NationStates Jolt Archive

I have a student (of sorts) who has been diagnosed and I think I know ways to help him....but I don't know if they would be helpful, so I am looking for insight from a diverse group of people who might have ideas. I am not entirely sure that his problems are directly being caused by his ADD/ADHD (I can't remember which he has, but I am pretty sure he is not hyperactive, at least not around me...)

I seem to remember hearing about a lot of the NS community being diagnosed at one point or another, and I guess I just need to understand.

He has trouble paying attention to what I am saying, basically it seems to me that he isn't listening, and he continues to talk even though he isn't talking about what I am talking about, so I thought that I would suggest that he take notes while I am talking to help him focus, but when I brought this idea up to his mom she said that would distract him further.....so apparently I don't understand at all... since it helps me, but then again I don't have ADD I have other problems.

any advice?

Keep him on his feet. I have ADD, and generally when I take notes I get very distracted, unless the teacher makes it interesting. I know the kid may not appear to be listening to you, but really, it's not his fault. So if you make the notes more interesting (not that I'm saying that your notes are boring :)) he culd pay (more) attention.

i don't hav........hey look at that car! :p

Seriously though, my friend has ADHD but, she's the only one i know who has it.

I have ADD. I was diagnosed with it when I was an adult so I went my entire life without having a name for what was wrong with me. :p

That actually did me quite a bit of good, because I had discovered that I deeveloped coping mechanisms over the course of my life. Identifying them helped them work even better.

One thing that helps is understanding that ADD has advantages as well as disadvantages. The best techniques to help cope are those that maximize these advantages, and minimize disadvantages. For instance, it's remarkably difficult for me to remember to do certain tasks at certain times. But it's remarkably easy for me to associate one task with another. For instance; While I do my laundry, I take out the garbage during the wash cycle and I wash the dishes during the drying cycle. On days that I do laundry, the trash always gets out, and the dishes always get done. On days that I don't, I sometimes forget. Sequencing tasks is very useful for me. *nod*

He has trouble paying attention to what I am saying, basically it seems to me that he isn't listening, and he continues to talk even though he isn't talking about what I am talking about, so I thought that I would suggest that he take notes while I am talking to help him focus, but when I brought this idea up to his mom she said that would distract him further.....so apparently I don't understand at all... since it helps me, but then again I don't have ADD I have other problems.

Maybe he's just not interested in what you're saying.

Maybe he's just not interested in what you're saying.

that's possible, however his mom is paying me to teach it to him, and he has to learn it to pass this class he is in so that he can take the class he wants to next year.

I have a lot of friends who've been diagnosed with ADD (or ADHD. I forget the difference), but they're basically normal people, who get extra income by selling their medications. *shrug* Maybe the kid in your class is just a brat.

I have ADD, and generally when I take notes I get very distracted, unless the teacher makes it interesting.
Unlike people without ADD. Oh, wait... :D

(isn't ADD is a type of ADHD?)

I think you'd have to try to make things short and fast...... He simply can't focus for long(er) periods.

that's possible, however his mom is paying me to teach it to him, and he has to learn it to pass this class he is in so that he can take the class he wants to next year.

That doesn't make him necessarily want to learn it. How old is he? If hes young, he might be not paying attention because he doesn't understand how important it is. If hes older, than he probably just doesn't care.

ADHD is an urban legend.

Anyone who wants it can have ADD or ADHD.

And anyone who wants their children to have it can too.

I have a student (of sorts) who has been diagnosed and I think I know ways to help him....but I don't know if they would be helpful, so I am looking for insight from a diverse group of people who might have ideas. I am not entirely sure that his problems are directly being caused by his ADD/ADHD (I can't remember which he has, but I am pretty sure he is not hyperactive, at least not around me...)

I seem to remember hearing about a lot of the NS community being diagnosed at one point or another, and I guess I just need to understand.

He has trouble paying attention to what I am saying, basically it seems to me that he isn't listening, and he continues to talk even though he isn't talking about what I am talking about, so I thought that I would suggest that he take notes while I am talking to help him focus, but when I brought this idea up to his mom she said that would distract him further.....so apparently I don't understand at all... since it helps me, but then again I don't have ADD I have other problems.

any advice?

I have no advice. He could be just restless. Everyone thought my bro had ADHD, but it turned out he didn't.

I have ADD. I was diagnosed with it when I was an adult so I went my entire life without having a name for what was wrong with me. :p

That actually did me quite a bit of good, because I had discovered that I deeveloped coping mechanisms over the course of my life. Identifying them helped them work even better.

One thing that helps is understanding that ADD has advantages as well as disadvantages. The best techniques to help cope are those that maximize these advantages, and minimize disadvantages. For instance, it's remarkably difficult for me to remember to do certain tasks at certain times. But it's remarkably easy for me to associate one task with another. For instance; While I do my laundry, I take out the garbage during the wash cycle and I wash the dishes during the drying cycle. On days that I do laundry, the trash always gets out, and the dishes always get done. On days that I don't, I sometimes forget. Sequencing tasks is very useful for me. *nod*


A routine is very helpful, it irritates me greatly when someone disrupts my routine, throws me off completely. I forget things, things don't get done.

I procrastinate and have ADD. Friends joke that I'm like a magpie, distracted by anything sufficiently shiny.

I think ADD/ADHD is a non-existant "disorder" that was created by doctors and pharmaceutical companies to make money. There is no such thing as not being focused properly. People focus on different things because they want to or they are built that way. I have not been "tested" for ADD or ADHD, but my mom thinks I "have" it. We've had many arguments about its existence and the drugs people "diagnosed" take. It's all a bunch of bull in my opinion. Some of us just learn and act differently and there is nothing wrong with that. Calling it a disorder or a disease and saying ADD or ADHD is demeaning to those of us who just learn differntly from what is "normal". All this stuff is like making lefties into righties because it's a "disorder".

As for the kid, he'll probably suffer a lot in scholl because of the creation of this "disorder". I'd say let him be and if he can survive school the way it is, he'll be fine. If not, he'll be a lifeless lump and die...or something close to that.

I have ADD. I was diagnosed with it when I was an adult so I went my entire life without having a name for what was wrong with me. :p

That actually did me quite a bit of good, because I had discovered that I deeveloped coping mechanisms over the course of my life. Identifying them helped them work even better.

One thing that helps is understanding that ADD has advantages as well as disadvantages. The best techniques to help cope are those that maximize these advantages, and minimize disadvantages. For instance, it's remarkably difficult for me to remember to do certain tasks at certain times. But it's remarkably easy for me to associate one task with another. For instance; While I do my laundry, I take out the garbage during the wash cycle and I wash the dishes during the drying cycle. On days that I do laundry, the trash always gets out, and the dishes always get done. On days that I don't, I sometimes forget. Sequencing tasks is very useful for me. *nod*

That helps me, too. Also, if I have a singular task I need to focus on, it helps to play music in the background. It gives my mind something else to consistently focus on so it won't go looking for other distractions.

I'm ADD but I'm homeschooled so I don't have to worry that much about staying attention.

However, what makes it easier for me to pay attention to lectures is where there is enthusiasm. Generally, I wouldn't care about things (like math, blech) but when there is lots of enthusiasm, and the teacher really gets into it, then I'll pay attention.

Otherwise I'll space out, and start daydreaming ("what if I were black and living in the 1930s..." to "What if I turned out to be the heir to like, an entire country?").

So that's my advice. Be enthusiastic. Put something extra into your lectures to let him pay attention. Dramatize it, raise your voice, use your hands, and then go quiet. Like a stereotypical black teacher!

What would it be like to be a black preacher in the 1930s, anyways?...

I think ADD/ADHD is a non-existant "disorder" that was created by doctors and pharmaceutical companies to make money. There is no such thing as not being focused properly. People focus on different things because they want to or they are built that way. I have not been "tested" for ADD or ADHD, but my mom thinks I "have" it. We've had many arguments about its existence and the drugs people "diagnosed" take. It's all a bunch of bull in my opinion. Some of us just learn and act differently and there is nothing wrong with that.

You are willing to argue that you don't have a medical condition that you aren't willing to get tested for?

You remind my of my wife's grandma, who insisted that the only reason she was dying of cancer was because she went to the doctor - after all, she hadn't been dying until she got into the hospital...

I think ADD/ADHD is a non-existant "disorder" that was created by doctors and pharmaceutical companies to make money. There is no such thing as not being focused properly. People focus on different things because they want to or they are built that way. I have not been "tested" for ADD or ADHD, but my mom thinks I "have" it. We've had many arguments about its existence and the drugs people "diagnosed" take. It's all a bunch of bull in my opinion. Some of us just learn and act differently and there is nothing wrong with that.

I have suffered with inability to concentrate before, it's one of the things that happens to me when I accidentally get gluten, it's called "brain fog" and it's something I can't will myself out of, I am pretty sure if I felt like that all the time it would suck. That's probably as close as I can get to knowing what it must be like to deal with ADD.

I wonder what your views are on OCD and other disorders though, sure I could claim that my OCD isn't a disorder but just that I am "different" however it affects my life to the point that I can't function without treatment, surely you could understand if someone's ADD was affecting them that badly that they would seek treatment to be able to do what they want to do?

I have suffered with inability to concentrate before, it's one of the things that happens to me when I accidentally get gluten, it's called "brain fog" and it's something I can't will myself out of, I am pretty sure if I felt like that all the time it would suck. That's probably as close as I can get to knowing what it must be like to deal with ADD.
What is feels like for me about 85% of the time (except my occasional lucid moments when I'm really paying attention) is like my mind is a mechanical machine, but a gear is broken. Everything but one little part is moving really fast - faster than I can pay attention to. That's right, sometimes I can't even pay attention to my thoughts. But there is that one little area that stops, and does nothing. It's like you're running, and you have your arm out slamming into brick walls - one after another.

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I think ADD/ADHD is a non-existant "disorder" that was created by doctors and pharmaceutical companies to make money. There is no such thing as not being focused properly. People focus on different things because they want to or they are built that way. I have not been "tested" for ADD or ADHD, but my mom thinks I "have" it. We've had many arguments about its existence and the drugs people "diagnosed" take. It's all a bunch of bull in my opinion. Some of us just learn and act differently and there is nothing wrong with that.
That's just fine to think that, but I'll take the opinion of someone with a medical degree over someone on the internet.

Also, I don't take medication for my ADD. I learn to cope with it, and use it to my advantage.

I think ADD/ADHD is a non-existant "disorder" that was created by doctors and pharmaceutical companies to make money. There is no such thing as not being focused properly. People focus on different things because they want to or they are built that way. I have not been "tested" for ADD or ADHD, but my mom thinks I "have" it. We've had many arguments about its existence and the drugs people "diagnosed" take. It's all a bunch of bull in my opinion. Some of us just learn and act differently and there is nothing wrong with that. Calling it a disorder or a disease and saying ADD or ADHD is demeaning to those of us who just learn differntly from what is "normal". All this stuff is like making lefties into righties because it's a "disorder".

As for the kid, he'll probably suffer a lot in scholl because of the creation of this "disorder". I'd say let him be and if he can survive school the way it is, he'll be fine. If not, he'll be a lifeless lump and die...or something close to that.

Its overdiagnosed, but not completely made up.

You are willing to argue that you don't have a medical condition that you aren't willing to get tested for?

You remind my of my wife's grandma, who insisted that the only reason she was dying of cancer was because she went to the doctor - after all, she hadn't been dying until she got into the hospital...

There is a big difference between cancer and learning differently. I may "have" ADD. I don't pay much attention in school, but generally do good on tests. I don't study. I do homework sometimes. I don't really care about what they have to say and would drop out, if that wasn't so socially degrading and another artificial creation of 18 being adulthood. This "condition" only "exists" because it contradicts what is considered normal: staying focused on crap, getting good grades, doing hw, etc. Not everyone is like that and it may actually be the abnormal thing. How many chimps go around teaching each other calculus so they can get more fruit from trees?

I have suffered with inability to concentrate before, it's one of the things that happens to me when I accidentally get gluten, it's called "brain fog" and it's something I can't will myself out of, I am pretty sure if I felt like that all the time it would suck. That's probably as close as I can get to knowing what it must be like to deal with ADD.

I wonder what your views are on OCD and other disorders though, sure I could claim that my OCD isn't a disorder but just that I am "different" however it affects my life to the point that I can't function without treatment, surely you could understand if someone's ADD was affecting them that badly that they would seek treatment to be able to do what they want to do?

OCD also may be a myth. I haven't really thought about it as much as ADD. It is possible that some people are built to ensure things are orderly as they see it.

There is a big difference between cancer and learning differently. I may "have" ADD. I don't pay much attention in school, but generally do good on tests. I don't study. I do homework sometimes. I don't really care about what they have to say and would drop out, if that wasn't so socially degrading and another artificial creation of 18 being adulthood. This "condition" only "exists" because it contradicts what is considered normal: staying focused on crap, getting good grades, doing hw, etc. Not everyone is like that and it may actually be the abnormal thing. How many chimps go around teaching each other calculus so they can get more fruit from trees?


All 'conditions' only 'exist' because something about them "contradicts what is considered normal". Even cancer.

Saying you don't 'have' the condition, just because you don't want to be pigeonholed is illogical.


OCD also may be a myth. I haven't really thought about it as much as ADD. It is possible that some people are built to ensure things are orderly as they see it.

Everyone has tendency towards obsessions and compulsions. OCD is what you have when you can't function because of it.

ADD and ADHD are used when teachers can't be bothered to deal with "different" children. I was diagnosed with it because I wouldn't follow instructions to the letter and often did my own thing when given an assignment to do. My stuff was always different or I would not do my work the same way as other students.

At least that's the way I see it.

Why is ADD so rampant among Americans?

I think it is due to their sedentary lifestyle. I know that it's inevitable in a post-industrial society, but Americans are especially discouraged from taking excercise, it seems.

American children are allowed eat copious amounts of junk food, in the false belief that the vitamin pills they also take will undo the damage.

ADD and ADHD are used when teachers can't be bothered to deal with "different" children. I was diagnosed with it because I wouldn't follow instructions to the letter and often did my own thing when given an assignment to do. My stuff was always different or I would not do my work the same way as other students.

At least that's the way I see it.

just because you may not have it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. it's often misdiagnosed, but I am pretty sure something is wrong with this kid, he is really bright, but it's like his brain isn't doing what he wants it to.

I have dyspraxia, which has some symptoms similar to mild ADD (short attention, distractable, prone to "phasing out" and poor short term memory). ADD/ADHD are interesting conditions, many children are misdiagnosed as having them when in fact they are merely slightly overactive or disruptive in school. I am certain the disorders exist and affect many people but am unconvinced by many diagnoses. The topic needs more examination, but the need for research is not as pressing as in more severe learning disorders, like Asperger's syndrome, or mental retardation.

Chances are that i do, but I also feel that i have a duty to tell nasty teachers to gget stuffed, which the 'look that kid can't spell Dictartor, he has dislexia!' person see as aspergers, a typoe of autism. I'm in denial cos I dn't want it to affect my life after school.

just because you may not have it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. it's often misdiagnosed, but I am pretty sure something is wrong with this kid, he is really bright, but it's like his brain isn't doing what he wants it to.

Maybe he wasn't built for school?

Doctors happen to be in business for money. Any extra disease or dinorder they can "diagnose" is good for them. Peoplo who "have" ADD are just different. Do I have t obring up the lefty thing again. Cancer is a distinct problem. ADD is only made to be a problem because of the rigidness of school. You'd suddenly satrt believing me if I got a medical degree?

I have ADD. I was diagnosed in first grade. I have been taking medication for it since the first grade. We've shifted around the types of medicine and dosages over time, trying to find what works best. And for those who say that ADD is a myth, it isn't for me. The meds work very well - I can notice the difference. I still have problems in class, but they're not that bad, and beyond a bit of help from the teacher, I can (or at least should) pick up the slack.

To the OP, the most important thing is to work with the student, his parents, and any psychiatrists or learning specialists he is seeing to develop solutions. If your school has a guidance or special needs counselor, bring them on board as well. Each kid is different - what works for me may not work for someone else. However, do not let the kid use his ADD as an excuse for anything. All special accomodations should be approved with the parents or psychiatrists.

There is a big difference between cancer and learning differently. I may "have" ADD. I don't pay much attention in school, but generally do good on tests. I don't study. I do homework sometimes. I don't really care about what they have to say and would drop out, if that wasn't so socially degrading and another artificial creation of 18 being adulthood. This "condition" only "exists" because it contradicts what is considered normal: staying focused on crap, getting good grades, doing hw, etc. Not everyone is like that and it may actually be the abnormal thing. How many chimps go around teaching each other calculus so they can get more fruit from trees?

that's apathy and idiocy...not ADD. Meet someone who really does have it, and you'll understand. Overdiagnosed doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Oh, and the drop out age is 16 with parent concent.

OCD also may be a myth. I haven't really thought about it as much as ADD. It is possible that some people are built to ensure things are orderly as they see it.
to the point where they can't function?
Maybe he wasn't built for school?

Doctors happen to be in business for money. Any extra disease or dinorder they can "diagnose" is good for them. Peoplo who "have" ADD are just different. Do I have t obring up the lefty thing again. Cancer is a distinct problem. ADD is only made to be a problem because of the rigidness of school. You'd suddenly satrt believing me if I got a medical degree?
Smunkee isn't a school teacher. She does home schooling.

Do you also not believe in Schizophrenia, paranoia, dissociative disorder, autism



Similar to LG, I've developed coping methods. I've figured out that when I do work, I will not be focused in 10-30 minutes....so then I have to take a break, and get my mind onto other things. It takes longer, but I actually remember stuff I read.
Also, do a recess type thing...let him run around and burn energy...it will help him

Maybe he wasn't built for school?

Doctors happen to be in business for money. Any extra disease or dinorder they can "diagnose" is good for them. Peoplo who "have" ADD are just different. Do I have t obring up the lefty thing again. Cancer is a distinct problem. ADD is only made to be a problem because of the rigidness of school. You'd suddenly satrt believing me if I got a medical degree?

what do you say to the fact that they can see differences in the brain of a person with ADD when compared to a person without it on CT scan?

Smunkee isn't a school teacher. She does home schooling.
and private tutor ;)

do you have any idea how I can help him? it's not like the other kids who have trouble retaining information, he has trouble figuring out what information is important (if that makes sense)

ADHD is an urban legend.


Are you serious? I think the medication is overprescribed, but the condition is very real. If you honestly think that it doesn't exist, than no amount of telling will convince you. You've got to experience it yourself to truly understand, savy?

As I said, work with his parents and counselors to develop solutions. Each kid is different.

i don't hav........hey look at that car! :p

Seriously though, my friend has ADHD but, she's the only one i know who has it.

I used to know someone that 'apparently' had ADHD, sure he was hyper, but he also would hit you for no reason, and throw basket balls at your head if you said his computer looked like 'Windows 98'. right little bastad, if anyone hit him back they would get told off, not him for 'picking on the person with ADHD' he once gave a year 5 (4th grade i think) temporay brain damage. Punishemt? barely, just a 2 week exclusion.

Teaching kids with ADD, who were not on meds (the ones on meds were zombies), here are a few things that worked for me:

1) let them fidget, pace, squeeze a rubber ball, but under no circumstances force them to be still. They'll spend so much time focusing on trying (and ultimately failing) to keep still that paying attention to you just isn't going to work.

2) Schedule everything into very small increments of time. Five minutes to begin with. Have the student work at a single task, for five minutes, and then give them a break by switching to something else (related or not). It actually provides quite a bit of structure, but requires a LOT of planning on your part.

3) Get rid of distractions, anything not necessary. As much as you might like your decor, check to see if you have bright colours, designs, posters to read, and so forth that drive ADD/ADHD (and kids with FASD) totally to distraction. A bare room may seem depressing to you, but sometimes it's like a nice cuddly blanket for a kid who just can't help getting distracted.

4) Don't assume they aren't following you. If you let them move around, don't expect full eye contact and the 'attention' pose. Many people with ADD/ADHD are extremely aural learners. If you're not sure they've been listening, ask them to tell you what you've said. In most cases, they can.

5) When it comes to 'testing'...do the 'test' orally, rather than have them writing their answers. The time it takes to write down the answers is enough to frustrate them, and cause them to mix up facts or just plain get too frustrated to bother going into detail.

and private tutor ;)

do you have any idea how I can help him? it's not like the other kids who have trouble retaining information, he has trouble figuring out what information is important (if that makes sense)

I've seen teaching key words to work...words that might indicate important ideas. This kinda thing gets tricky because you don't want the kid to just skim for these words.

Sometimes graphic organizers can help. For example, a story timeline or a chart with major points, where he has to fill in details.

ADD and ADHD aren't so much a lack of attention as an overabundance of attention...everything requires attention, making it difficult to pick just one. help him figure out how to use this for his benefit. When you're working with him, make things easy to focus on (bold headings, etc), but indulge some of his tangents...follow up on interests with side projects that relate to the main concept.

Teaching kids with ADD, who were not on meds (the ones on meds were zombies), here are a few things that worked for me:

1) let them fidget, pace, squeeze a rubber ball, but under no circumstances force them to be still. They'll spend so much time focusing on trying (and ultimately failing) to keep still that paying attention to you just isn't going to work.


this is probably the most important...if I wasn't allowed to move around, then I put all my energy into not moving, which just made me lost in the lesson. Eventually, I was exhausted from forcing myself to be still that I gave in, and got yelled at again.
If he doodles, let him. Just make sure the doodling doesn't get in the way of his listening.

Maybe he wasn't built for school?

Doctors happen to be in business for money. Any extra disease or dinorder they can "diagnose" is good for them. Peoplo who "have" ADD are just different. Do I have t obring up the lefty thing again. Cancer is a distinct problem. ADD is only made to be a problem because of the rigidness of school. You'd suddenly satrt believing me if I got a medical degree?

You may not have noticed, school isn't the only tightly regimented aspect of modern life.

Yes, people with OCD, AS, ADD are different. No - they aren't necessarily 'broken'... but they might be. Yes, it IS only a problem because we are not mindless animals hunting and shagging.

But, none of that equates to 'not a real medical condition'.

And, since we DO live in the modern world, all the arguments about 'it wouldn't matter, if we were monkeys' are nonsensical... THIS is where we are, THIS is the reality we've got to survive in.

ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder

ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

People with ADHD are more fidgety and hyperactive than those with ADD.

I have ADHD. What Neesika said is very good advice.

Are you serious? I think the medication is overprescribed, but the condition is very real. If you honestly think that it doesn't exist, than no amount of telling will convince you. You've got to experience it yourself to truly understand, savy?

yes, I'm very serious.

Why is ADD so rampant among Americans?

I think it is due to their sedentary lifestyle. I know that it's inevitable in a post-industrial society, but Americans are especially discouraged from taking excercise, it seems.

American children are allowed eat copious amounts of junk food, in the false belief that the vitamin pills they also take will undo the damage.

Because people think it's a problem and diagnose anyone who is a little "abnormal" with it.

I have ADD. I was diagnosed in first grade. I have been taking medication for it since the first grade. We've shifted around the types of medicine and dosages over time, trying to find what works best. And for those who say that ADD is a myth, it isn't for me. The meds work very well - I can notice the difference. I still have problems in class, but they're not that bad, and beyond a bit of help from the teacher, I can (or at least should) pick up the slack.

To the OP, the most important thing is to work with the student, his parents, and any psychiatrists or learning specialists he is seeing to develop solutions. If your school has a guidance or special needs counselor, bring them on board as well. Each kid is different - what works for me may not work for someone else. However, do not let the kid use his ADD as an excuse for anything. All special accomodations should be approved with the parents or psychiatrists.

Great! Another drug addict from a young age. :(

what do you say to the fact that they can see differences in the brain of a person with ADD when compared to a person without it on CT scan?

Differences do not mean disorders.

You may not have noticed, school isn't the only tightly regimented aspect of modern life.

Yes, people with OCD, AS, ADD are different. No - they aren't necessarily 'broken'... but they might be. Yes, it IS only a problem because we are not mindless animals hunting and shagging.

But, none of that equates to 'not a real medical condition'.

And, since we DO live in the modern world, all the arguments about 'it wouldn't matter, if we were monkeys' are nonsensical... THIS is where we are, THIS is the reality we've got to survive in.

I'm sure people with different brains have found their place and always will, without drugs or any of this crap. I am against the "modern world", but there is no way to turn back really. I said chimps, which are a completely different thing from monkeys. Chimps are over 98% similar to us, which is why I used them as an example.

yes, I'm very serious.

I'm glad there's two of us.

Because people think it's a problem and diagnose anyone who is a little "abnormal" with it.
so you don't believe in it because it is overdiagnosed.


Great! Another drug addict from a young age. :(
No more than someone with diabetes who takes insulin is a drug addict


Differences do not mean disorders.not always, but many times, yes.



I'm sure people with different brains have found their place and always will, without drugs or any of this crap. I am against the "modern world", but there is no way to turn back really. I said chimps, which are a completely different thing from monkeys. Chimps are over 98% similar to us, which is why I used them as an example.which means they are still not us, and therefore, not comparable. Every animal has diseases and disorders unique to them or not shared in its direct relatives.

Great! Another drug addict from a young age.
I take offense to that statement. This is medication, used to treat a condition I have. The diabetes-insulin comparison is a good one.

I'm done. It's quite obvious I'm talking to a wall. I wish I were to became a doctor so you would believe me, but I have other plans.

Pot. Kettle. Black as a fucking singularity.

so you don't believe in it because it is overdiagnosed.


No more than someone with diabetes who takes insulin is a drug addict


not always, but many times, yes.



which means they are still not us, and therefore, not comparable. Every animal has diseases and disorders unique to them or not shared in its direct relatives.

Insulin is not a drug. It's already made by the body. I'm saying that we are still animals and should not ignore that.

I take offense to that statement. This is medication, used to treat a condition I have. The diabetes-insulin comparison is a good one.
It's an unnecessary drug. You don't have a condition. You are just different.

I'm done. It's quite obvious I'm talking to a wall. I wish I were to became a doctor so you would believe me, but I have other plans.

Insulin is not a drug. It's already made by the body. I'm saying that we are still animals and should not ignore that.And some people don't make insulin themselves. This condition is called diabetes, a recognized medical condition. Many of these people inject artifical insulin. It is a drug.


It's an unnecessary drug. You don't have a condition. You are just different.And that person with diabetes? He's just different, too. That guy with benign tumors all over his body? He's just different. Who cares if that lack of insulin has serious medical issues, or that tumor hurts his ability to breathe? He's just...different.

All drugs are "unnecessary", as they just delay death. What's your point?

I'm done. It's quite obvious I'm talking to a wall. I wish I were to became a doctor so you would believe me, but I have other plans.

No, I'd still say you're wrong (ADD/ADHD is a psych issue, not covered by a doctor, but by a psychiatrist or psychologist). And if you were a psych who didn't believe in ADD/ADHD and OCD, along with pretty much all other psych disorders it would seem, I'd say the APA should look into your practice.

Wanna ride bikes?

do you have any idea how I can help him? it's not like the other kids who have trouble retaining information, he has trouble figuring out what information is important (if that makes sense)
Sounds just like me (Yeah, I was and still am ADHD), but I also have a MS and will start on a PhD in two years so there's hope. ;)

Some advice for helping him pick out the info that he needs (these worked for me):

1. Let him take LOTS of notes in whatever style he wants (pictures, scribbles, whatever), but sit down with him afterwards and review the notes, have him move them into more of a structured form (Again though, teach him different forms and let him pick which one is best. I loved bubble form, couldn't stand outline). Like LG and others have noted, letting him associate will help him make sense of all the information. If he gets into the habit, it'll become easier.

2. Change teaching styles frequently, don't fall into the habit of doing just one style, even if it seems to be the best style in the world at the start. I hate to say it, but you're almost going to have to become a cheerleader.

3. Neesika's right on the money, do things in short time spans and CHECK. Oral is probably the best way to do so, quick reviews based upon what they missed will also help.

4. Try to relate the topic to something of their interest. My teachers always complained that if it was something I didn't know and was interested in, I would focus to a frightening extent (ADHD is like that, when we DO focus, you could probably set us on fire and we wouldn't notice), if I couldn't understand or wasn't interested, you couldn't get me to focus for love or money.

5. Extra time, also allow that some days will be bad and he might need to retreat from the academics for a few minutes to work off excess energy. I used to be sent outside to bounce balls against the wall.

6. Finally, and MOST importantly, hold his feet to the fire. Do NOT let him get out of working because of his ADD/ADHD, do NOT start to feel that something is beyond him due to it either (No, I don't think you would, but I've run into that feeling too many times). The teacher who inspired me to teach, Mrs. Block, was my special education teacher. She helped me with all of the above and never, ever, let me get away with calling myself dumb or saying I couldn't do the work. She gave me all the time and help I needed, but at the end of the day, I WOULD be turning in my work, and doing it well.

Good luck!

Oh, and Sel Appa, as a teacher who has taken classes in special education, and as a working teacher who is teaching children with ADD/ADHD (dark ages as Japan might be on it), and as a holder of a Master of Science in Counseling and Educational Psychology (with a lot of course work on ADD/ADHD and the research behind it), and finally, as someone who HAS ADHD, I'm more than certain that it exists and that I know far more about it than someone who admits he hasn't studied it at all.

Oh, and Sel Appa, as a teacher who has taken classes in special education, and as a working teacher who is teaching children with ADD/ADHD (dark ages as Japan might be on it), and as a holder of a Master of Science in Counseling and Educational Psychology (with a lot of course work on ADD/ADHD and the research behind it), and finally, as someone who HAS ADHD, I'm more than certain that it exists and that I know far more about it than someone who admits he hasn't studied it at all.

Oh Snap!

I can't stand how many kids claim they have it, but don't, that and OCD. 90% of my friends swear to Jupiter that they have both.

"I do wierd little things, and I have trouble paying attention while I try to read Frankenstein. Oh noez I has a disease!? Yay people can feel bad for me while I have an excuse for being void of any and all personality!"

I think ADD/ADHD is a non-existant "disorder" that was created by doctors and pharmaceutical companies to make money.

Provide me with . . .

A: Proof of this statement

and . . .

B: Where you got your medical license.

Oh Snap!

I can't stand how many kids claim they have it, but don't, that and OCD. 90% of my friends swear to Jupiter that they have both.

"I do wierd little things, and I have trouble paying attention while I try to read Frankenstein. Oh noez I has a disease!? Yay people can feel bad for me while I have an excuse for being void of any and all personality!"

the OCD thing annoys me too. people think because they are slightly quirky that they have OCD, I keep wanting to yell at them when they say it.....I mean surely everyone sorts their M&M's or has to have their bed a certain way, it's the compulsion that makes it a problem, I have compulsions to do things, and I can't not do them.

the OCD thing annoys me too. people think because they are slightly quirky that they have OCD, I keep wanting to yell at them when they say it.....I mean surely everyone sorts their M&M's or has to have their bed a certain way, it's the compulsion that makes it a problem, I have compulsions to do things, and I can't not do them.

OCD is frightening, my roomate would have to open every door in the room if he opened one and then systematically closed them. Same thing with lights. He would spend roughly half an hour making sure the windows were open exactly the same distance. Beats my orientation roomate who had seizures and would need to be injected in the heart with a needle :eek:

Provide me with . . .

A: Proof of this statement

and . . .

B: Where you got your medical license.
QFT. As for me, I got that same "so this is why" feeling regarding how utterly distractible I've always been, once I finally heard the diagnosis from my therapist and psychiatrist (both independently) about a year ago. Most of my distractions revolve around unfinished activities of mine. Such as having chapters (any at all) unread in a book I'm working on and can at all pick up, even if in class at the time; or waiting for NSG or II posts, for another example.:D/:headbang:

Oh Snap!

I can't stand how many kids claim they have it, but don't, that and OCD. 90% of my friends swear to Jupiter that they have both.

"I do wierd little things, and I have trouble paying attention while I try to read Frankenstein. Oh noez I has a disease!? Yay people can feel bad for me while I have an excuse for being void of any and all personality!"
Oh I have no doubt that it is used as an excuse by a lot of parents and their children for not wanting to do work. That's why it has to be diagnosed by more than "When I'm not interested, I can't pay attention", and done so by a professional.

The thing is, when you do have it, you either cannot pay attention or you focus to such an extent you cannot break your attention away, even if you really should. The magpie analogy is pretty good, your attention shifts to various things too quickly to really follow. And it's not that you don't want to focus in, it's just that anything might grab your attention away from where you should be.

For example, my wife has learned that if she wants to talk to me, she cannot have the TV on. The other night we were talking about the baby we're expecting (You know, a subject that is rather interesting to me, and one I REALLY need to be paying attention to), but she left the TV on and I just could NOT focus only on her, I would keep attention on my wife for about 2 minutes (even when I was speaking), before something would move on the TV and I would automatcially focus on the TV for a few minutes before moving back to her. Even without the TV I'll get distracted by something on the table, or out the window and have to pull myself back to the conversation at hand. That's life with ADHD.

For example, my wife has learned that if she wants to talk to me, she cannot have the TV on.

I'm afraid you suffer from being male. :D

I'm afraid you suffer from being male. :D
If only.

what do you say to the fact that they can see differences in the brain of a person with ADD when compared to a person without it on CT scan?

So it's brain damage... makes sense.

Also, Michael Savage Weiner said on his radio show that Ritalin is a plot by radical feminists to destroy america.

Apparently, ritalin makes men less masculine, thereby destroying america.

What else should the savage nation know?

So it's brain damage... makes sense.
Not so much damage, but the brain doesn't light up quite the same as a normal person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Adhdbrain.gif
The one on the left is a normal adult brain, the one on the right is ADHD.

Teaching kids with ADD, who were not on meds (the ones on meds were zombies), here are a few things that worked for me:

1) let them fidget, pace, squeeze a rubber ball, but under no circumstances force them to be still. They'll spend so much time focusing on trying (and ultimately failing) to keep still that paying attention to you just isn't going to work.

2) Schedule everything into very small increments of time. Five minutes to begin with. Have the student work at a single task, for five minutes, and then give them a break by switching to something else (related or not). It actually provides quite a bit of structure, but requires a LOT of planning on your part.

3) Get rid of distractions, anything not necessary. As much as you might like your decor, check to see if you have bright colours, designs, posters to read, and so forth that drive ADD/ADHD (and kids with FASD) totally to distraction. A bare room may seem depressing to you, but sometimes it's like a nice cuddly blanket for a kid who just can't help getting distracted.

4) Don't assume they aren't following you. If you let them move around, don't expect full eye contact and the 'attention' pose. Many people with ADD/ADHD are extremely aural learners. If you're not sure they've been listening, ask them to tell you what you've said. In most cases, they can.

5) When it comes to 'testing'...do the 'test' orally, rather than have them writing their answers. The time it takes to write down the answers is enough to frustrate them, and cause them to mix up facts or just plain get too frustrated to bother going into detail.

All of these suggestions are excellent. I will also add, from my experience tutoring kids with ADD, that being both patient and stubborn as all heck will serve you well. Make it very clear that, at the end of all the wiggling and the squirming and the "But I don't knoooooooooow!"-ing and so on, he will still have to do his work. :)

Teaching kids with ADD, who were not on meds (the ones on meds were zombies), here are a few things that worked for me:

1) let them fidget, pace, squeeze a rubber ball, but under no circumstances force them to be still. They'll spend so much time focusing on trying (and ultimately failing) to keep still that paying attention to you just isn't going to work.

2) Schedule everything into very small increments of time. Five minutes to begin with. Have the student work at a single task, for five minutes, and then give them a break by switching to something else (related or not). It actually provides quite a bit of structure, but requires a LOT of planning on your part.

3) Get rid of distractions, anything not necessary. As much as you might like your decor, check to see if you have bright colours, designs, posters to read, and so forth that drive ADD/ADHD (and kids with FASD) totally to distraction. A bare room may seem depressing to you, but sometimes it's like a nice cuddly blanket for a kid who just can't help getting distracted.

4) Don't assume they aren't following you. If you let them move around, don't expect full eye contact and the 'attention' pose. Many people with ADD/ADHD are extremely aural learners. If you're not sure they've been listening, ask them to tell you what you've said. In most cases, they can.

5) When it comes to 'testing'...do the 'test' orally, rather than have them writing their answers. The time it takes to write down the answers is enough to frustrate them, and cause them to mix up facts or just plain get too frustrated to bother going into detail.

My daughter...who is gifted, but also has a mood disorder AND ADHD would benefit GREATLY if YOU were her teacher.

She also retains better if she can lie on her stomach to do some tasks, or stand at a table, rather than sit. We also have a "wobble seat" that helps alot...but she is 6, an older student most likely wouldn't want to deal with it. (if you're interested, I can find some links, though)

I also have ADHD (I was diagnosed as an adult. There is a test, called the Conner's Scales of Adult ADHD-it has about 100 questions-I answered all of them "correct" for ADHD. The psychiatrist looked at me and said...I have NEVER had a client with ADHD as severe as yours graduate from high school, let alone go to college.) I concentrate better with the television on...I know...it sounds counter productive, but I need "background noise"

I can't handle "too much" at a time. With me, currently, it manifests in me looking at a room that has been destroyed by my kids, and not knowing where to start...so I walk out of the room, never to be cleaned. (well, until my husband comes home) When I needed to do papers or whatever, in school...starting was a huge problem. I kept looking at the HUGE task at hand, and couldn't figure out where to start.

Does the student have a laptop? I took all my notes on laptop...if I didn't, I couldn't read them at all. It also helped me keep track of things, and I could move points around, to where they made more sense.

Good luck. I hope you can find a way to help your student learn.

My daughter...who is gifted, but also has a mood disorder AND ADHD would benefit GREATLY if YOU were her teacher.

She also retains better if she can lie on her stomach to do some tasks, or stand at a table, rather than sit. We also have a "wobble seat" that helps alot...but she is 6, an older student most likely wouldn't want to deal with it. (if you're interested, I can find some links, though)

that bold part is me, 100%. my friends get freaked out because I never sit...I just tell them I'm more comfortable standing. Truth is, if I'm standing, then my mind focuses better...same with being on my stomach. Don't know why, but it works great.

No, I'd still say you're wrong (ADD/ADHD is a psych issue, not covered by a doctor, but by a psychiatrist or psychologist). And if you were a psych who didn't believe in ADD/ADHD and OCD, along with pretty much all other psych disorders it would seem, I'd say the APA should look into your practice.

ADD/ADHD exists. It is not nearly as prevalent as some doctors like to claim. These days any child who behaves, oh, like a child is prone to being diagnosed with ADD.

And yet these same children can spend hours concentrating on games on their Wii or Playstation. Yeah.

Overmedication is the name of the game. If someone comes in with a problem, a doctor had, by god, better give them a drug to "cure" it.

There are real problems out there. There are children (and adults) with ADD or other diseases out there. They deserve to get the treatment they need for their problems.

They do not deserve to have every excessively active child labeled with their problem.

I'm sure people with different brains have found their place and always will, without drugs or any of this crap.


We've seen several in this thread already. I'm one if them (not ADD). However, while I have thrived despite AS and OCD... maybe not everyone can.

I don't pretend my experiences 'set the rule'.


I am against the "modern world"


Tough tits... unless you have a way out.


I said chimps, which are a completely different thing from monkeys. Chimps are over 98% similar to us, which is why I used them as an example.

I was trivialising - that's the point. Monkeys don't 'matter' in terms of human psychology. Neither do chimps. Or bacteria.

that bold part is me, 100%. my friends get freaked out because I never sit...I just tell them I'm more comfortable standing. Truth is, if I'm standing, then my mind focuses better...same with being on my stomach. Don't know why, but it works great.

I tend to focus better standing and leaning against something or pacing than I do sitting around trying to stare a problem down.

ADHD is an urban legend.

Poland is an urban legend. Despite thousands of history books on the subject, millions of residents, tourists, photographs, a language, and a fixed position on virtually every map of the world, I feel that it simply doesn't exist. For that matter, I don't believe in New Jersey either. I think that Pennsylvania and Delaware are much bigger than we are told and that there is no such state as New Jersey.

Poland is an urban legend. Despite thousands of history books on the subject, millions of residents, tourists, photographs, a language, and a fixed position on virtually every map of the world, I feel that it simply doesn't exist. For that matter, I don't believe in New Jersey either. I think that Pennsylvania and Delaware are much bigger than we are told and that there is no such state as New Jersey.

Whew! What a relief to know that I wasn't the only one thinking that! :)

Poland is an urban legend. Despite thousands of history books on the subject, millions of residents, tourists, photographs, a language, and a fixed position on virtually every map of the world, I feel that it simply doesn't exist. For that matter, I don't believe in New Jersey either. I think that Pennsylvania and Delaware are much bigger than we are told and that there is no such state as New Jersey.

You take that back! Without the Jersey Shore, you've got nothing, nothing!

Ah, what would we Americans do for entertainment without the eternal war between New York City and New Jersey? ;)

NYC is far too powerful/awesome/NYC for this to be a proper war.


:p

You take that back! Without the Jersey Shore, you've got nothing, nothing!
Ah, what would we Americans do for entertainment without the eternal war between New York City and New Jersey? ;)

NYC is far too powerful/awesome/NYC for this to be a proper war.


:p

Only because you lost it. You just don't know it yet.

Only because you lost it. You just don't know it yet.

Bah. How can someone wise enough to realize the importance of The Princess Bride be foolish enough to forget that when people say they've been to America, they most often mean they've been to NYC?

Bah. How can someone wise enough to realize the importance of The Princess Bride be foolish enough to forget that when people say they've been to America, they most often mean they've been to NYC?

Because many of those people arrive at Newark Airport.

I have ADD, and this is how it effects me.

I have difficulty choosing when to focus. The problem isn't so much a short attention span as a an attention span that's constantly changing it's appreture. For example, if I start a task I rush into it very determined to finish, however a few minutes later I'll see a new task, or remember an old task I haven't yet finished and rush off, sometimes this is more time efficient, usually it is not.

Sometimes, when I'm wound up enough I get to the point where any new task or significant stimulus will throw me off of what I'm doing, othertimes a specific stimulus will pull me in to the point where I can't not focus on it, I'll forget to sleep or eat because I'm so absorbed into a book or project or video game or whatever. Mind you, it's not only things I like, many nights of 'doing homework' were spent reading through my math, history, geography or science textbook, or I'll spend hours cleaning a small, insignificant part of my bedroom when I have to clean the whole room.

Projects always fall behind because I spend too much time planning. I look at something and I wonder where to start, so I quickly become wrapped up in trying to pick it apart, missing the point and wasting time.

Poland is an urban legend. Despite thousands of history books on the subject, millions of residents, tourists, photographs, a language, and a fixed position on virtually every map of the world, I feel that it simply doesn't exist. For that matter, I don't believe in New Jersey either. I think that Pennsylvania and Delaware are much bigger than we are told and that there is no such state as New Jersey.

Now, now. All of these places clearly exist. It's Swilatia who is an urban legend.

Tough tits... unless you have a way out.


Everybody has a way out. You just don't get to come back unless you believe in reincarnation.

Everybody has a way out. You just don't get to come back unless you believe in reincarnation.

Yes, but I'm not going to recommend that 'escape route' for anything as trivial as "I don't like the world".

I can only concentrate lieing on my back or sitting on the toilet. (I'm dead serious)

Yes, but I'm not going to recommend that 'escape route' for anything as trivial as "I don't like the world".

Neither am I, never the less he DOES have a way out . . .

I have ADD. I was diagnosed with it when I was an adult so I went my entire life without having a name for what was wrong with me. :p

That actually did me quite a bit of good, because I had discovered that I deeveloped coping mechanisms over the course of my life. Identifying them helped them work even better.

One thing that helps is understanding that ADD has advantages as well as disadvantages. The best techniques to help cope are those that maximize these advantages, and minimize disadvantages. For instance, it's remarkably difficult for me to remember to do certain tasks at certain times. But it's remarkably easy for me to associate one task with another. For instance; While I do my laundry, I take out the garbage during the wash cycle and I wash the dishes during the drying cycle. On days that I do laundry, the trash always gets out, and the dishes always get done. On days that I don't, I sometimes forget. Sequencing tasks is very useful for me. *nod*
I've tried explaining that to my mom so many times, and it does not make sense to her at all, but it is exactly how I think.

I have suffered with inability to concentrate before, it's one of the things that happens to me when I accidentally get gluten, it's called "brain fog" and it's something I can't will myself out of, I am pretty sure if I felt like that all the time it would suck. That's probably as close as I can get to knowing what it must be like to deal with ADD.
I can will myself out of it, but it is very fatiguing. Usually it is worth it to take an extra two hours and get four hours sleep, then to force myself to focus and get the extra sleep.

However, the stress of say a deadline can make me focus well-ish without being all that tiring.

Teaching kids with ADD, who were not on meds (the ones on meds were zombies), here are a few things that worked for me:

1) let them fidget, pace, squeeze a rubber ball, but under no circumstances force them to be still. They'll spend so much time focusing on trying (and ultimately failing) to keep still that paying attention to you just isn't going to work.

2) Schedule everything into very small increments of time. Five minutes to begin with. Have the student work at a single task, for five minutes, and then give them a break by switching to something else (related or not). It actually provides quite a bit of structure, but requires a LOT of planning on your part.

3) Get rid of distractions, anything not necessary. As much as you might like your decor, check to see if you have bright colours, designs, posters to read, and so forth that drive ADD/ADHD (and kids with FASD) totally to distraction. A bare room may seem depressing to you, but sometimes it's like a nice cuddly blanket for a kid who just can't help getting distracted.

4) Don't assume they aren't following you. If you let them move around, don't expect full eye contact and the 'attention' pose. Many people with ADD/ADHD are extremely aural learners. If you're not sure they've been listening, ask them to tell you what you've said. In most cases, they can.

5) When it comes to 'testing'...do the 'test' orally, rather than have them writing their answers. The time it takes to write down the answers is enough to frustrate them, and cause them to mix up facts or just plain get too frustrated to bother going into detail.
1&4)When I right piss my mom off, and she does the whole "Look me in the eyes when I am talking too you." It takes so much effort to look her in the eyes, that I basically miss what she is saying to me. If she goes on for a few minutes, I'll start blocking out other senses in order to keep looking her in the eyes, I'll just stop hearing her because I am so focused on looking her in the eye. When she's done, I notice I often have pit stains, a sweaty forehead, and am so mentally exhausted I could fall asleep.
2) I find a rigid time structure just pisses me off. I move on when I get lose focus. The trick is to have another set of homework in a state were I can just start working on it until the other homework catches my attention.
3)A bare room can be pretty fucking interesting. But avoid non-repeating patterns and text.
5)I am fine with allot of writing, I tend to drift allot, but I prefer it to oral.

Ahh Smunkee... I have a student who has ADHD/Damp and my huble advice would be to keep the rules rigid, be consistent at all times and don't be afraid to set standards and limits. Positive reinforcement works wonders, if something goes well, extend the privilegies(sp?) and if it fails, revoke them.

Now, as you may think: "Hmm, isn't that how you treat ordinary children?" Yes! That's the key, don't stare at the diagnosis, that is a small part of a person anyway. Try to look at the students potential and focus on what he/she is good at at first, then move on to more difficult subjects as her/his confidence is built. That's my peice of advice, though it might not work at all, as all people respond to different things. :)

I do. I've also been diagnosed with NVLD (non-verbal learning disorder) and been suspected of GAD (general anxiety disorder).

As for your friend, try encouraging to exercise a lot (your body releases chemicals which can calm your head and make it think better), caffeine in certain doses, and when doing homework, try classical music. It can help the brain concentrate in doing work. Those are my recommendations outside prescription amphetamines...

My wonderful, handsome, talented son, who is now 14, was diagnosed as having ADHD and PDD (pervasive Developmental Disorder) at age 4 by a team at The Maudsley Hospital in London. It is a very reputable hospital and the team were led by a Professor whom I have seen on TV documentaries about ADHD etc. He was prescribed Ritalin, it helped him. He was not a zombie and it pisses me off like you would not believe when people say that kids who take it are tuned into Zombies. He is in fact the opposite, he runs cross country for the county and the south of England, plays football for the county and his school, plays rugby for his school, cricket and squash too. He is in the top sets for his lessons and is bright and interested, funny and loud. He is NOT A ZOMBIE OK?

I never let his ADHD stop me from expecting him to behave properly, I let some stuff go or else I would be always telling him off, but he is not allowed to run riot whilst I sit back and say "oh well he has ADHD so he can't behave" That's a pile of crap, he has a disorder that makes it HARDER for him to behave in a socially accepted manner. I found ways around it, ways that interested and occupied him. He has auditory memory problem (as in he finds it hard to remember stuff that you tell him!) so I always make sure that he repeats what I have asked him to do, and that he is looking at me when I speak to him, so he has a visual stimulus relating to what I say. I may show him what it is I want to do, and I also may 'walk him through' things so that he has a 'visual memory' as that is stronger in him that in most people.

Smunkee, find something that this pupil is already interested in, maybe a game that they like to play or music that they listen to or a film or TV show that they like, try to get them to think about what it is about that that helps them to concentrate enough to play/listen/watch, and see if they can pick out an aspect. If they can concentrate on something that they like, then they can learn to concentrate on something that they like less, its just harder for them than it is for other people. Don't do anything for too long, find a reasonable length of time that you would expect an active much younger child to sit and concentrate for and aim to increase it slowly. Make sure that you have no outside and distracting stimulus, like the TV in another room, or a playground outside the window, and help the pupil to train their brain to concentrate, because they can, it's just harder.

To those who think that ADHD does not exist, I hope that you never have to have a child with it. And you need to remember, that there was a time when the 'New World' did not exist, and nobody believed it did. Hey, if we can miss several continents, then maybe an over diagnosed, but genuine, disorder can exist too.

I have a student (of sorts) who has been diagnosed and I think I know ways to help him....but I don't know if they would be helpful, so I am looking for insight from a diverse group of people who might have ideas. I am not entirely sure that his problems are directly being caused by his ADD/ADHD (I can't remember which he has, but I am pretty sure he is not hyperactive, at least not around me...)

I seem to remember hearing about a lot of the NS community being diagnosed at one point or another, and I guess I just need to understand.

He has trouble paying attention to what I am saying, basically it seems to me that he isn't listening, and he continues to talk even though he isn't talking about what I am talking about, so I thought that I would suggest that he take notes while I am talking to help him focus, but when I brought this idea up to his mom she said that would distract him further.....so apparently I don't understand at all... since it helps me, but then again I don't have ADD I have other problems.

any advice?
I've got it, my kid brother has it, and we're all pretty sure my dad's got it but he won't go get tested.

One thing that I've noticed is that a lot of kids who have ADD/ADHD also have some other learning disability. I don't know why this is, but (for instance) my brother has ADD along with an auditory processing delay. This mean that when you say something to him, he doesn't really "hear" it for about 5 seconds. It's kind of like talking to somebody on a bad long-distance connection. Some of his teachers used to have problems with him because they thought he wasn't paying attention or listening, but the problem was that he wasn't actually hearing what they were saying until long after they said it.

These days, "ADD" has become a catch-all diagnosis for "kid who won't pay attention or sit the hell down for 10 seconds." The trouble with this is that sometimes there are specific problems with the individual kid that are not being addressed by the ADD label.

Sadly, this means that there's not a lot of specific advice that I can give you for dealing with your student, other than to just say that you gotta get to know the kid and figure out what his particular strengths and weaknesses are.

With my brother, the trick was finding something he really likes and then relating things to that. His interest (and, therefore, his attention) would be held for a bit longer this way. In his case, it's emergency vehicles and emergency responders. Put things in terms of firemen or fire trucks and he'll stick with you about three times as long as he would otherwise.

I have a student (of sorts) who has been diagnosed and I think I know ways to help him....but I don't know if they would be helpful, so I am looking for insight from a diverse group of people who might have ideas. I am not entirely sure that his problems are directly being caused by his ADD/ADHD (I can't remember which he has, but I am pretty sure he is not hyperactive, at least not around me...)

I seem to remember hearing about a lot of the NS community being diagnosed at one point or another, and I guess I just need to understand.

He has trouble paying attention to what I am saying, basically it seems to me that he isn't listening, and he continues to talk even though he isn't talking about what I am talking about, so I thought that I would suggest that he take notes while I am talking to help him focus, but when I brought this idea up to his mom she said that would distract him further.....so apparently I don't understand at all... since it helps me, but then again I don't have ADD I have other problems.

any advice?

Well, I've only recently been diagnosed with ADD, but I knew I had it years ago, and when I was in High School I asked my mother about it and she got pissed at me for wanting to take drugs.

Notes is definitely useless to me as an ADD case. It takes all my focus to listen to one thing the teacher is saying. It takes 200% of my focus to listen to and write it. But I used to learn plenty by just sitting and listening, even if I wasn't listening. I used to retain more information than my classmates because my wandering stream of consciousness was also a form of pneumonic association.

I don't know how much time you have to spare for this guy, but virtually anyone with ADD needs some one on one attention. Math class was torture for me, but stuff that I couldn't learn in months of math class I learned in minutes of tutoring. In fact, I didn't learn a thing when I took trigonometry, but when my physics teacher "reviewed" trig in 5 minutes I understood it perfectly and aced my tests.

Problem is, we forget all our appointments. Even if you take time after class to see him, you'll have to go to his last class and round him up.

But I'm not the slightest bit hyperactive. I could happily sit in an empty room for hours.

A lot of teachers these days put their notes on the internet. Perhaps you could email them to him, or just print them out for him. If he can't pay attention to them in class, he could go over them with you afterwards.

If you can see any way to get him diagnosed of course...

My wife is considering starting a church devoted to modafinil, the drug I'm taking for it. But it was hell getting the insurance company to pay for it.

I have a student (of sorts) who has been diagnosed and I think I know ways to help him....but I don't know if they would be helpful, so I am looking for insight from a diverse group of people who might have ideas. I am not entirely sure that his problems are directly being caused by his ADD/ADHD (I can't remember which he has, but I am pretty sure he is not hyperactive, at least not around me...)

I seem to remember hearing about a lot of the NS community being diagnosed at one point or another, and I guess I just need to understand.

He has trouble paying attention to what I am saying, basically it seems to me that he isn't listening, and he continues to talk even though he isn't talking about what I am talking about, so I thought that I would suggest that he take notes while I am talking to help him focus, but when I brought this idea up to his mom she said that would distract him further.....so apparently I don't understand at all... since it helps me, but then again I don't have ADD I have other problems.

any advice?

There are apparently tests for this sort of thing. Of my children, one is my wife's child from a previous marriage, and his biological father had ADHD, and the son seems to have inherited it (as confirmed by tests).

Lots of children appear to be easily distracted, and the dividing line between ADD/ADHD and normal behavior is a thin one IMHO.

My son takes Adderall XL now, and the improvement has been remarkable. However, I wouldn't recommend anything at this point except psychological testing by a psychologist who specializes in children.

Now, now. All of these places clearly exist. It's Swilatia who is an urban legend.

Thenm there's kazakhstan, that exists, but Turkmenistan? Wat a load of crap.

i have adhd hate meds

i have adhd hate meds

Don't gravedig.

i have adhd

We know Rido. You've posted about it about 20 times in at least 3 different threads. One of which you started so that you could point it out. Now you're new and young so I'll forgive you for gravedigging and attention seeking. But. This is NSG. We're all fruitcakes.

Being patronising is surprisingly fun!

Odds are I'll regret this post tomorrow. Tiredness is evil. I apologise in advance.