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Strategies for devising academic accommodations, studying smarter, building focus, keeping on top of homework, and thriving at school with ADHD or learning disabilities.

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Archives: July 2016

posted: Tuesday July 26th - 4:47pm

Dear ADDitude: How Can We Get Accommodations for the SAT/ACT?

"What is the best way to request additional time for standardized tests like the SAT or ACT for a high school student with ADHD?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers In order to receive additional time, or any other accommodation, when taking the SAT, you must get approval well ahead of time. This process can take up to two months, so be sure to request accommodations far enough in advance. You will need documentation of your child’s disability and the need for specific accommodations. For the SAT,...
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posted: Tuesday July 26th - 3:33pm

Dear ADDitude: Is a Modified Schedule a Reasonable Accommodation?

"We'd like my son's 504 Plan to include a stipulation that his most difficult core classes be scheduled for the morning, when he's most alert. The high school is dragging its feet, and his grades are suffering. Is this a reasonable accommodation?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers If you are not satisfied that the school is following the 504 Plan, the first step would be to write a letter to the Section 504 Coordinator in your school district. This is often enough for the school to stop “dragging their feet” and implement the accommodations in the 504 Plan. If you aren’t satisfied with the...
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posted: Tuesday July 26th - 2:57pm

Enter to Win a Time Timer!

Enter to win a Time Timer PLUS -- the visual timer that helps kids and adults with ADHD stay on task and on time.

Success @ School Tip Judging and managing time is challenging for visual thinkers. To help your child maintain homework focus or to help you get through a boring chore, set a visual timer that changes color as the minutes tick by. Meet the Time Timer The award-winning Time Timer PLUS visual timer makes it easier to stay focused on a task, anticipate transitions and take turns because its...
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posted: Tuesday July 26th - 2:20pm

Dear ADDitude: Helping an Immature Child Follow the Rules

"My daughter is immature for her age and doesn't seem to fully understand what it means to be a responsible student and follow classroom rules in school. How can we put these important lessons into terms she'll grasp?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers Kids with ADHD often lag behind their peers in maturity, as much as 30%. The teacher might need to adjust expectations accordingly. Or you might need to request an IEP or 504 plan to establish accommodations. At home, try to shift focus from what she’s doing wrong to what she’s doing right. Set up rewards for 1-2 goals...
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posted: Tuesday July 26th - 2:02pm

Time Timer Contest Rules

Rules for ADDitude magazine's Time Timer contest from August 1 - 14, 2016.

Enter the Time Timer contest here! Void outside the 50 United States and where prohibited. Do not proceed to enter if you are not at least 21 years of age and a legal resident of, and located within, one of the 50 United States, or the District of Columbia, at the time of entry. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES...
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posted: Tuesday July 26th - 11:12am

Dear ADDitude: My Son Stopped Taking His Medication

"My son, a senior in high school, recently stopped taking his ADHD medications. As a result, his grades have crashed from As to Ds and he's suffering from debilitating depression. I think an emergency intervention is needed, but the school is acting indifferent and his IEP case manager is offering no support."

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers Call an IEP meeting to review and modify his IEP now that his circumstances have changed and he’s no longer on medication. Continue calling IEP meetings until things improve—they incentivize the school to take action. Ask for a Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA) to be held with a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) to determine strategies for improving his...
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posted: Wednesday July 20th - 5:48pm

Dear ADDitude: My Child Doesn't Have Any Friends

"My 8-year-old is happy and friendly, but he doesn't play with anyone at recess and doesn't like to work in groups. Should I worry about this? It doesn't seem to bother him."

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers About half of kids with attention deficit disorder also have friendship problems. The things you named are some of the ways that parents can tell their child is running into trouble with friends. They report being alone at recess or they have friends sometimes and not others. They get along well and then poorly. Their acquaintances are...
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posted: Wednesday July 20th - 4:31pm

Dear ADDitude: Can We Lessen the Homework Load?

"My 12-year-old works for hours every night on homework. We try to break up assignments to avoid exhaustion, but it still takes forever. How can we persuade her private school to scale back the quantity of work?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers First, do a little research. Are other parents complaining about the amount of homework? Is it a standard, school-wide policy to give a lot of homework? Is it just this teacher’s workload, or is your child having difficulty because of ADHD? Having this information before talking to the teacher or the administrator will help you know what...
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posted: Wednesday July 20th - 3:37pm

Dear ADDitude: Can the School Expel My Child for ADHD Behaviors?

"After expelling my child for poor behavior, his principal told me, 'This behavior was not related to his ADHD.' How do I determine if this is true? And how can I fight the school administration over his expulsion if a disability is, in fact, to blame?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers It might be time to talk to professionals who are familiar with your child. If your child sees a therapist, or a behavioral therapist, talk to him about the incident to get his opinion. If not, get your son’s doctor’s opinion on whether ADHD could cause this behavior. Once you have that information, make an appointment with...
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posted: Wednesday July 20th - 12:35pm

Dear ADDitude: Homework Takes Hours Every Night

"An hour worth of homework takes my son twice that long, even after taking an afternoon dose of ADHD medication, and it's complete torture. How can I put an end to his daily arguments and help him get through school work faster?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers There are a few reasons that kids end up spending hours on homework: a difficulty getting and staying focused, defying mom and dad, or too much homework (for them). The kids that have trouble staying focused are often fidgeters, who need tactile stimulation to tune in and calm down. When we tell them to, “Stop doing that!”, or...
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posted: Wednesday July 20th - 10:38am

Dear ADDitude: How Can I Help My ODD Son with Homework?

"My 13-year-old rushes through his homework and often forgets to hand it in. He also has ODD, so he is so stubborn and doesn’t want to study or accept help. He is smart, but his attitude and lack of motivation are holding him back. What can I do?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers ADHD, ODD, and puberty are a tough combination. Work on one challenge at a time. First, handle the missing assignments. Set up a meeting with your son’s teachers to find out which assignments are missing, and come up with a schedule for getting him caught up. Choose to work on a few assignments per night until he...
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posted: Tuesday July 19th - 12:55pm

Dear ADDitude: What Are Smart Middle School Accommodations?

"Now that my son is in 7th grade, his IEP needs to shift from a focus on behavior to academic and organizational skills. (For example, he struggles to listen and take good notes simultaneously.) What skill-building goals should I work into his 8th-grade IEP?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers Each child’s list of accommodations is different, tailored to their specific struggles. Here is a list of potential accommodations you might request – I printed this out and highlighted the ones I thought would address my son’s school problems. At his IEP meeting, I was able to refer back to it and ask for the accommodations I...
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posted: Friday July 15th - 3:58pm

Dear ADDitude: How Can I Communicate Better with the School?

"Can my daughter's IEP include specific guidelines for communication between school and home? The school doesn't talk to us about behavior problems until it's too late, so there's little we can do to help."

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers Yes, an IEP can include specific guidelines for communication. Request a meeting to modify the IEP to include this. Determine how often you want to receive reports on your child’s behavior before the meeting—a daily behavior chart or a weekly report? Or do you want to be notified only if there is a serious behavior problem? How...
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posted: Thursday July 14th - 4:32pm

Dear ADDitude: Should We Hire a Professional Advocate?

"My son's school won't grant him an IEP even though his teachers and I agree that it's necessary for his education. Should we consider hiring a professional advocate to help him get the accommodations he needs?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers I have not been fortunate enough to hire an advocate, but I know many people who have with success. Schools usually sit up and pay attention when an advocate is brought into meetings — they know they are dealing with someone who understands the ins and outs of the law, and the child’s legal rights. You can...
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posted: Thursday July 14th - 4:23pm

Dear ADDitude: How Can I Heal a Broken Heart?

"What do you do when all your child wants in the world are the things you can’t give them? Not to be different… Real friends… Acceptance? I know we support, encourage, and teach them to accept and embrace differences, but what do you do when you can see it still breaks their hearts?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers We absolutely want to be compassionate, while also understanding that some of our kids do things that make others upset. For instance, an ADHD 16-year-old I was working with was telling me, 'Everyone thinks I'm arrogant, argumentative, and annoying, even though I'm really intelligent and caring.' So, I put him in a group with other kids and...
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posted: Thursday July 14th - 4:20pm

Dear ADDitude: Must Our Daughter Reveal Her ADHD?

"Our daughter absolutely doesn’t want the school to know about her ADHD as she fears that her peers will find out. Ultimately, we will do what we think is best for her, but we’d like to get her on board with our decision. How can we convince her that it is in her best interest to tell the school?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers I see why your daughter doesn’t want to tell the school about her ADHD. She may be afraid of ridicule or feeling different. Children want to be accepted. Allow your daughter to keep the diagnosis from the school for the time being. If she is having specific problems at school — not handing in homework — set up...
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posted: Thursday July 14th - 4:16pm

Dear ADDitude: How Can I Protect My Child from Bullies?

"There are a few boys at school who have been picking on my son and saying they are going to beat him up, which a teacher overheard. I'm very concerned that the principal, after questioning them, sent the boys back to class without calling me. First, what is an appropriate response from the school? Second, am I over reacting? I'm so upset over this and can't think clearly."

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers Sadly, kids with ADHD and other special needs are often the targets of bullying. These articles, Bullying at School: Is Your Kid a Victim? and How to Help Your Child Stand Up to Bullies provide more background on the issue and suggestions for practical next steps. When my son was taunted and picked on relentlessly in...
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posted: Thursday July 14th - 4:12pm

Dear ADDitude: Can They Really Take Away Recess as Punishment?

"My son recently got two days of in-school detention for fighting over a pencil, which meant lost recess today. He came home very moody and whiney, obviously emotionally distraught. I feel taking away two days of recess is ridiculous. How do I talk to his teacher?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers It is hard for a parent to see a child being punished. In this case, your son was fighting, which results in a justified detention. While I believe detention is usually an appropriate punishment, in-school detentions are difficult, especially for children with ADHD. Having to sit still in a classroom for an entire day without recess is...
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posted: Wednesday July 13th - 12:03pm

Dear ADDitude: Will My Child Graduate Without Critical Life Skills?

"At home, my son repeats things back to me so I know we're on the same page. He does homework in 15-minute increments to build up his time awareness, too. At school, these things aren't happening. I'm beyond frustrated and worried that he will graduate without essential life skills."

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers It is smart of you to think about building your son’s life skills. You can never start too early. If you have an IEP/504, request a meeting to modify it and ask to incorporate your ideas into it. When giving instructions, teachers can discreetly take your son aside and ask him to repeat them back rather than...
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posted: Tuesday July 12th - 5:48pm

Dear ADDitude: Why Is My Child Being Punished for Retaliating Against Bullies?

"At lunch, my 8th grader sits alone and is bullied by boys who make racial comments. He is reluctant to say anything for fear of retaliation, but recently fought back with words and got two days of in-school suspension. The bullies got far less punishment. What can we do?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers The school needs to help with bullying. They should have a policy on how to report it and even allow for anonymous reporting. Take a look at the school’s website, as many of ours have a form you can use to report electronically. I get that he wants to fit in, and my son does too, but continuing...
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posted: Tuesday July 12th - 4:56pm

Dear ADDitude: How Can I Get My Son's Classmates to Treat Him Better?

"At the mere mention of school, my son has an anxiety attack. He feels his life is not worth living because of how he is treated by his classmates. He is also falling behind in his subjects due to anxiety and inattention."

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers Your son probably has good reasons for being anxious about school. If he’s being bullied, talk with him about it. “Tell me what other students are saying or doing to you. It makes me angry that they’re bullying you. I’m so sorry...what they’re doing is very wrong. How can I help you?” Give him a few tips...
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posted: Friday July 8th - 4:49pm

Dear ADDitude: Why Is the School Blaming My Child for Being Bullied?

"My son says he is being bullied in school. I talked to the principal, who said my son was getting bullied because of his 'weird' behavior. What is my next step?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers Check out your school’s policy toward bullying. Hopefully, there will be a written policy in place. If there isn’t, attend a school board meeting and propose a written anti-bullying policy. The website stopbullying.gov gives information on model policies. Make sure your child knows where he can go when the bullying occurs — telling a teacher or aide. Help...
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posted: Wednesday July 6th - 10:56am

Dear ADDitude: How Far Should I Push My Daughter?

"My daughter failed two more tests this week that I know she didn’t study for or tell me about. Do I punish her when she gets home, let her know I know calmly, or just ignore it?"

Sign up to receive our new Dear ADDitude newsletter. ADDitude Answers Lack of motivation is a big problem for children with ADHD. Many things can cause it — she may be overwhelmed, depressed, or feel like she doesn’t fit in with her classmates. Talk to your daughter, without mentioning the tests, and find out why she isn’t trying in school. If there are problems with depression, a therapist...
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