My 11yr old son is  ADHD and in special education. What will his life be after school?
112002
love him and support him and then find out
832099
Im not sure where you live, but  in North Carolina, USA, in conjunction with "no child left behind", children with special needs, such as a medically diagnosed ADHD, qualify for an Individualized Education Program.   IEP children are not necessarily taken out of the classroom, but the parent, principal, and teacher all get together and make a written statement of goals and how to achieve them with your child.  in the iep, the parent must also help the child in the afterschool hours to learn.   ADHD isn't an excuse for doing poorly.  You might also try an afterschool tutoring program like Sylvan leaning centers.
742841
There are lots of good answers above here.  I think that if he is doing well academically, he is probably bored with the curriculum and needs more of a mental challenge.  Additionally, gifted children are often socially immature, and this can be overwhelming for a child.  A 5 year old does not have the presence of mind to self correct their behavior--think of how hard it is for you as an adult to cope with your feelings of overwhelm when they happen.\n\nWhen talking to him about his bad behavior, ask him questions about what was happening when he had his meltdowns.  He will not know how to answer "why" he did them, but by asking the right questions, you may be able to determine a pattern that triggers the "overhwhelm"--transitional times, loud times, unstructured times in the school day, etc.  Answers to these types of questions may help you, as the adult, to help him identify his behavior patterns and self-correct.  This takes YEARS of learning for the little guys, and you'll need to be patient.  Get help from a counselor if you can to see if you can nip it in the bud before it becomes full-blown oppositional-defiant behavior, much harder to correct as they get older.\n\nYour little boy is probably gifted--do some research on the net to see how best to support him as he grows!\n\nGood luck!\n\nP.S. You also should talk to the school about their discipline policy.  It seems to me that an in-school suspension is NOT age-appropriate.  Are they actually using effective methods of discipline when dealing with your son?
39432
I had as a child, and still have ADD.  Trust me, there was a distinct difference in what I dealt with.\n\nIn fact, I was taken to the Child Study Center when I was in fourth grade because of my school problems.\n\nMom recently told me about one of the problems that I would have.  I would stand up during class(elementary school) and walk around the room.  From memories about later school years, I probably just blanked out.  This wasn't a matter of lacking discipline or self-discipline.  It was more like I shifted to another mental state and the rest of the world disappeared.  How do you beat that out of someone?  It would be like beating a dyslexic kid into reading.\n\nI'm sure that it's overdiagnosed and overprescribed.  But this has more to do with our having a private health care system that encourages using pills to solve problems; as opposed to the socialized system in many of the first world countries where the culture of pill popping isn't as strong as it is here.  (In Canada, medical care is paid for but not prescriptions.  Doctors are more likely to look for non-prescription solutions there)
890946
Oh I have to beg to differ with you.  My late husband was in a special ed class because he could not keep up with a regular class.  He graduated from high school went on to college and moved out on his own, he had a good job we got married unfortumnately he passed away 9 months after we were married.  My nephew was in a special ed class and he is now in college studying to be a marine biologist.  Special ed does not mean that they will not make anything of themselves.  It just means that they need more attention than a teacher of a class of 30+ students can give the one student.
117415
yeah, i can help.  i can help you be a better parent by giving you some advice:  don't do your son's homework for him.  you are sending him to school to learn, aren't you?  how is he going to ever learn how to do anything if you spend days doing his work for him?  \n\nsure, he might end up with an A in first grade, but who cares about what you got in first grade?  you could make an argument that grades are important to his future if they are high school grades, but it's far more important that he actually *learn* things at this age.\n\nsheesh.
134626
netboy12121, very well put from the students perspective. Very seldom do we see this.  I do work with special needs and individuals with disabilities, and we do try to impliment a normal or close to normal class room atmospher. Educators from k-12 up into the college levels are basically lazy when they have to work with people with special needs.  But guess what? its the law, they must accomidate all students.\n  Check wth your local scholl system and find out who is incharge of their special needs program.  Tell them you want an IEP (individual education program) for your child. By law they must provide this service for you.  If you are unable to find a school or services the meet your needs, contact your local Health and Human Social Service Department. They'll give you all types of information and contacts.  You may also check into your states local DVR (Department of vocational Rehabilitaion) service. Unfortunately there is usally a waiting list for their services, but get on it.  Hope I was able to help.
53744
My son was diagnosed with D. in the third grade. Does your school have a class designed to tutor you? My son had to have assignments and tests read to him, and he was allowed to answer verbally. He taped the classes. Some assignments were altered. Not made easier, but if it required alot of writing, he was able to use a computer. We even homeschooled for 5 years.  We found a curriculum that was alot of hands on experiences.  It is hard. Hang in there, you're an inspiration to someone watching you.
146330
I have a 26 yr old son with Autism and ADD and he is the biggest blessing in my life.  Try to find support from other parents in your community.  Check out www.PHP.com (there are groups like PHP all over North America.\nAlso I love the books  "Laughing & Loving with Autism" by R. Wayne Gilpin.  Also read "Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew" by Ellen Notbohm.  I also used prayer to help us through the rough spots...there is light at the end of the tunnel..  Autistic kids are truly wonderful...write down what they do and say...we used sign language until our son could talk and it worked very well.
271928
He can get into most colleges and universities with a GED, but that's not the only issue of concern for him (and you). What does he intend to do in lieu of attending classes? Does he have a job? Is he interested in going to college later on? How is his social development? Will he be completely cut off from his peer group when he drops out of high school or does he have a wide circle of friends outside of school? These are some questions you should both consider carefully, but it's your life (and his) and your decision to make. I hope it works out for both of you.
508851
go to his pediatrician. The pediatrician should refer you.\ni think public schools might be able to offer some type of service as well.. not sure about that.. but 1st check with his pediatrician..\n\ngood luck..\n\nand note for ibitecareful.. you idiot.. there is such a thing called adhd for children.. if you are not going to answer properly to this person whom is asking for help.. don't both answering with stupid answers.. maybe you need you butt smacked you useless fool!!
621379
i had a friend with dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyspraxia... the only thing that worked for him to learn was repeated hands on teaching, he also had to be very very interested in what he was learning, because then he would try his hardest to actually comprehend the information given to him. this is a very difficult situation because most children at the age of 10-15 do not enjoy 90% of what is being taught to them.  My recommendation is to have a teacher that he/she  likes.  Someone who is willing to sit down and teach them 1 on 1 and have a lot of patience.  This person also should be very creative with the way he or she teaches due to the backwards mindset of these disorders. The ADD will make it harder to concentrate, but it shouldn't be as much of an issue if the teacher is animated as well.  I know what you are thinking... where can I find someone like that, and as for that i don't know. The one teacher's attention divided among 23 students, i think will not work
653696
DON'T WAIT UNTIL HE STARTS SCHOOL!\n\nEarly intervention is key in cases of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Nonverbal Learning Disorder, and delayed speech.\n\nPlease ask her to take the following steps immediately:\n\nFind a pediatrician that specializes in children with developmental disabilities.\n\nContact the school system for a complete evaluation (this is free, and could have been before the child trained 3!).\n\nThe school system will choose a team of professionals to evaluate the child, including, but not limited to a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, a school adjustment counselor, a school psychologist, a teacher and an expert in special education.  His parents  will be part of the team, and they may bring any experts they so choose to the team meetings.\n\nThe child's new pediatrician will submit a recommendation for the services the child needs.  The child may require an independent evaluation by additional specialists (pediatric neurologist, etc. to develop a treatment plan.\n\nMake sure that the team adopts the recommendations of his pediatrician and specialists in their entirety; appeal the team's decision, if necessary.\n\nThe team will develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that specifies the services to be provided and the frequency of the provision, as well as the modifications that will be made to "regular" education to accommodate him.\n\nHis parents have the right to accept or reject the IEP, in whole or in part, and appeal same, in whole or in part.  If they choose to appeal and another, independent evaluation is required, the school must pay for the evaluation.\n\nThe school system is required BY LAW to provide early intervention services beginning at age 3, so he will probably begin in a special program, immediately.\n\nThis is a very complex subject not easily dealt with in this forum, however the above is a start.  DON'T WAIT!
621732
My son is adhd and does all those things as well it is his abilty to focus and stay on task
528241
You have a very difficult situation and empathize with you for that.  I do not know enough about your son to know if he is capable of learning how to read and write at a level where he could function in society on his own.  If he is having positive relationships and friendships at school, I suggest you allow him to continue going.  The social aspect of a childhood is vital to development.  It is important for him to understand the context that he is brought up in.  It is is important, however, that he get used to learning and studying, I whatever level he is capable.  If he is ready to play, but not to study, try to be creative and find things for him to learn that are also fun.  this way, learning and playing can be brought together.  Once he starts learning things for fun, it may be easier to persuade him to learn things that are not more fun.  As always, patience is essential.  Best wishes.
650663
My son has ADHD, in the worst way. It is very very hard. Especially when he has a schedule to follow. Most tasks are very hard for him to complete because he is so easily distracted. He is 7 and is on medication, and even that isn't 100% effective. You take a deep breath, and tell yourself they are not doing IT to irritate YOU, they just can't help it. \n\nGood luck, let me know how it goes.
740872
my son was promoted to the second grade barely knowing his alphabet and numbers. i also decided not to medicated during second grade. towards the end of the school year it would break my heart to hear my son say that he was stupid because he didn't know what his classmates did. i finally put him on ritalin. OMG!! what a change. he went from getting 20's and 30's (even with 501 modifications) to getting 70's and 80's. he has been taking the meds ever since. he is now a sophomore in hs taking regular classes and thinking of going to college. i highly recommend medicating IF the need is there. you need to take your child to a child psychologist who specializes in add/adhd. they cannot prescribe meds but can recommend. best of luck and tell your daughter to hang in there.