Is there any teacher who ever had a student with ADD?

Question

Im a teacher in Taiwan, my new student has ADD.

(The class is one-on-one)

Ive meet that 3rd-grade boy once

his mother told me he's got ADD and is currently under medical controlling

during the meeting

I found him hardly get himself focused

He could give me 100 reasons for not sitting on the chair

I had him take a test

He couldnt get it done in a proper period of time

after he finished like 1/3 of it

he told me he doesnt know how to do the rest

I went thru the questions he'd solved

and found him actually knows how to do it

so I said

"U know how to do it, u just simply want me to give u the answers, try read the questions carefully and answer them.

then he went through other 2 or 3 Qs

said again that he really doesnt understand

so I tried to lead him thru the Qs...

it still seemed like he does know how to do it..

He's changed his teacher for times

and his mother's concern isnt to get him focused

she just simply wants him to get good grades

is there anyone could give me some directions

Answer 1

I had a student with ADHD in my classroom last year.  Even though she could read at a fourth grade level (in first grade) and perform math at a third grade level, she could not finish any assignment or test.  For assignments, I allowed her to take a short break at certain points throughout the assignment.  This gave her an incenttive to work on things if she knew she would get a break to color for five minutes.  When testing her, I would often do parts of a test with her.  For math, I would get out manipulatives to test the same objectives the other studets were being tested over.  Some people would say this is not "fair," but it is.  It is "fair" to help each student with what THEY need, which is not always the same as everyone else.  Good luck!

Answer 2

Of course.  Do not let him use his undiagnosed "ADD" as an excuse.  He probably has for some time....it is not an excuse.  But is something that needs to be worked on.  It does sound like he either simply needs someone to help him focus or wants attention.  I have had several students who could not do the work, but if I sat there with them while they did it, helping them check as they go, they did great.

My personal experience is many of these students are basically told to shut up and stop bothering mom and dad at home, and simply need attention.  You may be able to ween him off of this as your progress with him.   Children with ADD (or just active) are very individualistic, you really just have to find out what works for them.  Below are several sites that have many suggestions and links that may help you.

http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/add.html

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/add-and...

http://www.proteacher.com/040020.shtml

Good luck.  Teaching these students can be very trying.  I would suggest making nice with the parents.  Often times if you have them "on board" with you...on the same page, it makes many problems go away.

Answer 3

It sounds like he's just being a kid who doesn't want to do his work.  I don't believe in ADD.  I think it's what doctors tell mothers because doctors can't say, "You have failed to discipline your child and teach him how to discipline himself.  As a result, he understands no limits and has no boundaries."

I had a student last year in 11th grade whose mom told me he was "ADD."  This child was funny and delightful.  He was so bored with school that he had a hard time listening.  He would blurt out whatever came into his head.  He sat and drew pictures.  I really looked forward to having him in class.  Then his mom put him on ADD medication and he became a zombie.  It was so sad.  It was like his personality disappeared.

Answer 4

ADD is a very real issue for some, but this child may have other learning disabilities.  It is odd that he only completed a portion of your test before becoming unruly.  Perhaps he has a reading disability.  I am not sure that ADD should be listed as the reason he cannot complete the test.  I have worked with severely ADD children and they try very hard to complete tasks and have the teacher be proud of them.  Perhaps since this child has had many teachers, maybe he is getting attention from his behavior.  

Perhaps the child feels ignored until he misbehaves and then mom gives him the attention and switches his teachers, putting the blame for his behavior somewhere else.

Perhaps he is also depressed, it can happen.  You don't mention how much time has passed with the 4 different teachers, but perhaps this child has been told directly or indirectly that he is a failure and is now living up to expectations.

Answer 5

He may not be ADD, he may be kinesthetic.  Kinesthetic kids need to move, do, or build in order to learn - the physical movement is what stimulates the learning centers in the brain.  Sitting still may actually inhibit him from learning, since he has to focus so hard on being still that he can't focus on anything else.

I would suggest giving him a little test - let him get up and move around calmly (walk around, hold a stress ball, something like that) while you ask him the questions.  Likely, while he's moving, he'll be able to explain them to you and/or dramatize them.

Many kids who are "diagnosed" ADD are simply kinesthetic learners.  I believe ADD does exist - it's a brain chemical imbalance that causes a person to not be able to focus - but I don't believe it's anywhere near as common as it's made out to be.  Rather, kinesthetic learners just don't fit into the classroom model of "sit still and do your work", so they're medicated into a stupor so it's easier to manage them.

You may need to find a different way to teach him.  Is your end goal to get him to sit still and do his work like everyone else, or to cause him to truly learn the material?  I'm not saying you should let him distract the class, but in order to really teach him, you will likely need to get a bit creative.