Being understood as an ADHD or ADD person , in school We bring you resources for  ADHD children  to help you grow positively in your community.

• Two issues affecting ADD and ADHD children in school: ideas for an ADHD Mum
• Effective solutions to help ADHD children in school

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"As a professional with a Master's Degree in Human Services and the mother of two ADHD children, I am in a unique position in that many parents turn to me for information and support.    I've had common ADHD characteristics taken completely out of context due to the lack of the school's ADHD knowledge, and have had to spend many hours fixing the damage to my children (our family) as the result of this lack of knowledge.  I've had to watch my children's self-esteem being slowly damaged by daily assaults of the "Blame the victim" mentality I've seen in many of the school staff.  And, I've had to stand by and play the "Avoidance and 'Pass the Buck'" game while well known ADHD Accommodations guidelines were rejected and/or ignored.

Recently I've have also been looking at why schools today seem to have so many more problems with these children than schools seemed to have 30 years ago.  I started by looking at what changes have taken place in this time such as:  accelerated academics, multi group learning all within one classroom, the increased number of times children must leave their "home" classroom and go to another area in the school building, homework beginning in Kindergarten (in some schools), just to name a few.  Next, I reviewed the Classroom Accommodation guidelines for these children and, in doing so, I have recently come to the conclusion that many of these "New" teaching methods in our grade schools are actually contrary to these kids.  No wonder this problem seems to be so wide-
spread through our schools today verses when we were children.  Maybe the answer is to provide at least one classroom, in each grade, with a more traditional teaching style (well structured, consistent routines, free of too many distractions, and with less transition periods during each school day allowing these children more time to complete their tasks and to learn at a pace that is more natural for them).

I am convinced that these two issues:  lack of properly trained staff and present school teaching philosophies, are a big part of the problem with the present ADHD issues in our schools today.  That if we address these two areas properly, the number of problems will be significantly reduced. Even the Surgeon General's recent report addressed ADHD and came to the conclusion that medication (to help them focus/reduce hyperactivity) along with support and education of parents (and teachers) and proper school placement are the best methods of
helping children with ADHD.  In fact, the report suggested that there were no real significant improvements, in reducing ADHD issues, when using a combination of medication and psychological intervention than there was in using medication alone.  The big difference for these kids seems to be how knowledgeable and skilled the adults in their lives are in understanding ADHD and in providing the environment and tools necessary for these kids to succeed.  If you don't have adults willing to provide these, than the children are more likely to fail." 

From this email, we searched the resources of the Internet and found these 10 points to help ADD children in school.
"The following are 10 very basic points which schools can easily implement to help children with ADHD:
 

l. The ADD child needs to be placed to work alongside those of similar abilities, not only educationally/academically, but maturity levels also. The ADD/ADHD child is more likely to be immature compared to his peers. A graded system of class structure would suit better than open plan, parallel streamed or composite, as they find it hard to cope with changes in levels of work.

2. A firm but fair structure is essential for daily activities and routine should be strictly adhered to. This enables the child to know what is expected of them, knowing that their work is closely monitored. Sufferers generally respond well to the three "R"'s, Routine, Regularity and Repetition. They quite often have very low self esteem and therefore tend to be a "loner", frequently isolated and at the risk of victimisation by others. Alternatively they can be aggressive with their peers and need careful monitoring to ensure these times are kept to a minimum. Distraction onto another completely different task in this situation is normally the best way to handle this. Their lack of ability in coping with change used in a positive way, to help them out of a potentially difficult situation i.e. they're so busy trying to come to terms with a new task they forget about any battle they might have started. This tactic often works to overcome many potential problems that might arise.

3. The teacher must be firmly in control of the class, whilst being a sympathetic and warm person. ADD/ADHD children generally are very emotional and loving. They respond well to praise and individual attention. Praise should be little and often rather than one pat on the back at the end of the day. Negative attitudes can be very harmful, particularly to a child with already low self esteem. Where possible try and maintain the same teacher/s throughout the year. Eye contact needs to be established when giving instructions. Break these instructions down and deliver them in small segments, giving the next segment when the previous one has been completed. Get the child to repeat each segment back to you, to make sure they know what is expected.

4. It would be useful if the system allowed children to repeat years if needed. This would allow the child to interact with others of similar abilities and not have to constantly compete with their
own peer group.
 

5. Small class size is beneficial for these children as they offer less distraction, allowing them a better opportunity to build relationships with their peers and the teacher. Sit them at the front of the class or facing a wall . This helps to cut down on distractions.

6. Remedial facilities are an added bonus, not only for those with learning difficulties but also those gifted children with ADD/ADHD who need help to channel their intelligence. Speech therapy and Occupational therapy would be beneficial within the school environment for those who require it.

7. Medication is part of every day life for many ADD/ADHD sufferers. Teachers must assist in making sure this medication is taken. This MUST be done quietly and sensitively. We heard recently of a teacher announcing to the whole class that it was "time for X's mental pill". There is no difference between a child taking medication for ADD/ADHD, and a child requiring medication for diabetes, epilepsy, asthma or any other long term condition.

8. A variety of choices is generally beneficial at senior school. Many of these children achieve their best doing manual tasks rather than verbal. By achieving in manual subjects, their self esteem is being built up, enabling time for their nervous system to mature. As a child enters senior school they are often confused by the constant
change of teacher and room. Help to assist in coping with this is essential.This may take theform of a classroom assistant who remains constant, moving from class to class with the child.

9. The lack of organisation, planning skills and ability to assess what is important and what isn't, puts the ADD/ADHD child at a disadvantage in an exam situation. The best form of assessment for these children is continuous assessment of coursework, followed by shorter exams.

10. Learn to enjoy these children, they have a lot of hidden talent and a lot to give.

by Caroline Hensby of Thanet ADDers .This article was on the www.adders.org website. 
 

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