ADD / ADHD and School

ADD / ADHD and School
Helping Children with ADHD Succeed at School
http://helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_teaching_strategies.htm


Teaching a Child with ADD / ADHD: Tips for Parents and Teachers

School creates multiple challenges for kids with attention deficit disorder, but with patience and an effective plan to overcome these obstacles, your child with ADD/ADHD can thrive in the classroom. Teachers and administrators can help to provide this support—but it is you as the parent who can make the biggest difference in your child’s successful education.

As a parent, you can work with your child and his or her teacher to implement practical strategies for learning both inside and out of the classroom. With your consistent support, these strategies can help your child meet learning challenges—and experience success at school.
In This Article:

* Setting up your child for school success
* Tips for working with teachers
* Tips for managing common symptoms
* Tips for making learning fun
* Tips for mastering homework
* Related links

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Setting up your child for school success

The classroom environment can be a challenging place for a child with ADD/ADHD. The very tasks these students find the most difficult—sitting still, listening quietly, concentrating—are the ones they are required to do all day long. Perhaps most frustrating of all is that most these children want to be able to learn and behave like their unaffected peers. Neurological deficits, not unwillingness, keep kids with attention deficit disorder from learning in traditional ways.

As a parent, you can help your child cope with these deficits and meet the challenges school creates. You can provide the most effective support: equipping your child with learning strategies for the classroom and communicating with teachers about how your child learns best. With support at home and teaching strategies at work in the classroom, there is no reason why kids with ADD/ADHD can’t flourish in school.
ADD / ADHD and school: Tips for supporting teachers

Remember that your childÆs teacher has a full plate: in addition to managing a group of children with distinct personalities and learning styles, he or she can also expect to have at least one student with ADD/ADHD. Teachers can do their best to help your child with attention deficit disorder learn effectively, but parental involvement can dramatically improve your childÆs education. You have the power to optimize your childÆs chances for success by supporting the work done in the classroom. If you can wor

There are a number of ways you can work with teachers to keep your child on track at school. Together you can help your child with ADD/ADHD learn to find his or her feet in the classroom and work effectively through the challenges of the school day.
ADD / ADHD school support strategy 1: Communicate with school and teachers

As a parent, you are your child’s advocate. For your child to succeed in the classroom, it is vital that you communicate his or her needs to the adults at school. It is equally important for you to listen to what the teachers and other school officials have to say.

You can make communication with your child’s school constructive and productive. Try to keep in mind that your mutual purpose is finding out how to best help your child succeed in school. Whether you talk over the phone, email, or meet in person, make an effort to be calm, specific, and above all positive—a good attitude can go a long way in communication with school.

* Plan ahead. You can arrange to speak with school officials or teachers before the school year even begins. If the year has started, plan to speak with a teacher or counselor on at least a monthly basis.
* Make meetings happen. Agree on a time that works for both you and your child’s teacher and stick to it. Avoid cancelling. If it is convenient, meet in your child’s classroom so you can get a sense of your child’s physical learning environment.
* Create goals together. Discuss your hopes for your child’s school success. Together, write down specific and realistic goals and talk about how they can be reached.
* Listen carefully. Like you, your child’s teacher wants to see your child succeed at school. Listen to what he or she has to say—even if it is sometimes hard to hear. Avoid interrupting. Understanding your child’s challenges in school is the key to finding solutions that work.
* Share information. You know your child’s history, and your child’s teacher sees him or her every day: together you have a lot of information that can lead to better understanding of your child’s hardships. Share your observations freely, and encourage your child’s teachers to do the same.
* Ask the hard questions and give a complete picture. Communication can only work effectively if it is honest. Be sure to list any medications your child takes and explain any other treatments. Share with your child’s teacher what tactics work well—and which don’t—for your child at home. Ask if your child is having any problems in school, including on the playground. Find out if your child can get any special services to help with learning.

ADD / ADHD school support strategy 2: Develop and use a behavior plan
Find a behavior plan that works

Click here to download a highly regarded behavior plan called The Daily Report Card, which can be adjusted for elementary, middle and even high school students with ADD/ADHD.

Source: Center for Children and Families

Children with ADD/ADHD are capable of appropriate classroom behavior, but they need structure and clear expectations in order to keep their symptoms in check. As a parent, you can help by developing a behavior plan for your child—and sticking to it. Whatever type of behavior plan you put in place, create it in close collaboration with your child’s teacher and your child.

Kids with attention deficit disorder respond best to specific goals and daily positive reinforcement—as well as worthwhile rewards. Yes, you may have to hang a carrot on a stick to get your child to behave better in class. Create a plan that incorporates small rewards for small victories and larger rewards for bigger accomplishments.
ADD / ADHD and school: Tips for managing symptoms
Tips for teachers

Click here to download a PDF tip sheet loaded with teaching strategies to help children with ADD/ADHD in the classroom.

ADD/ADHD impacts each child’s brain differently, so each case can look quite different in the classroom. Children with ADD/ADHD exhibit a range of symptoms: some seem to bounce off the walls, some daydream constantly, and others just can’t seem to follow the rules.

As a parent, you can help your child with ADD/ADHD reduce any or all of these types of behaviors. It is important to understand how attention deficit disorder affects different children’s behavior so that you can choose the appropriate strategies for tackling the problem. There are a variety of fairly straightforward approaches you and your child’s teacher can take to best manage the symptoms of ADD/ADHD—and put your child on the road to school success.
Distractibility

Students with ADD/ADHD may be so easily distracted by noises, passersby, or their own thoughts that they often miss vital classroom information. These children have trouble staying focused on tasks that require sustained mental effort. They may seem to be listening to you, but something gets in the way of their ability to retain the information.

DistractibilityHelping kids who distract easily involves physical placement, increased movement, and breaking long work into shorter chunks.

* Seat the child with ADD/ADHD away from doors and windows. Put pets in another room or a corner while the student is working.
* Alternate seated activities with those that allow the child to move his or her body around the room. Whenever possible, incorporate physical movement into lessons.
* Write important information down where the child can easily read and reference it. Remind the student where the information can be found.
* Divide big assignments into smaller ones, and allow children frequent breaks.


Interrupting

Kids with attention deficit disorder may struggle with controlling their impulses, so they often speak out of turn. In the classroom or home, they call out or comment while others are speaking. Their outbursts may come across as aggressive or even rude, creating social problems as well. The self-esteem of children with ADD/ADHD is often quite fragile, so pointing this issue out in class or in front of family members doesn’t help the problem—and may even make matters worse.

Reducing the interruptions of children with ADD/ADHD should be done carefully so that the child’s self-esteem is maintained, especially in front of others. Develop a “secret language” with the child with ADD/ADHD. You can use discreet gestures or words you have previously agreed upon to let the child know they are interrupting. Praise the child for interruption-free conversations.
Impulsivity

ImpulsivityChildren with ADD/ADHD may act before thinking, creating difficult social situations in addition to problems in the classroom. Kids who have trouble with impulse control may come off as aggressive or unruly. This is perhaps the most disruptive symptom of ADD/ADHD, particularly at school.

Methods for managing impulsivity include behavior plans, immediate discipline for infractions, and ways to give children with ADD/ADHD a sense of control over their day.

* Make sure a written behavior plan is near the student. You can even tape it to the wall or the child’s desk.
* Give consequences immediately following misbehavior. Be specific in your explanation, making sure the child knows how they misbehaved.
* Recognize good behavior out loud. Be specific in your praise, making sure the child knows what they did right.
* Write the schedule for the day on the board or on a piece of paper and cross off each item as it is completed. Children with impulse problems may gain a sense of control and feel calmer when they know what to expect.

Fidgeting and hyperactivity

ADD/ADHD causes many students to be in constant physical motion. It may seem like a struggle for these children to stay in their seats. Kids with ADD/ADHD may jump, kick, twist, fidget and otherwise move in ways that make them difficult to teach.

Strategies for combating hyperactivity consist of creative ways to allow the child with ADD/ADHD to move in appropriate ways at appropriate times. Releasing energy this way may make it easier for the child to keep his or her body calmer during work time.

* Ask children with ADD/ADHD to run an errand or do a task for you, even if it just means walking across the room to sharpen pencils or put dishes away.
* Encourage the child to play a sport—or at least run around before and after school.
* Provide a stress ball, small toy, or other object for the child to squeeze or play with discreetly at his or her seat.
* Limit screen time in favor of time for movement.
* Make sure a child with ADD/ADHD never misses recess or P.E.

Trouble following directions

Difficulty following directions is a hallmark problem for many children with ADD/ADHD. These kids may look like they understand and might even write down directions, but then aren’t able to do what has been asked. Sometimes these students miss steps and turn in incomplete work, or misunderstand an assignment altogether and wind up doing something else entirely.

Helping children with ADD/ADHD follow directions means taking measures to break down and reinforce the steps involved in your instructions, and redirecting when necessary. Try being extremely brief when giving directions, allowing the child to do one step and then come back to find out what they should do next. If the child gets off track, give a calm reminder, redirecting in a calm but firm voice. Whenever possible, write directions down in a bold marker or in colored chalk on a blackboard.
Medication for ADD/ADHD: What parents should knowMedication for ADD/ADHD: What parents should know

Many schools urge parents to medicate children with attention deficit disorder, and you may feel unsure about what this means. While medication can help with the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, it is not a cure and comes with side effects. As a parent, you should weigh the benefits and risks of medications for ADD/ADHD before using them to treat your child.

ADD/ADHD Medications: Are ADHD Drugs Right for You or Your Child?
ADD / ADHD and school: Tips for making learning fun

One positive way to keep your child's attention focused on learning is to make the process fun. Using physical motion in a lesson, connecting dry facts to interesting trivia, or inventing silly songs that make details easier to remember can help your child enjoy learning and even reduce the symptoms of ADD/ADHD.
Helping children with ADD/ADHD enjoy math

Children who have attention deficit disorder tend to be “concrete” thinkers. They often like to hold, touch, or take part in an experience in order to learn something new. By using games and objects to demonstrate mathematical concepts, you can show your child that math can be meaningful—and fun.

* Play games. Use memory cards, dice, or dominoes to make numbers fun. Or simply use your fingers and toes, tucking them in or wiggling them when you add or subtract.
* Draw pictures. Especially for word problems, illustrations can help kids better understand mathematical concepts. If the word problem says there are twelve cars, help your child draw them from steering wheel to trunk.
* Invent silly acronyms. In order to remember order of operations, for example, make up a song or phrase that uses the first letter of each operation in the correct order.

Helping children with ADD/ADHD enjoy reading

There are many ways to make reading exciting, even if the skill itself tends to be a struggle for children with ADD/ADHD. Keep in mind that reading at its most basic level made up of stories and interesting information—things that all children enjoy.

* Read to children. Read with children. Make reading cozy, quality time with you.
* Make predictions or “bets.” Constantly ask the child what they think might happen next. Model prediction: “The girl in the story seems pretty brave—I bet she’s going to try to save her family.”
* Act out the story. Let the child choose his or her character and assign you one, too. Use funny voices and costumes to bring it to life.

How does your kid like to learn?

How does your kid like to learn? When children are given information in a way that makes it easy for them to absorb, learning is a lot more fun. If you understand how your child with ADD/ADHD learns best, you can create enjoyable lessons that pack an informational punch.

* Auditory learners learn best by talking and listening. Have these kids recite facts to a favorite song. Let them pretend they are on a radio show and work with others often.
* Visual learners learn best through reading or observation. Let them have fun with different fonts on the computer and use colored flash cards to study. Allow them to write or draw their ideas on paper.
* Tactile learners learn best by physically touching something or moving as part of a lesson. For these students, provide jellybeans for counters and costumes for acting out parts of literature or history. Let them use clay and make collages.

It’s tough to enjoy learning when there is something undiagnosed standing in the way. In addition to ADD/ADHD, children may also be affected by learning disabilities. These issues make even the most exciting lessons extremely difficult for students. Like children with attention deficit disorder, children with learning disabilities can succeed in the classroom, and there are many ways you can help.

See Learning Disabilities in Children: Learning Disability Symptoms, Types, and Testing.
ADD / ADHD and school: Tips for mastering homework

Sure, kids may universally dread it—but for a parent of a child with ADD/ADHD, homework is a golden opportunity. Academic work done outside the classroom provides you as the parent with a chance to directly support your child. It’s a time you can help your child succeed at school where you both feel most comfortable: your own living room.

With your support, kids with ADD/ADHD can use homework time not only for math problems or writing essays, but also for practicing the organizational and study skills they need to thrive in the classroom.
Helping a child with ADD / ADHD get organized

With organization, it can help to get a fresh start. Even if it’s not the start of the academic year, go shopping with your child and pick out school supplies that include folders, a three-ring binder, and color-coded dividers. Help the child file his or her papers into this new system.

* Helping a child with ADD / ADHD get organizedEstablish a homework folder for finished homework.
* Check and help the child organize his or her belongings on a daily basis, including his or her backpack, folders, and even pockets.
* If possible, keep an extra set of textbooks and other materials at home.
* Help the child learn to make and use checklists, crossing items off as they are accomplished.
* Help organize loose papers by color coding folders and showing the child how to hole-punch and file appropriately.

Helping a child with ADD / ADHD get homework done and turned in on time

Understanding concepts and getting organized are two steps in the right direction, but homework also has to get done in a single evening—and turned in on time. Help a child with ADD/ADHD to the finish line with strategies that provide consistent structure.

* Pick a specific time and place for homework that is as free as possible of clutter, pets, and television.
* Allow the child breaks as often as every ten to twenty minutes.
* Teach a better understanding of the passage of time: use an analog clock and timers to monitor homework efficiency.
* Set up a homework procedure at school: establish a place where the student can easily find his or her finished homework and pick an appropriate and consistent time to hand in work to the teacher.

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ADD / ADHD dan sekolah
Membantu anak-anak dengan ADHD berhasil di sekolah
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Mengajar anak-anak dengan ADD / ADHD: Tips untuk orang tua dan guru

Sekolah menciptakan banyak tantangan untuk anak-anak dengan attention deficit disorder, tapi dengan kesabaran dan efektif rencana untuk mengatasi kendala ini, anak Anda dengan ADD/ADHD dapat berkembang di dalam kelas. Guru dan administrator dapat membantu untuk memberikan dukungan ini- tetapi Anda sebagai orangtua yang dapat membuat perbedaan terbesar dalam sukses pendidikan anak Anda.

Sebagai orang tua, Anda dapat bekerja dengan anak Anda dan nya guru untuk menerapkan strategi praktis untuk belajar baik di dalam dan keluar dari kelas. Dengan dukungan Anda konsisten, strategi ini dapat membantu anak Anda memenuhi tantangan belajar- dan pengalaman sukses di sekolah.
Dalam artikel ini:

* Membuat anak Anda untuk keberhasilan sekolah
* Tips untuk bekerja dengan guru-guru
* Tips untuk mengelola gejala umum
* Tips untuk membuat belajar menyenangkan
* Tips untuk menguasai pekerjaan rumah
* Related link

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Menyiapkan anak Anda untuk keberhasilan sekolah

Lingkungan kelas dapat menjadi tempat yang menantang untuk anak dengan ADD/ADHD. Tugas-tugas yang sangat siswa ini menemukan yang paling sulit-duduk masih, mendengarkan diam-diam, berkonsentrasi-adalah orang-orang yang mereka diwajibkan untuk melakukan sepanjang hari. Mungkin sebagian besar frustrasi dari semua adalah bahwa sebagian besar anak-anak ini ingin dapat belajar dan berperilaku seperti rekan-rekan mereka tidak terpengaruh. Neurologis defisit, tidak keengganan, menjaga anak-anak dengan attention deficit disorder dari belajar cara tradisional.

Sebagai orang tua, Anda dapat membantu anak Anda mengatasi defisit ini dan memenuhi tantangan sekolah menciptakan. Anda dapat memberikan dukungan yang paling efektif: melengkapi anak Anda dengan strategi untuk kelas belajar dan berkomunikasi dengan guru tentang bagaimana anak Anda belajar terbaik. Dengan dukungan di rumah dan strategi pengajaran di tempat kerja di dalam kelas, tidak ada alasan mengapa anak-anak dengan ADD/ADHD tidak dapat berkembang di sekolah.
ADD / ADHD dan sekolah: Tips untuk mendukung guru

Ingat bahwa guru anak Anda memiliki sepiring penuh: Selain untuk mengelola sekelompok anak-anak dengan kepribadian berbeda dan gaya-gaya pembelajaran, ia juga dapat mengharapkan untuk memiliki setidaknya satu siswa dengan ADD/ADHD. Guru dapat melakukan yang terbaik untuk membantu anak Anda dengan attention deficit disorder belajar secara efektif, tetapi keterlibatan orang tua dapat secara dramatis meningkatkan pendidikan anak Anda. Anda memiliki kekuatan untuk optimize kesempatan anak Anda untuk sukses dengan mendukung kerja yang dilakukan di dalam kelas. Jika Anda dapat bekerja dengan dan mendukung guru anak Anda, Anda dapat secara langsung mempengaruhi pengalaman anak Anda dengan ADD/ADHD di dalam kelas.

Ada beberapa cara Anda dapat bekerja dengan guru-guru untuk menjaga anak Anda pada jalur di sekolah. Bersama-sama Anda dapat membantu anak Anda dengan ADD/ADHD belajar menemukan nya kaki di kelas dan bekerja secara efektif melalui tantangan hari sekolah.
ADD / ADHD sekolah mendukung strategi 1: berkomunikasi dengan sekolah dan guru

Sebagai orang tua, Anda adalah advokat anak Anda. Untuk anak Anda untuk berhasil di dalam kelas, sangat penting bahwa Anda berkomunikasi nya kebutuhan untuk orang dewasa di sekolah. Hal ini sama pentingnya bagi Anda untuk mendengarkan apa yang guru dan pejabat sekolah telah mengatakan.

Anda dapat membuat komunikasi dengan sekolah anak Anda konstruktif dan produktif. Mencoba untuk diingat bahwa tujuan yang saling adalah mencari tahu bagaimana untuk terbaik bantuan anak Anda berhasil dalam sekolah. Apakah Anda berbicara melalui telepon, email, atau bertemu secara pribadi, berusaha untuk menjadi tenang, spesifik, dan di atas semua positif-sikap yang baik dapat pergi jauh dalam komunikasi dengan sekolah.

* Merencanakan ke depan. Anda dapat mengatur untuk berbicara dengan pejabat sekolah atau guru sebelum tahun sekolah bahkan dimulai. Jika tahun telah dimulai, berencana untuk berbicara dengan seorang guru atau konselor setidaknya secara bulanan.
* Membuat pertemuan terjadi. Setuju pada waktu yang bekerja untuk Anda dan anak Anda guru dan menaatinya. Menghindari membatalkan. Jika nyaman, bertemu di kelas anak Anda sehingga Anda dapat mendapatkan rasa lingkungan fisik belajar anak Anda.
* Membuat tujuan bersama-sama. Membahas harapan Anda untuk sekolah anak Anda sukses. Bersama-sama, menuliskan tujuan spesifik dan realistis dan berbicara tentang bagaimana mereka dapat mencapai.
* Mendengarkan dengan hati-hati. Seperti Anda, anak Anda guru ingin melihat anak Anda berhasil dalam sekolah. Mendengarkan apa yang dia telah mengatakan-bahkan jika kadang-kadang sulit untuk mendengar. Menghindari menyela. Memahami tantangan anak Anda di sekolah adalah kunci untuk menemukan solusi yang bekerja.
* Berbagi informasi. Anda tahu anak Anda sejarah, dan guru anak Anda melihat dia setiap hari: bersama-sama Anda memiliki banyak informasi yang dapat menyebabkan pemahaman yang lebih baik dari anak Anda kesulitan. Berbagi pengamatan Anda bebas, dan mendorong guru anak Anda untuk melakukan hal yang sama.
* Mengajukan pertanyaan-pertanyaan sulit dan memberikan gambaran yang lengkap. Komunikasi hanya dapat bekerja eff