have him do homework as soon as he gets home. You want him to get it done before the medication wears off. Also have him stare at yellow when he is being forgetful, yellow helps with rememoring things. And have him stare at blue when he is hyper, blue calms people

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I'm 17 and just graduated high-school towards the top of my class [Valedictorian Circle if I can be so bold as to brag] but I understand exactly what you mean. I was diagnosed in 3rd grade and have been on medication since. Third grade is really an important threshold that has the potential to set your child up for either future success or frustration and rejection of the public school system [I was diagnosed and treated not cured though]. Ask the teacher if your child can sit towards the front of the class [this will eliminate some of the distraction caused by the other wiggly children] The closer to the teacher/front board the better! [This has helped me ever since] Also, make sure that your child finishes school work first [sports or extracurricular activities are just that- extra] chances are your child will have enough on his plate to deal with.

I was in GATE in elementary and they did feel the need to give the children extra homework/assignments which I always found crushing since I struggled to complete the regular school work. Ask if the teacher can NOT give him extra or not count it towards his grades.

He will have to learn his multiplication tables [this is gruesome for every child but can be torture for a child with a short attention span] many have found that ADD children respond to visual stimulation [index or flash cards are best]. As a child one of seven, my mother would root us against each other in healthy academic competition... the unforgettable games of times tables in the car... It made me want to learn them faster in order to compete with my older sisters and kept them fresh in my mind.

Children with ADD or ADHD can be just as successful as anyone else... it may take extra effort but anything is possible! Good Luck with your child.

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I'm in a simuliar situation. My son was diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarden and started on mediation and has a 504plan. Last year (2nd grade) my son was in an advanced class at his elementary school (it's an IB word school) due to good grades in 1st and teacher reccomendation. We decided to have him tested and found out he is gifted and even qualified for a local "gifted" school(Pineview). We decided due to his social and emotional immaturity to keep him in his Elementary school and have him go into their gifted program (one of the best in the area besides Pineview). At the end of last year we met with school staff who said that most kids with ADHD don't have 504 plans. I told them that I refused to allow them to "end" it. Those accomodations are the only reason William kept his grades up. Some of the accomodations we had - 1. Could stand and do work by his seat when he felt fidgety. 2. Ran errands for the teacher. 3. The teacher would have him repeat verbal instructions back to her to check for understanding and to make sure he was paying attention. 4. When he was off course, she would touch his shoulder gently in a non-verbal reminder to pay attention so he wasn't embarrased in front of his classmates. 5. Sat in the front of the class. 6. Could type out homework/reports and handwriting didn't count against his grade. 7. Extra time for longer tests. 8. Homework was given out on Friday and due the next Thursday. My son's homework wasn't due until Friday, giving us an extra day to complete it but if we had a rough week at home then we could have the weekend and turn it in on Monday as long as we let the teacher know by note on Friday when it was due. We take each year at a time and add on accomodations as needed. Don't be afraid to stand up for your child and let them know that while he is gifted he does have ADHD and that he may need a smaller work load.

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