Helping my 13 year old with his ADD?

Question

I have a 13 year old son with ADD.He is not hyper at all.I have him on Strattera,but with school getting ready to start up again-I was wondering if other parents may have tips on good study habits,things I can do to help him,vitamins that may help etc.His last school year went pretty badly.I am hoping with the new medication and some extra help from me will make this year even better.Experienced answers please.GOD-bless

Answer 1

The thing that helped my son the most last year was helping him organize his homework schedule.  My son's teachers were amazed at how fast his work habits got under control and jokingly suggested they would send me "problem kids", as not many 13 year olds can organize anything.  So, here's what we did:

1.  I went to regular meetings with my son's teachers and the administrators who worked with him (like the resource teacher - my son is mainstreamed - and any counselors and disciplinarians).  We set up a 504 Plan, which states what the school will do to "even out the playing field" for my son.  We chose it because my son didn't need educational programs, the teachers just needed special instructions to make sure my son was getting the most out of their classes.  A few of the items that were included were:  A. my son, if he forgot his student ID, could go to his first period teacher for a duplicate she would keep in her desk. B. he could be late for turning in assignments by one day without special permission to do so, and it would not count against him.  C.  he can leave the room any time it gets too loud for him (he also has Asperger's Syndrome).  There are tons of others, but you get the idea. It is made especially to suit my son's needs.  

One of the bonuses: the 504 Plan is literally a plan the teachers must follow. It's a Federal Legal Document - if the teachers don't follow it, and they have complaints from several parents, they can lose their federal funding.  I had to actually tell the school I KNOW the 504 must be followed to the letter when they started slacking about following it.  One thing you can consider if your son isn't getting his needs met and you've tried to get the school to do what they are supposed to is to get an advocate. These are lawyers who understand the nuances of an IEP and a 504 Plan. They go in and tell the school "you will do this and this and this or you get sued".   It costs money, which is why I resisted getting an advocate.  When the school here got slack, I tried to find a local advocate to no avail. So I finally sent an email to the 504 Coordinator and told her I have teachers, principals, administrators, and lawyers in my family. I know what a 504 means and they better follow it as it is their LEGAL obligation.  It worked, but I didn't like having to threaten the teachers to get them to do what they promised.

http://specialchildren.about.com/od/504s...   This is a site about the 504 basics.  To find more information, just Google "504 Plan".  

2.  The biggest part of my son's 504 Plan was that the teachers had to send me, via email, the assignments that would be given or due that week.  (I would email them each Monday and they would reply with the assignments.) By having a whole week's assignments for every class, we could schedule my son's homework assignments in such a way as to keep him from being overburdened.  It was fantastic.  Before we'd done the weekly assignment schedule, my son would have way too much homework on a few nights (up til 2 AM) or not any.  So, we space out his homework.  We go over each project together, and we distribute the work over several days or even weeks, depending on the complexity and when it's due.  He had to do several "dictionaries" of terms A-Z to deal with a certain class.  That meant 26 different words or phrases for each project, with pictures and it had to be creative.  (One way to wow the teachers: use computer printer stationery for the project's paper.  For social studies, we used stationery with red, white and blue stars on it.  Making sure pictures that are drawn or downloaded were big, colorful and thorough was also one of the factors that the teachers liked.  My son had three teachers ask to keep projects so they could use them as examples for other kids.  I was so proud of him, but I felt sorry for the kids who get his teachers next year!)

3.  My son has horrible handwriting.  He's allowed to dictate things to me to type at home for his projects, and poor spelling and lack of neatness do not count against him.  

4.  My son used to use the Ritalin patch every day. It gave him a clearer head - made him more alert.  He stopped taking it around Christmas break.  Although he stopped using it, his grades improved.  All we had to do was teach him how to organize himself.  Now, when he has a huge project or chore to do (like cleaning his room!), he plans what he's going to do and follows the plan.  It has been such a life saver for him.  He actually is in Honors classes this coming year.  This is the first time we haven't had to demand my son go to the Honors classes, even though his scores were low in math.  His math ability increased at an amazing rate. I don't know if it's my tutoring (I used to be a tutor) or the organization - hard to solve a math problem without organization - step 1, step 2, etc.  

This is a math website that helped my son.  If he didn't understand the site, he'd come to me as a "last resort":

http://www.math.com/  It's a great site for any type of math your son will encounter.

Make sure you have a routine at home.  Homework should be done at relatively the same time each night, if possible.  Same thing with sleep:  it's vital to get a good night's sleep. The difference will be night and day. If your son is tired during the day, and he can't seem to get enough sleep, you might want to talk to his doctor about a sleep study. My son actually has sleep hypopnea, similar to sleep apnea.  My son's was helped by using Singulair: it shrank the inflamed sinus tissues so that he could breathe better.  Another good energy booster is B-Complex Vitamins. My son takes one every morning.  In about 4 - 6 weeks, you'll see a difference.  (You might want to take them, too. They work great!)

I realize this is a lot of information, but it's really only the tip of the iceberg. What's important is finding what helps your son.  If what you hear in Answers isn't cutting the mustard, you can talk to the resource teacher at your son's school, or talk to his teachers to see where your son seems to be falling short. Believe it or not, the best idea (organization) was gotten from one of the administrators who came to a 504 meeting.  

There are infinite sites on the web that are great for research.  I must have read 50 sites over last Summer break.  But it really worked - we were able to find stories of kids going through the same thing, and the parents would tell how they solved that problem.  I hope you can spend some time looking for ideas.  The Google searches I did were too numerous to mention, but you can start out with "IEP, 504 plan, ADHD in school, ADHD, ADD, special education".  I hope you get some other great ideas here. I know how hard it is to find help, but once you do find that one thing which makes the difference for your son, you'll know it's worth every bit of trouble.

Answer 2

I know the feeling. You dread the new school year and what it has in store for you. Have you taken your son to more than one doc. for evaluation? The only reason I`am asking is because lately there has been a whole new debate about wehter children should be so easily labeled as ADHD or ADD. Gone are the days when a child was allowed to be a child and all too often you come across of situations with a misdiagnosis.

Have you seen a good behavioral therapist that can give you a "schedule" that suits your son?

Your son needs a routine, because without one he will become off task and find it difficult to stay focused. Luckily he`s old enough to know what he likes and dislikes, so sit down and talk with hime and come up with a plan that he can feel comfortable with.

Try to wean him of the meds. (If this is a option)This should only be a temp. situation and they should not follow him for the rest of his life.

God Bless and Godd Luck!

Answer 3

Tell him to eat protein. It wakes you up ( i think ).

Strattera does not work at all ( from what i know ). But if it does he should be okay with school.

Answer 4

See if you can set aside a room in your house where he can do his homework. Make sure there are as FEW distractions as possible in this room. Don't let him watch TV, eat, or even listen to music as he works. I have ADD and I know for a fact that every possible distraction is magnified tenfold when I'm working. Try to make sure he keeps working until he's finished, don't take any of that 'I'll finish it later' c**p, once he's stopped working, it will be hard for him to start again, make sure he finishes everything at once.

Answer 5

Here a book that you and your son should read

http://www.borders.com/online/store/Titl...

Answer 6

My son was taking meds since he was in the 1st grade... but only when he went to school... about 1/2 through his 6th grade year, I took him off.... The reason I took him off, was because his case was less severe than what you have described. He has been in honors classes ( since he could concentrate better ) and he continued getting good grades even after taking him off the meds... his grades did go from A's and B's to mostly B's and a C....What I have done for him, is together, he and I put together his binder and made a section for each of his classes... Each section has a pencil and paper in it as well as any papers he would need. If he was doing his "DOG" which is a reading each day in different classes, then we would put in a book mark in the class just before the class he would need to bring the book... plus i kept almost daily contact with his teachers and principal to keep tabs on him.... He still struggles, but the more mature he becomes, the more he understands that sometimes life is more difficult for others than some... my son LOVES to skateboard... not all his buddies are coordinated enough... so I use that as an example that we are not all the same... what might come easy to some, comes harder for others... good luck and God Bless!!!