Making the Grade
How parents of kids with ADHD can foster academic
success.
by Dr. Peter Jensen
PARENTGUIDE
News September 2006
As a parent experiencing the back-to-school
shuffle and anticipating test scores and report
cards— when you get the real story on
your child’s academic development—
you may be asking yourself a few questions:
Will he excel in certain classes? What if
his grades are worse than expected? How do
I intervene in his education to ensure that
he does the best he can, despite having ADHD?
Wanting our tweens and teens to get the best
education to realize their full potential
in life is a common desire among all parents.
But finding the best way to help them is where
we often hit road blocks. If you are a parent
contemplating what you can do to get more
involved with you teen’s performance
in school, I have an answer: the Get Smart
About ADHD Report Card. Available at www.focusonadhd.com
and www.kidsmentalhealth.org, the free tool
is designed to help parents of kids with attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition
that can have a significant impact on school
performance and home functioning.
As a researcher and physician who has spent
20 years studying the area of ADHD, and through
my own experience as a parent of a child with
ADHD, I know first-hand how frustrating it
can be for parents who struggle with their
role regarding their child’s academic
development. It’s not uncommon for parents
to come to me feeling helpless, and for teens
to show they are disinterested in school because
they are not receiving the special attention
they require. If you are one of these parents,
then this “tool” is designed especially
for you.
Let’s not forget that ADHD is one of
the most common neuro-behavioral disorders
among children, affecting about three to five
percent of the school-age population. Boys
are diagnosed three to four times more often
than girls. But with the massive amount of
information (and misinformation) out there,
it is all too easy for parents to feel overwhelmed,
even confused, while attempting to understand
their child’s challenging condition.
Thus, the Report Card aims to give parents
a user-friendly means to conduct a self-assessment
of their children and teens’ academic
development in the school setting, as well
as to assess their progress in other settings.
Most importantly, this Report Card is created
to grade the parent, not the child or teen
with ADHD. If you are a parent or caregiver
of a child/teen with ADHD, you can use the
Report Card to guide (and grade) your efforts
to help your child, and to get advice on becoming
more effective and engaged— hopefully
in a way that yields an active response from
your child.
The Get Smart About ADHD Report Card is divided
into five areas described below. Each area
reveals steps parents can take toward becoming
their teen’s friend, mentor and advocate
through the journey of living with ADHD.
1. In the Home
Create a daily routine with designated times
for homework, bedtime and leisure activities.
Schedule weekly family meetings and have low-key,
pleasant conversations with your teen to hear
their input on how you are doing as a parent.
Seek advice on how you can be more helpful.
Establish constant discipline with a few simple
rules that are reinforced by non-physical
punishment and work together to create a reward
system for good behavior.
2. Social Life/Leisure Activities
Encourage your teen to pursue hobbies that
not only interest him or her but also create
positive occasions that motivate teens to
maintain friendships. In addition, consider
helping your teen to find a job that promotes
self-esteem.
3. Working Together with the School
Arrange monthly meetings with teachers to
get input on your teen’s classroom behavior
and academic progress. Keep teachers informed
of important changes in your teen’s
treatment and how such changes may impact
behavior.
4. Getting the Most from the Physician
Prepare a list of questions to ask the physician
before visits and encourage your teen to do
the same. Work with your teen to keep a running
journal describing his appetite, behaviors
and moods, and share observations with your
teen’s physician during visits. Schedule
frequent visits to re-evaluate symptoms and
behaviors based on your teen’s response
to treatments.
5. Managing Your Teen’s Medication
It is very important to keep a file on any
medications your teen has been prescribed
for ADHD. Learn how different medications
work and the behavioral changes to expect.
MORE WAYS TO SCORE AN A+ AS A PARENT
As I have worked with countless families over
the years, following are some tips I have
gathered from parents of teens with ADHD that
may be helpful to you in managing your own
child’s ADHD.
•At the beginning of each school year,
be proactive in getting to know your teen’s
teachers and advisors.
•Build collaborative relationships immediately
with those who have a say in your child’s
everyday life— you need partners, not
adversaries.
•Know that your child’s self-esteem
and self-image largely influence how they
cope with ADHD, so be as supportive and positive
as you can in all situations.
•Talk with your child’s doctor
about a holistic treatment program that includes
behavior therapy and possibly medication to
manage ADHD symptoms during the school day.
There are once-a-day medications available
like Concerta, Adderall XR and Strattera that
can be good for school settings.
•Embrace your child’s strengths.
Do not focus on weaknesses.
•Don’t forget about yourself!
Take “time-outs.” If you are frustrated
with your child, take a break, regroup and
return to the issue at hand with a clear thought
process.
•Remember that children with ADHD are
sensitive. They may overreact, withdraw and
struggle in school. Be your child’s
biggest advocate and safety net. Girls can
be especially sensitive and emotional, so
at times you may have a hard time distinguishing
your daughter’s behavior from classic
signs of ADHD. Be patient.
WHAT EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW
•Only 50 percent of children who meet
the criteria for ADHD are diagnosed and treated
with medications as part of their plan.
•On average, one to three children have
ADHD in a classroom of 30 students.
•ADHD is three to four times more prevalent
in males than it is in females.
•66 percent of children with ADHD have
at least one other coexisting condition such
as depression, anxiety or a learning disability.
•Children with untreated ADHD may have
a higher risk of injury.
Dr. Peter. S. Jensen is the director
of the Center for the advancement of Children’s
Mental Health – Putting Science to Work,
and Ruane Professor of Child Psychiatry at
the Columbia University College of Physicians
and Surgeons. He previously served as the
lead National Institute of Mental Health investigator
on a major ADHD treatment study, the NIMH
Multimodal Treatment of ADHD (MTA) Study.
An award-winning researcher, author and educator,
he is on the scientific advisory board of
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (CHADD), among other organizations,
and is the author of the bestseller for parents,
Making the System Work for Your Child with
ADHD (Guilford Press).
