Education Short List

There are a number of times when I have received phone calls from concerned parents and families about their students asking about tutoring services for their child that has A.D.D. More often than not, it isn’t the case. This is NOT to say that A.D.D and A.D.H.D don’t exist and that these disorders don’t provide serious frustration for students, their families, and their teachers. It is to say however that there are times when we believe a student has symptoms of these disorders, when in actuality they don’t.

When I was a classroom teacher and now as a tutor, before I decide that a student through go through the process of being tested, and possibly, diagnosed with A.D.D. and/or A.D.H.D. there are three steps that I ask the families to look into with their home situations. For the majority of situations, changes to these three steps provides the opportunity to adjust a child’s ‘hyper level.’

SUGAR

a. How much sugar does your child consume on a daily basis? This means not just candy and soda, but their breakfast cereals, lunch foods, snacks, juice, fast food, juice boxes, etc. The USDA states that sugars found not from fruits and vegetables, should be used sparingly. For an adult, based upon a 2,000 calorie a day diet it should be no more than 12 teaspoons. For a child, depending on their age and size, you can cut that number in half or in a quarter.
b. By eliminating excess sugar, and caffeine, you can cut down on that ‘zip’ of energy and a child’s inability to focus.

ROUTINE AND SCHEDULE

a. Having a routine. For students in K-12 their lives are dictated by bells from 8am til 3pm. Yet once they get home, they can do what they want when they want. Is it so hard to believe that having to sit in a chair, follow a schedule, and not have a change during the school day would cause several students to act out? By establishing a routine of activities and times of those activities at home, it could ease the frustration a student feels during the school day.
b. Furthermore, where you child does their homework is also an area that could provide some stress. At school, all students know that their desk and their classroom is the place where they go to learn and work. At home if you do your homework on the couch – that is also the place you relax and watch TV; at the kitchen/dining room table – that’s the place where you eat and socialize; on their bed – that’s your private place and space to sleep. By creating an area that is designated purely for homework and school learning, you are mentally establishing a place to learn – nothing else.

EXERCISE

a. Anyone under the age of 18 needs at least 1 hour of rigorous physical activity a day. By rigorous we are talking sweat, pure and simple. Get outside and start sweating. Not only does it have significant health benefits, by sweating and exercising we are strengthening our most important muscle – our brain. It’s especially important to work out before we start any tasks that require us to be sedentary for an extended period of time.

Although there is no easy fix or answer to a student who feels the frustration and discouragement of being labeled with A.D.D. There are several factors that could be affecting the situation and ones that could be adjusted at home. Taking the time to think about it could alleviate that frustration. It also could eliminate the need for testing or medication.