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[quote=Anonymous]I have 2 2e ADHD kids.

Kid 1 graduated from TJ a couple of years ago. It was not pretty the first two years in terms of managing the workload. But by junior year, he had a handle on the workload and was able to go into the technology track which was amazing. He was able to have two hands on classes in his schedule, plus play an instrument at a high level.  And he could opt into the math and physics he loved and stop at three years of a foreign language.

I have mixed feelings about TJ in general and TJ for my kid. But he loved it, even when he was struggling. It got so much better. And, he’s now at a great college, doing something he loves, managing his time well and getting good grades.

Kid 2 is a junior at a good base school.  She has also played an instrument every year.  She started with honors in all 4 core subjects freshman year. But, she is much stronger in humanities than STEM.  10th grade, she dropped down to standard Algebra II from honors geometry, took HN English and Chemistry, and did AP World Civ.

She managed the load well on the humanities side, but we saw distance learning coming and her weak spot was Chemistry. So, she took standard physics over the summer and started a second foreign language.   So, this year, she is talking APUSH, AP English Lang and AP European, foreign language 3, foreign language 1, standard pre-Calc.

Next year, she will probably take 4-5 APs: Foreign Language, Comparative Gov (2 exams), Econ, and English Lit.  I have no idea on math, but we will follow the teachers reps.  She has an A- in standard PE-Calc. And she will take her second foreign language instead of a 4th lab science.

She’s applying to SLACs and her first ACT was a 36 Eng, 34 reading and 28 average in STEM. She’s applying international relations.  It is what it is, and I don’t see how dragging through an AP science does anything but make her miserable.

TL;DR: lessons learned.

Challenge your kids in their areas of strength and don’t make them do the highest level of everything.

Summer school is your friend.   If your kid is struggling in a subject, but they really should take physics or Us history, they can bear down for 4 weeks and get it done.  And they only have that to focus on.  Then, the open up a spot for an elective or something in an area of strength.

Re-evalutate each year.  If it’s really bad, evaluate mid-year. My younger kid started in HN Algebra II.  Was in over her head and dropped down to standard A2 second semester. Added benefit: they wiped out her C- and she got to start fresh.

For many kids, using their hands in some classes or as an EC is helpful. Music, art, drama set building, tech classes.  All good breaks in the day.

Get a good psychiatrist you trust and medicate.

Get a 504 that is very clear about hints like extended time and credit for late work.  It turns out that getting an extra week to turn in late work is worthless if the teacher starts the clock the day the assignment was due but doesn’t post grades so your kid realizes it was missing for 3 weeks. And keep an eye on thing.  But, teach your kid to self advocate. Only step in if they have made a good attempt to resolve an issue.

Et an executive functioning coach!  I can’t stress this enough.  These are skills ADHD kids have to be taught.  And mom and dad doing the teaching is a bad dynamic with teens.

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