Back to School: With a great attitude!
Vera Joffe, Ph.D.
(vjphdcr)
Dear parents and children with ADHD,
I am glad to be writing to you in this beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year. Last year, I wrote at the same time, and I hope that the recommendations I made for you at that time were useful. I will repeat some of them, but add some others and information about recent published research that may be relevant for your child, and for your family also.
I have talked extensively with my patients and readers about the need to start preparing for school many weeks before school begins. I believe that the stores and other merchants start reminding us too early in the summer about the “back to school fever” to get us to purchase clothes and other materials too early. By the time the newsletter is published, school will have already started, and your children will be in their new classrooms, and getting acquainted with their teachers, peers, as well as the new academic routine.
1. Structured schedule: It is very important to start and maintain a very well structured home life from the beginning of the day until bed time. For instance, if your child has a difficult time waking up, allow more time for that process to happen without having to have a fight with your children. In addition, we are all aware that having breakfast is very important for children (and adults) before facing a school day and other activities. Similar strategies may be developed for homework time, leisure activities, shower, dinner, and bedtime.
2. Structured space and routine for homework: Having a special place and time for homework is very important. Organizing the school supplies and materials from the beginning of the year is important. The basic routine of organizing the backpack the night before, and making sure that all the materials as well as homework as safely inserted in the backpack is important. How many children with ADHD forget their homework at home? Also, preparing lunches the night before is helpful to diminish areas of discussion and forgetfulness the next morning.
3. Positive attitude about school, and relationship with the teachers: Starting the school year with a positive attitude regarding school and teachers is very important. Children will notice when their parents have negative feelings about the new teacher, school, or even the principal. Therefore, be careful about your comments about school when talking to your friends, neighbors, etc.
4. Documentations: Does your child have an I.E.P.? If you are reading this newsletter, your child (or you) was mostly diagnosed with ADHD already. Is your child’s documentation updated at school? Does your child need special accommodations this year that were not necessary last year? For instance, some children who transition into middle school may need some help in going from one classroom to another (in the beginning of the year), or in communicating and getting used to more than one teacher. Do you know the E.S.E. specialist in your school? If not, make sure you establish contact, and that you develop a positive relationship with that person, as well as with the teacher, principal, and guidance counselor. Som of the procedures and laws have changed over the last year. There are new procedures that have been introduced, such as what is called "Response to Interventions" which is developed by the school staff before further steps are taken to develop a 504 Plan or an I.E.P. for children who show signs of special needs.
5. Medication update: When was the last time that your child’s doctor discussed medications with you? It is important to review the medications that your child is taking before school starts, but if you did not do that, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss the best possible choice of medication for your child. On this note, I would like to expand my discussion a little further due to recent findings about medication regarding children who are taking stimulants:
- Different children respond to different types of stimulants. Thus, if your child does not respond well (or even partially) to a medication, talk to your doctor about changing the type of medication (even another type of stimulant).
- Slow-release stimulants have tremendous advantages over short-term stimulants. Studies have indicated that slow release stimulants have clinical advantages, such as: less intrusion of privacy at school, more compliance with medication, the effects of medication are also seen in after-school activities, less misuse of stimulants at school, among many other positive factors.
- There are new medications that were recently approved by the FDA with indications for ADHD. Make sure you discuss all medications available with your doctor.
6. Re-evaluation of accommodations, medication regimen, and behavioral management program: I often tell my patients’ parents to wait until about 3 to 4 weeks into the school year to start evaluating the effectiveness of the accommodations, medication regimen at school. It would be helpful for the teacher to answer a couple of questionnaires (supplied by the doctor, or the psychologist, or even the school psychologist at school), and for the parents to assess the symptoms also. If any difficulties are noted, they should be addressed right away. If it is a medication related issue, then you need to see your child’s doctor. If, however, it is an issue regarding accommodation, curriculum, or any other academic topic, do not wait for the end of the year to bring attention to the teacher’s and to the E.S.E. personnel at your school. You have the right to call for a meeting (or for a staffing, if necessary) to review your child’s academic performance as well as his/her I.E.P. at any time.
Finally, it is important to continue working on behavior management programs at home to bring novelty to your child’s motivation to perform well at school and at home. Not only that, but also to address your child’s developmental stage in thinking about rewards and discipline.
7. Parents’ mental health: Finally, it is extremely important for parents to maintain a positive and calm approach to parenting their children as much as possible. Everyone gets more stressed out with the start of the school year with new schedules, new challenges, and more obligations. However, parents need to take some time to take care of their own mental health. They need to rest, relax, enjoy themselves, and also attend support groups, such as the CHADD meetings we have in our county.
Have a wonderful start of the academic year!
Vera Joffe, Ph.D.