The Importance of Having an IEP for Your ADHD Child

Today’s mailbag is from Holly who writes for advice concerning her grandson. Sometimes I get letters from people who aren’t pitching their latest seminar, book series, and ADHD mouth rinse in one. Sometimes real people with real problems write to me, and I do my best to help. I may not be an expert, but I sure love sharing my opinion. You may have noticed.

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I have been looking at your site and reading your posts for a little while now. I was excited to find it because I am raising my grandson, now 10, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, most likely a coping mechanism (as I understand it) for what caused his PTSD age 9 months to a little over 5. He is getting closer to the point where addressing encroachment from his past will be something he’s ready and able to do. I wonder if you struggled with ADHD when you were a kid, and if you did, what helped? We use some medication; fortunately his doctor is pretty conservative and my boy primarily uses it only on school days, though most of this school year he has used none until he asked to start again. He works with a learning specialist and the school counselor helps him with relaxation and focusing techniques. One-on-one he does well, but he almost always tunes out when his teacher addresses the classroom as a whole, which in 5th grade is most of the time.

Any suggestions or direction to other sources you know of will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, including for your humorous and helpful blog.

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Thanks for writing, Holly. I’ve never heard of ADHD being a coping mechanism as part of a trauma, though pseudo-ADHD can be a symptom of other causes. Pseudo-ADHD has similar symptoms of attention inconsistency, but can go away once the cause is resolved. True ADHD is genetic and requires life skills and sometimes medication to treat.

As a child I had ADHD like a pack of hyper puppies in a pet store window. One moment I couldn’t sit still and was unable to focus, the other moment I was hyperfocused on something and ignored the commotion around me. I had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, I was always on the move, and I was socially awkward, preferring small circles of friends than the chaos of the social setting.

Staying focused when somebody else sets the pace of information’s flow can be torture for the ADHD mind. This is generally why adults with ADHD, and children as well, zone out during classroom settings. Our attention skims over the ocean of information looking for a foothold, then heads off to the beach where things are more interesting. In fact, there is no difference between the child me and the adult me except that I now know how to manage my cowlicks and manage my ADHD with a trick or two I’ve picked up over the years.

I recently wrote Adult ADHD: 7 Simple Tricks To Stay Focused in Class, but I am not sure that your son is old enough to make use of all of them. You might need to look over the list and see if there is something there that you could personally adapt for him. You know him best.

Since you are already working with a learning specialist and the school counselor, you may want to consider amending (or creating) an IEP (Individualized Education Program) to include your son’s inability to focus in lecture situations. A proper IEP helps you & your child work with the teacher to accommodate his attention deficits. Otherwise, you are on your own trying to convince a teacher to change how they do things just for your child. I found these resources for parents that might set you out on the right path: ADHD Classroom Accommodations: Guide to Getting Special Accommodations, Services for ADD Children & Classroom and School Accommodations for ADD ADHD Children.

Some of the tips I have shared with you might be just what you need to help you create coping strategies for your boy to stay focused in class. Definitely continue to involve the school as you have been doing. Thanks for writing.

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The Importance of Getting the Proper Amount of Sleep

Sleeping eight hours per night has many health benefits and in this article I am going to discuss some of them. There are many studies on sleep and the effects upon the body and I find them quite fascinating and very interesting. For example, a good nights' sleep may actually result in weight loss which I find, kind of, hard to believe. I have always thought that if you slept less and are active it would result in weight loss.

Actually, if you get the proper amount of sleep you will have a smaller appetite as there are certain chemicals that tend to regulate or manage our appetite which do not work as well in the body when it experiences a lack of sleep.

Another advantage of a good nights sleep is improved memory. While you are sleeping your brain is actually working and, like a computer, processing information which allows your memory to be more productive each day. It is similar to computer downloading and if you do not download your mind or memory tends to get somewhat disorganized and cluttered thus reducing the effectiveness of your memory. The fact that the proper amount of sleep improves your sharpness or alertness is pretty obvious. When you sleep well, you wake up sharp and with energy. I am sure all of you have experienced this feeling.

Another advantage of getting the proper amount of sleep is it will reduce your probability of a heart attack. The majority of heart attacks occur during the early morning hours and, apparently, if you do not get enough sleep you tend to have higher blood pressure as sleep tends to impact your blood vessels.

Also, like many other organs in the body sleep allows the body to, sort of, repair itself. I find this aspect of sleep extremely interesting. I have always thought that the body repairs itself in some manner while sleeping. It actually does as we are always exposed to harmful environmental factors such as air pollution, too much sun, too much alcohol etc and while sleeping the body has the opportunity to perform its maintenance which results in less disease and health problems. Now, here is something very interesting. Proper sleep can reduce the probably of contracting cancer.

Apparently, there is a relationship with light and a chemical called melatonin which protects us against cancer. The darkness allows our the body to produce the proper amount of melatonin so it is extremely important for you to sleep in a dark room. I sleep with the TV on - I think I better change that habit. Although there are many other obvious advantages of getting the proper amount of sleep but I want to mention an important one which is the benefits of taking a nap. that there are many studies that indicate that a daily nap. It has been shown that people who take regular naps tend to live longer and have less incidence of cancer and heart disease. This website is designed to provide you low cost insurance and provide you with information on how you can maintain and improve your health. This topic is fascinating and deserves a great dealt more attention. I realize it is difficult for you to get eight hours of sleep per night. I am not even close but we should try.

We,are dedicated to provide low cost insurance with the most comprehensive coverage possible. My articles are mostly focused upon protecting and improving your health.

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