ADHD and School Success - Yes, it is Possible!

A day in school requires sustained attention, sitting quietly and refined social skills - all of which ADHD children tend to have great difficult mastering. With a teamwork approach to education, solid communication and a few tried and try tips, the education process does not need to be an exercise in frustration for the student, parent or teacher.

To help ease the strains of ADHD and the school setting, try these back-to-school tips to encourage a successful school year. Communicate Early and Often with the Teacher: Teachers need to know early of any issues that might create an education obstacle and ADHD most certainly falls into that category. Ideally, parents should meet with the child's teacher early in the school year to develop an early line of communication, head off potential problems and allow a proactive approach with the child’s education. In addition to communicating information to the teacher, seasoned teachers can often provide information that will help parents.

The time-constricted parent/teacher conferences, typically held after the first grading period, may not provide enough time to discuss the particular strengths and weaknesses of child.

Additionally, your child might already be marked as a troublemaker or a slacker by that time. Undoing that label may not be as easy after one fourth of the school year already gone.

Understand Today's Classroom: In any given classroom, teachers likely have a couple ADHD students, a few more with unique emotional obstacles or educational special needs and then about 20 other "average" students. As parents, we know the extra dose of patience and understanding needed in working with the ADHD child. We also know (all too well, I am afraid), that our patience can be pushed to the absolute limit. Teachers face the same issues, and then some.

Patience is a Two-Way Street: Just as parents ask for patience and understanding with their ADHD child, teachers should also receive patience and understanding. A relationship built on the single goal of teaching the ADHD child benefits the child more than teachers and parents finger-pointing at each other over the educational process.

Be Goal-Oriented: If you do have a conflict with the teacher, try to approach the problem in a positive light. The teacher might tell you that your child will not stay in his seat, pokes at other students or is heading straight for a detention. Instead of focusing on the immediate problem at hand, focus on action plans to modify the behavior.

Homework Tips for Parents: Try these homework tips to ease the strain at home.
- Establish a Set Homework Routine: Because the ADHD child functions best in a consistent environment, homework should be done in the same place, at the same time and for a set amount of time every day.
- Clear the Clutter at Home: The child's work area should be free of distractions, such as televisions, video games, music and other people.
- Mandatory Homework Time: Establishing a set amount of time to work on homework provides consistency while discouraging the child from rushing through homework. In general, elementary school children should spend about 30 minutes each night on homework. Middle school and high school students should spend about one hour on homework. If the child does not have homework that evening or they finish before the allotted time, the child can read until their mandatory homework time is over.
- "Chunk" Tasks and Schedule Breaks: Long-range tasks are often difficult for the ADHD child.

"Chunking" homework helps break the homework into smaller, more manageable pieces. A 20 -problem math assignment, for instance, can be broken into four chunks of five problems each, with a small break given between chunks.
- Rewards/Consequences: The ADHD child needs all the rewards they can get, along with firm and consistent consequences. Modest rewards like a treat, special priveledge, earning Gameboy play time or the right to choose a favorite dinner can motivate the child to work toward the goal of completing his homework. Remember to offer intangible rewards like smiles and praise when your child puts the effort into completing his homework. A "way to go" goes a long way in positive reinforcement for Attention Deficit Disorder children. Effective consequences for not completing homework are losing phone, computer, stereo and television privileges for the evening.
- Remain Calm: Once you start yelling, the child has won the homeowrk power struggle. Remain calm and firm yet consistent with consequences. It may take a couple "consequence" days before the child to realize completing homework is better than not doing homework.
- Focus on Effort Instead of Grades: Don't get hung up on the traditional grading scale. Your ADHD child may not be able to receive "A"s on every homework and school assignment. Do make sure to give your ADHD child an "A" for effort. The goal is to develop a solid homework habit. With a homework habit established, better grades will follow.
- Keep Track of Assignments: Using an assignment book helps parents keep track of the child's daily and weekly homework. If the teacher does not use an assignment book, try to develop a system that keeps you informed of your child's homework assignments. Classroom Tips for Teachers: These tips, though specifically targeted for teaching children with Attention Deficit Disorder, can help all students in school.
- Reduce the Classroom Clutter: Keep classroom ornamentation to a minimum, clear your desk of piles and reduce anything that will take the student’s attention away from the work at hand.
- Reduce Worksheet Clutter: Keep classroom and homework page formats simple. Reducing the clutter on worksheets will work wonders.
- Choose seating arrangements wisely: Back row or middle of the room seating gives ADHD children too many distractions. You should also try to seat ADHDchildren far away from students (friends and enemies alike) that can add to distractions and closer to well-focused students.
- Highlight Succes:Children ADHD are no strangers to scoldings and trouble. Continuing the scoldings and reprimands rarely brings positive results. Instead, highlight the student’s successes. Give the student a smile. Make an effort to show you find value in them. If you put the extra effort into the ADHD child, they will try to return the favor.
- Choose Your Battles: Try not to confront the ADHD child for every little classroom infraction. Separating out the big things from the little will save your voice and patience while saving the ADHD child from constant reprimand.
- Understand the need for movement: If your ADHD student seems exceptionally fidgety, select him to run an errand. Allow this student an extra bathroom break. Suggest that he get up and take a drink of water. Anything that will allow the ADHD student a moment to get the wiggles out and refocus will benefit not only him, but you and the classroom as a whole. Enjoy the peace and quiet while he is away.

Freelance journalist Jeannine Virtue moderates the Attention Deficit Disorder Help Center at www.add-adhd-help-center.com. To receive a Free ADHD Help eBook, go to www.add-adhd-help-center.com/newsletters/welcome.htm

Related Information of Interest:

Marching Along
1. In England, until the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752, March was considered what month of the calendar year?
A. First
B. Fourth
C. Eighth
D. Last

A. First
QQ: In England, until the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752, March was considered the first month with the legal year beginning on March 25.

2. What animal is honored on March 1?
A. Pig
B. Horse
C. Cow
D. Chicken

A. Pig
QQ: March 1 is National Pig Day. It was started by Texas art teacher Ellen Stanley in 1972 to honor and give thanks to our most intelligent domesticated creature.

3. Also known as St. David's Day, what country holds March 1 as its National Day?
A. Ireland
B. England
C. Wales
D. Scotland

C. Wales
QQ: March 1, St. David's Day, is the national day of Wales. St. David was the founder and first abbot-bishop of Menevia, now St. David's in Dyfed, South Wales. The day is commemorated by the wearing of daffodils or leeks. Both plants are traditionally regarded as national emblems.

4. What organ of the body is honored the third week in March?
A. Heart
B. Skin
C. Lungs
D. Brain

D. Brain
QQ: The third week of March is Brain Awareness Week in support of brain disease and research.

5. What favorite food is honored in March?
A. Soup
B. Eggs
C. Steak
D. Noodles

D. Noodles
QQ: As legend has it, noodles were first made by 13th century German bakers who fashioned dough into symbolic shapes, such as words, birds and stars. These "nudels" were then baked and served as bread. March national noodle month.

6. According to Roman mythology, Mars is the God of War. He was also regarded as what?
A. Father of Rome
B. Destroyer of Rome
C. Founder of Rome
D. Builder of Rome

A. Father of Rome
QQ: One of the most important Roman deities, Mars was regarded as the father of the Roman people because he was the father of Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. Although his original nature and functions are obscure, Mars was identified by the Romans with the Greek god of war, Ares. The month of March was named for Mars.

7. The week of March 20-26 is designated to honor what childhood pastime?
A. Chewing Gum
B. Bubbles
C. Slinky
D. Yoyo

B. Bubbles
QQ: March 20 to 26, 2004, is "National Bubble Week," the week for kids of all ages to celebrate the fun and enchantment of bubbles. The first-ever Bubble Week was in 2000 and was initiated by Oddzon, makers of Koosh Bubbles. The event was created to herald the first day of spring -- the unspoken first day of the bubble-blowing season.

8. March has its own insect, the March ____. What is it?
A. Bee
B. Moth
C. Beetle
D. Fly

D. Fly
QQ: There are about 119,500 known species of flies and they make up the fourth largest insect order, after the beetles, butterflies and moths, and bees and wasps.

9. What piece of foul weather gear is honored in the month of March?
A. Raincoat
B. Galoshes
C. Rubber boots
D. Umbrella

D. Umbrella
QQ: March is national umbrella month As a shade from the sun, the umbrella is of great antiquity. It is only more recently we have come to see the umbrella as protection from rain.

10. What favorite snack food is honored in the month of March?
A. Corn chips
B. Popcorn
C. Peanuts
D. Cheese curds

C. Peanuts
QQ: March is National Peanut Month. National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941. It was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1974.

You can enjoy more trivia created by Deanna Mascle at A Trivia Break, The QuizQueen, and Trivial Topics. Submitted with Article Distributor.

Go for low-cholesterol diet
Question : I HAVE numbness in my hands especially the fingers. Could it be due to hypercholesterolemia? My total blood cholesterol is slightly above 200mg/dl and I just had my gall bladder removed last month. Please advise.

Answer : NUMBNESS is often associated with or preceded by abnormal pain-like sensations often described as pins and needles, prickling or burning sensations. Any numbness requires prompt medical advice as it could be a sign or symptom of other diseases. This condition may be caused by several factors, including lack of blood supply to the affected area, nerve injury and metabolic disturbances such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, alcoholism and malnutrition. Numbness can be a result of high cholesterol levels in blood. If plaque is blocking the flow of blood to your feet and legs, a fairly common condition called peripheral vascular disease will occur.

Since you have a high cholesterol level and had your gall bladder removed, you should cut down the intake of oil. A high-fat diet can stimulate bile acid secretion and this can irritate the gut. Additionally, a high intake of unsaturated fat can increase the cholesterol levels. Supplementing your diet with lecithin would be beneficial. Its main constituent, phosphatidyl choline, has the ability to increase the solubility of cholesterol and break down the fatty deposits in the bloodstream. This reduces the risk of cholesterol plaque formation.

You should incorporate cholesterol-lowering foods into your diet, such as oats, fish, vegetables and fruits. Although your diet should be free from oily foods, a small amount of essential fatty acids -- omega-3 and omega-6 -- are needed to maintain good health and normalise total blood cholesterol levels.

Increase your dietary fibre because it will combine with and deactivate excessive bile acids in the bowel. Herbs like red yeast rice and guggulipid may also be used to lower serum triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol, and increase HDL cholesterol.

The author is budding web content writer and has much experience in writing quality content for many websites. You can view his blog for more information.

Learn All About Stained Glass In A Class
In the past few years I have made it a goal each year to try at least three new things during the course of that year. So when January rolls around I sit down and consider what skills or hobbies I'd like to gain in the next year and then I make plans to learn those very things. This past year I decided that I finally wanted to learn how to make stained glass pieces of my very own.

I've always been intrigued by stained glass and I think it is one of the most beautiful kinds of art that exist. I love seeing stained glass pieces hanging in windows or used as candleholders. So I was very excited when I remembered my long lost desire to learn stained glass and I began the search for the best possible way to learn stained glass making.

There are many ways to learn any new skill or hobby that is of interest to you. In fact, I was a bit overwhelmed in choosing how I would undergo the task of learning about stained glass. The first move I made was to do a little research of my options. I went to the library and found quite a few helpful resources on doing stained glass at your own home on your own time. However, for me, this wasn't the best plan. I know that I would start with great intentions and then let the busyness of life overwhelm my best intentions with the project.

I ended up signing up for a class that would teach me how to do stained glass once a week at the local college. I went this route because I know myself and my tendency to do better when I have the outside accountability that a class and other classmates provides for me. So I began attending this class and was so thankful for the choice I made. I was thankful because I learned more than I expected to about stained glass work in a short amount of time. It seemed like it was only a few weeks before I was working on a stained glass piece of my own that I could have and cherish in my home.

So my encouragement is to anyone that desires to learn about stained glass. I'd suggest that you find a class to enroll in at a local college or an art shop. Getting involved with other artists will inspire you and hold you accountable on weeks when you don't really have time to work on your pieces. If you enjoy your stained glass class half as much as I do than you'll love it.

Hallidae Thomason is a busy author that loves to squeeze in time for art classes. Her stained glass class was her favorite so far.