Incident Report / School | ADHD Information

My son hasADHD but is very intelligent however, not being able to focus will hurt him in the long run.  At first when the school mentioned a 504 I was very very upset, but when we rehashed over everything I realized it was more to his benefit.  Forget the labels, we started the 504 program and he is doing very very well, better behaved tooI'm sorry I didn't see this earlier - but now that I did, let me clear up some terminology.

Just having ADD (now known as "AD/HD") will usually only get you a 504 plan unless the ADD is so severe is impairs the student's learning.  Then you can be eligible for an IEP under the classification of OHI (other health impaired).

Having a LD (learning disability) such as dyslexia, etc automatically qualitifies a student for an IEP since special education services are usually called for to accommodate the disability.  By special education services, I don't mean the student has to be in a spec ed class; he/she just has to receive services (within the regular ed classroom counts).

If a student with ADD is constantly having behavior problems, a Behavior Intervention Plan should be put into place, to help address the problem (vs. sending the child home with notes). 

Well: here we go the 'paper' trail has begun. Our son is on the 'smiley' system at school (see website to get a 'better' picture of this system: http://home.earthlink.net/~frappollofamily/index2.html ) Anyway: added to this system was that 'if' our son got 3 sad faces for the same thing then an incident report would come home with him. Well yesterday it happened. He 'talked out of turn' 3 times and yes his teacher sent home the incident report. I actually put the incident report on that website. ANYWAY: I'm finding little 'notes' on his 'smiley' sheet now that say, "had to sit and calm down". Well; what's happened is that he got frustrated with 'not getting his letters in a row' (as he told it) and got upset. Hmm...also: "not focusing". Now I realize that we have an evaluation coming up in about 3 weeks now if not sooner and I just PRAY that they can 'help' him. He is VERY smart but his behavior is costing him loss of instructional time (per his teacher). IS there anyone out there that has this problem? I mean I'm sure there are...but is your child smart; but just has a hard time focusing...and closing his mouth? Everything I've read states that if a child has a LD that the 504 can help; but is add/adhd considered a LD for the school system? I just don't want a 'paper trail' to be used 'against' him. Is it 'good' that they're documenting everything? Will that be able to determine he 'can' receive help from this school? keep notes your self I am doing it.Tell them conserned about it. I hate that label because here's what it really is.Learning difference. I know our sons issue also. Read How to learn material good imfo.I got this label also. They need different ways to learn. We will have a hard time getting this at a ard I think. They teach to the majority.Let me know how it goes. rshnMy son is only in kindergarten, but we have a system like yours..Ours is the dot system..His teacher sends a notebook home with him everyday...If he was good, he gets a green dot..If he was so-so, he gets a yellow one..And if he was really "disruptive" he gets a red one...It has been working well for us, so far..Dylan is at the top of his class...He has said to his teacher and to me that he gets bored at school because in his words " I know all of it" With the people I have talked to in my small community, ADHD kids are usually very intelligent, sometimes way beyond their years and that is where the problems come in..They get so bored in school that they get distracted which is considered being disruptive or inattentive..I will say that I have noticed with Dylan that he must have his hands busy at all times, I can see where that could be a problem in class...But by no means does it mean a hyper active child should be labeled with a learning disability...In fact, in my son's case, from his teachers mouth, "he is a very bright boy, he just needs a little more direction"....My son does have learning struggles, Sensory processing defeceits,And perhaps Autism. All our different.Our son never has wanted to learn just play.Get for your son what he needs. So what if labeled if that is what will get him that help. If doesn't work try homeschool or private education. Your child needs are what count.KJVBKJVB38409.3660532407Yes, some schools have such programs, but nowadays the children usually must meet some criteria to be eligible to participate.  The programs may be called different names, but essentially they are doing the same things.

I agree; often times a child that is fidgety is not challenged and is trying to stimulate himself.  Providing him with more challenging work, even in the form of fun, would help to focus him.  But gosh....that would mean work for the teacher - and we can't have that can we?  (sorry, it's late at night - I can't always be positive)
Do schools in this day and age still have any sort of enrichment programs? This is how disruption in the classroom was handled during part of my schooling:

I was fortunate in the 1st to 3rd grades to take part in such a program. From what I can tell, the children from these grades that were not challenged enough sitting still in the classroom following along to concepts that had already grasped - were removed for 1/2 to a full hour twice a week or so to work on more hands-on activities that also incorporated intellectual work.

We had invention fairs, wrote books, collected rocks, made games - all sorts of energy expending stuff where we didn't know much difference between when we were learning and when we were having fun. Anything they could think of to occupy us. The best part - we were a lot easier for teachers and fellow students to put up with because we were BUSY!!!!! Plus, we interacted with different ages of our peers - opened the world a little, thining back it was pretty neat. Crucial assistance in socializing gifted and challenged kids, because we don't develop the same people skills in the same manner as all children.

Extra help at the school from stay-at-home parents is all it takes, maybe a guidance counsellor or two...

MY SON HAS A 504 PLAN AND IEP IN EFFECT AT HIS SCHOOL. HE IS VERY SMART BUT CANNOT FOCUS AND CONCENTRATE. EVERYTHING IS A DISTRACTION TO HIM. BECAUSE IN THIS OTHER SCHOOL, THEY JUST SENT HIM TO THE HALL EVERYTIME HE WAS DISRUPTIVE OR MOVING AROUND, HE WAS 2 YEARS BEHIND IN ENGLISH. NOW AFTER THIS YEAR HE IS THREE YEARS IN THE GRAMMER PART!!! I HAD TO DO THE PUSHING AND NOW THEY ARE LOOKING TO GET HIM INTO A BETTER PROGRAM JUST FOR HIS ENGLISH NEXT YEAR (JUNIOR) INSTEAD OF KEEP DRAGGING HIM ALONG WHERE HE CAN'T LEARN ANYTHING. HE IS VERY FRUSTRATED WHERE HE IS NOW AND I THINK THIS WILL HELP HIS SELF-ESTEEM SOME TOO NEXT YEAR.  JUST KEEP AT THEM TO GET WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT AND FAIR FOR THEM!!

I was told just yesterday, by my sons teacher, that academically he is an A++++ in everything.  His problem is being too impulsive.  He is 7 years old and was diagnosed w/ADHD one year ago. He works great in a structured enviroment.  When he gets out of that enviroment - RECESS at school - We have problems!!!  Lately, major problems with hitting, pushing etc.  We meet today with his Dr. to discuss new medication (currently on Straterra).  We meet tomorrow with his teacher, his therapist, the principal, and myself to discuss this "impulsiveness."

Prior to starting medication a year ago - His main problem was lack of focus.  Since going on the medication he just thrives in school and loves it!  We have to figure out how to control this impulsiveness

MY SON ALSO SUFFERS FROM VERY MPULSIVE BEHAVIOR IN SCHOOL. HE ALSO DOES WELL IN STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENTS AND NOT WELL IN LABS AND CLASSES WHERE THE KIDS ARE UP MOVING AROUND ALOT. HE WILL ALWAYS BE ACTIVE AND THAT IS JUST PART OF HIM, BUT THE STRATERRA HAS MADE HIM VERY MOODY NOW AND MORE IMPULSIVE TOWARDS NOT SO GOOD IDEAS SOMETIMES. WE ARE GOING TO LOOK INTO NEW MEDS FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. GOING TO BRING HIM DOWN FOR THE SUMMER I THINK. HE CAN WORK WELL AS LONG AS SOMEONE IS KEEPING HIM ON TASK AND AROUND. HE HAS A TENDANCY TO WANDER IF LEFT ALONE TOO LONG!! NEEDS THINGS WRITTEN DOWN AND HE DOES GREAT!!Add/adhd can be caried under  under healthimpaired which is how our sons is. The Dr. signed a paper SE provided to us. [QUOTE=daniel's mom]Add/adhd can be caried under  under healthimpaired[/QUOTE]

Close,you can have an IEP for AD/HD under the category OHI, which is Other Health Impaired.