CHAPTER 24

School Strategies

Finding the best classroom and homework strategies are critical to school success for people with ADD. Here are lists of the strategies I give my patients:

THE TEACHER

The teacher is a major determining factor on how well the child or teen will do in school. Choose carefully! Look for a teacher who:

• understands ADD or is at least willing to learn about it
• will keep in regular contact with you about your child’s progress
• protects the child’s or teen’s self-esteem and will not put him down in front of other children or allow other children to make fun of him (Singling out a child sets him or her up to be teased by their peers!)
• has clear and consistent rules, so that the child or teen knows what to expect
• cannot be manipulated easily and who is firm yet kind
• will motivate and encourage
• realizes the tremendous effort these children and teenagers need to put out in order to be average
• has an exciting and stimulating presentation style, using multisensory, teaching methods (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic)
• gives directions slowly and clearly, and is willing to repeat them if necessary and check to see if the ADD child or teen is following them correctly
• will make adaptations as necessary, such as decrease the size of an assignment, allow more time for tasks, allow for the use of calculators, etc.
• will not undermine the treatment you have with your doctor (I’ve known some uninformed teachers who had the nerve to tell parents, “I’m really opposed to medication.”)

I realize that it’s unlikely to find a teacher who possesses all of these traits, but look for teachers who have an open mind and know or are willing to learn about ADD. Having a helpful, positive teacher is often the difference between success and failure for your child.

THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Here are some tips I frequently give to parents and teachers to make the environment, pacing, and total school experience more conducive to learning. Parents, I suggest you show this section of the book to your child’s teacher. Oftentimes the secret to a successful learning experience for an ADD child is a well-prepared teacher.

• Keep the walls simple: Do not cover every wall with artwork, posters, and pictures. (Visually stimulating material may distract ADD students.)
• Usually it is best to seat the ADD child up front, near the teacher, with his or her back to the rest of the students, away from the door; this decreases distractions.
• Reduce or minimize distractions (both audio and visual): Do not place an ADD student near the air conditioner, heater, high traffic areas, doors, or windows.
• Make earphones available to allow children to decrease auditory distractions.
• Allow for cooling-off periods when the student (or teacher) becomes upset.
• Use written, displayed rules in the classroom.
• Surround ADD students with “good role models.”
• Encourage cooperative and collaborative learning, and give the non-ADD students praise and reinforcement for helping out.
• Help the ADD student feel comfortable seeking help. Many of these students won’t ask questions for fear of appearing stupid to their peers, and they need to be “brought out” and encouraged.
• Most fights and “acting out” behavior at school occurs in the cafeteria because of the noise and confusion. Providing a quiet place for lunch may decrease the number of lunchtime problems for these children.
• ADD children often come in from recess or lunch “wound up.” Have the entire class walk around the room, then pretend to be palm trees swaying in the breeze. “How slowly can you sway?” is a calming-down exercise that will help start the late-morning or -afternoon session off right.
• If lines are a problem for the child, place him or her at the end of the line where people will not be brushing up against their body: many of these kids are sensitive to touch.

Pacing

• Adjust time for completion of projects.
• Allow frequent breaks and vary activities often.
• Omit assignments requiring copying in a timed situation.
• Give only one assignment at a time.

Increasing Attentiveness

• Pause after a question and look at different students before calling on anyone to answer.
• Alert students that you are going to ask a question (e.g., “I am going to call on someone soon—I don’t know who yet.”).
• Encourage students to look at the student who is answering.
• Create a level of uncertainty that requires more than passive receptivity (e.g., “What do you think will happen next?”).
• If a teacher sees a student’s attention wandering, call his name and ask a simple question he can answer.
• Use “attention recording sheets” for self-monitoring: The student marks a plus each time he realizes he has been paying attention and a minus each time he realizes his mind has wandered.
• Have students record time taken to complete tasks (e.g., note starting time at the top of the page and ending time at the bottom; actual time is not important, but the process of self-monitoring is crucial). A watch with a stopwatch and an alarm can be very helpful.
• Have students grade their own papers and tests. This instills a habit of reviewing their own work.
• Use nonverbal or secret cues to keep the child on track.

Presentation of Subject Matter

• Emphasize teaching approach according to learning style of student (audio/ visual/ tactile/ multisensory).
• Increase class participation in lectures.
• Make the material highly interactive, interesting, novel, and stimulating.
• Foster individual or small group discussions.
• Provide taped lectures for replay.
• Use demonstrations to illustrate points.
• Utilize “hands-on” activities.
• Emphasize critical information: teach “The Big Picture.”
• Preview new concepts and vocabulary at the beginning of the lesson and highlight them again at the end of the lesson to reinforce learning.
• Use advanced organizers.
• Use computers to help present material.
• Provide visual clues.
• Maintain good eye contact.
• Present more difficult lessons early in the day: Children and teens with ADD fatigue more easily than others; also, their medication often wears off in the late morning (if they are taking the regular form of Ritalin or Dexedrine).
• Make auxiliary materials available

1. taped texts
2. highlighted texts/study guides
3. supplementary materials as needed
4. note taking assistance; copies of notes from excellent students
5. typed notes from the teacher
6. calculators or computer word processors
7. adapted or simplified texts
8. graph paper for math problems, handwriting, etc.

Assignments

• Give directions in small, distinct steps.
• Allow copying from paper or book.
• Use written backup for oral instructions.
• Lower reading level of assignment if necessary.
• Adjust length of assignment.
• Change format of assignments to best fit need of child.
• Give assignments in chunks, or a series of smaller assignments; this is especially helpful for longer projects.
• Reduce pencil and paper tasks.
• Read directions/worksheets to students.
• Give oral/visual clues or prompting.
• Allow assignments to be typed or dictated.
• Adapt worksheets/packets.
• Maintain an assignment notebook.
• Avoid penalizing for spelling errors.
• Encourage the use of dictation or word processing for those with writing difficulties.
• For people with visual processing problems, you may have them read their material into a tape recorder and then listen to the material over and over.

Reinforcement and Follow-Through

• Use reward systems for positive behavior.
• Use concrete rewards.
• Check often for understanding and review.
• Request parental reinforcement if it is a positive experience for the student and parent.
• Have the student repeat the instructions.
• Make/use vocabulary files.
• Teach study skills.
• Teach organizational skills, and supervise their implementation on a regular basis.
• Use study sheets to organize material.
• Reinforce long-term assignment timeliness (cut into short chunks).
• Use behavioral contracts/daily or weekly report cards.
• Arrange for tutoring.
• Have regular conferences with student and parents, emphasizing the positive as well as giving feedback on the negative.

Testing Adaptations

• Give some tests orally (some students need most tests orally due to other learning disabilities).
• Have someone read the test to the student if there are reading problems.
• Reduce the reading level of the test if necessary.
• Adjust time for test completion.
• Short answer/multiple choice questions are best for many ADD students.
• Shorten the length of test.
• Test for knowledge, not attention span.

Grading

• Modify weights of examination.
• Give extra credits for projects.
• Credit for appropriate class participation.
• Increase or eliminate time limits.
• Shorten length of exams.

Encourage Questions

• Take time to encourage the child or teen to ask questions when he or she feels confused or lost.
• Establish a positive feeling about asking questions. Most students do not ask questions for fear of appearing stupid. If they can overcome this barrier, it will serve them well for the rest of their academic career.
• Praise the child for asking appropriate questions.

Discipline

• “Firm and kind” are the words to remember.
• When you say something, mean it; and be willing to back it up, but in a kind, caring tone.
• Be very careful not to discipline a child when their misbehavior is the result of confusion or misunderstanding instructions.
• Use discipline for teaching, not punishment.
• Never discipline a child when you feel you’re out of control.
• Show disapproval of the behavior, not the child.
• Stay calm and unemotional. (Remember, ADD children are often trying to get a rise out of you!)
• Have well-thought-out consequences to certain behaviors ahead of time. (Anticipation is the key to success).
• Focus 90 percent of your efforts with the child on noticing behavior you like, to set a positive tone.
• Have frequent contact with the parents. (They need to be allied with you if discipline is going to be effective.)

Finger Agnosia

“Finger agnosia” is a term for students who struggle with the mechanics of writing. When they try to write, their mind often goes blank. This is very common in people with ADD and occurs in part because the person has to concentrate so hard on the actual physical act of writing that they forget or are unable to formulate what they want to write.

Common symptoms of finger agnosia include:

• messy handwriting
• trouble getting thoughts from the brain to the paper
• staring at writing assignments for long periods of time
• writing sentences that don’t make sense
• frequent spelling and grammatical errors
• many erasures and corrections
• difficulty with timed writing assignments
• printing rather than writing in cursive.

Here are some helpful suggestions for dealing with finger agnosia:

• Allow the student to print as often as possible. (For many students it’s easier and uses less effort.)
• Encourage early use of typing and computer word processing programs. (Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing is an excellent computer typing program for children and teens.)
• Try out different types of pens and pencils to see which ones work best. Some are easier to use than others.
• Break down assignments and long reports into pieces, and work on them over time, rather than all at once (such as on the night before they are due).
• Before an actual writing project is done, encourage students to write an outline of the assignment to help keep them on track.
• Encourage students to write down their ideas before worrying about spelling/grammar.
• If it helps, have students dictate their answers or reports first. This often helps them add ideas and substance to the article that would not have been present through writing alone.
• Use a binder/organizer to keep written assignments together.
• Modify writing workloads at work and school as needed.
• Avoid timed situations; give tests orally if necessary.
• Avoid having other students grade the work, as this may set up embarrassment and teasing.

Homework

Here are some suggestions for taking the nightmare out of homework:

• Provide a “special” quiet spot without distractions in which to do homework.
• Break assignments into short segments of about fifteen to twenty minutes; set a timer to structure work periods.
• Intersperse physical activity between segments.
• Check assignment sheets and notebooks on a regular basis.
• Continually work on good communication between home and school.
• Reward positive homework behavior.
• If problems continue, use a daily report system to ensure compliance.

Useless and/or Harmful Strategies

• Tell the child or teen to try harder. (The harder they try, the worse it gets.)
• Lecture a student about showing his “true” ability.
• Notice only the negative.
• Compare the student to other students.

DAILY PROGRESS NOTE (DPN)

Supervision is the key to helping students with ADD or other students who are having difficulty adapting to the rigors of school. They often have not developed the internal discipline to be successful day-to-day at school and with their homework. I use this system for both children and teenagers. Even though teenagers may balk at this system, many teens in my practice have used it very successfully. I’m convinced that many students have graduated from high school because we kept them on track with this system! ADD students tend to do much better if they know someone is watching.

Directions

Every school day the child or teen is to bring the Daily Progress Note to school for the teacher or teachers to fill out (at the end of the day if there is only one teacher, at the end of each class for those who have multiple teachers). The teacher (or teachers) rates the student on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = best, 5 = worst) in four different areas: homework, class participation, class work, and peer interactions. After rating the child in each area, the teacher then puts his or her initials at the bottom of the form. (It is important to emphasize to the teacher the importance of giving an accurate assessment. Some teachers give out “good” marks just to be nice and then put the real grades down on the report card, shocking the student and parents.)

At the end of the day, the child or teen brings the DPN home. This note provides the student, parents, and teacher with immediate feedback on performance and helps everyone track progress throughout the year. Good performance is noticed and reinforced. Mediocre or poor performance is observed and necessary corrective measures can be put into place. When the child or teen brings the DPN home, it is helpful if parents first look for something they like. (Too many parents only notice the negative.) If the child or teen’s marks are particularly poor, the parents need to question the reasons behind the difficulties of the day.

After the discussion, the parent assigns points for the day.

Here is a sample point system:

1 = 5 points

2 = 2 points

3 = 1 point

4 and 5 = 0 points

In the system listed above (for students with one teacher a day), there is a total of 20 possible points that the child can earn (a score of 1 [5 points] multiplied by 4 areas = 20 points).

The points are then spent in two different ways; one, on daily wants and needs, the other for future privileges. Earning points for daily wants and needs is significant, as these reinforce and discipline behavior on a more immediate basis. To do this, the parent and child make up a list of the things he or she likes to do on a daily basis, such as watching television, playing outside, having a friend over, playing a video game, talking on the telephone, etc. Half of the possible points (10 in the example above) should be spent on daily privileges. This lets the child know that he or she can’t just blow a day at school and expect everything to be okay at home. For example, points needed for daily wants may be as followed

2 = 1/2 hour of television

2 = 1 hour of playing outside

3 = having a friend over for an hour

2 = playing a video game

3 = 1/2 hour of telephone privilege

The other half of their points can be saved for special treats and privileges as they earn enough points (such as a special toy, a trip to their favorite restaurant, having a friend spend the night, or being able to stay up past their bedtime). It is important to make up a wish list of the things the child or teen is willing to work for. The child or teen needs to develop this list in order to more fully buy into this program.

In some cases, children will intentionally lose their DPN or forget to have their teacher sign it if their performance that day was poor. In the case where the child claims to have lost the DPN or they say that the teacher didn’t fill it out, they lose all of their points for the day (or portion of points if multiple teachers are involved). The child or teen must take responsibility! On a day where the child earns little or no points for various privileges, the child is to be encouraged to do better the next day and he or she is simply allowed to read books or play in his or her room.

Almost all children find this system to be very rewarding after they have used it for several days. Some children refuse to participate initially, but if the parents persist, the child will adapt. One of the advantages of this system is that some children become “miserly” with their points and will often give up watching television and playing video games to save points for other things they are interested in. In addition, many begin to develop a more positive attitude toward school because of their ability to earn extra privileges for performing well in school.

Some parents have asked me if the DPN does not single out the child for teasing from peers. I have rarely found this to be the case. In fact, this helps the child to modify their behavior in school, which in turns helps their interactions with peers.

Daily Progress Note

Name: ____________________ Date: ______________

Please rate this child/teen in each of the areas listed below as to how he/she performed in school today, using ratings of 1 to 5. (1 = excellent; 2 = good; 3 = fair; 4 = poor; 5 = terrible or did not do the work.

GET SCHOOL RESOURCES INVOLVED EARLY

Under the law (PL 94-142), all students are entitled to an educational setting in which they can learn. If they are handicapped, the school system must make proper modifications so that they can receive an education. As you have seen, ADD often handicaps a child or teen from taking advantage of education. Due to a lack of funding and personnel, however, many schools overlook children with ADD and learning problems unless they are forced to take action. Parents need to be the prime force that gets the child appropriate help.

Parents need to advocate for their children and not just rely on the overworked principal, counselor, or school psychologist. To that end, parents must be educated on ADD and know the proper school interventions. I often tell my parents that they are the ones who need to intervene when things are not going well at school. The squeaky wheel gets the grease! Don’t give in to a school administrator who tries to intimidate or condescend to you!

If you are not the “assertive type,” consider obtaining a school advocate for your child. A school advocate is someone who has experience in dealing with the school system to ensure the child gets all the help he or she needs. To get the name of an advocate in your area, contact the local chapter of CHADD (a national support group for parents of children with ADD, with local chapters) or look online.

Most school systems are willing to test preschool children if there is a suspected learning or speech problem. Contact your local school counselor or principal for more information on special testing. The earlier you address problems, the more hope there is for successful interventions.