How ADD Affects Child Education and Schooling? Helene Goldnadel Explains Educating a child with Attention Deficit Disorder may not be an easy process. Although great strides have been made in recognizing the disorder and many school systems have answered the call, many are still antiquated in their procedural methods as well as catering to specific circumstances.
How ADD affects a classroom is usually seen before diagnosis takes place. It may be seen in the little girl in the corner, twirling her hair as she looks out the window, or the boy running around the other students snatching books out of their hands. In many cases, it is the teacher that first recognizes an issue with inattentiveness and/or hyperactivity. Seeing the problem is usually considerably easier than correcting it.
Once the situation is brought to everyone's attention and diagnosis is made, treatment begins. Whether the child is medicated becomes a major aspect of how the next steps will go. Some schools insist that children with ADD be medicated, almost to the point of tyranny. Other schools, however, are more open to parents' wishes.
The school your child is in will either make this an easy road or a difficult one. Ideally, your child will be in a school that is understanding to your circumstances, respects your decisions, and shares a team frame of mind, to ensure your child reaches their potential. Unfortunately, some schools do not share in this openness. Smaller communities or poorer districts tend to be less accommodating