How can I help my 9-year-old boy with ADD who is struggling academically?

My oldest daughter is 9 (she'll be 10 this summer) and has ADD. She has pretty significant symptoms, but is not medicated. We have an awesome school district that looks out for her. I don't have any idea at all if what works for her will help your son, but I can tell you what we do for her - maybe some of it can help you. First things first: If you don't already, you MUST have an IEP in place for him at school that lists all of his accommodations or you will waste so much time reinventing the wheel every year. That IEP protects him and lets teachers and other staff know how best to help him. Make sure you have a good one and that you go over it twice a year. Have your son be involved in his own advocacy and be a part of the process of creating it every year, so he can speak up about his needs and what is working or not working for him. ADD will qualify you for Special Ed services. This means, in our case, that my daughter gets to utilize the Special Ed room to an hour every day to catch up on classwork she wasn't able to complete as fast as her peers, and she is able to take tests on her own in there at her own pace without distractions. We try to schedule it during class time when they are doing something such as free reading time that she doesn't miss very much - that was an issue last year, she felt she was missing out on too much of the class activity - but overall the extra time in a quiet room and one-on-one help is priceless. She is exempted from doing more than a half hour of homework every night, unless there's a big project they are working on. This is new this year, because she really started floundering. All her extra classwork was coming home, plus a stack of homework that takes her extra long, plus weekly reading, and we were spending three to four hours a night, every night, just on homework. It was making her incredibly anxious and my stress level was through the roof - so we agreed with her teacher to cut it back, as long as she was still able to grasp concepts and doing OK academically. She gets preferred seating in class: By the front, away from windows she can look out and get distracted by, not near any of her best friends she can start talking to. She has a 'buddy' kid sit next to her who can help keep her on track with things like writing down her assignments or packing her backpack up at the end of the day. She is allowed a fidget to fiddle with to keep her hands busy, as many bathroom breaks as she needs, and the ability to get up and walk around (i.e. to sharpen her pencil or whatever) as needed. She has a special planner / journal that she keeps track of her work in. It has daily homework that I sign off on, but also every morning she writes her day's work on post-it notes she places in it. Then as she completes tasks she gets the kinesthetic pleasure of pulling them off and crumpling them up. She has extra boxes, pencil cases, cardboard dividers, and labels to help her keep her desk tidy. There's even a "map" on the underside of the lid to remind her where everything goes. I'm sure you know this but mess is HUGE with ADD kids, and she's always losing pencils or can't figure out where that $50 calculator went. Her Special Ed teacher helps her reorganize her desk once in a while just to make sure she knows where stuff is. She has two of every book they use in class: A home copy and a school copy. That way there's no "I forgot to bring home my journal!" when we go to do homework or "I forgot my historical fiction book at home!" in class. ADD kids have a lot of trouble with that. Even though she's almost 10 and I might not do this for another kid her age, every night I sit with her and we do homework question by question together. Sometimes she answers questions verbally while pacing - this was especially helpful for multiplication tables. For creative writing assignments she is allowed to dictate while I type, because she lacks the fine motor control to write or type for long periods and gets frustrated, even though she's very creative. During homework we generally work 10 - 15 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. If noise is an issue, my daughter sometimes wears noise canceling headphones or earplugs (like if the rest of the class is reading while listening to music or there's another class being noisy outside or whatever.) Every day before heading out the Special Ed teacher pops in and double-checks my daughter's planner and backpack to make sure she has her homework written down correctly and has all her stuff (papers, jacket, etc) actually in her backpack. Her teachers know she will do best if they can alert her a few minutes before every transition and give her time to finish up her tasks. I don't know if this is true for every kid with ADD, but my daughter does not do transitions well. When giving directions for an assignment, especially those with multiple steps, they write them out for her and break them down so that they are as simple as possible. Bullet lists or numbered task lists help. She will be able to read (and re-read, and re-read) the instructions on the board or on a piece of paper at her desk. Otherwise it goes in her ears and is just gone. Long-term assignments need more management with her, both from her teacher and from me. We break them down into very small chunks (rather like the bulleted lists of directions) and go over her progress frequently. Math is her hardest subject, and she struggles to stay motivated in it. She loves to draw, so we let her draw a picture of every problem she solves. Every. One. It is really difficult sometimes, but that's what it takes. She turns every problem into a story problem and draws it, and then she can figure it out. I get frustrated at how long it takes sometimes, but at least she's doing it. Some teachers have a "secret code" they use with her to let her know she's acting out in class. They raise their pinky finger or something. Then she isn't embarrassed, but she gets the message - stop wiggling and singing, we're trying to learn right now. I don't have her IEP in front of me, and I feel like there are more accommodations or modifications that I am forgetting, but this is a good starting point to give you some ideas. One thing I will say: This age is where the rubber meets the road with ADD, I think. 4th / 5th grade is when kids really have to start buckling down with a lot of what they do academically. There is a lot more work, and on top of that there is suddenly a lot more peer pressure to not "act weird." Interventions via the school system that may have been plenty to help a struggling student in 2nd grade might not be enough in 5th grade. So see how things go and do all you can to make life easier. Just also be aware that if stuff gets hard, it's not you or your son or the disease; it's just the age. Medication might be a useful tool if it is needed now, even if it wasn't before. Occupational therapy can be useful. Our pediatrician is clueless too, but your school should have some good resources. Good luck!

I made the choice to put my son on medication and it made a huge difference for the better, I caught alot of shit for it in the beginning from some family members, but they also were the first to ask if he had taken his med. on a certain day that he would be around them and that is a fact. It is up to you to decide what is best for your son. I know keeping a daily routine helps alot. Keeping his school work organized in binders that are clearly labeled and keeping the bookbag in order helps. Labels in general help. I labeled and organized his room, so it was clear where everything goes. I kept a calendar to mark any differences in routines too. Their minds can feel chaotic, so you need to help keep their surroundings and routines in order. They get frustrated and angry alot because they can feel out of control or overwhelmed easily.

The secret to ADD is cats. First of all, don't take my word for any of this. While I do have ADD myself, I neither have children nor am a medical professional. In fact, I'm still in school. What I hope from this post is a bit of perspective from that side. I've also gotten the questions about killing/hurting yourself, and as far as I can tell, they are basically just taking a general psychological inventory with those. It's unfortunate that none of them seem to be able to help you, though. ADD is labeled the inattentive sub-type for a reason. There's an element of absent-mindedness to it. So one of the tactics I use if I haven't taken my medication for whatever reason is to constantly remind myself "I'm doing X. My goal is X. Just get that done."  Sticky notes might help, along with practicing just general awareness as to when one is falling into a trance. Wait, what happened to the cat thing? There's the concept of hyperfocus, which is as much of a part of the disorder as the stereotypical "ooh, shiny!" aspects. Hyperfocus is essentially when you focus too much on something to the extent that you block out almost everything else. Think of ADD like a cat playing with a laser pointer. Laser pointers are silly things. Why should a cat pay attention to it? No reason, but apparently it's quite enthralled, and it is going to stare at that laser pointer and chase it around as it bounces from place to place. When you turn the laser pointer off, the cat is disoriented; what was it doing, again? So when a teacher calls on your son and he goes "Wait, can you repeat the question?", it's like when you turn the laser pointer off. Even if he was trying to listen, maybe there was one point that got his mind to wander off and never return. One thing that could help would be to get him in the habit of asking himself "Okay, what did the teacher just say?" as the teacher is speaking. Another way to help with both active focus and grades is to answer more questions in class and take notes. It forces one into paying attention just by the nature of the act.  The goal for ADD sufferers isn't complete concentration; it's being aware and able to take control of your focus. With ADD, your brain doesn't do that properly on its own, so you have to mentally bark orders at it to keep your eye on the prize. Tasks that take you 5 minutes on medication take 20 without once you factor in all the times you lose focus. It's a huge pain, but that's why they call them mental disabilities. A personal note on medication: Medication isn't as bad as people say as long as it is properly prescribed and used. I take Concerta, and it really helps me with that self control and alertness. But what works for me might not work for somebody else, and again, self medicating is not advised. For one thing, ADD medications are stimulants, so if your son doesn't need them... you can see where that would lead.

I tend to be skeptical of this disease, too, but I think it might be worth trying medication.  It's not like taking medication means he's making a permanent commitment to it. He could see how he feels about school with medication.  My cousin, who's 9, had such a hard time in school and hated it, and had trouble learning to read, but when he started medication (I think it was Adderall), he suddenly started getting straight As.  He's pretty satisfied about that, too--proud of himself.  He likes school now and I wouldn't be surprised if it's because this year he's doing so well--like, maybe in a couple of years it will seem boring--but for him, it's been immensely helpful.  I think it's just so much easier on him.  Instead of working tremendously hard without a lot of success, school comes easier for him now.  Instead of just his parents telling him he's smart, everybody knows he's smart.  He doesn't get tutoring anymore, spends more time with his friends, seems happier & more relaxed.

Make sure that he is interested in sports. I would recommend swimming, football and some tennis. 1. Its a good way to get rid of the excess energy. 2. It will help him develop a competitive nature while competing with other athletes 3. He will make good friends and develop teamwork through sports. So he will have plenty of good friends for support. 4. Exercise will help his confidence as he will excel at any sport once he is well trained. people will notice his talents and praise him. 5. Will help him develop his concentration levels as sports is a fun activity which requires and encourages increased  concentration. 5. Once he is a teenager, he will be a sexy chick magnet ;) lol just joking.   According to your question, concentrating seems to be a problem. Some ways to improve concentration are First understand clearly what concentration is:“Concentration is taking your mind off many things and putting it on one thing at a time.” Decide carefully what you want to concentrate on,for in many subtle and not-so-subtle ways, you become that which you focus on — that is, you take on the attributes of your chosen subject of concentration. Have you ever noticed how couples who have been married for many years start to look like each other, or how people often come to resemble their pets, their cars, their hobbies, or their work projects? Generally speaking, everyone has had experiences in total concentration. Go to a good adventure film at a movie theater. In the middle of it, stop watching the movie (this might be hard, but do it anyway) and look around at the people in the theater. What are they doing? They are absolutely still, eyes barely blinking, and their breath is slower. It would take a really major distraction to break their attention stream. These physiological signs may give you a hint about ways to increase your own concentration abilities. Some of the enemies of concentration skills are constant sensory input, multi-tasking, trying to do many things all at the same time, loud noises, and flashing light patterns. The human nervous system is a marvelous thing, but it is not built to function in the face of these things on a full-time basis. Attention deficit patterns come, at least to some extent, from the activities or situations which make concentration difficult to impossible. Then a habit of non-attention or inability to concentrate deeply is established and difficult to overcome. Make it a point to put your full concentration on whatever you are doing. Don’t let anything distract you. It really helps to be in a quiet place, but you can learn to block out noise if necessary. Understand the essential connection between concentration and energy. Deep concentration is a matter of increasing or directing your life-force or conscious, cosmic energy. The more of this kind of energy you have, the better. Scattered energy doesn’t help. It must be calm, focused energy. Learn to be calmly concentrated and be concentratedly calm. Learn and practice some physical and mental energization techniques. This is an important first step toward the ability to concentrate deeply. Take breaks. Go outside and breathe deeply or take a brisk walk. Make yourself do this often and you’ll be able to return to your task recharged and ready to focus more creatively. Meditation is the most powerful of all concentration enhancement techniques. Learn a few simple meditation techniques and practice them at least five minutes daily. http://www.ananda.org/meditation/free-meditation-support/articles/increase-your-concentration/

As someone who has had ADD all my life, a few caveats. More than likely one or more of the parents share the same problems. Sports, and getting in shape really, really matter. Involve him in sports. The more physically fit he is, the better his mind will work. Teach him organization. Primary thing to teach is: there is a place for everything and everything in its place. Part of that is put things back where they belong... Teach him to use a calendar, teach him how to clean and organize. Take him to the library every week. Read to him every night. Talk with him like he was your best friend... Don't over helicopter...

I worked as a volunteer at the Robert Ryan Center for children in Studio city California for three years where the focus was on individual tutoring, that is one on one, for a minimum of three hours a week and saw some astounding results.Some of these kids would enter the program sullen, acting out and totally rejected by the system. Various reasons were offered as to why they couldn’t read, which effects all their ability to learn and assimilate other subjects as well. they feel stupid and have low self esteem.Individual instruction by trained tutors keyed these kids in on their self worth, gained by individual instruction with adults who worked hard with them, imparting a sense of purpose and dedication to learning, In less than a year most of these kids were up to and past the level of their peers. It was a joy to see one of my own students reading the LA Times during a break period. These are kids that the special education and resource programs don’t have time to work individually with and volunteers in public schools don’t have the training that will pull these kids out of the muck.That’s my take on perhaps getting you boy at least assessed for individual tutoring by a different approach grounded in a different system. If you can find “the Herman Method,” devised by the late Renee Herman, a special education resource specialist, it might be just the ticket your son needs.

I suffered a lot during childhood that I couldn't even eat, I felt anxious and scared. I think the the basic things you should revise is:*That he is most of the time in a calmed ambient at home.*that he is eating tasty and healthy food.*that he is playing (not with videogames about killing or murders or nothing about competition or winning awards or anything related to money). This produces anxiety and a lot.*avoid sweets but be sweet while talking to him.*find out what are the things that scares him, by looking at his face if he has no emotion or is not looking at your eyes.*see how is his relationship with you and his father. Also how he feels when you interrelate with him or others. Kids are susceptible to others emotions specially if are heavy.*let him talk, help him when -he- needs something, correct him with explanations not more orders, it can block his mind.*give him space, buy him an enjoyable book, help him to choose what he likes and that is healthy.*ask him to help you with small things (responsibilities). Help him to understand things with basic words.*visit family, go to the park.Remember that one thing is to be anxious and other to be excited. Kids get calmed when they receive things with love.