemes).

2. Involve intense practice, using simultaneously multisensory exercises.

3. Present information in a systematic, logical sequence.

4. Don't rely on memorizing, but instead teach rules that the student can apply broadly.

5. Teach reading and spelling together, so they reinforce each other.

All the reading and spelling systems that are effective with dyslexic people are based on the work of Dr. Orton and Anna Gillingham -- done clear back in the 1930's! These Orton-Gillingham systems require special training for the teacher or tutor, because they are so different from standard methods.

Dyslexic children are at high risk for dropping out of school, using drugs, or becoming teen-age parents. Unless someone steps in and teaches them to read and spell using an Orton-Gillingham system, many will end up in low-paying jobs, on welfare, or in prison.

Symptoms of dyslexia, appropriate ways to diagnose dyslexia, and information on effective teaching are on the Bright Solutions For Dyslexia website.

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Documentation

Documentation is an extremely effective tool for advocacy efforts. Often, it's the key to success when dealing with difficult situations. Documentation calls for accountability and also allows for kudos when things go right. The basics are simple:

• Gather up all your child's records, such as IEP's (Individual Education Plan), school multidisciplinary evaluations, medical records, and any correspondence with people regarding your child's education, medical conditions, or disabilities.

• Separate them and file them in a large 3-ring binder, sectioned off for categories such as medical, evals, correspondence, IEPs. If you aren't very organized, at least put them into several large, labeled (evaluations, IEP's, medical records, correspondence, etc), manila envelopes.

  I keep the latest IEP with the latest multidisciplinary evaluation. I believe a good IEP is really an extension of the evaluation, and the two are tied closely together. The new Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) also recognizes the importance of linking the two documents. Too often the evaluation is never consulted during the actual planning at an IEP meeting. Doing this is the equivalent of getting a medical physical, then no one ever looking at the results or using them for guidance in treatment. Parents need to review both documents and have them on the table before them at any IEP meeting. It would be helpful if administrators and teachers would also refer to both documents.

• Keep a copy of everything. If anything the district writes in longhand is illegible, ask an administrator to please remain so that you might write out that person's review of the information. Then ask that person to sign the document stating that your rewritten information is accurate.

  If you get a computer printout of the IEP at the end of the meeting, you're entitled to take a copy home and review it thoroughly before you sign anything. It's your responsibility to return the document promptly and either agree or disagree with it.

  The only way I'm comfortable with such an IEP, written sight unseen on a computer, is if the district uses commonly available technology and projects the IEP onto a screen, as it's being written. This is a wonderful approach that enables all team participants to review and correct any misinterpretation during the meeting itself. It also affords a very clear, legible document.

• Ask for a white copy of any carbon document. Carbon smears over time and becomes illegible.

• Keep an informal journal or notepad by your phone. Record every effort you make to contact school personnel, the date, reply, who the contact was with, and a brief summary of the visit or telephone call.

• When you attend any meeting, or if you initiate a phone call, have a written list of points you want addressed. Cross them off as they are discussed. Often parents think of those important points after the meeting has ended.

• Follow up every contact with a "letter of understanding".

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This is an overview of Section 504. This law can have positive effects on your child if he/she should need accommodations to succeed in school. For more information visit your public library, call the office of Civil Rights, or your local advocacy office.

Information taken from a handout written by Texas Education Agency.

For more information contact your state school agency or your local advocacy group.

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Susan Jones, M. Ed. 2/99

1. Be Prepared

Before you meet the students, examine their IEPS to figure out how you're going to meet their needs. This may mean being aggressive in being allowed to find out the students in your courses -- you are *not* a regular education teacher who knows that you'll be teaching "Physical Science" fourth period with a predetermined school system's curriculum. You cannot really plan anything until you've seen the individual needs of your students.

Take a good look at those IEPs. If three students with emotional problems need a place to unwind, it will be impossible for you to simultaneously provide an "undistracting environment" for LD/ADD students to complete tests or assignments. If three different students need individual or small group remediation for different subjects, and the IEP states that each student will get "50 minutes a day" of that service, you may be overtaxed in your lesson planning and may find it hard to claim that you are complying with the IEP. Before it's December and you realize "things aren't working," anticipate these kinds of conflicts. Make room arrangements, paraprofessional schedule arrangements, student schedule or IEP changes, or other adjustments if need be.

2. Establish communication routines early and thoroughly

Connect with the students' other teachers, and get creative in figuring out a way to establish regular communication with a minimum burden on either of you. One of the great frustrations for a resource room teacher, the student and parents, is finding out that a student has done poorly in a class when it's too late to do anything about it. Don't hope that a system "will evolve," or assume that if you haven't heard anything, that everything is fine - even if the student tells you it is. Have a system in place and give the student positive feedback early, instead of waiting for something negative and reacting to it.

3. Be Proactive

Decide how you're going to evaluate student performance -- and tell them on the first day of class. Just as the IEP has "measurable progress," insist that your students learn and do measurable things in your class. Provide a chart for weekly or daily grades and do what it takes to make sure that your students are getting something out of resource class -- and can see what they've gotten.

3. Be Provocative

Expect your students to learn from school. Some of your students will be very adept at avoiding responsibility; many have very low expectations. If you can't make the connection through their regular classes, provide other things for them to learn in your class.

4. Avoid the "enabling" trap

"Matthew effect" is the phrase used to describe how students with mild handicaps get further and further behind their peers, as "the rich get richer, the poor get poorer." Resource rooms, unfortunately, can aggravate this tendency. When a student is being 'helped' through assignments and tests, and not held accountable for actually learning the material in them, then only the appearance of learning is happening. Other students will be learning content from that same assignment and integrating what they learn into what they already know. Too often the "helped" student learns that school is a place to make people think you're doing what they want you to, that other people learn but you don't, and that you need to be shepherded through your classes. Often, assignments can be creatively modified to make them meaningful, without simply reducing the quantity of work involved.

5. Avoid the "give them a fish" trap

Teachers in middle and secondary school often assume that if a student hasn't learned basic skills in reading and math by that point, that it's not worth investing any more time in learning those skills. The student may be assigned to the resource room to compensate for the reading the student is assumed to be unable to acquire. This is a gross injustice to the child. Middle school students, high school students, and adults have been successfully taught to read.

Unfortunately, the older the student, the more intensive the program needed and the longer it will take to make gains. It's highly unlikely that this instruction can be successfully accomplished in a resource room setting. If the primary barrier to a student's success in other classes is a specific skill, especially in middle school, then placement in the resource room may not be appropriate, although it is common. Meeting with the parent(s) and others on the IEP team and finding a way to teach the student those skills can be the difference between a future college graduate and a future illiteracy statistic.

(Susan has been most kind in giving permission to put her information at my site. Be sure to visit her site for up-to-date information and new articles for teachers and parents. If you are a teacher you should know that Susan is a highly qualified professional. If you are a parent, these tips may help you in suggesting strategies for your child's IEP or as input for teachers who need ideas. Thank you, Susan, for your generosity in sharing.)

Learning Activities for the Resource Room

These activities are for students who "don't have nothin'" or are "going to study." Depending on just how much structure the students require, you may assign point levels to various tasks (which can be individually adjusted) so that the student knows how much s/he has to complete to achieve a certain grade on a daily (or more frequently if necessary) or weekly basis. If students keep an ongoing notebook of their resource room work, they can see progress, especially if they do a lot of work in one area.

Learn to study. Instead of "looking at notes," there are many active ways to study. Student can be graded on things such as illustrated flashcards for words they're learning, or paraphrased notes, or oral quizzes on the material they reviewed, especially if you can give a quiz after fifteen minutes of active studying. The Study Skills Database from Muskingum College has many, many ideas.

Practice basic skills. That doesn't sound too exciting, but often students would pick out one of my "basic Math review" sheets -- and since they couldn't do the same sheet twice, they ended up doing progressively more challenging work but staying at their "comfort level." A good secondary spelling program can also help -- if a student learns the "i before e" rule all of his teachers may thank you!

Learn something else of interest. Some students will work on an independent 'project' in a subject of interest -- especially if they are provided with structure and feedback throughout the process. You could even find out in advance about upcoming projects and give the student the chance to get a jump on assignments that can otherwise be overwhelming. I have had students who decided they wanted to learn all the states and capitals, and scheduled the number they were expected to learn each day; others used blank maps and atlases to learn where countries were. Another student did an extensive report on the nine planets - that wasn't copied from the encyclopedia. It's amazing what students will do when they have choices and expectations.

Learn to keyboard. Keyboarding is a tangible, marketable skill and one that can be learned relatively independently. Odds are reasonably good that there's at least one old typewriter or computer suitable for learning to keyboard somewhere in your building or school system. This site lists many keyboarding programs (software and book form) and products which have been used successfully with people with learning disabilities and/or motor skills challenges.

Learn from commercial comprehension materials. There are many, many products designed to appeal to "at risk" or "reluctant" readers. Be aware, though, that often the reading levels of these materials is still beyond the independent reading levels of your students. Don't add to the humiliation by giving a student "special" materials -- that they still can't read. Look for materials that actively engage the students. Weekly Reader has an "Extra" magazine for middle and secondary special needs students that has many activities and interesting articles.

copyright © 1998-1999 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.

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Special Education Law and Advocacy

• Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (U.S. Dept. of Education)

• Office for Civil Rights

• Wrightslaw (This is a must site)

• Internet Special Education Resources

• Federation for Children with Special Needs

• Center on Children and the Law

• Special Education Resources on the Internet (SERI)

• Preparing for an IEP Meeting

• 504 Civil Rights Law

• THOMAS, a legislative search engine

• Council on Exceptional Children

• Find Law

• Consumer Law

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

• LDonLine Info on ADHD

• ADHD without Hyperactivity

• Articles about parenting, ADHD in adults and children, book reviews, great info

• Kidsource article on ADHD

• Child Development Institute (ADHD)

• ADD Myths

Disabilities

• NIH on Asperger Syndrome

• Aspergers Syndrome Educational Implications: Ideas For Classroom Management

• Aspen of America (neurological disorders, Aspergers, PPD-NOS, lots of info)

• Kid's Source on Spoken Language Problems

• International Dyslexia Association

• Bright Solutions for Dyslexia

• Central Auditory Processing Disorder or CAPD

• Dyscalculia

• LDOnline

• National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHY)

• Learning Disability Association (LDA)

• Center for New Discoveries in Learning

• Dysgraphia

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Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIC) resulted from the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which was passed more than 20 years ago. This special education law was designed to specifically protect and ensure a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for all children who have disabilities. However, the law is large and confusing for many parents who try to get services under it. So the government mandated that special centers be set up as resources for parents.

At the Parent Training and Information Centers, you can find information on all kinds of disabilities, a list of service providers, fellow parents for mutual support, advocacy training in how to be an equal effective partner in your child's education, workshops and networking in general. Their services are free.

Such a center is where our family was finally able to find the support and training we needed to understand our rights as parents in the educational system. We also learned that it was possible to form a positive team effort for our son; but we really had to buckle down and learn about the law, our rights as parents, and our son's rights as a student in the public education system. It saved our lives.

We were totally exhausted and drained from trying to educate our son with no guidance except our common sense. We even resorted to home school for several years before we learned from our PTIC that we could, and indeed, should ask the district to teach our son the way he learns. The PTIC provided all the information and moral support we so desperately needed. It's solely because of this support that I am now trained to help other parents find the resources and support they need as parents of a child with disabilities. There are many such centers across the country helping parents such as yourself. Do not hesitate to call. They are parents themselves who have been through similar circumstances and stand ready to help. Please contact your instate PTIC, as they serve the local population. Just click here for your local PTIC.

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• We are intelligent and highly motivated by intellectual challenges.
• We are creative and highly imaginative, and can express ourselves in unique ways.
• We have high energy and meet challenges with enthusiasm.
• We are intuitive and can easily sense the needs and feelings of others.
• We are resourceful, and can devise ways and means to accomplish things.
• We are warmhearted and enjoy doing things for others.
• We are humorous and have an ability to make others laugh.
• We are hardworking and have a never-say-die approach to life.
• We are willing to take risks and see risk-taking as a form of excitement.
• We are loyal, honest, and trustworthy.
• We are flexible, and adapt easily to change.
• We are change-agents, and like the intrigue involved in change.
• We are productive and effective if we like what we are doing.
• We are forgiving, and rarely hold grudges.
• We are good observers of the world around us, and are able to find quick solutions to complicated situations.

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Identifying ADD

If you believe your child shows signs of Attention Deficit Disorder - short attention span, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity - there are several steps you can take. Since most children occasionally show some of these signs, ask yourself if the behavior you are concerned about is persistent and if your child consistently exhibits such behavior in most settings.

If so, you should first consult with others who know the child well, such as relatives and family friends. Talk to them about the ADD behaviors and have them indicate the ones they see your child regularly exhibit. You also may want to keep notes on your child's behavior.

Next, speak to your child's teachers, as many behaviors characteristic of ADD are most visible in the classroom. Your child's teachers may want to compete a checklist on ADD signs, or use their own experience with other children with ADD to help you reach some conclusions of your own. In many cases, teachers may be the first to suspect a child has ADD and notify the parent(s). Keep in mind that some children show behaviors similar to children with ADD when they have learning problems stemming from other causes.

In addition, you should consult with a physician or other health car provider. A doctor will know the medical signs of ADD and can recommend local sources of information or a psychologist for your child to see. The physician should give your child a general medical exam and perhaps recommend a neurological evaluation, if he believes it necessary.

Your Child with ADD in School

There are two primary Federal laws applying to the education of children with ADD, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These laws are discussed in "Attention Deficit Disorder: Adding Up The Facts," which is also in this information kit.

If you believe that your child has a disability whether resulting from ADD or any other impairment, and the school district believes that your child may need special education or related services, the school district must evaluate your child. If the school district does not evaluate a child, it must notify the parents of their due process rights. According to federal law, a school is responsible for providing an educational diagnosis of a child. To determine a child's level of disability and best treatment, a multi-disciplinary team is formed that includes teachers, parents, and someone with training in child psychopathology (usually the school psychologist or school social worker).

At the meeting with these professionals, you should have your notes on your child's behaviors with you; and you also should bring report cards and any comments about your child made by teachers. Later, you may have the opportunity to fill out a standardized rating scale that compares your child's behaviors to those of children already diagnosed with ADD. Ideally, the team should follow a two-tiered approach to first determine the presence of ADD symptoms and then to determine its adverse effect on academic performance.

Once your child is evaluated and determined to have ADD, the school and the teacher may design modifications in your child's classroom and schoolwork based on his or her needs and abilities. The school may provide assistance and training in study skills, classroom management, and organization. A student should have access to a continuum of services, from pull-out programs that give the student individualized attention in a resource room related aids and services provided in the classroom. Teachers have found that in order to help children with ADD they frequently need to make modifications in the lesson, its presentation, and its organization as well as specialized behavioral management.

Parents and teachers should work together and communicate frequently with one another to form a complete picture of a child and to note changes in his or her behavior. If your child is taking medication, you should request notes on his or her progress and notify the school of any changes in medication. Since children with ADD have difficulty in obeying two different sets of rules, parents and teachers should agree on the same rules and the same management system. If your child's teachers do not have much knowledge about ADD, you should meet with them, explain your child's problems, and give them copies of this information sheet and other sources of information on ADD.

Medication: Pros and Cons

Medication of children with ADD remains controversial. Medication is not a cure and should not be used as the only treatment strategy for ADD. While doctors, psychiatrists, and other health care professionals should be consulted for advice, ultimately you must make the final decision about whether or not to medicate your child.

The short-term benefits of medication include a decrease in impulsive behavior, in hyperactivity, in aggressive behavior, and in inappropriate social interaction; and an increase in concentration, in academic productivity, and in effort directed toward a goal.

However, studies show that the long-term benefits of medication on social adjustment, thinking skills, and academic achievement are very limited. If you do choose to use medication, you should observe your child for possible side effects. Some children loose weight, lose their appetite, or have problems falling asleep. Less common side effects include slowed growth, a tic disorder, and problems with thinking or with thinking or with social interaction. These effects usually can be eliminated by reducing the dosage or changing to a different medication.

Strategies for the Home

Children with ADD can learn to control some aspects of their behavior and to succeed in school and at home. When parents establish and enforce a few rules and maintain a system of rewards, children incorporate such rules into their daily routine. Remember that every child, with or without ADD, has individual strengths, and weaknesses. Once you identify your child's strengths, you can use them to build your child's self-esteem and help to provide the confidence your child needs to tackle whatever he or she finds difficult.

Discipline can best be maintained by establishing a few consistent rules with immediate consequences whenever each rule is broken. Rules should be phrased positively in terms of what your child should do. Praise your child and reward him or her for good behavior.

Children with ADD respond well to a structured system of rewards for good behavior. This system encourages the child to work in order to earn privileges or rewards he or she wants by accumulating points for desired behaviors and removing points for undesirable behaviors. You can make charts or use tokens or stickers to show your child the consequences of good behavior. You should only work on a few behaviors at one time and add additional behaviors as others are learned.

Make a written agreement (a contract) with your child in which the child agrees to do his or her homework every night or to demonstrate other desired behavior in return for a privilege he or she selects, such as the right to watch a certain television show. If your child does not fulfill the contract, remove the promised privilege.

Another effective strategy is to provide a specified time-out location for your child to go when he or she is out of control. This should not be seen as a place of punishment, but as a place the child uses to calm down. Younger children may need to be told to go to the time-out location, but older children should learn to sense when they need to calm down and go on their own.

Set up a study area away from distractions and establish a specific time each day for the child to do homework. Do not allow your child to do homework near the television set or the radio.

Devise a calendar of long-term assignments and other tasks. Keep this on the refrigerator door, or other visible place, where it can remind your child of what he or she needs to do.

Have the teacher make a checklist of homework to be completed and items to be brought to school the next day. Before your child goes to bed, check the list to make sure everything has been completed.
In general, punishing the child is not as effective as using praise and rewards. Rather than focusing on weaknesses, you should assist your child in developing personal strengths.

Avoid emotional reactions such as anger, sarcasm, and ridicule. Remember your child has problems with control, and it only makes him or her feel worse to be told a task is easy or anyone can do it. However, short, mild reprimands can remind children to focus their attention.

Preparation for Adulthood

Children with ADD may require additional help in managing the transition to independent adulthood. They may need help learning how to structure their time and how to prioritize what they have to do. As children grow older, you can give them more responsibility so they can learn from their own decisions.

The hard work of children with ADD, their parents, and their teachers helps them develop their abilities and prepares them for success in their adult lives. With assistance, children with ADD can develop strategies that allow them to work around their ADD and the problems it causes.

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I am Judy Bonnell, and I'm your host for this site. Perhaps you're curious about how I came to my passion for helping children with ADHD and for my advocacy work in general.

My husband and I are the parents of seven children, his, mine, and ours. We've been parenting for almost forty years, yet our youngest is only nineteen. Practically speaking, we have raised two families, seventeen years apart, and have seen many changes educationally and culturally during those years. Both families include children with ADHD, as well as other disabilities.

My First Family

The first family includes a child who was extremely hyperactive. She was one of the 10% of babies who today would be labeled "difficult". That was putting it mildly! Family members took 4-hour shifts around the clock for months with her.

At four years of age, the hyperactivity diminished and she become physically hypoactive, although she says today that her mind is always in a hyperactive state. In those days, we didn't know she had a disability, as the term ADHD didn't exist. We only knew she was dreamy, unorganized, and forgetful.

My daughter struggled with what today are known as poor executive functions. Fortunately, she did not seem to have any serious learning disabilities. A gifted child, she muddled through public school without extra supports. She hit her stride in college, became a member of the National Honor Society, and made straight A's. As often happens, she found the college environment much more ADHD friendly, with less busy work, repetition, and fewer distractions. She went on to be very successful in her chosen career. She is a sweet darling, and I admire her tremendously for overcoming those obstacles presented her by an undiagnosed disability.

My Second Family

Our second family consists of one son, who not only struggled with ADHD, but who also has several learning disabilities and is gifted. By the time he was in school, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was on the books.

However, we quickly discovered that the "law" wasn't the same as reality. There was a widespread lack of knowledge about the requirements of the law, both among parents and school personnel. The issues became even more complicated because we were dealing with a disability that was also misunderstood and sometimes flatly denied.

At that time, it was actually a hindrance for our son to be gifted as well as have ADHD and learning disabilities. The general attitude was, "He's smart. He just isn't motivated. He just doesn't pay attention." I was particularly alarmed when the responsibility to learn seemed to fall entirely upon his shoulders. Consequently, we'd spend hours each night trying to teach him what he didn't learn during the day, before we even started on the homework.

When he was in 6th grade, he fell so far behind that we decided to home-school him. Suddenly, his attitude changed. He gained some self-confidence and progressed academically by leaps-and-bounds. He was rapidly reaching the teen years though and we wanted to integrate him back into the mainstream community. Finally a situation arose that proved to be the last straw.

Learning the Ropes of Advocacy

In desperation, I called our State Department of Education which connected me to our local Parent Training and Information Center (PTI). PTI's are all over the country and are funded by the U.S. Department of Education for the purpose of educating parents about the law, their rights, and how to be a successful, active participant in their child's education. They also act as a resource when parents need information on disabilities, as well as perform other services.

I was put in touch with another parent who was an advocate. That day changed our lives. I learned how to advocate for what our son needed. I learned that schools are responsible for identifying children with disabilities, evaluating their needs, and providing the services necessary for that child to make progress. I also learned that in special education law, the whole child must be considered, emotionally and physically, as well as academically.

We enrolled him in high school for his freshman year. He was able to access the services he so desperately needed and made progress both academically and socially. He graduated with honors, holding his head high as he walked across the stage to receive his diploma. Our district made great strides in learning to look at teaching in a flexible, creative way, and I believe everyone grew in the process. I give them credit for continuing this growth process after our son graduated.

Helping Others

During this journey, I decided I would keep on growing in my advocacy role and I reached out to other parents in the same way I had been helped. I didn't want parents wasting years trying to figure out how to help their child. I had a good store of information to pass on and continued to gain information on disabilities and the law.

Despite my involvement in this work, I am a business person and I own and operate a year round franchised campground. During the years, I have managed to obtain some higher education, and once we "retire," I hope to again pursue a degree. Meantime, running a business has been quite an education in itself. My primary hobbies are antiques, classical music, history, piano and organ, and tole painting.

Not only on a one-on-one basis in our state, but across the internet, I find parents with similar plights and needs. By sharing our successes, frustrations, and strategies, I believe we can become a powerful influence in how our children are served. We can also insist that our children be taught the way they learn.

My favorite motto is: "If a child cannot learn the way we teach him, we had better teach him the way he learns."

Contents:

• The Parent Advocate - Advocating for Your ADHD Child
• My Journey into ADHD Advocacy
• Students with Handwriting Problems or Dysgraphia
• ADHD Children and Poor Executive Functions
• Attention Deficit Disorder: What Parents Should Know
• Building on a Child's Strengths
• Characteristics of ADD
• Sample Letter of Understanding Description
• Sample Letter of Understanding
• Does My Child Have an Emotional or Behavioral Disorder
• Dysgraphia: A Common Twin of ADHD
• Dyslexia: What is It?
• Famous Hunters
• Great Characteristics of Children with ADHD
• The Hunters and the Farmers
• Myth and ADHD Related Behaviors
• Our Children Often Learn Differently
• The Parent Advocate - Advocating for Your ADHD Child
• Resource Links
• Section 504
• Special Education Law Informed Consent and Signing
• Two Powerful Documents to Take to the IEP
• Different Types of Educational Assessment Tests
• Understanding the WISC Test and Its impact in the Classroom
• What are Parent Training and Information Centers?
• What Is A Positive Behavior Plan?
• When the Partnership Breaks Down
• Where Do I Start?
• Writing an Individualized Education Plan The Logical Steps
• ADHD and Dyslexia
• The Importance of Advocating for Your ADHD Child At Risk in School
• Functional Behavior Assessment for Children with ADHD
• Obtaining a Copy of Your Child's Records
• Positive Qualities of ADD
• Resource Room - Tips for a Working Model
• Different Types of Educational Assessment Tests
• Write a Portrait of Your Child: Preparing for the IEP Meeting

next: The Parent Advocate - Advocating for Your ADHD Child
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