JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Volume 9, No. 1, 1996, 8
Your ADD/ADHD Child and Homeschooling
John M. Jaquith, M.Ed.
We should let the experts educate our
children. Moreover, the experts on any individual child should
be directly involved in the education of that child. The most
credible experts on any individual child are that child's
parents.
Learning begins the moment a child's
brain starts receiving stimulation and doesn't end until it
stops receiving stimulation. Because the majority of our children's
early learning experiences take place in their home environment,
it stands to reason that their first teachers (their parents
or guardians) are best suited to continue as their teachers.
Therefore, the ideal educational situation, whenever possible,
is that of homeschool.
Does this philosophy also apply to
families with individuals who have been labeled with such
problems as attention-deficit disorder (ADD) or attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? The answer is an obvious yes!
Unfortunately, there are a great number of parents who lose
confidence in teaching their children at home once a label
enters the situation. Labels such as ADD or ADHD carry a great
deal of mystery with them, and they can be overwhelming to
some parents. The good news is that parents are still the
experts on their children, and teaching them at home can still
be an excellent choice.
What Is ADD and ADHD?
What is ADD and ADHD? Essentially,
both of these labels describe symptoms. In fact, a list of
symptoms is used to identify such children. A child receives
a label based on prolonged occurrences of eight or more, out
of a possible fourteen, symptoms before the age of seven.
These symptoms have been identified as:
- Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.
- Has difficulty remaining in seat when required to do so.
- Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
- Has difficulty waiting for a turn in games or group situations.
- Often blurts out answers to questions before they have
been completed.
- Has difficulty following through on instructions from
others.
- Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activity.
- Often shifts from one uncompleted activity to another.
- Has difficulty playing quietly.
- Often talks excessively.
- Often interrupts or intrudes on others.
- Often doesn't listen to what is being said.
- Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities at
school or at home.
- Often engages in physically dangerous activities without
considering the possible consequences.
The label ADD refers to those children
who are experiencing attention problems, but who are not hyperactive
or impulsive. Such children display a variety of symptoms
that can be related to inefficiencies in different areas of
their development. Fortunately, developmental problems can
be identified, addressed, and often eliminated.
Tactility Development
In the development of tactility, there
are two common areas where problems can occur. The first one
involves the ability of an individual to appropriately process
sensations of light touch, pressure, and pain. The second
area of tactile development involves proprioception. Proprioception
refers to one’s knowledge of where one’s body
is in space. If an individual has not completed developing
his proprioception, his brain is not likely to know specifically
where his body is. Symptoms of low development in this area
include bumping into things, fidgeting or squirming around,
and, to a degree, engaging in physically dangerous activities
without considering the consequences.
To determine if your child has a problem
with tactility, ask yourself these questions:
- Does my child exhibit the above-mentioned symptoms?
- Does she have a high threshold for pain (unaware of where
she got bruises on her arms and legs after playing outside)?
- Is she inappropriately ticklish (not ticklish at all or
so ticklish that she can't stand to be touched)?
If you answered yes to any of these
questions, your child may not have completed all of the developmental
levels dealing with tactility. These problems can be corrected
by providing specific tactile stimulation to complete all
of the levels of tactile development.
Auditory and Visual Processing
Processing (both auditory and visual)
is another area often found to be underdeveloped. An individual's
auditory and visual processing affects their short-term memory.
If a child has low processing, it may appear that he is not
listening to what is being said. The reality is that he is
unable to process the information completely. Other symptoms
that occur related to short-term memory/low processing include
difficulty in following through on instructions from others,
in remaining in one's seat, in getting easily distracted,
in waiting for one’s turn in game situations, in sustaining
attention or shifting attention from task to task, in playing
quietly, and in losing things necessary for task completion.
Using a simple technique can identify children with low processing.
To check your child's auditory and
visual processing levels, you will need to administer a digit
span test. To test for auditory levels, dictate a sequence
of numbers to your child. Say them slowly (about one second
apart) and in a monotone. For example say, "6 . . . 4
. . . 3 . . . 7," then have your child repeat the numbers
back to you in the same order. If she can correctly repeat
four numbers in a row, try a sequence of five, then six, and
so on. Take note of the sequence length she is able to complete
without making a mistake.
To test your child's visual processing,
show him sequences of numbers on flashcards. Use dark solid
ink on cards three inches by five inches, showing them to
your child for approximately three seconds each. After three
seconds, put the card down and have him repeat the numbers
he saw on the card in the same order. Begin with a sequence
of three or four numbers and increase the sequence size using
new numbers and cards. Take note of how long of a sequence
he can do correctly.
On both auditory and visual tests,
a three-year-old should be able to complete sequences of three
numbers; a four-year-old a sequence of four; a five-year-old,
five; a six-year-old, six; a seven-year-old, seven; and adults
should be able to complete a sequence of seven or more. If
your child has low processing skills, you can help increase
his skills by practicing the digit spans daily, thus increasing
the brain's ability to process information.
Long-term–memory problems may also be an issue with
children who have received a label such as ADD or ADHD. This
is related to a concept known as dominance. Almost everyone
is either right- or left-handed. In order for the brain to
take in information as efficiently as possible, it is helpful
to consider if a child is right- or left-eared, -eyed, and
-footed.
Gathering Information about Developmental
Issues
How can you know which is your child's
dominant eye, ear, or foot? This process involves gathering
a great deal of information. Which hand does your child write
with? Does she write with this hand all of the time? Which
hand does she use to perform other functions with? Which hand
does your child use to eat, throw a ball, or brush her teeth?
Is she doing all of these activities with the same hand? If
so, which one? If your child does all or most activities with
a single hand, she probably has established a dominant hand.
The foot can be as easily observed
as the hand. Watch your child to see which foot she uses to
kick a ball. Observe your child hopping on one foot. Which
foot did she use? The foot used most often should be recorded.
Also note whether the foot she uses changes consistently.
Once you have gathered information about the child's hand
and foot, the eye and ear can be assessed.
We all engage in two types of visual
actions, referred to as near-point and far-point activities.
When visual activities occur close to us (reading or writing),
they are called near-point activities. When visual activities
occur at a distance (watching TV or riding in a car), they
are called far-point activities. There are several different
ways to assess which eye your child is using to take in information
for both types of activities.
To analyze visual near-point activities,
you will need two note cards. Place a dot (about three-eighths
of an inch in diameter) in the center of one note card. On
the other card, punch a hole (about the same size as the dot)
in the center. Place the card with the hole on top of the
card with the dot, and line them up together. Place the cards
on a flat surface, and sit your child directly in front of
the cards. Instruct your child to lift only the card with
the hole up to their face while watching the dot the entire
time. Observe which eye he brings the card up to. Try this
at several different times, and record the information.
To assess far-point activities, have
your child stand across the room from yourself. Point at your
child using your index finger, with your arm extended. Instruct
your child to point back at you in the same way, so that it
looks like his finger is touching yours. Observe which eye
the child is using to line up his finger with. Have the child
switch hands and repeat the exercise. Which eye is the child
using to line up his finger with? Does your child switch between
eyes? Record this information along with your previously gathered
information on the child's hand, foot, and near-point visual
activities.
Analyzing the Information
Gathering information about your child's
auditory dominance is also a matter of observation. Have your
child stand directly in front of a door in your home. Next,
have someone on the other side of the door say something softly
"through" the door. Encourage your child to "lean
in and listen carefully" to what is being said. Observe
which ear the child is using to listen at the door. Try this
a number of times and record what you see.
Right-Side and Left-Side Dominance
Once you have gathered this information,
examine it. Notice which side of the body is used for each
activity. Does your child use the left hand, left eye (for
near- and far-point), left ear, and left foot? Or does your
child use everything on her right side? Is there a mixture
(for example, right hand and foot, but left ear and mixed
visually)? To use our brains efficiently, we must have an
established dominant side. If there is a mixture of some kind,
then the brain does not receive, process, store, and utilize
information in the most efficient way possible.
Impulsivity
Impulsive behavior is another symptom
commonly seen in children with the ADD or ADHD label. Traditionally,
it has been treated with drugs. Two commonly prescribed drugs
are Ritalin and Dexedrine. These drugs are used to affect
the chemical makeup of the brain (more specifically, they
raise dopamine levels). The objective is to reduce the impulsivity
of the children. An alternative to medication is to take a
look at what is causing the impulsivity and then eliminate
it. Many times food sensitivities are found to be an issue.
Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities are generally not
as obvious as allergies, so they are often referred to as
hidden problems. Symptoms of food sensitivities can include,
but are not limited to, congestion of the nose and throat
(which can be accompanied by headaches and postnasal drip),
impulsivity, distractibility, hyperactivity, and a short attention
span. Trying an elimination diet might be an avenue for families
who suspect food sensitivities in their children. Speaking
to someone familiar with food sensitivities is a good place
to start. There are some other sources listed at the end of
this article that may help.
Addressing the Problem
Addressing problem behavior is often
another major area of concern for children who have been given
labels such as ADD or ADHD. Establishing a positive environment,
implementing a solid daily structure, and providing appropriate
feedback are all very important components of a successful
behavior plan. Depending on the child, it is sometimes necessary
to eliminate certain negative behaviors before it is possible
to establish a positive environment.
Consistency
The key to eliminating behaviors is
to establish a consistent plan of action. A consequence to
the behavior you are trying to eliminate should be thoughtfully
chosen and consistently administered. The consequence should
be one that a parent feels will work best for their particular
child. Prolonged timeout is one method that has worked well
when implemented consistently. Negative-token–economy
systems (where a token is lost every time the behavior occurs)
have also worked well. In this system, once all of the tokens
are gone, the child's day is over. Another alternative is
to positively reinforce a behavior that is opposite and incompatible
to the one you are trying to eliminate. For example, a child
cannot be doing his chores and be on the floor throwing a
temper tantrum at the same time.
Positivity
Once the negative behaviors have been
eliminated, a positive environment needs to be established.
A positive environment is one in which four positive statements
are given for every one negative. It is interesting for parents
to test this out on themselves. For a period of time every
day, keep track on a piece of paper how many negative statements
you make compared to how many positive statements. Most of
us fall short of the optimum positive environment, but you
can use this test as a starting point. Continue improving
your positive-to-negative ratio until you have succeeded in
creating a positive environment (four positive comments for
every negative) in your home.
Daily Structure
Implementing a daily structure is also
important for any expert homeschooling their child. First,
establish a routine that you will follow each day or week.
Next, go over this schedule with your child so he can expect
what the day will hold for him. Your child can be involved
in the process of developing the schedule, provided that the
overall control of a child's schedule stays firmly with the
parent.
Conclusion
While the identification of labels
such as ADD or ADHD is accomplished by looking at a list of
symptoms, these symptoms do not constitute the actual problem.
It is essential to look at the underlying cause of these symptoms.
Once the root causes are identified, they can be addressed
and, hopefully, eliminated through specific stimulation. The
National Academy for Child Development (NACD) is an international
organization that assesses the underlying causes to these
symptoms. Browse the Web site to learn more about how they
empower parents with the knowledge, techniques, and expertise
that enables them to assume primary responsibility for their
children’s maximum growth and development.
About NACD’s Homeschool Programs
The National Academy of Child Development
(NACD) has conducted over fifty thousand individual evaluations
and designed over fifty thousand homeschool programs over
the past sixteen years. NACD provides families with individualized
programs for children with labels like ADD, ADHD, learning
disabled, autistic, mentally retarded, Down syndrome, and
gifted, serving families who are committed to serving their
children in the ways the parents feel are best.
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References
Robert Doman, Child Management, Journal
of the National Academy for Child Development, Vol.3, No.1
(NACD 1983).
Robert Doman, Food Sensitivities, Journal
of the National Academy for Child Development, Vol.4, No.
2 (NACD 1984).
Robert J. Doman Jr., Guide to Child
Development and Education: Miracles of Child Development (NACD
1986).
Robert J. Doman Jr., Guide to Child
Management (NACD 1986).
Robert J. Doman Jr., Guide to the Parent
Teacher (NACD 1986).
Dr. Doris Rapp, “Is this Your
Child?” in Allergies and Your Family, Dr. Doris Rapp,
2757 Elmwood, Kenmore, NY, 14217, 716-875-5578.
Dr. Benjamin Feingold, Why Your Child
is Hyperactive, The Feingold Association of the United States,
P.O. Box 655, Alexandria, VA, 22306, 703-768-FAUS.
Reprinted from the Journal
of the National
Academy for Child Development
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