How much information do teacher's have/get about ADHD

[quote=”martha”]What kind of educational materials are provided to teachers/school personnel about ADHD and it’s effects on children? I want to know how to approach my son’s teacher. Are they well versed in this… how do I prepare for my talk with her.[/quote]

when I was first hired as a special ed teacher, the only information I was given was the diagnosis as stated in each of my Learner’s evaluations - which included little background but rather the final conclusions and recommendations for classroom accomodations.

Everything else, all other information, I, myself accumulated through research and further research by reading, speaking to experts, going to seminars and seeking out more and more answers.

I am not the average teacher - for I am still searching for more information.

As a mother of a child with AD/HD, you will no doubt have to supply information in the form of printed out data on what AD/HD is; how to accomodate it - and, most importantly, what works for your child.

You will need to show that you are right by your child’s side and know what s/he is entitled to according to the evaluations you provide to the school.

The child and parents need to crusade for rights - unless…the teacher is a wonderful empathetic person who her/himself has AD/HD personally or within the family.

You can assume nothing. You will need to help even the most willing teacher work with your child.

All the best
Judih

The level of understanding of most teachers about neurological challenges such as ADHD and some types of epilepsy (such as petit mal/absence and so on) in the real world is zero or close to zero.

The good teachers will offer perhaps a few accommodations; however, many teachers tend to want the child to achieve in some way and will tend to encourage the children to spend more time on task to learn and complete assignments.

So often many teachers tend to ask the student to study more/study harder which can be somewhat like expecting blind children to see if only they are fitted with eyeglasses. Sorry for being so harsh.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/adhd.htm

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm

martha posted: What kind of educational materials are provided to teachers/school personnel about ADHD and it’s effects on children? I want to know how to approach my son’s teacher. Are they well versed in this… how do I prepare for my talk with her.

I am a regular ed teacher. I can honestly say I knew very little about ad/hd until my own child was diagnosed. Most every teacher knows about the stereotypical ad/hd child who exhibits outward behavior symptoms. I have always gladly followed 504 plans for students and that was all I knew about accommodations. However, not many know how working memory and executive function can affect the whole learning process. The schools do not offer the inservice time for dealing with this as I think they should. I truly thought my child was dyslexic and had no idea that ad/hd could cause these symptoms. My advice would be to definitely share information with the teacher. The way to do it may be just to say my child has difficulty in these areas (ex: working memory, etc) and this is affected by the ad/hd because….. If you are lucky as I am your child’s teacher will take the time to do their own research! Good luck!

Oh my goodness, no. Few teachers are given anything by their school to help them better understand ADD/ADHD or most other learning differences. But teachers get their hair up quickly so one ever wants to be careful with them and refrain from approaching them as if they know little even when they do.

Before any teachers’ conference or communication with a teacher, ask yourself - what is it I hope to accomplish? (and do try to be realistic - neither Rome nor a teacher’s better understanding of a child is to be built in a day)

The best thing you can do for your child I think is to establish a positive relationship with the teacher (as hard as that can be at times) Remember that your child’s teacher is being paid not only to teach your child but also to judge your child. That’s awful but yet - that’s the way it is. Your child’s teacher is often not allowed to deem all the children successful at tasks but is expected to award just so many As, so many Bs, and so forth. Your child’s teacher did not create that system but has to honor it. If you understand that, even when they do not, it can give some better perspective of why teachers bear down on some children and fawn on others.

Good luck.