Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/45361
Teaching students with ADD/ADHD Dylan, 8, bounces a ball and throws it up in the air while his mother, Lisa Vieler, confers with teacher Rosa Coss after the final bell rings at Glen River School in San Jose. Dylan's mother and teacher talk on a frequent basis and say that working as a team — with constant communication — is the key ingredient in helping a child with ADD/ADHD achieve academic potential. The approach is working; Dylan is above grade level. "Rosa sends me e-mails and telephones me and lets me know if something isn't quite working," says Vieler, who also has a daughter with the condition. "It makes all the difference. Then if something happens in class, I can have a conversation with Dylan and figure out whether something caused him to behave in a certain way, or if we need to try a different behavior strategy, or whether we need to see the doctor and adjust his medication." Last year Dylan had four periods of med- ication modification. For weeks at a time, Dylan struggled. Coss talked with Vieler on a regular basis to let her know how changes were affecting Dylan, who has problems with impulse control, interacting with peers and focusing on tasks. "Thank God Rosa loves him," says Vieler. "Otherwise, he would have just been a problem kid making it difficult for her in the classroom." Coss laughs and says that keeping in close contact with parents makes her job easier. "When I noticed a change in Dylan's behavior, I would communicate that to his mother, and she would get on it right away. Sometimes the medication needed to be adjusted, and other times she just needed to talk to him. When she discussed my concerns about his behavior, he would come back to school the next day with much better behavior." Coss, a member of the San Jose Teach- ers Association, has one or two students with ADD/ADHD in her general educa- tion classroom each year. It has gotten more difficult to teach these students as class size has increased, but certain strate- gies have helped. "I try to keep them close to me," says Coss. "I do a lot of repetitive reminding for them, too. And sometimes they need a few extra rewards. I had one student who got a little stamp every time he finished his work, and if he got five stamps, he could story continued on page 17 3 Types of ADD 01 02 People with difficulty concentrating People exhibiting hyperactivity and impulsivity 03 People with symptoms in both areas (most common) ABOVE: Lisa Vieler (center) says that her son Dylan is doing well academically because she and his teacher Rosa Coss work as a team to manage his ADHD. 14 California Educator / October 2011