Author: Roxanne Fouché

Accommodations for Students with ADHD

Students with ADHD may qualify for a Section 504 Accommodation Plan if their symptoms substantially limit one or more major life activities (including learning). The accommodations that are provided are intended to level the playing field to ensure “meaningful equal opportunity” at school. The accommodation plan should include a description of the student’s challenges and how ADHD is impacting the student’s learning and behavior. Accommodations are written to address identified areas of difficulty.

Helpful accommodations for students with ADHD may include:

  • Preferential seating (seating student close to the teacher)
  • Assistance with note taking/assigned note taker
  • Copy of the teacher’s Power Points, notes, or outlines
  • Pairing written and oral instructions
  • Teacher’s checking for understanding
  • Private signal to redirect student’s attention
  • Checking that assignments have been correctly written down
  • Verification that all needed items are placed in the student’s backpack at the end of the day
  • Alternate or modified assignments (e.g., Power Point presentation instead of a written report, ½ of the math problems of a certain type, etc.)
  • Breaking down longer-term assignments and giving intermediate deadlines
  • Acceptance of homework emailed directly to the teacher
  • Reminders for turning in homework
  • Credit for late work
  • Cues for transitions to different activities
  • Allowing movement breaks and use of a “fidget” to increase focus
  • Advance copy of study guides
  • Permission to audio record review sessions
  • Taking quizzes and exams in a reduced distraction environment
  • Use of computer for written tests and/or calculators, as appropriate
  • Extended time for tests and/or homework assignments
  • Oral testing and/or the teacher’s going over the written test with the student, asking questions for clarification of the student’s answers
  • 2nd set of books at home
  • Alternate formats for reading (books on CDs, etc.)

If your child’s 504 plan is not meeting their needs or you want to explore whether your child might benefit from such accommodations, contact the school’s 504 coordinator. You are your child’s first advocate. Remember that you are modeling the skills that your child needs to develop so they can advocate for themselves in the future.

Contact us if we can be of assistance in setting your child your child up for school success.

Parenting a Child with LD or ADHD

Parents of a child with LD, ADHD or associated difficulties likely spend a lot of time trying to understand their child’s difficulties and working to provide support for their child in school, at home and during outside activities. They often walk that very fine line between helping their child so that s/he does well today and doing whatever is necessary so that their child might be independently successful in the future.

In the midst of all this loving activity, it’s easy to forget to address one’s own needs. If your exhaustion, frustration, or worry is not allowing you to be at your best, how can you give your best?

Parents need time to relax, renew, and reconnect, with a walk around the block, a heartfelt conversation, a night out, or an undisturbed bath. Having taken the time to “give back to yourself” as you might advise a friend to do – you will return to the situation with fresh perspective and energy.

Putting yourself first, at least occasionally, is not selfish; it is a practical necessity. What are you doing for yourself today that will allow you to be the parent you want to be?

Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First

Here’s one of the tips offered by Roxanne Fouché that appears in the book, 365 Ways to Succeed with ADHD: A Full Year of Valuable Tips & Strategies from the World’s Best ADHD Coaches & Experts!!!

Available at Amazon.com

Mothers, especially those whose children have ADHD or other difficulties, have a tendency to place others’ needs ahead of their own. It would be wise to follow the recommendation of the flight attendants who advise passengers that if there is a loss of cabin pressure, parents should put the oxygen masks on themselves first and then on their children. When parents take care of themselves with a good diet, exercise and sufficient sleep, they have the wherewithal to deal with the challenges of raising children and fully enjoy its rewards.

College and ADHD

Academically, college can be a challenge for any student – but especially for one with ADHD, learning disabilities or related issues. Academic expectations increase in college at a time when there is a decrease in external structure from parents and school. There is often limited feedback on class progress, as tests occur infrequently, and daily homework is rarely assigned to ensure that students are keeping up with their reading or other assignments. Students often have difficulty independently forming daily routines (waking up, going to bed, eating, studying, exercising, taking medication, doing laundry, and other chores), especially because their class schedules typically change from day to day. In addition, students may have difficulty prioritizing competing social and academic demands while enjoying the newfound freedom to make their own decisions.

There are several ways to set students up for success at college. Students with ADHD may be eligible for accommodations in college, whether or not they had a 504 plan or special education services in high school. Such accommodations might include testing in a separate and quiet environment, extra time for exams, note taking assistance, and/or priority registration among other accommodations. Students and their parents should contact the disabilities office at the college to find out the department’s procedures for beginning this process.

Another very helpful option is coaching for college students so they might discover personalized tools and strategies that allow them to successfully set goals, manage time, begin (and complete!) tasks, maintain focus, organize and prioritize, as well as balance life’s demands.

Call us today for a complimentary consultation to see how coaching might help you or teen succeed in the college environment.

Getting Things Done

One common frustration of people with ADD/ADHD is not being able to accomplish the things that need to get done. Sometimes we know what we need to do and just can’t seem to “make ourselves” do it. Sometimes, we are so overwhelmed with the sheer number, or the complexity, of the things that need to be done that we just don’t know where to begin. Sometimes we know the things we need to do, and are determined to accomplish them, but distractions get in the way of our best intentions.

In order to get things done, the first step is figuring out the stumbling blocks. Once we know what’s getting in the way, it’s easier to know how to move forward. In getting through the tedious or boring tasks, we can keep ourselves on track by working in small increments with breaks, as needed, until we finish the task and can reward ourselves. In getting past the overwhelm of complex tasks, we can break down the tasks into do-able steps, giving ourselves intermediate due dates for accomplishing them. If distractions are an issue, we can set up our working environment to minimize distractions, by listening to soft music with earphones, or turning off email notification on our computers, for example.

Of course, everyone is different and what works for one person may or may not work for another. (And it’s often the case that what works one day may not work the next.) Pay attention to what’s getting in the way and experiment with ways to use your strengths while working around your challenges.

Call us for a complimentary consultation to explore how coaching might help you work smarter and accomplish more.

Plan is Not a “Four-Letter” Word

Here’s a sneak peek at one of the tips from Roxanne Fouché appearing in the upcoming book, 365 Ways to Succeed with ADHD: A Full Year of Valuable Tips & Strategies from the World’s Best ADHD Coaches & Experts!!!

There will be a book launch party with extra “goodies” from the contributors for those who buy the book on October 11, 2011. Stay tuned!

Many people resist planning for a variety of reasons. But “plan” doesn’t have to be a four-letter word, as planning allows us to work smarter – not harder. Making a plan is like using a GPS navigation system to help devise the route to get from Point A to Point B. Once you decide your destination or goal, you can plan appropriate steps to get you there, setting intermediate deadlines along the way to pace yourself. It helps to remain flexible, adjusting your plan, as necessary. Don’t forget to reward yourself for planning the work – and then working the plan!

Middle and High School Students – Why a Coach?

During the middle and high school years, workloads increase while teachers and parents typically expect the students to take on more responsibility for their homework and outside activities. The combination of increasing environmental demands and higher expectations for independence is particularly difficult for students with ADHD. This is where a coach specifically trained in ADHD can help.

Focus on the Whole Person

Academic issues are often the focus of ADHD coaching for students, with the main concerns often being how to get and stay on track with schoolwork, be better organized, and maintain motivation. However, coaching is most powerful when it focuses on the whole person and the ways the student’s individual ADHD characteristics impact different aspects of daily life, inside and outside of school.

Empowerment

Teens often feel empowered by coaching because they are “in the driver’s seat,” choosing what life skills to explore with their coach and designing action steps toward their goals. Coaching has, at its core, a unique relationship between student and coach, which provides nonjudgmental and supportive structure, allowing students to build skills for desired growth and independence.

Working with Strengths

Coaching helps students to appreciate the gifts of ADHD and the ways their unique brains function best. With awareness of the way they learn and what may be getting in the way, coaching helps students learn personalized strategies, tools and new habits that are tailored to work with their strengths, and work around areas that do not come as easily.

Setting Students Up For Success

ADHD coaching provides support, structure and accountability as students learn to set goals, manage time, begin tasks and work toward completion, organize and prioritize, sustain focus, maintain life balance and develop self-advocacy skills. Working with an ADHD coach allows students to discover strengths, build self-esteem, and increase self-awareness, creating the opportunity for life-long success.

Call us for a complimentary phone consultation to explore how coaching might help your teen.