Reply to If you don’t medicate your very ADD middle school child?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I work in special education, and a lot of the students on my caseload have ADHD without any comorbid conditions.

One of the challenges with ADHD is that attention and working memory are linked together. Even with fantastic one-on-one instruction, children with ADHD can have trouble with appropriate depth of processing and focus sufficient to support working memory. Without working memory supports, long-term memory suffers too. I see a lot of very bright kids who accumulate widening skills deficits over the years in spite of receiving excellent in-school support. Many of these kids need more time and more repetitions with the material before it starts to sink in. Bringing papers home to review with families and tutors is one strategy for that.

I understand stimulant medication reluctance, though I am very pro-medication. However, I strongly advise families not to rely on academic accommodations alone. Ask your child’s medical providers about behavioral health programs to support ADHD. There are cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness strategies that help some. Results will not be fast and may not be as dramatic as meds. That said, it’s definitely time for more intervention before your child falls further behind in work. You also want to get on top of this before your child has the potential to develop self-esteem issues or school anxiety.[/quote]

too often special ed teachers focus on getting kids to finish assignments and provide too many supports and not enough old-fashioned practice. my ADHD kiddo actually has a great working memory but if the teachers just are not giving enough direct instruction and practice, it’s pointless. this is an instructional problem for all kids now, but it’s worse for SN kids. [/quote]

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