Homework help

JojoA · Post by **JojoA** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 2:09 pm

My son, who is now 11 1/2, has had these problems all though school. He has been tested for all types of disorders, ADD, ADHD, etc. But shows no real signs of having any problems other than procrastination and boredom.Last year we started letting him decide when to do the homework. He started doing it right when he got home, after his 45 minute bus ride. They are allowed to eat on the bus, and he brings a snack. He gets to talk to his friends and then run home (2 blocks). He then promptly sits down at the table or my desk and gets started. If he has more than one subject, he does one, then runs outside or rides bike for 15-20 minutes, then comes back in and starts on the next one. Since he came up with this himself, I assume this is how his body and brain work best. Now this year he has a study hall and can get some of it done then. He also has a book he reads when he has no homework, just to keep that "time" after school designated as a study time.

CrabbyJ · Post by **CrabbyJ** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:56 am

My nephew is also dealing with some issues in school right now. He's really disorganized, forgets homework, does it then forgets to hand it in, etc. etc. He also has outbursts of anger when anyone tries to help him or get him to do something. He really struggled last year. My sister wanted to get him tested for ADD, ADHD but the school is denying that they think he has a problem. They did offer counseling and toward the end of last year tried working with her more to monitor his progess closely.Sometimes I wonder if its a control issue with him. He's very smart and knows everything about computers and can excel in any subject he truly likes. Does your school offer any support SeaShellE? I think some schools will pay for the testing if they suspect a child really has ADHD or ADD. I'm sure it takes a LOT of effort to get that to happen, but it might be something you could check into.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:07 pm

I just need to take a minute to have a very short rant about people immediately assuming that just because a kid gets bored or doesn't want to do his homework, he automatically has ADD. The fact is, EVERY kid is going to get bored and has a short attention span. And unless they're Einstein (and even Eistein failed math), they aren't going to find homework interesting or fun, and it's going to be nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get them to do it!My roomate is an occupational therapist, and she has seen what real ADD is like...I'm talking kids that are so ADD that they could BREAK THEIR LEG and they wouldn't notice. Obviously, medication and therapy there is a good idea...I am just really against blaming everything that a kid does incorrectly on ADD, and then medicating them. Frankly, I think that's just how kids are, everybody's a little "ADD", and medicating your kids (at least in situations like because they get bored easy), isn't always a good thing to do. It's better to try and stimulate them and try and get them to enjoy their homework, etc, without meds. That's my rant and my humble opinion Anybody else have an opinion on this?

Willow · Post by **Willow** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 2:54 pm

There was a kid in my brother's class (my brother and I only went to 2 years of public school, he went to kindergarten and 1st grade, and I went to 3rd and 4th grade, after that we home-schooled) who was a real problem. He wouldn't do the work and was disruptive in class. They finally did some testing and found he had an I.Q. of at least 160. He was so bored in school, he just couldn't stand it. His mother looked into having him put into a higher grade, but the DODDS (military dependent) schools won't let kids skip grades (for "social" reasons). She decided to homeschool him so he could explore his own interests, instead of waiting in line at school. Of course homeschooling isn't for everyone, but it is a valid option for many. As for medicating, I do know some kids who are truly ADD/ADHD, so bad they can't even concentrate on video games or TV. They can really be helped with the right medication. But most kids I know who are medicated are just normal boys, rambunctious and with normal short attention spans, whose parents and teachers are too impatient to channel their energies into something constructive.

CrabbyJ · Post by **CrabbyJ** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:40 pm

I'm definately not for medication if it's not necessary. Kids can have different severity levels of ADD/ADHD. Sometimes a diet change is sufficient to help kids overcome their problems. My own kids are totally different if they have too much fructose, caffeine, or artificial dyes. They can become disruptive and sometimes even refuse to listen or pay attention. If I even remotely thought one of them was ADD/ADHD I would attempt a really strict diet as a first resort.