I have an ADHD child with a 140+ IQ in my sixth grade class this year. My problem is that I cannot find a way to “get through” to him. As an ADD adult with an ADHD son, I have usually found ways to motivate my ADHD students. This child is from divorced parents, lives with his mother during the week and with his father and step-mother on the weekends. We are in our 4th month of school and have met with both parents, and send home daily ‘progress’ notes. Yet, this child still has not turned in any work in any type of format. We have given him one question/problem at a time, given extended time, had a reward/consequence system, all, with no improvement. He is not currently taking medication as his mother doesn’t like how it affects him. (He has been on Ritalin and Adderol). His father thinks he should be taking the medication. We will be meeting with both parents Wed. to discuss his 504 plan. The problem is that this child does well on his End of Grade tests, so long as he is given ALL the time he wants. My concern is that we are sending the wrong message: he isn’t being a responsible student because he doesn’t have to. So long as he passes his EOG test, he is passed on. This will change once he gets to high school and beyond. If he doesn’t ‘perform’ in HS, or in the real world, he won’t be successful. Does anyone have any suggestions? Could this child have “learned” how to get away with this behavior? Should I pursue evaluation for a possible learning disability? Does anyone have a good Behavior mod contract that I might use with him? I WILL NOT give up on this child……he has so much potential!
Re: low-performing, gifted, ADHD 6th grader
He IS in the gifted program since he is in the 99th %tile for IQ. He is on probation, though, because he will not do any written work. He loves discussions and sometimes, tends to take over. My partner and I thought that maybe he had a learning disability and simpley wasn’t able to get his thoughts on paper. We shared this with the guidance counselor. She called him in to talk with him and observe him. She asked him to write down a few sentences for her as if she were dictating a letter to him for his parents. He had no problem writing these things down. We are at a loss as to what to do for him. We have asked him what his hobbies were to try to work that angle, but his only hobby is to watch movies on one of his 2 DVD players. I have tried to ignore most of his negative behaviors and praise him when he stays on task and remembers classroom procedures. But he will continue with the disruptive behavior until I have to stop class and escort him from the room. If I go to him and quietly tell him to leave because he is being distracting, he will try to make a scene. He has been in in-school detention, in the principals’ offices, and his parents have been called a number of times. It is only one month into the school year and I am exhausted. In my 28 years of teaching I have never seen a child like this.
Re: low-performing, gifted, ADHD 6th grader
I’d want to know - do his End of Grade tests reflect good reading skills and good writing skills? And what does this student say, when asked, as to why he does not do any of the assignments??? What are the reasons he gives??
If your End of Grade tests reflect that this young man has solid skills and is mastering the material - albeit without doing any work - then it sounds to me like the ‘work’ isn’t right for him.
The point of school work is to improve skills. If his skills and learning improves on its own - without doing the work - doesn’t the work seem pointless?
Do we do work for the sake of work or for the results the work has?
140+ IQ puts this young man into a very small catagory of people. Less than 1% of the world’s population has an IQ has high as this young man. He can likely learn and learn well without the ‘work’. You would need to find very intriguing work to offer him - commensurate with his unique abilities.
The real world and school have nothing to do with each other. School is nothing like the real world. In the real world, this young man will be fine. He will have many choices of activity and he will likely gravitate to one that appeals to him and satisfies his fine mind. Try to give him choices of activity now that appeal to his fine mind rather than trying to find a contract to force him to sign or punish him for his giftedness by forcing him to do work that is not right for his learning profile.
Re: low-performing, gifted, ADHD 6th grader
Sara, You are so right! This child may never be able to be accomadated in ps. I understand him because my 5th grade son is the same way. Instead of making these kids do the “norm” they should be teaching to his abilities. This said, I am sure the administration has seen very few of these kids and doesn’t have a clue how to help him. My son was having these problems in 1st and 2nd grade. I decided to homeschool him because the school wasn’t able to accomodate him in a way that was resonable for him. They refused to move him up even at the advice of our psychiatrist. They were making him complete work he hated before they would give him anything challenging. He came home in tears daily.Since we began home schooling he has really come out.This year we began Algebra 1 because his math tutor saw how bored he was with the pre algebra curriculum we had started. He is not having any problem with it at all. This would not be an option in ps. He is in 7th grade Science,6th grade grammer, 7th grade spelling etc. We teach to his ability not his disability. All kids with very high IQ do not do well in ALL subjects!!
Diane, Please go to:http://gifteddevelopment.com/ this site has helped me to learn more about how to teach my child. He also is ADHD but because of side effects he cannot take stimulants and is on an antidepressant instead. I hope you will check out this site and write to them for some great info. Janet
Re: low-performing, gifted, ADHD 6th grader
I do not know how you know he has ADHD without having done a complete evaluation for a LD. Maybe he has it and maybe he was even misdiagnosed. If he can write a list with the guidance counselor that is great, but it does not take the place of a complete evaluation for a suspected LD. Two of many possibilities are: he is so distracted in the classroom that he does not know what the tasks are that he is required to complete, or he has a central auditory processing disorder and misses all of the oral instructions. Additionally because of the ADD he may not be organized in the classroom to look at the written assignment on the board. As he gets older, the teachers will believe that he manipulating the system, if not already. Some children do, but many do not, and many educators do not understand that point. If he were my child, I would want a complete evaluation of my child to rule out all LDs. Many children with ADHD also have a LD (comorbidity).
Re: low-performing, gifted, ADHD 6th grader
Perhaps your student is depressed. Depression can accompany ADD, especially with a child who is sensitive, aware, and under emotional pressure at home. He may also be the object of an ongoing parental emotional and financial tug of war. Recognize that is is possible at least one of his parents might be ADD as well, and therefore incapable of helping him organize his homework requirements. Why don’t you suggest counseling - or an organizational homework “coach”, and see how that works. Good luck.
Maybe he is bored. Perhaps a gifted program will stimulate him and cause him to become more engaged.