ADHD and How It Affects Our Kids!

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD… How many times have we heard this term in the past 25 years?  When I was a child, you really didn’t hear the term at all.  The medication for the disorder was likely some form of punishment for misbehavior, and you often heard the term “just concentrate.”  Now I’ve never been formally tested for ADHD, but I can tell you right now that I suffer from it.  One minute in my mind would confirm my self-diagnosis.  If I could capture all the ideas and thoughts that constantly bombard my brain, I could accomplish so much in my life. 

For the most part, I assume I have learned to cope with my problem with concentration.  Many of our students do have ADHD, and it is causing havoc in their lives every day.  I recently worked with a bright young man, and I know is he capable of being successful in school.  His mother is a “SUPER MOM,” and she does everything within her power to make sure her child is coping with his disorder.  As I observed the struggles he faces even in a one-on-one session, I wonder how does he keep up in the regular classroom with many more distractions.  The thought is sobering for the student and the teacher who has the task of making sure he is learning and mastering standards.  

I cannot tell you how many times I have answered the phone with my sister on the other end of it, saying at the top of her vocal registry,  “You have got to DO something with your nephew RIGHT NOW!” Like I was supposed to magically “FIX” him.  I would talk to him, and then we would set off to accomplish what he had “forgotten” to tell his mom.  I will say we completed the research for a science fair project in one night using all our random Facebook friends, and he won 1st place in the district.  So, even though my sister almost had a nervous breakdown, we did it!  It’s not that my nephew doesn’t want to do well in school, he simply lost track of the fact he had a project due.  

My son grew up in a small town and went to a rural high school.  He always waited until the last minute, but he managed to pull off making the grades I expected “most of the time.”  However, when he arrived at the University of Alabama, his disorder kicked in full speed ahead.  He found himself struggling for the first time.  He was also diagnosed with ADHD. It has been a challenge for him to concentrate and stay focused on “mundane” materials.  This is definitely a challenge in college where the material is often difficult to understand.  My son’s favorite coping strategy was to “drop the class” and “take it again later.” Costly strategy, I must say.  

So, what does a regular teacher do when there are ADHD students in the classroom?  After all, not all parents can afford a private tutor and someone to follow the ADHD student throughout the day (my sister excluded).  Many parents feel so frustrated with the struggles their children face daily at school as a result of their struggles with ADHD.  Teachers feel they cannot cope with all of the accommodations needed for students with ADHD to be successful.  Here are some strategies I believe have helped some of the students I know who struggle with ADHD (myself included).

• A daily planner and time for the student to make a written daily plan of objectives and assignments that must be completed.
• A syllabus for the parent with due dates clearly indicated for major projects.
• A peer assigned to help the student with reading, math, and other subjects when needed.  
• Accommodations and alternative assignment choices that best exemplify the student’s cognitive strengths.  
• A well-planned intervention system when the student needs just a little extra help in learning the required standards or completing the required assignments, including assessments.

None of the strategies listed should be excluded from all students, but the strategies are very important for the student who is struggling with ADHD.  I actually used all these strategies in my regular science classroom for years.  The strategies worked for my inclusion students as well as my regular students.  When we can do more for our students to help them cope with all the various problems they bring to our classroom, we help them be successful.  In doing so, we also become more effective as educators.  ADHD is a diagnosis for a disorder, but it does not have to define our students.