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Shari Gent, M.S.
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Question: Hello, Shari- My little boy is 7 years old. He was diagnosed with ADHD during kindergarten and takes stimulant medication that has tremendously improved his attention and behavior. We decided to homeschool him for his first grade year. The PhD who tested him suggested that if we place him in public school next year, we should speak with the principal about grade acceleration. Can you offer any advice or insight into children who are gifted and ADHD? I am concerned about bringing this up to the principal, but I know my son, and he would really benefit from grade acceleration. Socially speaking, his friends are all older and he is well-accepted by them. Christina |
Question: Dear Shari; Recently, I attended one of your trainings. I went over the strategies with our director. His question was, “How do we teach students to become independent learners?” From what you said in the training, AD/HD students lag behind other students by 3-4 years in maturity. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can support my students with AD/HD to develop independent study skills? Thanks, Ellen |
Question: Hi. Margie |
Question: I have a 4 year and 8 month old son who has been recently diagnosed, but with ADHD. The diagnosis is not conclusive because he is so young. Medications are making him more hyperactive. Somedays he is too good and some days he is very active. I get calls from the school that he runs out of classroom. He is not harmful to anyone but he is always on the go. What can I do to change his behavior ? So far I have explained to him a lot that it is dangerous to run out of the classroom but it does not seem to make a difference. Any suggestions ?? Sincerely,
My 4 year old son was recently diagnosed by a physician with a mild case of AD/HD – he’s currently in Pre-School at a Center with 30+ kids and every week I receive a call from the school about my son’s disruptive behavior. I understand that he has a hard time focusing and is easily distracted so I want to find a school in my area that has a smaller class size and can accommodate ADHD students. I’ve searched and all a lot of places in my area and class sizes are 30+ kids with 3 teachers at the most – I don’t like that ratio. The doctors have suggested I give my son Ritalin but I refuse to give him any medications until my husband and I have done all we can to help him. I want to reduce this class size, keep him on a normal routine and help him transition with changes. I’ve never known anyone with AD/HD so the only information I have about it is from doctors or the Internet. If I need to change my routine as a parent to help accommodate my son then I will but I refuse to give him Ritalin. From what I’ve read on the Internet a lot of the parents who are giving their kids this Ritalin are still having the same issues with their child and they see no changes. As a new parent and a young parent – can you tell me where I can go to find a school or resources in my area that help kids with ADHD? Do you think a smaller class will help my son at all? PLEASE HELP. Thanks! |
Question: I have a five year-old child with ADD or AD/HD characteristics. We have been working to help him through various solutions for at least two years. I do not feel encouraged about putting him on medication for many reasons, including his young age. I feel he is “high functioning”. My question to you is do you think “Interactive Metronome” is worth a shot? It is obviously costly, so I am trying to do plenty of research. I tried occupational therapy and other than a slight “calming” effect, I have not seen great improvement. Many thanks. I appreciate your input. Mary |
Question: I have a 5-year-old son who is extremely bright however has some behavior issues at home as well as at school. He is a fast learner but has a short memory. For example, if I ask him to go wash his hands he will go into the bathroom and then immediately come out and say "What did you tell me to do?" At school, he just won't settle down when it is time to sit and follow the teachers instructions. He's very figity. However, I know he's learning because he is already reading and has a photgraphic memory. For example, the first time he saw the word “family” he spelled it once and then when I covered it up he spelled it correctly. I keep getting calls at work about his behavior. What can I do? Does this sound like AD/HD? Laura |
Question: A psychologist concluded that ADHD was strongly supported due in part by scores on the following academic assessments:
I am concerned that the psychologist is drawing conclusions between two different tests, while similar, may be assessing different things, in addition to norms not being the same. Do the statistical correlations between these two assessments demonstrate a sound comparison of skill level? I understand that test results may vary greatly with students with ADHD. Were the above scores a demonstration of this characteristic? Maureen |
Question: I teach children who come from families with a primarily African-American background. They seem to demonstrate many more ADHD like behaviors than children of other ethnic groups with which I have experience. Is ADHD more prevalent among African-Americans? A teacher at a recent ADHD workshop |
Question: My son has ADHD and is taking Ritalin. He is having problems with remembering his spelling words. He also has problems with writing the b,d & p he writes it the opposite way. He is 7 years old and attends a normal school. I had to make him repeat grade 1 because he was not coping with the work. He also has problems with math. In 2006 he progressed to grade 2. Please help. MALANIE |
Question: Why is Attention Deficit Disorder see so much more frequently in the United States than in other countries? Is the incidence increasing or is it just being diagnosed more? Fifth grade teacher |
Question: My son wants to take the SAT this year. He is a senior at a small school for students with learning disabilities. His disabilities are Attention Deficit Disorder and Dysgraphia. The school does not offer any SAT prep classes and I am concerned he would just not be able to handle the test or the time required to focus while taking the test. I understand the accommodations that are available. We need for him to be familiar with the test and the time involved. The school is also unable to suggest anyone who can tutor him. It is a Non- Public School funded through our District, who also does not have any suggestions for test prep for their NPS students. Where can we go for assistance to help him prepare for this test which he will take in a few months? We live in the Claremont, CA. area. He is an excellent reader and speller, limited math skills and very limited ability to use a pen (dysgraphia), great difficulty studying, doing homework is a nightmare F on report cards for work, he takes the classroom tests and earns A's. F in homework A's on test equals C and D on report cards. Any information you can share with us would be much appreciated. Thank you, Chris |
Question: I have a 16 year old son with a diagnosis of ADHD who attends high school. I have been very frustrated in attempts to get the school study team to work with me. Despite the fact that I had made it very clear that I was planning to attend and arrived on time, the team had already discussed my child and apologized that they had to start early because they had "another meeting". Prior to the meeting I had provided the team with a copy of an evaluation done by an educational psychologist that showed his academic abilities between the 92nd and 99th percentile while his scores on a test of executive function -organizing and setting priorities--was in the 2nd to 10th percentile. The only request that I made was that my child's teachers provide a copy of his assignments to me--by email, fax or my coming to the school to pick them up--whatever was easiest for the teachers. In return, I received a lecture about how my son was going to go to college in 2 years, that he needed to be responsible because no one was going to collect the assignments for him at college. I know that in theory my son should have a right to some accommodations but it seems like the position of the study team is that he has to reach the point where he is doing poorly in school again before they will even consider any requests. Also, their response about the problem being his lack of responsiblity made me feel that they didn't really understand ADHD. In truth, I left the meeting in tears. I do not want to be so pushy that I alienate the members of the Study Team but I also want to be proactive and effective in helping my son have a more successful year. Thanks for any suggestions you can give me. -DW |
Question: I’ve heard a lot about fidget toys and am interested in using them with students. When are they appropriate? Which ones should I use? Where can I find them? Laura |
Question: My problem is this, my son lives out of state so the only visits I have with him are during summer usually. He is now 9 and has been flying with his mother since he has been 4 regularly. I now want him to fly on his own with flight attendant supervision. (requirement for his age) She says no and uses the excuse that he has ADHD and can show lack of control and concentration. Am I missing something here? Please help me understand! Thank You, Rick |
Question: Liliana sent me three questions about the best practices for AD/HD assessment. My response this month concerns what parents can expect from an ideal assessment. Thank you, Liliana! |
Question: Dear Shari; I am an elementary school resource specialist. I work with a ten year-old student who has extreme difficulty following oral directions in the general class. His effort, learning and attention are extremely inconsistent and he is behind academically, though he has average ability. He was diagnosed with AD/HD three years ago and once took medication but it did not seem to work well. Since he resisted taking medication, his mother stopped giving it to him. In general, his behavior and social interaction are not a problem, but in class, he is “spaced out” and does not seem to understand what is going on. He does fine in 1:1 situations or in a quiet room. Could he have central auditory processing disorder in addition to or instead of AD/HD? Thanks |
Question: Dear Shari; I heard on the news that the FDA may “black box” medications for AD/HD. What does “black box” mean? Are these medications dangerous? Should I think about taking my son off the medications? Elaine |
Question: My son is 10 years old. He has had difficulty qualifying for services in the past. He has received services for 3 years for a receptive and expressive language disorder, reading and math help. He remains in the regular classroom and is pulled out for services. We had him evaluated at North Bay Regional Center in Napa, Calif. and he did not qualify for services but was labeled with OCD, ADHD and Autistic-like tendencies. He has taken medication since he was 5, which we are now eliminating. We now believe he still may have ADHD combined with a combined IQ of 76. He struggles with school and homework now that he is in 4th grade. The school continues to move him forward a grade while he has failed the exit tests for two years now. What other programs or schools are available for him? What can the school do for him? What kind of support is out there for us? He has low self esteem, very few genuine friends, talks of suicide and has acid reflux disease. Please help us! Christine |
Question: My son is going to be four years old in April and his teacher specialist told me he has every sign of being ADHD. Is this possible? I have them setting up the neurology appointment and also going on my own with one in Boston. My question is, does the school have to pay for it since they told me about it? If so, what can I do to get them to pay? A concerned mother |
Question: Can ADHD actually go undiagnosed and really appear not an issue until puberty? How early can ADHD be diagnosed? A concerned teacher |
Question: I am a resource specialist at the intermediate grade levels. There is boy in my sixth grade class who seems to have ADHD but his mother refuses to hear it. He is an only child of a single mother and she feels his problems are just at school and that his teachers are causing the problem. There is no way that she will even consider placing her son on medication. This boy’s behavior makes it impossible for other kids in the class to learn, however. His behaviors are even more of a problem in the general class. He has constant temper outbursts when he’s frustrated. He bothers other kids by poking and kicking and interrupts the class all the time. We have tried suggesting placement in a special day class but his mother has refused this. What can I do? Sylvia |
Question: What non-medical controversial therapies are effective in treating ADHD? |
Question: What effect does diet have on symptoms of AD/HD? |
Question: Carmen |
Question: I have a 7-year-old son diagnosed with ADHD/Bipolar. After seeing several doctors, psychologists and finally a child psychiatrist, he was diagnosed with Bipolar and put on Lithium. Evidently, extreme ADHD can often be mis-diagnosed when really Bipolar. This has been such a horrible experience. We are now on our 3rd elementary school in 1 1/2 years. They just give up until I pull him and demand another IEP meeting. He is at least 2 years behind academically and we are still struggling with behavior issues. These teachers are just not equipped to handle these kind of kids. I am very frustrated and wondering what advice you could give me in help improve our situation. Thank you in advance. Dixie |
Question: We have a 504 in place that states that the teachers ensure my son's homework assignments are written down and initial each day. But the teacher says it is not her responsibility to chase him down and sign his planner. What can I do? Teresa |
Question: My son who was diagnosed with ADHD just finished his freshman year and failed at least two classes. It seems that he cannot make the decision to study. Is this a characteristic of the disorder? He had a math tutor, but during the sessions, did not ask for specific help. He scored over 1100 on SAT with formal preparation and does fairly well on tests/quizzes (without much studying of course). Is there anything we can do or say to point him in the right direction (whether or not he should continue)? FOLLOW-UP Hi Shari, My son appears to be doing better, although I still worry about how he manages his class load. He has a knack for psyching himself into thinking that he’s doing well in all his courses; whereas the reality could be that he may do really well in one class and the others drop off the edge of the cliff. We’re waiting to see how he does this semester. I’ll keep you posted. Concerned Mom |
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Question: I am noticing a lot of children who are diagnosed with ADHD and information that comes up through parents/guardians which let me know that the children have been prenatally exposed to alcohol. I have questions regarding the misdiagnosis of ADHD for those who may be FAS/FASE, I thought I would ask a couple of people in different fields what their thoughts are on this subject and their experience.
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| Question: I
am 17 and I think I have ADD, but I am not totally sure and am too scared to go
for help. I have read lots of internet sites and some books, and I fit into all
their descriptions of ADD and have most if not all of the symptoms listed. The
only thing holding me back from seeking help is that I sometimes doubt my symptoms
are serious enough. Do symptoms of ADD have to be present 100% of the time, or
can they be a little less problematic on some days, especially when there is interest
in what is going on? Do you think I should go for help? Your opinion would be
GREATLY appreciated, because I am quite frustrated by the way I am and will glady
accept any help offered. Thanks so much! |
| Question: What is the best school environment for adolescent girls who are shy, anxious, and gifted with attention deficit? What extra support is necessary? Jackson |
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Question: I am really feeling like I am losing my son. My son was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago when he was ten. He has been taking Concerta now for about year and a half. This had been working for him. He is in seventh grade this year and wanted to try to attend school without the medication. The first month and half of school was horrible. He was constantly in trouble and was failing 3 out the 5 academic courses. I have since put him back on the medication. The behavioral problems at school have decreased but he still is failing to hand in his homework and is stilling failing most of his classes. I am afraid that the medication is not enough. He needs some special attention at school. I am unable to help him with his homework because he seems to resist my assistance. The school my son attends does not have any one on the staff that is trained in ADHD. My question is where can I get him the help he needs? I live in Grass Valley, California. I have looked for doctors, counselors or a psychiatrist that specializes in children with ADHD. I need help. I know that continuing to fail at school is not helping his self-esteem. I just don't know how to help him. I have tried to help him organize his notebook, homework and to study for his tests but I am just not getting through to him. Can you help?????? Desperate Mom
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Question: I have an 8 year
old daughter in the third grade. Her teacher has suggested that she might have
ADD and the school psychologist thinks she should be evaluated. She's definitely
not hyperactive - in fact, according to them she just sits in class and stares
out the window. Every year she's been in school since kindergarten this has come
up. I don't get it. How can such a quiet kid have ADD? |
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Question: Hi, I voluntarily
support a 14-year old boy who has ADHD and I need some help. I need to find a
way to teach him some functional academics and skills within the educational environment.
My aim is for him to be more autonomous, to be able to make his own decisions
to empower him as a student thus enhancing his self-esteem, and enabling him to
control his impulsivity so he can stay out of trouble. I also need some strategies
to help him maintain relationships. |
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Question: My 12-year-old
son has just been told he has ADD. Could you please provide me with a Website(s)
with info on the benefits of taking a drug or not taking a drug to help with his
learning? I'm trying to gather all and any info regarding this matter. Thank-you
in advance for any information you may be able to send my way. |
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Question: My sixth grade son, who is also gifted/dyslexic, takes Concerta. It gets him through the school day, but wears off by homework time (after 6 p.m.). After that, he can be very oppositional and agitated. He will be going into junior high next year where the workload will increase enormously. I want him to be able to stay in college prep. level classes because he needs the challenging material, but I fear he will never get his homework done. I can think of obvious stategies, like doing homework right after school, but what else might work to either increase his output or give him accommodations to allow for his non-medicated state? Anita |
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Question: I have a 9th grader with AD/HD who is reading at a 1st grade level but he seems to understand information at his grade level. I would like to know what your suggestions are. Do we teach functional words? Try and teach him to read through phonics? What type of Assistive Technology would be beneficial? Thanks Kristin |
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