Many adolescents with ADHD experience significant problems
managing school, both in terms of social and academic successes. Both parents and adolescent can become
frustrated and angry leading to a great deal of stress at home. One of the first steps is to get a formal
diagnosis from counseling professional.
With that in hand, the next step is to engage the teachers and school
support staff in identifying your child’s needs. Together you can develop
strategies for academic success.
There are two different types of attention deficit
disorders. ADHD refers to hyperactivity
and impulsivity while ADD refers to those who are primarily inattentive and
easily distractible. According to the
American Psychiatric Association, however, the correct diagnostic term for both
types is ADHD. Because these symptoms
can be mild to severe, parents see varying levels in skill and maturity
impairment.
Our school system is not ideally designed for the ADHD
child (unable to provide enough individual attention) so the child often
experiences a host of challenges. Here
are some of the more common school problems that your ADHD child is likely to
experience.
Restlessness:
The hyperactive child is often restless, getting up and down
from his/her seat disrupting classmates and irritating the teachers. There can be lots pencil tapping, leg and
foot moving and general bouncing around in the desk.
Short Attention Span and Distractibility:
The AD/HD child often has trouble following teacher’s
lectures, participating in small group projects and performing well on
tests. The child with short attention
span often finds him/herself with a wandering mind. This can result in failing
to complete tasks as well as irritating project partners.
Impulsiveness:
This impulsivity can be evidenced by the child blurting out
answers in class or making impulsive and incorrect responses on tests and class
assignments. Speaking before thinking is
often a real problem for this child.
These statements can often resemble insults but are really just the
result of not thinking before speaking. Nevertheless, this can result in the
child having difficulty in the social aspects of school.
Procrastination:
Most of us have put off an unpleasant task until the last minute. With ADHD, kids often wait until the very
last minute to begin an assignment and then don’t have enough time for
completion. This can be particularly
true of the “long term” research assignments/projects. These kids just don’t anticipate how much
time it will take them to properly complete all the steps and get it ready to
hand in on time. They frequently turn in
poor quality incomplete assignments or they don’t get the work done at all.
Trouble Shifting Attention from One Situation to Another:
The child’s ability to shift attention from one task to
another is often impaired. Transition
time, when students are switching classes or topics, often results in not
turning in assignments at the end of class, forgetting to pack up everything
needed to complete homework assignments, etc.
Kids can “over focus” on what they are doing which makes it difficult to
switch gears and move smoothly and swiftly from one task to another.
Forgetfulness:
This is a big one! It
applies to almost any activity but it is evidenced in school by forgetting to
turn in assignments, permission slips, bring home books, etc. Homework can become a challenge when the
needed materials are “in my locker.”
These are just a few of the more common complaints
associated with AD/HD kids and the classroom.
Fortunately there are resources available to teach kids, their parents
and teachers positive coping skills.
Structure, consistency and organization are key factors. Finding an experienced therapist who can
guide you is a good place to start. In
addition, you can find several good books that are easy to read and are
encouraging for everyone. Edward M.
Hallowell, M.D., John J. Ratey, M.D., and Daniel G. Amen, M.D. are just a few
of the recommended authors. They are
excellent resources to assist you with your challenges.
The most important thing you can do as a parent of an ADHD
child is to love them. I encourage you
all to Stop, Breathe and Think before responding.
