Recess and ADHD | ADHD Information

I completely agree that all kids need to have an outlet for their energy and especially ADHD kids.  So important to have that time to run around and play and kind of be themselves.Ditto everyone else. Recess is necessary for all children--I consider it cruel to keep them cooped up all day.Heck even my son's preschool teacher knows you don't take recess away!  We discussed consequences for his actions and she was the one who said she never takes recess away because active children need it! myjeffrey39162.4774189815I just found this site, and am so excited.  I have a 10 year old son with ADHD, my oldest child 19 is also ADHD.  I am currently battling with my school on the 10 year old.  They are constantly taking away my son's recess, I feel this is innappropriate for an  ADHD child, this week I was sent notification that he will lose recess for the entire week for not bringing a recorder to music class.  I am outraged at best.  We struggle with daily school work, he is on Concerta which was just recently increased in dosage, the school is so uneducated as to what ADHD is.  My son's teacher (first year teaching) told me she has learned all she knows about ADHD from me.  We have a 504 plan meeting this week but not for two more days in the mean time I am trying to address the recess issue.  I do not have a problem with him missing a few minutes of it, but I know the break is needed for ADHD kids.  The entire recess all day long for a week I believe is extreme for not bringing a recorder to music class, this isn't even academics, I was not even informed by the music teacher that this was an issue.  I am looking for help, I have been searching the internet to try and support the recess issue, and have not yet found what I am looking for.  I have been told by the local special education dept.  this is an inportant part of an ADHD childs day but would love the documentation if anyone has any access to any, thank you.  If nothing else I have had a chance to vent about this frustration.

You need to contact the school, request an evaluation in writing, NOT a 504.

In the meantime i would call the school and mention that PE/recess is mandatory by law, and if it is required why can they take it away?

UGHHHH.one day teachers will have better training, but not anytime soon.

CHADD.org is a good site, wrightslaw.com for educational issues.

We went through the recess "thing" in first grade. We even had a recess monitor label our son and stick him inside for anything, I mean anything.

We met with the principal and reminded her of the IEP. We told her how unacceptable this is, how much he NEEDS his recess to just get out and move.

Contact the principal, special education department, set up a meeting. Bring your husband, advocate, etc. My husband's bark always works. I send him over all the time when things like this come up!

Do NOT allow the week of no recess occur. Call in the morning or go over in person! That is absolultey ridiculous!

Unacceptable, you are right! 

Let us know what happens, this stuff happens too often to our children!

Regards,

Beth

I use writing sentences also, Korey hates it so it tends to work most of the time. For awhile anyway. His school makes kids walk laps at recess for 10 min of there recess time, so atleast they are outside getting fresh air and some exercise. But that is only used if they continue to do the same thing multiple times. Maybe that could be an option for your son? But like I said it is only for the 1st 10 minutes of their recess, not the entire time. Like you said, he does need consequences for his actions, but taking away recess is 100% wrong!! ADHD kid or not, recess is important. Also, no recess for a week because he forgot his recorder? How insane is that! Talk about overkill! Good luck with your meeting with them, let us know how it goes.Sentences were the punishment I gave to Chase when he misbehaved.  And I told the teachers as well, he disliked writing and it was more of a deterrent to say to him, "Do you want to write sentences?" Taking away recess just starts a snowball effect....no recess= more problems = no recess the next day....it won't work. chasesmom7939163.1570601852My son' school is very experienced with ADHD kids and they would never
reduce activity for discipline. Their first "consequence" is sentences... they
have to write a sentence, pertaining to whatever they did wrong, over and
over again to fill a paper. Then it goes in a box by the sign-out book for
the parent to see. I have been met with such classics as "I will not kick off
my shoes", "I will not get up at lunch time", "I will not play with swords
and guns", and the best one, "I will not write butt on the table." I have
seen older kids pacing in a small area, like running laps. Missing recess
might make a certain kind of kid quietly reflect on what they did wrong,
but it sure wouldn't work that way with mine!