Teachers and students with ADHD?
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.
349717
Collaborate with you special education teacher.
841065
Good Luck! I have a 15 yo with the same problem. He is ADHD with severe impulsivity and it has been a continuous battle to do any kind of school work. He would come up with all kinds of excuses about not doing his school work. I also didn't know what to do. So I started NOT letting him do anything. No TV, no video games (on TV or portable), no friends over, no going anywhere, nothing. He finally got the message. He told me he was going to give me "The Mean Mom" award because I wouldn't let him do anything or go anywhere. The thing was he knew most of the work, just had a hard time putting it on paper. He is in high school now and being homeschooled (which really works out much better). But the 'doing nothing' still stands if he doesn't do the work. He still has a problem with taking it out of his head and putting it on paper (he can tell you anything you want to know about his subjects, orally). But he has to put it on paper. But now he will sit down and do the work. I told him I was not having this foolishness anymore, I know he can do the work and if he wants any free time he'd better get it done.
1116995
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhd
1065221
It's not just you - I happen to agree also. When my son was in first grade the school started in on me to have him diagnosed as ADHD & "suggested" medication - turned out the child had a severe vision problem that normal screening didn't catch & he could not see! I stuck to my guns & told them no drugs, & no, he didn't have a behavior disorder - & I was right! \nEverybody wants a "quick fix" as you said - from everything to making kids behave to losing weight. Take these pills & you'll feel/look/act all better!! It's like Jack & the Magic Beans!! lol And it doesn't always work.\nKids receive little to no discipline at home, the teachers are so busy trying to keep their classrooms disciplined that they can't teach so they learn very little & with TV being the best babysitter on the planet, children don't develop attention spans anymore. They can't sit still & pay attention because no one taught them how to do that. Parents have got to start teaching their children self-discipline at home!!\nOkay, I'll get down off my soapbox now - but yes, ADHD is too widely used as a diagnosis to cover a whole host of ills these days. \nAll I can say is do what you can with your own children & hope other parents will begin to do the same with theirs.
1055332
Well I am a teacher and I would imagine the school reports are correct, but I would also say that the psychiatrist is probably right too. Teachers and psychiatrist are both university trained and specialised in their field. There is every chance that your daughter is  good at maths, science AND art. People can be good at lots of things, not just one particular subject.
370654
i guess it depends. how did you arrive at the conclusion that this little one has ADHD? is this only one doctor's opinion? and have you come to this only after pursuing a new diet for her? (lots of parents say that diet can help quite a bit--you'll have to google ADHD and Diet.) \n\nand why does this doctor think she has ADHD? has he/she done a battery of tests on her, or is this based on a simple visit? what has gotten you to this point? most children aren't diagnosed with ADHD until they become a disruptive presence in a classroom, so what are this little girl's symptoms? did you get to this because you were fed up with her behavior and the doctor is trying to make things better for you? \n\nhere's my take on it: i have taught in schools with kids diagnosed ADHD. some of them i believe truly had a chemical imbalance, and the drug worked on them. but most of them were having a range of behaviors that were disruptive, but mostly because of the environment. one study i read about said that ADHD symptoms might disappear for boys who take a 40-minute walk with their fathers in the woods before school. so it it really that this girl is in an environment that doesn't suit her temperament, or is being expected to behave contrary to her nature because of the adults around her? \n\nif you are having doubts about medicating your child, then you obviously have reservations. and thus, perhaps you shouldn't. i would certainly say that if it were my 3-yr old, i would be pursuing all kinds of research on alternatives to try first. because drugs should only be because nothing else works. if i've tried a few different diets suggested by researchers and given it a good long time to work, if i've tried hard to be more patient, and i've worked on adjusting her environment, if i've asked her what she thinks about it, and i've experimented with behavior management--then i'd consider pills. but not before.
863519
I don't think that slowing down is the answer, but letting off the pressure is.  I am a Texas teacher and have felt the pressure to have ALL my students pass a test.  I do believe that the medicating of the ADHD (which schools cannot legally diagnose, only doctors can) is not the answer for the kids, but differetiating instruction often enough to keep their attention is. \n\nFor the past 3 years I taught at a school with low economic status, actually the poorest in our county, and a large majority of the students enrolled were native Spanish speakers.  I had students that enrolled in our school as late as January from Mexico and they had to take the Reading TAKS test in English.  A miracle to pass!  I think that there is too much pressure on both the students and the teachers on this stupid test.  I have argued that the TAKS is not the answer, but I can't think of a better way to ensure that students are performing on grade level across a large population.  Before the exit level tests were instated students were graduating without basic skills.  How?  I don't know how the teachers passed them on, but I do speculate that they were behavior problems and they were glad to get rid of them.  (The behavior was probably a reaction to not understanding the content.)\n\nAs for your son, help him as much as you can without adding to the pressure.  Ensure him that he can do the work.  Believe in him and let him know you also understand the difficulty of the school work.  Speak with his teacher and get on the same team.  Nothing is more detrimental to your son's education than you guys being on different teams.  When the teacher backs you up at school, and you back her up at home, he has no choice than to perform up to the expectations!  Good luck!
147275
i think add is highly over diagnosed and unnecesary. people will blame anything on add, when really there is usually another problem. add was not even an illness in the DSM until recently (even considering the fact that it was changed from adhd) people need to get over this whole add obsession and figure out the real problem as to why their child isn't doing well in school. if i were in school today i would probably be considered add (which i'm not)
975819
Dyslexic students have extra learning perception, listening and observation, They get a slow start reading and catch up with peers later, unless it is diagnosed early.\n\nAttention deficit disorder is becoming more common due to diet and electronic gadgets. All except for real ADD patients, which are rare, children respond well to diet, active exercise, meditation, and less electronic exposure.\n\nThey should avoid all TV, Trash music and video gaming until their nervous system is balanced.\n\nMedia and gaming have the potential to help, but it's the design of the programming which sets them into a neurotic whirlwind.\n\nCalming music, and environment is best. Some children also react nervously in high emotional settings, such as conflicting siblings and stressed out parents.\n\nDiet isssues start with the parents habits. They serve as models in every activitiy around the home. \n\nA child may be behaving badly to get attention. The child's behavoir is supported by the reactions of the parents. The nervous behavoir may be a method the child uses to control or effect the parent.\n\nSo, please seek professional services to identify the source of the problem. Stop feeding your kids cola. Stop yelling. Learn to be calm assertive with the children.\n\nTo be the best parent please seek professional advice.
399103
It really depends on the health condition involved.  The most common is ADHD. The best help for ADHD is to teach the child compensating strategies like chunking assignments, pacing work and breaks, figit toys and special seating, etc.\n\nFor other conditions, it is really something you have to go by "feel". Some of the more common conditions (e.g. fatiguing issues like cancer, etc.) have websites helping educators...you can also use tips on parenting from parent support groups and modify them for the classroom.
915741
What Are the Symptoms?\n\nThe symptoms of ADHD include inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity that are inappropriate for a person's age level. \n\nChildren who have ADHD often:\n\nAre easily distracted by sights and sounds in their environment. \nAre unable to concentrate for long periods of time on low stimulation tasks (homework vs. video games). \nAre restless and impulsive. \nHave a tendency to daydream. \nAre slow to complete tasks. \nAdults who have ADHD often:\n\nMiss work deadlines.\nMiss appointments.\nAppear hectic and disorganized.\nHave significant problems prioritizing. \nSymptoms of ADHD in adults and children\n\nYou must got to a physiologist or a ph\nphycartist and have the test done formally.
263289
I had a math teacher, I actually felt sorry for him. He could not control the class at all. He would write on the board and there would be spit wads all over the board and in his hair. It was impossible to learn anything in his class. Some people just don't belong in the teaching profession.
1007927
Contact someone at the college:\n\nhttp://ods.dept.uncg.edu/eligible/adhd.guidelines.html
208262
Sweetone referred you to the DSM-IV.  That is the Daignostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition.  YOu will find a copy in any university library if they offer a teachign degree or degrees in psychology.  \n\nThey are two separate categories, though connected - ADHD includes hypercativity while ADD does not.  They aren't necessarily identified as specific learning disabilities - there is not yet agreement about that.  The terms did not really come into common usage until the 1980's and it was not really until the 1990's that most people involved in he school system for example would have heard of them.\n\nMany people believe as one of the previous posters does, that these disorders do not exist.  However, recent research using the latest MRI and other imaging technology has showm differences in brain function and brain activity in individuals with ADHD and ADD.\n\nThe websites I've attached may help you.
215533
ADD/ADHD is VERY real. It is an imbalance in function between different parts of the brain. Stimulants (caffiene, medications, etc.) bring the "slower" areas into closer functioning with the "faster" areas, allowing the brain sections to communicate better and reducing distractibility, fidgeting, confusion, etc. \n\nThere are many good educational programs for children to learn to deal with their symptoms. "How Does Your Engine Run" is a good one (check with Occupational Therapists). \n\nMedication is a decision to make with your physician. Because it is not always clear how each medicine affects different areas of the brain, and because each and every person with ADHD has different combinations of active/inactive areas of the brain, often several medications must be tried, at different doses, before symptoms are relieved. Some people do not benefit from currently available medications. Do NOT stay with a medicine if it is not relieving symptoms, or if the side effects are not acceptable. Medication is a tool, not a requirement. \n\nShop for a good school in your area, with good teachers who understand and know how to work with people living with ADHD. Insist that the school OT evaluate your child for Sensory Integration Dysfunction, and that your child be placed on either a 504 plan or recieve an IEP (your child qualifies for this help under "other health impaired" through the Individuals with Disabilities Act/IDEA) to ensure teachers are giving the classroom and instructional modifications that will best help your child learn.\n\nGood luck.
248864
There is a great camp in NE Pennsylvania called Camp Shohola for boys they have been around since 1941. I know that they have kids there with ADHD and they enjoy themsleves while at camp. There website is http://www.shohola.com