What teacher an ADHD child has is critical to their success in school.
As a parent, you want to research what teacher your child will have to
see what their background is. You want a teacher who understands the
disorder or who is willing to learn about ADD. You want a teacher
who will keep in regular contact with you, the parent. You will
want a teacher who is encouraging, motivating and has clear and
consistent rules and goals. You want a teacher who is dynamic and
switches their teaching up quite a bit (ADHD children are much more
prone to boredom). You want a teacher who will teach slowly and
clearly, and who will repeat things if necessary. ADHD children
often need to have things repeated because their minds wander.
And you definitely need to have a teacher who will not undermine
treatment your child is getting outside of the classroom.
Keep in mind that under federal law, a handicapped child must have
whatever modifications that are needed. With ADHD, a child is
often handicapped in many ways in the school environment. But often,
the disorder is overlooked and children with ADHD suffer from this
oversight in education. Because there is not enough funding and
people to help, ADD is ignored unless parents step up and advocate for
their children.
Parents need to be the main ones advocated for their child. They
should not rely on teachers, social workers, psychologist and other
personnel at the school. Because of this, parents need to be educated
as to what they can do for their children. If the school does not
listen to your demands or talks down to you, do not give in. This is
your child’s education, and you have a right to speak up.
If it is difficult for you to speak for your child, it is possible to
get a school advocate. This is a person who knows how to deal
with schools and can help your child out. To find out more about
this, contact CHADD (a national support group for people with ADD) or
the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.
Specifically, for the teacher, there are a few tips that will help in
teaching a child with ADHD. The main thing is you want to
minimize any distractions that will catch the child’s attention. Do not
use bright, shiny colors on the walls; this will distract the
child. Put the child up front to decrease their straying
attention. Write the rules of classroom and display it
clearly. Help the ADD child know that it is ok to ask for
additional help. Positive encouragement works wonders, especially
with children with ADD. In regards to projects, allow more time
for ADD children. Let the ADD children have frequent breaks to
give their attention span a break.
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on ADHD, please visit ADHD for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/
Tags: ADD, ADHD, adhd in teens, adult adhd, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, symptoms of adhd
Posted on April 24th, 2008 by ryhan
Filed under: Child Care | No Comments »