When a parent has to find out what is going on in his or her ADHD child's classroom, there are a few essential points to bear in mind. ADHD in the classroom needs to be looked at from many standpoints. First, if the child is on medication, you have to make sure that the dosage time fits in with the school timetable. Many kids arrive at school half asleep because the medication has not yet kicked in. This problem can be avoided by using ADHD homeopathic remedies which I will outline below. Resist any recommendation by teachers who want your child on medication as that is for you to decide. There are horror stories about teachers insisting on ADHD children being medicated.
Once you have established that there is an IES or 504 plan in place at the school, then you should talk to the class teacher because if your ADHD child is with all the rest of the kids, then they are going to need some special attention and simple things like seating arrangements and behavior plans
Seating position should be near the teacher and away from the classroom door, window or other distractions. As the teacher is aware, or should be aware, the ADHD child is rather like a mobile phone when receiving messages and the signal keeps on getting broken up. That awareness should help the teacher to plan things a bit better for ADHD in the classroom. As the signal is broken up, it is obvious that the ADHD child is going to have problems when trying to focus and concentrate. Add to that impulsivity and hyperactivity and you can see straightaway that ADHD in the classroom is no picnic for the teacher. If inattention is a problem, experts say that the 'open pod' arrangement is not the best as there are too many distractions. A traditional classroom with four walls is better.
Students seated in groups is not favoured either by the experts who say that a traditional seating arrangement in rows is best. Having your child near the teacher or at least near a well focused student can also be a great help. But each child is different so the teacher should be prepared to experiment a bit. If he is easily distracted by sounds, he may well be better off at the back of the classroom. Using headphones with soft music while doing certain activities is allowed by some teachers and that may well help to shut out more distracting auditory signals.
ADHD in the classroom can be better managed too by making sure all students know what is on schedule for the day and that should be posted. There will be indications about when increased focus is necessary and when creative and physical activities will happen. Knowing about schedules is important for an ADHD kid and that applies to the daily routine at home too.
Parents should be wised up as regards alternatives to mind altering drugs. As I mentioned above, dosage times, side effects and health risks can make life hell for the ADHD child and make ADHD in the classroom a bigger issue than it really needs to be. The link below talks about ADHD natural remedies which are a valid and safe alternative
Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children's Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what natural ADHD medications are available.
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