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Answer:
Dear Clara:
"Functional skills" for a teen with ADHD who has average intelligence
and academic skills should focus on those critical skills that enable
the student to participate more efficiently in the general class environment
and in the community. For a teen with ADHD, this usually means time
management and study skills. Your student will probably have a case
coordinator for his 504 plan or IEP. If he is eligible, he can receive
direct instruction in study skills and organizational strategies from
a qualified professional, such as a resource specialist or in a class
designed to teach study skills. To improve his relationships, he may
also benefit from participation in a social skills group conducted by
a trained mental health professional.
As a volunteer support, you can encourage or coach your student to learn
strategies to participate in making decisions about his educational
program. He should be included in all meetings about his school progress.
His participation begins at the awareness level: How well does your
teen understand and accept his strengths and weaknesses, including those
associated with ADHD? Priscilla Harvell, Transition Specialist, has
expertise in teaching this essential first step. She will address methods
for developing awareness and for advocacy skills in the community in
a coming Transition ASK A SPECIALIST Q & A. The books and video below
may be useful resources in helping your student understand ADHD:
Gordon, Michael (1993) I Would If I Could: A Teenager's Guide to
ADHD/Hyperactivity. GSI Publications: DeWitt, New York. Phone: 315-446-4849
Dr. Gordon feels that having ADHD is not a disaster, but rather a challenge
to be mastered. He describes the impact of ADHD on family life, school
functioning, and self-esteem in both words and pictures. His account
of a teenager's reaction to the diagnostic process, family therapy,
and stimulant medication is informative, insightful, and poignant. He
offers realistic coping suggestions.
Nadaeu, Kathleen. Help 4 ADD @ High School.Com. Written for teenagers
with ADHD, this book is designed like a web site that you can "surf."
It has short, easy-to-read, information-packed sections which tell you
what you need to know about how to get your life together for yourself,
not for your parents or teachers. You don't have to read the whole book
to find the information you want. Just check out the "home page" and
turn to the topics you're interested in. The book includes tips on studying,
ways your high school can help you succeed; tips on getting along better
at home, on dating, exercise, and more.
Both books are available at:
http://www.addwarehouse.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/kids.html
Teen to Teen: the ADD Experience by Chris Dendy. Available at:
www.chrisdendy.com. Chris Dendy
is a parent, professional and speaker who raised a son with ADHD who
is featured on the video.
When your student has developed an awareness of his learning style and
needs, he can begin to learn self-advocacy skills. Since he is placed
in a general classroom, accommodations for his learning weaknesses may
enable him to participate more fully. Your student should be at the
hub of the educational team that determines appropriate accommodations.
He may need education as to possible options. Filling out a self-report
form [this will be linked to a document] to determine a starting point
for accommodations may be useful. Additional information on self-advocacy
written for teens is available at:
http://www.ldinfo.com/self-advocacy_chapter_5.htm#top.
Intervention must take place in high school for students with disabilities
to successfully advocate for themselves in the post-secondary environment.
The educational team can help your student learn self-advocacy skills
by role-play of specific strategies. The student should be prepared
for a variety of reactions from teachers ranging from negative to indifferent
to positive. Specific strategies for negotiating with teachers who may
have these different attitudes are available in an article Requesting
Academic Accommodations by Sheila Graham and Ronald L. English from
the October 2001 issue of Attention! Magazine. This article is
also available by search at http://www.ldonline.org. Use the search
words "requesting accommodations."
Begin by teaching your student a specific procedure for approaching
teachers. To prepare for self-advocacy, your student should:
- Learn to talk comfortably about ADHD
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- Advocate for yourself before problems begin
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- Show your teacher that you are motivated. Offer
to do extra work to make up for failures
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- Meet your counselor and form a relationship
early in the year before problems occur
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Some tips for meeting with teachers include:
- Practice beforehand. Make notes and bring them
along
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- Use "I" statements and choose your words carefully
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- Come prepared with ideas for solving the problem
and offer suggestions
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- Focus on what you need, not what you think
the teacher is doing wrong
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- Bring your sense of humor. Be willing to laugh
at yourself
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- If the meeting does not get results, talk to
your school counselor or other adult
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A resource specialist could provide direct support or guide
you to support your student to learn to use his accommodations and to
use critical study skills such as the use of a planner, test-taking strategies,
and breaking long-term projects into short, attainable chunks. You can
be supportive by checking to be sure that he has completed his assignments
and has them packed to hand in. You might also be able to help him organize
his backpack and binder and keep in touch with his teachers.
Most students with ADHD do best with a consistent organizational system.
In high school, many teachers like to create a personalized system. Some
teachers may require spiral notebooks, others require an entire binder
for one class. This can lead to frustration for the ADHD student. Consider
advising your student to make use of a consistent binder system as one
of his accommodations. In many cases, spirals can be clamped into binders.
Some students, particularly those who are too impulsive to file papers
at school do best with clipboards. With these, they just carry a clipboard
for each class and clip papers onto the board. You can coach your student
to create a color-coded file system at home. Use colored hangers and file
folders, one color for each class. When he returns home from school each
day, he should file his papers in the corresponding colored folder. Another
system that students have used with success is the "one binder" system.
The student's planner, a heavy duty pocket with all needed materials,
and all spirals and papers are kept in one binder. The pocket should hold
more than the usual pencils and pens. Items such as a small stapler, hole
reinforcers, a small scissors, tape, paper clips, glue, a small ruler,
a calculator and colored pencils or markers should also be included. Consider
placing a pocket for completed homework that is ready to be turned in
the front. Be sure to include extra paper.
Many planners are available to help your student organize his day. He
should include afterschool and school activities on one schedule. Your
student may prefer to use an official school planner, if one is available.
One easy to read planner is The Homework Organizer by Gail Epstein
Mengel, available at: www.homework-organizer.com.
If your student enjoys computers, he may prefer a Palm Pilot. These are
expensive, however, and easily lost by many students with ADHD.
You can support positive self-esteem by praising effort over achievement.
Avoid criticism. Remember that "five to one gets the job done." If you
criticize at all, remember to give five instances of praise for every
critical comment.
Good luck! Remember to keep the goal of eventual independence in mind.
Teens often have difficulty accepting help from adults. Your student may
have to learn some things by experiencing natural consequences. |
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