Yours Free: A Back-to-School Report for Parents of Students with ADHD & Learning Disabilities

Parent Testimonials

"This came just in the knick of time. Getting organized for school is one of the most stressful parts of having ADD - the changes, the schedules and the papers. Thank you."

ADHD Advisory Board

10 Conversations to Have at the Start of the Year
With your child, your teacher, your doctors, other parents and more

EXAMPLE: Help your child learn to appreciate the teacher. Your child may feel that teachers are the enemy. Help her find something to appreciate. Children should have a sense of teachers as humans, not merely as authorities...

SEND MY FREE REPORT and ADDitude updates on Success at School

Advocating for Your Child
Write a letter to your child's teacher to ensure success at school this year

EXAMPLE: In the past, teachers have given Zach a "flash pass," so he can leave the room when he needs a break. He doesn’t use it often, but knowing that he can helps him control anxiety...

Setting Up ADHD Treatment at School
If your child takes medication as part of his ADHD treatment, he’ll likely need a dose during the school day

EXAMPLE: When you drop off the bottle and the completed form at school, take some time to talk with the nurse and your child's teacher. Ask them to alert you if they notice side effects or if your child misses a dose, and to inform you about the medication’s effectiveness...

Reading Help That Grows with Your Child
Watch for the transition from "learning to read" skills to "reading to learn"

EXAMPLE: Review the ideas. Every few pages, ask pertinent questions: “Who is this story mainly about? What happened first? What happened next? How do you think this story will end?”...

Social Skills 101
Help children with ADHD practice good playground behavior

EXAMPLE: Re-enact the situation. Once you've armed your child with socially responsible ways to respond, let him play the role of the child being teased while you play the teaser. Then switch roles...

Writing Like a Big-Screen Pro
If your middle- or high-school student has trouble with writing homework, he may just need some direction. Share these Hollywood-inspired tips with your teen

EXAMPLE: As you begin to write, pretend you are directing a movie. Think of the opening scene and how it needs to grab your viewers’ attention. Imagine what your movie is about and where it’s heading within the first five minutes. That's what the first paragraph of your essay should be like...

SEND MY FREE REPORT and ADDitude updates on Success at School

ADHD Tips for Teachers
Children with the most challenging behaviors are sometimes the most fascinating, the most knowledgeable, and the deepest thinkers. Look for their positive qualities while helping them improve their behavior

EXAMPLE: Avoid humiliating children with ADHD, dyslexia or other learning disabilities. It's easy to call out their names. "Jack, don't do that!" But not only does the rest of the class tire of hearing these refrains, it's terrible for the morale of the child who may not be able to control his constant movement...

Homework Without Tears
12 ways to make homework a less stressful part of the daily game plan

EXAMPLE: Start a homework group. Invite one or two kids from your child's class to come over and do a little homework together. This can be an effective way to get a look at other children's studying strategies, and the chance to play for a while after can be an extra homework helper...

Enjoy!

Wayne Kalyn, Editor, ADDitude