ADHD and School

School is often the environment that is the most difficult for children with ADHD. It may be that the schools may have been the first to note your child's behavior as being problematic or a cause for concern. When you stop to think about the skills needed for school success, it is easy to see why children with ADHD have problems in that environment.

To be successful in school, children must:

• have sustained attention
• be able to wait their turn
• stay seated
• not talk out of turn
• respect authority figures
• follow directions correctly
• be able to finish projects
• have acceptable social skills
• have acceptable handwriting and submit neatly written papers

CH.A.D.D. (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) has a list of 50 tips for classroom management of attention deficit disorders. Even though this list was written for teachers, parents can use the same ideas at home.

Most authorities now believe the key symptoms are far more complex than the term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder implies. The attention features of the disorder reveal more typically inconsistency rather than deficiency. ADHD involves not only impairments in attention and behavior control, but a wide variety of cognitive functions which affect organizational skills.

Most children (and adults) with ADHD have difficulty with the concept of time. Many researchers report that children with ADHD have great difficulty with executive skills. These skills include planning ahead, time management, and the ability to break tasks down into manageable segments so that a project or an assignment reaches completion. Children with ADHD rarely speak about their plans for the future unless they are prompted. Rarely do they prepare for school tests on their own. Children with ADHD seem to live in the moment without regard for impending academic doom!

ADHD is recognized as a disability under federal legislation (The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Section 504; the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - IDEA). Appropriate and reasonable accommodations can be requested if a child is failing school requirements or needs the accommodation to work more efficiently and productively.

CH.A.D.D. Has a discussion of legal rights and services for children with ADHD. If you are needing help in learning about these laws and how to advocate for your child, please contact:

PTI Nebraska (Parents Training and Information)
6805 Grover St
Omaha, NE 68106
402-346-9233 or Toll-free: 888-490-9233
info@pti-nebraska.org

A technical assistance document entitled, Guide for Educators and Parents in Nebraska Public Schools; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is available from:

Nebraska Department of Education
301 Centennial Mall South
P. O. Box 94987
Lincoln, NE 68509-4987
402-471-2471

A free copy is available upon request. The document contains information for parents and includes examples of accommodations which can be requested in the regular classroom for students with disabilities such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).