Wednesday, July 25, 2012

ADHD in the classroom: teachers beware

I ran into a teacher while shopping yesterday. I actually ran in to her. The price tag pinned to the chaise lounge on the clearance shelf was too good to pass. Even though it extended two feet from the bottom rack of the shopping cart where I placed it, I navigated up the aisle with such ease nonsensical thoughts and images pushed my newly placed cargo to a less traveled section of my mind. I turned the corner and that's how I met the teacher. That's how we got into the ADHD discussion.

Regular education classes are filled with students exhibiting behaviors associated with ADHD, with or without the diagnosis. This is great for a number of reasons, foremost because they should be mainstreamed.They are bright, creative, and lovable. Teachers may have a difficult time recognizing this, and many will disagree. Why?

An ADHD child can turn the classroom into hell in a minute's time with neither intention, nor effort.

Unfortunately, regular-ed teachers do not receive training to effectively teach children with learning disabilities. Even curriculum for special education teachers tends to group all learning disorders together without strategies and techniques for specific disorders. Classroom control is acknowledged as being necessary, but little if any strategies are studied in depth. Teachers with good intentions go into the classroom not knowing how to work with  impulsive behavior, lack of focus, addictive/obsessive behavior,  and a host of symptoms from low-self esteem to uncontrollable anger and inappropriate social behavior.

Everyone loses--child, teacher, parents, peers.

ADHD children not only need organization and structure, it's crucial. However, they don't need blame, or scorn. They already think they're weird and different, they know they have trouble listening and remembering. A mother recently said that during a parent-teacher conference she was told, "you need to tell your son to focus."

Department heads of teacher education programs, school administrators, directors, teachers, parents, and students can work together to meet the needs of the child. It's our duty, plain and simple. Begin by introducing your child to the teachers and discuss accommodations.

ADHD children are amazing. Over the years, many of them learn strategies and techniques by trial and error what they aren't taught in classrooms. Unfortunately, some don't. Many of them are drop-outs from school and life.


How can we remedy this problem? Who is responsible? Is it a problem? I'd love to hear your opinion.










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