Getting ADD Kids Attention at Home and in School
Strategies to Promote Learning in ADD Children
Oct 16, 2008
Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without hyperactivity, is characterized as having an inattentive and impulsive nature. Children who suffer from ADD or ADHD are extremely active, fidgety, talkative, and restless. They have difficulty paying attention, forget things easily, and interrupt others.
Getting a proper diagnosis and thinking seriously about the right combination of medication, diet, and discipline for a child is the first step parents must take before tackling larger issues.
Forging Positive Relationships with Teachers
ADD kids are often very intelligent children. They just have a hard time focusing and harnessing their energies into reading, studying, organization and homework. There are many ways in which parents can encourage a happy relationship between teachers and the ADD student.
- Open a line of communication between teachers, principals, and school counselors. Parents should be intricately involved in their child’s life and support strategies, to help both child and teacher cope to have a successful school year.
- If the child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), consider reviewing it with faculty before the start of the school year. If the child does not have an IEP, think about researching the process for him to obtain one. IEPs bring together parents and teachers to discuss a child’s problems and achievements and to set goals and strategies for the school year.
- Parents should speak to the child’s teacher about refraining from humiliating the student when he misbehaves or acts out. Encourage teachers to speak to the child privately and quietly.
- Parents should help their child appreciate that teachers are human beings trying to do their best on any given day.
- Suggest to teachers that they can give the child a pass to use once daily to exit the classroom and take a brief walk around campus to ease anxiety and release energy.
- Talk to the teacher about letting the child take tests or do other solo activities in a quiet place, such as a special corner of the classroom or in the hallway, to give them the mental peace they need to complete the assignment.
- Talk to teachers about letting the child focus his energies on helping the class, like passing out papers, sharpening pencils, or taking roll.
- Ask teachers to give instructions directly to the ADD student, looking him in the eyes to make sure he understands.
- Ask teachers to post class rules in short phrases as a reference point when the ADD child (or any child) misbehaves.
- Encourage teachers to allow students to participate in hands-on activities, like art projects, putting on a play or counting with beans.
How Parents Can Be Involved in an ADD Kid’s School Life
Besides the above suggestions, there are things that parents can do between themselves and their child to excite, encourage, and inspire him to do well in school.
- Involve the child: buy school supplies together, and let them pick how they want to organize their paperwork. The more involved they are, the more they will actually want to keep things neat.
- Teach a child how to write assignments and tests on a calendar or daily planner. Remind him to check it daily.
- Ask frequent questions when a child is reading aloud or learning to read, to capture and recapture his attention time and again. Ask about the characters, the plot, the pictures, and what they think might happen next. This keeps him interested and motivated.
- Talk to the ADD child about what he enjoys and what he doesn’t, and offer support and encouragement.
- Turn learning into a game by playing word games, doing puzzles, reading for pleasure, and creating acronyms for difficult to learn phrases.
- Start a homework group so the child can learn from other children, and make a few friends along the way.
- Let him read about things he enjoys. If he likes sports, let him read about sports.
Other Strategies to Capture ADD Kids Attention at Home
Parents can also encourage learning by turning off the television, video games, and music. All of those things serve as constant background noise and distract a child from completing his tasks. Give the child simple tasks one at a time to better the chances that he will focus and remember to do it. Make a chart where he can put a sticker under each task he completes every day. The checklist can include brushing teeth, taking a bath, finishing homework, taking out the trash, and so on. Challenge your child to finish tasks by setting an alarm or putting his favorite music on during chores.
Not only can children with Attention Deficit Disorder be successful in school, they are capable of having a bright future as long as parents and teachers are willing to cooperate. There are many strategies to encourage, challenge, and focus the ADD child’s attention.
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Challenges of Parenting an ADD/ADHD Child
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