| Many adolescents who have been diagnosed with | | | | the same pace as other students. An effective |
| Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit | | | | academic setting will acknowledge the need for |
| Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience a number | | | | flexibility by maximizing accountability while allowing |
| of behavioral and academic problems that can limit | | | | for differences in the speed of learning. |
| their success in interpersonal relationships, school, and | | | | 4) Choose a treatment program with a low youth to |
| individual achievement. These adolescents may lack | | | | staff ratio. Children with ADD/ADHD often require |
| self-control, have greater difficulty making friends and | | | | greater amounts of attention from adults and tend |
| finding acceptance, be more likely to abuse | | | | to act out more when they don't receive it. |
| substances, become involved in delinquency, or | | | | Oppositional behavior resulting from insufficient |
| experience anxiety, mood, and behavioral disorders. | | | | amounts of attention can be diminished when there is |
| Most health care and psychological professionals | | | | enough adult supervision to go around. Remember, |
| agree that the best way to treat ADD/ADHD is with | | | | however, that the lower the student-to-staff ratio, |
| the use of both medication and behavioral | | | | the higher the cost, so this factor must be balanced |
| modification techniques. The National Institute of | | | | with financial considerations. |
| Mental Health (NIMH) recently conducted a study that | | | | 5) Choose a treatment program that minimizes |
| found that children with ADD/ADHD who received | | | | distractions. Many adolescents with ADD/ADHD have |
| both behavioral treatment and individually tailored | | | | difficulty focusing on priorities which can result in |
| medication had the greatest improvement in | | | | many partially completed projects and goals and few |
| oppositional behavior academic outcomes. | | | | accomplishments. The fewer the distractions and the |
| Upon diagnosis, many children and adolescents with | | | | greater the expectation for accountability, the more |
| this disorder are prescribed medication as a first | | | | likely a teen is to make substantial strides in personal |
| attempt to control the symptoms. However, many | | | | growth and achievement. Common distractions |
| youth do not respond well to medication alone and | | | | include but are not limited to excessive access to |
| the symptoms of the disorder may be quite | | | | members of the opposite sex, unnecessary activities |
| pronounced or serious even with medication. If you | | | | or activities that are overwhelming, and large student |
| have reached the conclusion that you can no longer | | | | populations. |
| deal with the symptoms of your child's disorder | | | | 6) Choose a treatment program that teaches skills |
| effectively in your own home due to excessive | | | | for improving interpersonal relationships. Many |
| behavioral and academic problems, you may want to | | | | adolescents with ADD/ADHD lack the skills needed |
| consider a program that offers a specialized academic | | | | for building and maintaining positive relationships. Look |
| program and behavior modification therapy. As you | | | | for a program that provides opportunities for teens |
| research treatment options that can mitigate the | | | | to improve their communication, especially with |
| effects of ADD/ADHD, look for schools and | | | | respect to giving and receiving feedback and |
| programs that possess the following characteristics: | | | | communicating honestly. Additional social skills that |
| 1) Choose a treatment program that offers a | | | | should be emphasized include appropriate anger |
| significant amount of structure. Adolescents with | | | | management, impulse control, and delaying |
| ADD/ADHD typically struggle to use large segments | | | | gratification. Mastering these skills will ensure that |
| of free time productively but tend to thrive in | | | | youth will have greater success making and |
| environments that provide limits and teach | | | | maintaining healthy relationships in real life situations. |
| self-discipline. A structured program should include a | | | | 7) Choose a treatment program that has a |
| rigorous daily schedule and a well-defined set of rules. | | | | systematic way of developing self-esteem. Teens |
| Adherence to a routine while acquiring of productive | | | | with ADD/ADHD may have formed a negative |
| habits can greatly counteract common symptoms of | | | | self-image due to the amount of negative feedback |
| the disorder. | | | | their behavior elicits from others and their |
| 2) Choose a treatment program that fosters and | | | | self-perceived lack of competence in academics, |
| encourages individual accountability. Such a program | | | | interpersonal relationships, etc. Programs with a |
| will enforce consequences for inappropriate behavior | | | | strong self-esteem component should foster identity |
| and affirmative reinforcement for positive behavior. | | | | development and encourage teenagers to drop |
| This type of a setting shows teenagers what types | | | | self-imposed labels and limitations and put away |
| of behavior are acceptable and also helps them to | | | | image pretenses that some youth use to protect |
| experience the rewards of acting in socially | | | | their own vulnerabilities. |
| appropriate ways. | | | | 8) Choose a treatment program that allows for |
| 3) Choose a program that offers an engaging and | | | | increased independence and leadership as behavior |
| individualized education component. Many teens with | | | | improves. Such a program will recognize the need |
| ADD/ADHD struggle to adapt to large classrooms | | | | adolescents with ADD/ADHD have for autonomy by |
| and traditional lecture-style instruction. Academic | | | | gradually increasing self-monitoring and personal |
| settings that make use of hands-on learning, | | | | responsibility over time. |
| multimedia presentations, and other diversified, | | | | 9) Choose a treatment program that is able to |
| interesting instructional methods are more likely to | | | | regulate and monitor medications. The successful |
| hold students' attention. Even with the right kind of | | | | program should be able to safely store, administer |
| instruction, teens with ADD/ADHD may not learn at | | | | and adjust medications as needed. |