ADHD ADD in School & the Classroom Tips

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How do I make homework time more productive and less stressful for my child and myself?

Homework Ideas that make sense

Create a study environment that works for your child. Some children require deep silence, others need some kind of wordless tune, since the lyrics tend to distract them. Music with a strong beat and a repetitious rhythm, such as tribal drumming sounds are nice. Natural background noises often work too: ocean sounds, rain, or other environmental sounds are useful. Establish a consistent study time and atmosphere. This is essential--study at the same time, the same place, and keep the environment consistent. Sit down with your child and create the rules together. When a child has input, they feel empowered and are more likely to uphold the agreement. Enforce the rules. Stick to the routine day in and day out. If needed, timed breaks can be given at regular intervals. Notice and praise the child's compliance in sticking to the plan.

   
How can I encourage my distractible students to focus on lessons?

Attention, please. Teacher as Leader

AD/HD children crave relationship. Teachers are perfectly positioned to deliver positive commentary and even "create" success when the student is experiencing feelings of failure. Line-of-sight eye contact and allowing the child to meet success by "helping" in some way, lay the foundation for smoothing out the rough patches. Notice, notice, notice everything the child gets right and comment on it in a positive way. Meet the perennial response to your questions by AD/HD children that begin with: "I don't know," with the response: "It's okay not to know. That's a great starting point; I appreciate your honesty." This kind of opening goes a long way to securing the child's respect and cooperation.

   
What is the best way to work with my child's teacher?

From School Daze to School Praise! The art of collaboration

Make your child's teacher your ally. Offer to share with the teacher the techniques that you have found to be most helpful in managing your child's behavior. Teachers appreciate this kind of practical wisdom and perhaps they can implement your techniques for the entire class.

   
How can I help my child make better use of homework time?

The Magic 20 Minute Rule for the ADHD ADD child

Remember the magic 20-minute rule: the maximum time that any person with ADD ADHD can concentrate on something is 20 minutes. Observe your attention deficit child to find his magic number. Then, keep track of this time as he does his homework. When the magic number is reached, switch gears. This may mean moving from math to spelling, or it may mean taking a short break.

   
How do I make homework time more productive and less stressful for my child and myself?

Homework Ideas that make sense

Create a study environment that works for your child. Some children require deep silence, others need some kind of wordless tune, since the lyrics tend to distract them. Music with a strong beat and a repetitious rhythm, such as tribal drumming sounds are nice. Natural background noises often work too: ocean sounds, rain, or other environmental sounds are useful. Establish a consistent study time and atmosphere. This is essential--study at the same time, the same place, and keep the environment consistent. Sit down with your child and create the rules together. When a child has input, they feel empowered and are more likely to uphold the agreement. Enforce the rules. Stick to the routine day in and day out. If needed, timed breaks can be given at regular intervals. Notice and praise the child's compliance in sticking to the plan.

   
Where should an ADHD ADD kid sit in the classroom?

Where Should ADHD kids sit in the classroom?

Placing ADHD ADD kids at the front of the room ( nearest the blackboard or where the teacher gives instruction ) is often helpful. If the ADHD ADD child is right handed, placing them at the right front of the class minimizes the number of children they watch wiggle when they write.

   
How can I encourage my distractible students to focus on lessons?

Attention, please. Teacher as Leader

AD/HD children crave relationship. Teachers are perfectly positioned to deliver positive commentary and even "create" success when the student is experiencing feelings of failure. Line-of-sight eye contact and allowing the child to meet success by "helping" in some way, lay the foundation for smoothing out the rough patches. Notice, notice, notice everything the child gets right and comment on it in a positive way. Meet the perennial response to your questions by AD/HD children that begin with: "I don't know," with the response: "It's okay not to know. That's a great starting point; I appreciate your honesty." This kind of opening goes a long way to securing the child's respect and cooperation.

   
What can make school easier for my ADHD ADD student?

ADHD ADD School Success Strategies

If your ADHD ADD use the following strategies to significantly impact your success at school:

1) Use a scheduler or planner to record assignments, due dates, instructions and factors upon which a grade are based.
2) Look at your planner each morning and set realistic goals for managing your day and completing assignments, including breaking larger projects into smaller steps.
3) Ask teachers for accomodations that help you succeed, such as extended test-taking time or a quit room to take a test. Or, try to sit in the quietest part of the classroom and wear earplugs to block out noisy distractions during tests.

   
How do I make homework time more productive and less stressful for my child and myself?

Homework Ideas that make sense

Create a study environment that works for your child. Some children require deep silence, others need some kind of wordless tune, since the lyrics tend to distract them. Music with a strong beat and a repetitious rhythm, such as tribal drumming sounds are nice. Natural background noises often work too: ocean sounds, rain, or other environmental sounds are useful. Establish a consistent study time and atmosphere. This is essential--study at the same time, the same place, and keep the environment consistent. Sit down with your child and create the rules together. When a child has input, they feel empowered and are more likely to uphold the agreement. Enforce the rules. Stick to the routine day in and day out. If needed, timed breaks can be given at regular intervals. Notice and praise the child's compliance in sticking to the plan.

   
How can I help my child with papers for school?

Dealing with ADHD when writing papers & reports

Typing a lengthy paper for school can be especially challenging for kids with ADHD ADD. It helps if you can be their “secretary,” typing for them as they dictate, or let them dictate into a recorder. This allows them the freedom of moving around the room while they think. Try to type what they say without editing it yourself; that's a job best done together after the first draft is complete.

   
How do I help my ADHD student behave in class?

Use Playdough, Silly Putty for your ADHD Student

Dealing with ADHD can be challenging for both the teacher and the student. This recomendation comes from a speacial educational teacher that I know. She also has ADHD. I thought I would pass this one on to help other teachers.

Give them Playdough or silly putty to play with while you are giving instructions, reading out loud, etc. Or, let him draw or color. This may sound like letting them off the hook, but I have found that many ADHD people focus better and absorb more of what they hear when they have something to do.

   
How do I make homework time more productive and less stressful for my child and myself?

Homework Ideas that make sense

Create a study environment that works for your child. Some children require deep silence, others need some kind of wordless tune, since the lyrics tend to distract them. Music with a strong beat and a repetitious rhythm, such as tribal drumming sounds are nice. Natural background noises often work too: ocean sounds, rain, or other environmental sounds are useful. Establish a consistent study time and atmosphere. This is essential--study at the same time, the same place, and keep the environment consistent. Sit down with your child and create the rules together. When a child has input, they feel empowered and are more likely to uphold the agreement. Enforce the rules. Stick to the routine day in and day out. If needed, timed breaks can be given at regular intervals. Notice and praise the child's compliance in sticking to the plan.

   
Where should an ADHD ADD kid sit in the classroom?

Where your ADHD should not sit.

Try to avoid placing ADHD children in loft classrooms or in situations with multiple children at a single desk. This maximizes their distractability.

   
What is the best way to work with my child's teacher?

From School Daze to School Praise! The art of collaboration

Make your child's teacher your ally. Offer to share with the teacher the techniques that you have found to be most helpful in managing your child's behavior. Teachers appreciate this kind of practical wisdom and perhaps they can implement your techniques for the entire class.

   
Why is consistency important for ADHD ADD children?

The Key to Helping ADHD Children

Children with ADHD learn at a different pace than other children. Unless the teacher knows what teaching methods to use, the classroom can become a circus. Before teachers approach ADHD students, they first need to educate themselves on recognizing the symptoms of Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder. Next, they need to talk to parents or guardians about the severity of the condition and what techniques have proven to be effective. Find out if the child is on any medication; if so, ensure that the proper dispensary permission slips are on file. Set up the classroom in a way that it is appealing to all the students but especially to the students with ADHD. Help them to stay on task. This can be done in a few steps. Take a few minutes each day to set the pace in the classroom. Have an intervention on hand just in case things get a bit out of control.

   
How do most ADHD ADD children learn?

Many ADHD children are visual learners.

Many ADHD ADD children are VISUAL learners. Try making things more visual or tactile and they may grasp them better. Instead of memorizing words, ask them to " make a movie in their head and play it back". This will help them retain the information longer.

   
What is the best way to work with my child's teacher?

From School Daze to School Praise! The art of collaboration

Make your child's teacher your ally. Offer to share with the teacher the techniques that you have found to be most helpful in managing your child's behavior. Teachers appreciate this kind of practical wisdom and perhaps they can implement your techniques for the entire class.

   
How can I deal with my ADHD student better ?

Ideas on dealing with ADHD in the classroom

Expect your ADHD children to wiggle. They can't sit completely still, and even if they could, they would be concentrating so hard on doing that that all instructions would go out the window. If other students are distracted by them, put them in the back of the room so they can get up, lean against the wall, etc. If they get out of thier seat and wander around the room, make sure it is really interfering with instruction before you make them sit down. I know a student who moves to a different chair about every fifteen minutes, but the others have gotten used to this and he gets his work done, and that's what really counts.

   
How can I organize my possessions effectively?

Containing the mess ADHD children

"Out of sight, out of mind" is very true for people with ADHD. Things that get "put away" get forgotten or lost forever. As a result, things get left out in the open, the theory being that they are visible; therefore they cannot be lost. In truth, this rarely works. Use wire baskets or see-through containers as storage, putting similar items in the same container. Things will be neater and more manageable. It is a great help to people with ADHD ADD.

   
How can I help ADHD ADD students be more productive in class?

Work with your ADHD Students attention span.

Try to work within the ADHD child's attention span. Keep changing the type of work frequently and the ADHD child can continue to work productively. ADHD ADD Medication or natural alternatives is NOT the only solution. This will not only help your ADHD ADD students but will help keep the teaching material fresh and new for the other students.

   
What is an IEP?

Basic facts about IEP's

Many children with ADD fall within the guidelines of two laws - IDEA or Section 504 of the ADA. Both recognize ADD as a disability, and provide such individuals certain rights. An IEP is one of them. It is a document created by the school and the parents, describing the accommodations the school will make or provide in order to ensure that the child has an equal and fair opportunity for an education.

   
How can I create an effective study area for my ADD child?

How to make an effective study area for the ADHD child.

An effective study area is not always a desk in a quiet room with lots of light and no distractions.
Some kids with attention disorder need to get up and move while they study, or use music to filter out other more distracting noises. Still others ADHD children find a "well-lit" room to be too bright, and do their best work in softer light. Take your cues for a proper study environment from your attention deficit child, and let her/him decide how it's structured.

   
How can I encourage my distractible students to focus on lessons?

Attention, please. Teacher as Leader

AD/HD children crave relationship. Teachers are perfectly positioned to deliver positive commentary and even "create" success when the student is experiencing feelings of failure. Line-of-sight eye contact and allowing the child to meet success by "helping" in some way, lay the foundation for smoothing out the rough patches. Notice, notice, notice everything the child gets right and comment on it in a positive way. Meet the perennial response to your questions by AD/HD children that begin with: "I don't know," with the response: "It's okay not to know. That's a great starting point; I appreciate your honesty." This kind of opening goes a long way to securing the child's respect and cooperation.

   
How can games help my ADHD children in class?

Games for the entire class help ADHD students too

To help deal with ADHD more in a classroom setting get the whole class up and moving now and then. A two minute stretch in the middle of every period can do wonders for your class & your ADHD children.
Or, you can use games such as Around the World to practice math facts and get the kids moving at the same time. This is not only a great game but, a multisensory tool that ADHD children absorb very well.

   
How can I help my ADHD teenager adjust to high school better?

ADHD challenges in High School

Adjusting to high school successfully
In high school, grades take on new importance, and organizational and study skills are critical. Take time before school starts to help your ADHD child become comfortable with high school. Get them involved in a summer activity sponsored by the school (football, cheerleading, cross country). It will give them a chance to get to know the layout of the school, and to make friends from different grade levels as well.

   
How do I find out about learning styles?

What are learning styles for ADHD ADD?

Learning styles can be broken down into 3 categories: visual, auditory and kinetic. Visual learners learn best by seeing - pictures, charts, even word shapes. Auditory learners learn best by hearing - listening to a lecture, hearing the sounds that individual letters make. Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing - participating in a lab experiment, or tracing letters made out of sandpaper.

   
How can I help my ADHD child speak up?

ADHD children Learning to speak up

Growing up) - Learning to speak up
An important skill for ADHD kids to learn is how to respectfully speak up for themselves. By the time they reach middle school, ADHD children should be able to politely speak to a teacher or other adult when the situation warrants - such as when they need a special accommodation, or further explanation on an assignment. It is important that they are polite and respectful, but firm.

   
How can I help my ADD child be better organized at home?

Organizing at home a great ADHD help

Color coding each family member's belongings can help the whole house stay better organized. Assign each family member a color and then use that color for everything - towels, toothbrushes, sheets, notes on the calendar - even dots on the toes of socks. The ideas are endless, and you always know who left the wet towel on the bathroom floor!

   
How can I encourage my distractible students to focus on lessons?

Attention, please. Teacher as Leader

AD/HD children crave relationship. Teachers are perfectly positioned to deliver positive commentary and even "create" success when the student is experiencing feelings of failure. Line-of-sight eye contact and allowing the child to meet success by "helping" in some way, lay the foundation for smoothing out the rough patches. Notice, notice, notice everything the child gets right and comment on it in a positive way. Meet the perennial response to your questions by AD/HD children that begin with: "I don't know," with the response: "It's okay not to know. That's a great starting point; I appreciate your honesty." This kind of opening goes a long way to securing the child's respect and cooperation.

   
What is a reasonable accommodation for my ADD child?

What are reasonable ADD ADHD accommodations?

A reasonable accommodation for ADD ADHD is a change in expectations, or the way things are done, that takes a person's disability into account. It does not provide an advantage over others, but levels the playing field. A reasonable accommodation might be allowing extra time on a test, reducing the amount of homework to be done, or providing someone to read or write for the student.

   
How can I help my ADD child manage large school projects?

Big Homework project? Help your ADHD child......

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Tackle large projects the same way - break them down into smaller, more manageable pieces. This makes a big project seem less overwhelming and gives your ADHD
child a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment as each portion is complete.

   
How can I help my ADD child be better organized at school?

Organizing for school when you have ADHD ADD

Color coding your ADHD ADD child's school supplies can help them stay better organized at school. Assign a color to each subject, then purchase notebooks, folders, book covers and other supplies in each color. It can make the process of sorting papers, putting them away (and finding them again) much easier.

   
How can my child take notes better in class?

Notetaking strategies for the ADD ADHD student

Taking notes is an important part of classroom learning. A child with ADD ADHD, who may not be listening all the time, can miss important information. Some strategies to try include using a tape recorder to tape lectures, comparing notes with a "study buddy", learning to take notes in a different way, such as mind mapping, or employing active listening skills.

   
Do I need to listen to my child´s teacher about ADHD?

The teacher, your child and ADD ADHD

The teacher, your child and ADD
If your child's teacher suggests to you that your child may have ADD ADHD, try to keep an open mind and an even temper. Teachers are trained professionals, knowledgeable about kids and their behavior. They also spend 5 or 6 consecutive hours daily with your child. Remember that they can't diagnose ADHD. Only a professional psychologist or psychiatrist can asess & diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Do not be pressured by the school to put your child on medication. It is not thier place to decide what your child needs. If ADHD ADD is suspected please get to a professional that has the knowledge to detect it. Treating them with courtesy and respect can earn you and your child a valuable ally.

   
How do I have a positive conference with the teacher & my ADHD child?

ADHD child Parent-Teacher conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences) - Taking a meeting
Approach parent-teacher conferences for your ADD ADHD child like a business meeting, not a trip to the principal's office. Come prepared with a written list of questions for the teacher and any information about your ADD ADHD child that you would like to share. Take charge right from the start, and direct the meeting the way that you want it to go.

   
What is the best way to work with my child's teacher?

From School Daze to School Praise! The art of collaboration

Make your child's teacher your ally. Offer to share with the teacher the techniques that you have found to be most helpful in managing your child's behavior. Teachers appreciate this kind of practical wisdom and perhaps they can implement your techniques for the entire class.

   
How can I get the school to provide my child with accommodations?

How to get ADD ADHD Classroom accommodations

A child diagnosed as ADD ADHD is entitled to reasonable accommodations under the law. While getting schools to provide accommodations should not be an issue, it often is. Do not be intimidated by school officials who insist that they cannot provide what you request - they are often considering their budget rather than your child. Remember you are your child's best advocate.

   
How can I help my ADHD child do better in middle school?

ADHD Student & Middle school challenge

Some kids with ADHD begin to struggle in middle school. It is more of a challenge for them, and their grades begin to suffer. While the variety of classes, teachers and classmates may appeal to an ADHD kid, the logistics required to keep it all together may prove to be too much. Try to prepare them in advance as much as possible, and make organizational skills & note taking a priority.

   
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Lynda Moultry