ADD: HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOLING AND EDUCATION?
It is a difficult task ahead to teach a child with Attention Deficit Disorder. Many schools have identified the problem and addressed the issue because substantial developments have been made to recognize the problem. But still there are some schools that lag behind in their systematic arrangements and cannot always answer individual needs.
The way ADD influences a classroom has been seen even before any diagnosis is done. It may be observed in the boy following boisterously his classmates to snatch their books, or in the small girl sitting in the corner and playing with her hair, her mind on the outside view. It is usually the teacher who first recognizes that her student is having problem attending to the class or active more than what is acceptable. But identifying the problem is just merely the first step, and the most difficult part is changing the inattentive or hyperactive attitude.
The treatment of the disorder starts when everyone acknowledges it and a diagnosis is has been carried out. It is important to decide whether medicine is required, since that would determine the course of the treatment. There are a number of schools, which quite inhumanly emphasize that the child suffering from ADD be given medicines. Some schools, though, take a patient stance and comply with the wishes of the child’s parents’.
Whether your child is better able to cope with the situation will be determined by the kind of school he is in. In an ideal situation, your child should attend a school that understands the effectiveness of working together as a team by taking stock of your circumstances and respecting your decisions, to lead your child to the achieve the best that he or she could do. Regrettably some schools lack this open-minded vision. Communities that are small and places that are poor compared to other districts have this habit of being too much conservative and are not open to cater to children who have special needs or specific situations. If your child is admitted to a school of the first kind, then you can relax happily, but if it is of the latter type, then be warned that you will have quite a handful of issues to reckon with!
ADD makes children hard to instruct, they are generally chaotic and very difficult to control. For these reasons many school refuse to accommodate such unruly children. Nonetheless, you make sure that your child is not given secondary treatment under any circumstances.
There are certain schools who will very promptly strive to put the child with the disorder in corrective classes, even if the child’s level of intelligence does not allow that measure. In many cases, this step is taken not to take away the time of the class schedule and disturb the other kids, but you will surely not like your child to be compartmentalized in a bad light that has no foundation.
Remember finally that you are the child’s parents and should be there always for him or her. If any decision taken by the class teacher or principal goes against the well-being of your child, you should always discuss it with them and come to a better plan that would ensure the best for your child.