The Middle School Parent Resource

Show #94 – “A.D.D., distracted or just plain bored?”

After yesterday’s show on ADD / ADHD and the flood of comments that followed I thought a few additional points should be made on the topic. Today’s show looks at two factors that often lead to the ADD/ADHD label. After 10 years in the classroom, 20 years on the field and a few thousand kids I started to notice some similarities.

Are you wondering about something specific? What question do you hope I will answer about the middle school years?  Send in your questions. Many of the topics I talk about come directly from viewers. You can either add questions in the comments section below or send them to me directly at joe@thinking-forward.com

Show #93 – “Is your child A.D.D. or A.D.H.D.? Are you sure?”

The prevalence of ADD and ADHD diagnosis has reached near epidemic proportions among today’s generation of children. Curiously, many children who exhibit the inability to focus in the classroom become highly attuned, laser-focused mavericks when they leave the classroom to pursue activities that allow for movement or 100% engagement. Arguably, some children will have difficulty focusing in any environment, yet the number of children being labeled with either attention disorder seems greatly out of proportion. Today’s show takes a critical look at the role that environment plays in determining your child’s ability to focus.

Are you wondering about something specific? What question do you hope I will answer about the middle school years?  Send in your questions. Many of the topics I talk about come directly from viewers. You can either add questions in the comments section below or send them to me directly at joe@thinking-forward.com

Middle School Transition Prolongs ADHD

Although symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) can last into adulthood, typically they decline as a child gets older. But a new study indicates that the stressful transition from elementary school to middle school complicates this pattern and may even disrupt it. The study, which analyzed data from the NIMH-funded Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD (MTA), was published July 2008, in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Research has shown that ADHD symptoms, especially hyperactivity and impulsivity, tend to decline during a child’s adolescent years, although these symptoms do not necessarily disappear. Also, studies have indicated that simplifying and structuring a child’s environment and routine can impact ADHD symptoms. But when children enter middle school, their environment and routine change dramatically —they have multiple classes with multiple teachers; more homework, planning and organizational demands; and become more responsible for their own success.

Read the complete story.