I would have to agree with you. I have four children, three of which are ADD/ADHD. My oldest daughter seems to have the most difficulty and I am constantly at the schools with her. We are a military family and have to change states about every three years. Unfortunately, that has taken a toll on my daughter as well. While in Texas and Hawaii, I ended up having to go before the school board's just to get the basic accomodations my daughter needed. I am now headed down the same path here in New Jersey. If ANYONE knows what we can do to better educate our schools so that they can help our children, I am all for it. It is to a point now, that I can not even keep a full time job because of the all the time envolved with my daughter's school! How are we supposed to live like this? How are we to raise our children to be honorable, upstanding, respectful citizens, if the very government that represents them, cannot show that they care at our childrens' time of need?

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1. Read the law. Get the information for NCLB (No Child Left Behind). There won’t be a lot of $$$ going into this in the stimulous program (because they pulled $600 million out), but there are things that can be done in classrooms and for ADHD children that don’t cost anything but a little time here and there and aren’t disruptive for teachers or students. Many times these suggestions are good for all. Go to the NCLB site and download the whole of the law (look for §§300.000 to end of 300’s. There are many items there for ‘other health related issues’. Get your child labeled! It doesn’t mean your child is stupid, lazy or mentally handicapped. It means you can get help for your child. Look for IDEA in google. wrightslaw.com has lots too. 2. Keep your requests 'real'. Don't ask for something that isn't going to work. If your child needs a quiet place to complete an exam, then ask for it. It just means that your child has to go to the required (by law) Special Education Resource/Help Center in their school (where, by the way, it is usually quieter) to take the test under the proctorship of the Special Ed. Teacher (which is required by NCLB Federal Laws in each school building). 3. Does your child do better with oral answers than writing it all down? Ask for an oral test. Again, no large cost to school districts, but something to help your child. Again, a spec. ed. teacher can proctor and do this with your child. 4. If your child needs extra time on a test, ask for it. A lot of ADHD kids rush through tests because they just barely make it to finish. Sometimes if they don’t feel the rush, they do better, and can actually take less time. 6. Get an Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) done for your child by guidance, psychologist (school) and ways that the school can help your child in their day-to-day behavior. Not that all children are 'bad', schools just make it seem that way. Make them responsible to derive a plan to help your child maintain their day. And if you can, if they don't have one done by the IEP meeting, let them know you will be glad to meet with them when they are prepared. It generally shows the committee members you have an idea of what are your/your child's rights. 7. Does your child do better with oral answers than writing it all down? Ask for an oral test. Again, no large cost to school districts, but something to help your child. Again, a spec. ed. teacher can proctor and do this with your child. Approach each separate teacher (art, gym, music, classroom [all], etc.) and make sure they have a copy of any Section 504 or IEP. And then make sure to check-in with them and see if they are following it. Many teachers use the excuse “I didn’t know there was a section 504 or IEP with accommodations. Yeah, ok. Anyway, I try to make sure that I either send a copy to each teacher, ask guidance to e-mail a copy to each and every teacher, and if I get any flak from a teacher, I ask them if they are following the accommodations/modifications listed. (My way of letting them know I figure they are not or are just ignoring the accommodations.)

Get an Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) done for your child by guidance, psychologist (school) and ways that the school can help your child in their day-to-day behavior. Not that all children are ‘bad’, schools just make it seem that way. Make them responsible to derive a plan to help your child maintain their day. (see #6 above)

And, go to website: celebratecalm.com and sign up for the newsletter. And if you can afford them, buy the CDs. I haven’t been able to afford the CDs but when I can I sure am going to get them. I use some of the suggestions offered in newsletters and have seen changes in my son already. A lot is that we, as parents, are so stressed because of our special children, we don’t see the forest for the trees and the kritters that reside there. And, no, I’m just the parent of an ADD adult and an ADHD teenager. Probably at least ADD myself. I know this is long, but as I have been recently told over and over again by a family member that is a teacher that used to put together IEPs for her students (she taught spec. ed. students), parents have the power. We just don’t know it because we don’t know the laws. Learn them and use them. It is surprising how fast a school will help when they think a parent is fluent in what is available for their children out there. We are not dummies and I, for one, am tired of being considered just another parent of a ‘bad’ kid. There are federal and state laws that you can use to your advantage. There are some great downloads on retorts back to the committee/teachers/principals, etc. to why a school district cannot grant accommodations/modifications for your child on the Additude Mags website too.

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