Unfortunately, there's no law on the books (that I know of) that states the school HAS to apply any specific intervention because a student is diagnosed with AD/HD. The best advice I can give (having been there and done that as a parent) is that you have to get smarter about advocating for your son's needs to get the school to work with you. Personally, I think it's sad that parents have to FIGHT for their kids to get a real education, when there are so many students out there whose parent's don't have time to care one way or another, but this is the reality. If you really need an intervention-the one way to be sure of not getting it is to INSIST upon it. Instead, make your case to the school of why your son isn't able to be successful in completing his homework, and all that you've done to go above and beyond to support him and the school's efforts to educate him in this manner. Let THEM propose a solution to the problem. I didn't know my daughter's elementary school had a check-in and check-out program to help her get the right materials home each night. There's no way I would have known about it if the school had not volunteered the info-they were very tight-lipped about the program. It made a tremendous difference, and now, in middle school, she hardly ever forgets anything important at school. You wanna win? You gotta play the game. Don't forget to document. It's the most important thing. Only what is in writing "exists" to these people. Forget asking. Work on proving your case and work on placing responsibility for helping with this in some way on THEM. The fact that you even though of this shows you are absolutely on top of this thing. If you just didn't care, or your kid just didn't care, you wouldn't be fighting for this is the first place, duh! Now you have to get down to the tedious task of dealing with, and getting around, all these other issues that get in the way of your son's education. Try keeping a log about homework-how long it takes to complete, what time of day he's working on it, what subjects he had each night, and (coincidently) how many times he didn't have the materials to complete the work. THEN, when you've got some data, ask for a meeting with his teacher(s). When you get nowhere fast (I'm sorry, but that's usually the case-and if it isn't, your problem is now solved) Anyway, when you get nowhere fast with the teachers, write a letter to school, describing what your son is having an issue with, and the steps you've taken to address it (including meeting with his teachers) advise them you have these concerns, (quote your documentation=since now you have some facts and figures to work with) and request an evaluation, or an assessment, or a team meeting to discuss his difficulties. (It's ALWAYS your KIDS difficulties you want to discuss, NEVER the fact that the school won't give the most common-sense accommodation, or even offer any other solution.) You and I know better, but to the school it must ALWAYS BE your KIDS DIFFICULTIES or you will get nowhere. The school would probably then offer an extra set of books to keep at home by this point, but now that's already blown, it's a "never back down to the parent" thing. They will likely offer some other solution at that time, (maybe someone he can check in with before he leaves to see that he's got everything or some checklist a teacher has to sign off on) take it! Thank them for their understanding and generosity! Then go somewhere they can't hear you and scream until you feel better. And know your not alone :)

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Thanks for the information. You make some very good points. As much as I document I never though of documenting this. What a great idea. Our school does have a system of the teacher signing the childrens agenda to make sue they have homework written down correctly but his teacher doesn't check his books nor does she make sure that he puts his agenda in his backpack. I may have to come up with a solution with the teacher directly in this situation. Hopefully she is able to work with me.

Thanks again!

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Always glad when some of the frustration, pain, and general angst I've faced trying to raise my kid can help someone else. Good for you for caring about homework!

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Does your child have an IEP or 504 Plan? The extra books is a fairly typical accommodation under these programs. Without an IEP or 504 Plan, the school doesn't have to do anything. But if you can secure one of these plans for your child, you will have a better likelihood of being able to accomplish this (and many other things that may help).

More about 504 Plans: http://www.additudemag.com/search/keyword/504%20Plans%20for%20Children%20with%20ADHD.html More about IEPs and School Accommodations: http://www.additudemag.com/topic/adhd-learning-disabilities/school-accommodations.html

We often have to advocate long and hard for our ADHD children.

Penny W., ADDitudeMag.com Community Moderator mom to Luke, ADHD, age 8 creator of the Website {a mom's view of ADHD} at http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com

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Oh, just from the question alone, getting a real, workable 504 (or IEP) in place is THE GOAL, I'm just offering a little real world info on how to get to that goal. Go in there well- documented, well-prepared, I'll bet you can get them to OFFER YOU the 504. It's so much easier that way! This website is absolutely 100% incredibly, wonderfully, I-can't-say -it -enough, ON POINT and chock full of helpful advise with this. Look up, go to "Find Resources:" > "AD/HD Printables" -spend 15-20 minutes--you'll have the vocabulary down pat, and have a list of suggested accommodations to bring to school WITH YOU. There's only one thing I think is really missing from the printables section, and here's a link to it:

http://www.ncld.org/publications-a-more/checklists-worksheets-a-forms/organizing-your-concerns-about-school-related-problems-worksheet

It's a downloadable worksheet to figure out what to really concentrate on that you can fill out at home, bring to your meeting, and be very well prepared to keep any meeting on track. There's a sample letter on the same sight, for requesting said meeting, and on this site as well. It may help to actually do the worksheet first, and work "backwards" so you are consistently requesting the same things for the same reasons. That's kind of hard to ignore. Do that, go in there, and just ask "what is a 504? who is it for? what is the purpose of it? How do I know if my child needs special education services?" It will likely start to fall into place from there on, without you looking too much like one of "those" parents. Read up about this 504/IEP stuff, but first, see if you can get the school to "offer" it to YOU.

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Here's a link to great letter you can use (working "backward" of course, after you've got your thoughts together about what your asking for)

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/792.html

"Dr. Verywell Qualified" I believe you have already? You probably would not have wandered onto this site without an actual diagnosis. I would schedule an appointment with :"Dr. Verywell Qualified" and enlist his/her help in drafting said letter (bring your worksheet or notes, etc.) I'm telling ya, slam-dunk 504. Get past all of that stonewalling garbage by presenting real workable information, in a format that's really really hard to ignore.

1.) Worksheet 2.) Appointment with "Dr. Verywell Qualified:" 3.) Written request to school (Special Education Department or Chairperson-NOT Teacher, Principle, etc.). 4.) Meeting at school (now with real documentation). 5.) Congratulations! You should now have an enforcable, workable, real solution (regardless of what numbers or letters they want to call it) and you haven't "done anything" but ask the right questions, to the right people. You'll also now have the all-important "paper-trail" in place, to head off or deal with any future difficulties effectively. Hopefully with a little less heartache and angst that I have had regarding my daughter's education! This is what I wish I had known to do from the word go. Hope it helps! I'd love to know if THEY tell YOU they WANT a 504!!! I would just derive a real personal sense of satisfaction from that, for my own, selfish reasons :)

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