For children with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) and learning disabilities, consistency is key.
In elementary school, a savvy teacher can easily develop routines and strategies that help ADHD children function at their best. But in middle school, consistency goes out the window. With teachers and class routines changing every 50 minutes, the structure our children need is in short supply.
Enter the daily report card (DRC). A DRC allows teachers and parents to take aim at behaviors that interfere with a child's academic achievement. Each day, the teacher monitors and records the student's success in meeting positive behavioral goals, and the child brings the report card home for his parents to sign. If he reaches a predetermined level of success, he is rewarded.
How effective are behavioral tools like the DRC? In a landmark study, sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, the combination of medication and behavioral treatments was shown to be more effective than medication alone in treating ADHD.
For some children, behavioral techniques alone are sufficient to produce significant change. Other strategies include a student/teacher contract that specifies goals and rewards, or a token system, in which a child earns points that can be traded in for rewards.
Establishing goals
A DRC should contain three to eight clearly defined behavioral goals, chosen in collaboration with your child's teachers. These may pertain to academic work (completes and returns homework), conduct (follows classroom rules), peer relationships (doesn't boss other children), or other areas in need of improvement.
To ensure that each goal is attainable, make it possible for your child to make a few slips and still receive credit, such as: "Follows directions with three or fewer repetitions." A good criterion is one that your child can meet at least 75 percent of the time.
Setting up a rewards system
There's no getting around it: Your child's efforts to meet her daily report card goals will be driven by the plums you provide. To ensure her interest, let her create the menu of rewards (with your approval) that she can choose from. Rewards should consist of privileges — such as playing a video game — that previously were provided without contingencies. Now she'll have to earn them with good marks on her DRC.
This article comes from the February/March 2006 issue of ADDitude.
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