by Sara A Broers

Created on: August 28, 2008

ADHD can make every parent and student's high school experience a living nightmare if proper steps are not taken to work together. By working together with the child's teachers the school year will be a success. Students that are diagnosed with ADHD as high school students have difficulty concentrating in large group settings and have difficulties in completing tasks on time. The solution? Each educator that touches base with the student should be aware of the student's needs and accommodations. Therefore, the child's parent needs to be an advocate for their child, by bringing awareness to the front of the classroom. Will the school year be easy? Probably not, but things will be successful if everyone involved with the student knows that the student has been diagnosed with ADHD.

Once the new school year rolls around, be sure the student has a planner. Organization will be of the utmost importance in regards to their study skills throughout the school year. This provides the student with a particular place to write down all assignments, and can also serve as a communication tool between parents and teachers. When a high school student feels that they are not organized and each school day seems in disarray, frustration will set in and quite often the student will refuse to study. By providing the necessary tools to be organized the student will be able to study.

A smaller classroom, for a study hall, with a teacher available to assist when needed can ease the frustrations in regards to questions about homework. Students with ADHD can quickly become apprehensive and "shut down." By providing a safe, quiet, and helpful study room there is less chance of this occurring. The student with ADHD will be able to focus on their studies as they will build a relationship with their study room teacher. This will be a positive relationship and this teacher will be an excellent role model for the student that struggles in the classroom. The more positive experiences any student can experience, the greater the chance for success!

Make sure a team of people are gathered together throughout the school year to evaluate the school year and how the program is working for the student. Building principals, teachers, parents and any physician,that deals with the student, may be part of this team. If the student is close to 18 years old, an employment specialist within the school system may want to be invited to join the team. Parents can request who they want to be part of this team

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