Dealing with ADHD

By Lynn Moore
It is not uncommon for parents of a child with ADHD to homeschool. What is ADHD? How does having a child with ADHD affect homeschooling?

What Is ADHD?

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may be described in the following ways. A child with ADHD may not necessarily demonstrate all of these characteristics.

Behavioral Characteristics of a Child with ADHD

• Easily distracted
• Impulsive
• Moody
• Always on the move
• Showing anxiety or depression

Educational Characteristics of a Child with ADHD

• Difficulty with more or more subjects
• May function in some subjects 1-2 years behind age
• Difficulty staying on task
• Easily frustrated with assignments
• Disorganization
• Difficulty following verbal directions
• Difficulty remembering where something was left, whether or not something was done, etc.

Testing a Child for Suspected ADHD

Although a parent or teacher may suspect that a child has ADHD, it cannot be determined without a professional evaluation. A doctor must make the diagnosis of ADHD, while an educational psychologist can evaluate for a learning disability.

In the case of suspected learning disability, a variety of private testing facilities are available in addition to local school districts.

Modifications and Accommodations for the Homeschooled Child with ADHD

Many children with ADHD are bright students. They may have difficulty in one or two subjects, but the appropriate approach to education will help them maximize their potential.

A basic key to remember when homeschooling a child with ADHD is that the world: environment, expectations, and tasks are often overwhelming because the child is not internally organized and is highly distractible. If the learning environment helps the child stay focused and organized, effort to reach the learning goal will be much more successful.

• Setting
  Quiet setting away from other household busyness. Some children say that quiet music helps them concentrate.
  Minimal visual distractions.
  
• Schedule
  • Have a definite schedule. If you always have Reading at a particular point in the day (after breakfast clean up for example) it will be more apt to happen. Also, parent and child will be in the mind set for this activity. It will not be a topic of discussion. Everyone will be ready for it. See my article Homeschooling Siblings of Different Ages: Time Management Tips for more ideas and benefits in this area of schedules.
  • Include activity in the lessons.
    Plan lots of breaks.
  • Incorporate ways for the child to physically “help” by carrying books, putting away laundry, walking the dog. . . Anything that requires physical movement / strength will use up some extra energy and help the child concentrate on “school” work.
    
• Materials
  • Choose engaging materials with a strong relationship between pictures and text, visual aids (such as graphs, charts, etc.) and clearly written text.
  • Materials should have easy to follow examples, a variety of practice levels, and review material.
  • Materials should include hands on teaching aids to demonstrate the concept.
    
• Tools
  • A plain bookmark can help a child visually track while reading. Some children benefit from using a clear, colored EZC Reader Strip™.
  • Sticky notes are great for marking an answer to be copied to paper.
  • Three ring binders offered a natural solution to the paper dilemma. Let’s face it. . . A loose paper is a lost paper. By placing teaching pages and assignments in a binder, the child will use an external organization tool that will lead to greater learning independence and success.
  • Some children with ADHD benefit from Books on Tape. While audiobooks are available from a variety of sources, tapes specifically for the learning disabled student are available from http://www.rfbd.org/ (These recorded books come with special audio players with an adjustable speed to help in following along in the text.) A doctor’s verification is required to access this free service.
    
• Strategies
  • Teach previewing and reviewing skills.
  • Tackle small bits of information at a time. This may be in the way you break up reading the text or in how you break up the paper task. When breaking up the paper task many children will feel less overwhelmed if they have a page or strip with fewer problems and then another of similar problems, instead of one long worksheet. Note: When using this strategy it is important to let the child know upfront how many parts there are to the work. Otherwise, the child will feel like he will never get done because there is what appears to be an endless supply of those pages.
  • Pre-read a question; read the appropriate sentence, paragraph, or page; have the child write the answer.
  • Tie information into daily life skills and the child’s personal experiences.
  • Some children with ADHD are auditory learners. Reading a science text or test to your child allows him to concentrate on the needed information and not the task of reading the material(a difficult skill).
  • Auditory learners love musical CDs of math facts or “word family” songs.
  • Use flashcards.
  • Consider “reading” test materials in subjects other than reading. It is important to test the information and not the child’s reading skills. For example, Johnny has a test in Social Studies. Test his knowledge of that content information - not his ability to read it.

In the area of reading, it is best only to read the instructions because the child’s reading skill IS what is being evaluated. NOTE: For all children, reading tests should be open book so that you are testing the ability to read a story and not the child’s memory of the story. Appropriate computer games can reinforce basic facts and be motivators to complete paper-pencil tasks first!

In general, when homeschooling a child with ADHD, plan well and then enjoy the learning journey. The path is not the same for any two learners (ADHD or not).