Originally Posted by
AnnieW625
...
She is on medication for ADHD (inattentive), ...
With ADHD it's not a lack of motivation; it's a lack of executive function. Medication helps with focus, but there are still external scaffolding skills to help support the executive function deficits that she's in need of.
She needs more support than expecting her to have intrinsic motivation to get things done - she may not know where to start and is getting overwhelmed. She may struggle with knowing what "done" means because she can't picture it.
During the summer months, because our school district was staring the year fully remote, I requested a lot of support enhancements to DD's 504 Plan to help her succeed and learn the skills she's going to need for middle school next year.
For example, this is what was in her 504:
● Extended time on in-class assignments and tests as needed
● Breaking longer assignments up into smaller segments as needed
● Frequent breaks in small group settings (moot for 2020-2021 unless breakout Google Meet/Hangouts will be used by any teachers this year)
● Extended time for standardized testing (contingent upon NJSLA 2021 status)
● Repeat/Re-state verbal instructions
● Preferential seating
● Wobble cushion as needed
● Provide assessments, especially math tests/quizzes, in the morning
● Implement strategic procedures for homework take-home and return (needs amendment)
● Non verbal and verbal reminders to regain attention & focus to support task completion (needs amendment for virtual environment)
This is what I asked to be ADDED:
Social Skills Supports
● Active Listening/Reflective Response
● Google Meet Etiquette (a/k/a - yes, you still have to listen to others, stay on topic when you’re called on, and raise your hand)
● Reading Body Language (and/or tips on how to model/practice this at home)
● Maintaining and Respecting Personal Space (fairly moot while we’re in a pandemic, but it will become more necessary - I anticipate that others’ personal space bubbles will very likely expand well beyond “social distancing” and for a kid who has sensory-seeking behaviors, this will be extremely necessary to recognize)
● Learning How to Manage Her Reactions to Others’ Behavior (a/k/a - I can control MYSELF, but not OTHERS)
● Learning How to Express Her Feelings Appropriately (a/ka/ - it’s OK to feel upset, but it is not OK to throw/knock over papers or books/lash out/self-harm)
● Learning Appropriate and Assertive Ways to Communicate Her Needs In a Group
● Understanding Appropriate Conversational Tone and Volume
Academic Supports
● Touch-typing
● Study Skills - In Class (following directions, understanding assignments, understanding that asking questions is OK)
● Study Skills - At Home (while moot for 2020-2021, this is using a homework planner, understanding due-dates, understanding that asking questions is OK, bringing home all assignments NEATLY and not crumpled in her backpack)
● Study Skills - Time Management and Organizational Skills (this includes being permitted to use timers or visual aids to understand the amount of time left for tasks, what comes next in a schedule, and how to collect/return homework - an existing identified support need - in a timely fashion; I would also add planning for long-term projects to the skills DD needs to develop as she heads into middle school)
● Test-Taking Strategies (DD has test and time/transition anxieties; she needs better test-taking strategies to allow her to focus on tasks at-hand)
● Managing Multiple Priorities (DD has difficulty prioritizing less-fun work, like ELA and Math, over brain breaks or Fine Arts projects; this disconnect creates another transition we have to overcome during the course of the school day, and having a basic plan in place for her to recognize when certain activities are appropriate would be helpful)
● Long-Term Planning Strategies (DD has difficulty communicating long-term projects - that they exist; what needs to be done to complete them; when they are due - and we have spent far too many days working on something that she had several weeks to complete ... the night before it’s due)
NONE of this is "laziness" or lack of motivation; her brain just doesn't work this way for things she's not hyper-focused on, like video games or unicorns or American history or whatever she's "obsessing' over. I don't always know how to teach these things, so I asked for help from school. They're working with me to help DD so we can successfully get through this year.
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Liz
DD (3/2010)
"Make mistakes! Get messy!" - Miss Frizzle