Posted: 03 November 2009 at 11:05am | IP Logged

My daughter is in middle school.  She has always drawn or doodled on her school notes,tests, etc. since first grade.  The teachers in elementary let her do it as long as she erased the drawings before handing in tests, etc. My daughter said that this calms her down and allows her to conentrate in school.  She does well in school but the drawing is becoming a problem now that she is in middle school.  I have requested a meeting with her teachers next week and was wondering if anyone else experienced anything similar?  We tried tons of alternatives (stress ball, velcro, etc.) through the years and nothing else has worked.  I am wondering if maybe i should try to incorporate 'doodling' in her 504 plan but I don't think the teachers will go for it.  Any suggestions???

Posted: 04 November 2009 at 8:38am | IP Logged

< =text/>_popupControl(); Oh...My...God!! That is my son! My son doodles during lecture and this challenges the heck out of his middle school teacher. I think he feels disrespected by it. He told me in the beginning of the year that it was okay as along as my son still took notes. And these aren't notes like the kind you take when you think something is important, it's copying down what the teacher has on an overhead projector. So I told my son that, that he still has to be sure to take notes, and his notebooks look to me like he does, but the teacher still takes his drawings and throws them out. These aren't little stick figures, these are seriously detailed cartoon panels, which he feels a strong connection to. So to have them thrown away is really stressful for him. We're actually meeting today to hash this out again.

Can your child's doctor help in any way with explaining this to the teacher? Unfortunately, our Dr. said about middle school, "This is when it all falls apart." GREAT! Just what we wanted to hear.  Good luck to you!  Our little artists need to be able to clear their minds!

Posted: 04 November 2009 at 8:45pm | IP Logged

to me

doodling is the

#1 indicator of adhd

i dont know why it catches my eyeso strikingly . when its not art.

theres doodles then there's

art

its a creative outlet indicating that bordom  is a distraction. 

i took this from a google

to point out that some folks are unaware they are ADHD

The benefits of doodling

Doodling shuts down your inner dialogue. If you've got an over-active inner editor, doodling shuts him up. :-) Doodling and the drawing of mandalas have been used as art therapy - think of your doodles as creative therapy. I find that on days I "drop out" and spend ten minutes just doodling, I'm much happier, much more relaxed - and I write more.

Doodle. It's good for you

BUT THE DOODLING TIPS ME OFFTO THIER PERSONALITY

 i thoroughly enjoyed  discovering calligraphy  it was a high point in my life.

i had a girlriend ,long distance  and we wrote to eachother with calligraphy . i just can't say  how dear to me that experience was  . all because an art teacher put a pen in my hand and traced over my doodles.

- sigh-

I've never met a doodler that wasnt smater than me!

-----------

and maybe

if you feel like like smarting off.

you could say

they started it by puting stickers  on her papers  - just joking

---------------

im thinking of a comprimise

-------------

i teach my DD shapes .

i make practice sheets with photoshop.

math sheets and spelling.

thing is she never took to coloring  and she struggles with handwriting.

so i put triangles, squares , ovals , rhombus ,elipse , polygons , an eyeball , and an ear, lips. and a hand  around the outside edge of the sheet.

of course my spouse freaked..  but she was doing it - using her hands to draw.

it wasnt long that she would get bored and finish the paper .

she always enjoyed tracing my symbols # & @ +

so is the anything her art teacher could  suggest she be allowed to doodle as edutainment worthy.

well here's some of them from the fonts officeword  fonts

&‚���ONbx€�ƒ���S

IMMAS

P���E123456d

&

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

8ck

Posted: 05 November 2009 at 7:29am | IP Logged

BPQW
EVENTUALLY TH DOODLE WILL NEED TO FIND A MORE PRIVATE AND PERSONAL TO BE STORED. BELOW IS WHAT I DO .

ALSO AVID BOOK READERS DEVELOPE AN EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO THIER

"READING NOOK" A PLACE WHERE THEY JUST SIT AND READ.

 COONNECT HIS DOODLING TO THATPERSONAL QUIET PLACE .  AND A FOLDER THAT THAT CAN TAKE THESE DRAWINGS TO THE DOODLING NOOK.

PERHAPS HE MAY BE MORE COMPELLED TO DOODLE IN A PERSONAL PLACE. RATHER THAN DURING LECTURE    

THIS IS FROM THE WEB.

I NOTICE THAT IT IS TOO OGANIZED - THE SPACING IS TOO GOOD AND WELL..

ITS LIKE A PHOTO SHOP WHERE IMAGES WERE SCANNED TO A FILE THEN 

MANY PICTUTERS WERE DRAGGED TOGETHER AND RESIZED .

THIS IS FUN

MY dd LOVES TO DRAW  THESE PENCIL DRAWINGS TOO.

A WHILE BACK  I STARTED TO SCAN THEM IN .

NOW SHE PLAYS WITH THEM  LIKE STUFFED ANIMALS IN ROLE PLAY SITUATIONS .

LATER I PRINT THE COLLAGE 

 SOMETIMES USING A SCREEN CAPUTE THAT  SNAPS A PICTURE EVERY FEW MINUTES MAKE A GREAT STORY  TO CHERRISH YEARS FROM NOW I HOPE.

I GO AS FAR AS TO RECORD HER VOICE AS THE SLIDE SHOW IS REPLAYED  SEND IT TO GRANDMOTHERS  AND THEN THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT.  

BUT THATS JUST WHAT I DO .

I LIKE  ADBY PHTSHP  HINT HINT

BECAUSE IT HAS EXCELLENT CUTTING LASSO.

SO I TAUGHT MY DD   "THIS HOW TO CUT PAPER 

AND THIS IS HOW WE CUT IT ON THE COMPUTER"

FROM THERE SHE WENT CRAZY WITH HER OWN DIGITAL CAMERA .

TAKING PICTUERES OF TOYS , ROCKS, FOOD , PEOPLE , ANIMALS AND FLOWERS.

SHE EVEN CONNECTED THAT I HAD THE KNOWLEDGE TO SCAN CARTOONS SHE WAS WATCHING INTO HER "PLAY ART FOLDER"

I DID SO SHE LOVE  TO MICKY MOUSE, PIGLET, AND HANNA TOGETHER AND MOOVE THEM WITH HER MOUSE PRETENDING TO BE THIER VOICES.

WELL I DONT SEE THE HARM.

BUT IT WAS THE SCRIBBLING ART SHE WAS BRING HOME FROM SCHOOL  MOM JUST THROUGHS IT AWAY . I COULDNT BEAR TO DO IT. SO THAT WAS MY COMPROMISE.

SCAN AND TOSS. EXCEPT FOR REALLY GOOD STUFF.

I WAS SUPRISED WHEN SHE WOULD  . OPEN THE FILES  ASK ME TO PRINT THEM

AND DO SOME MORE WORK TO THEM BY HAND-

IVE BEEN HAVING HER USE DRAWING PROGRAMS AND SHES BETTER AT MAKING ART WITH A MOUSE NOW. BUT SHE STILL LIKES TO TAKE IT OTSIDE ON THE PORCH AND DOODLE ON IT SOME MORE THEN HAVE ME RESCAN IT.

IM OK WITH THAT ----

ANYTHING TO GET THAT PENCIL IN HER HAND!

Posted: 06 November 2009 at 10:31am | IP Logged

FYI - Time Magazine and Additude Magazine both had very good articles on ADHD kids doodling with a very positive spin.  I am bringing copies of both articles as backup to my 504 team meeting next week