Is your teacher ADD-Friendly   :)
or ADD-Toxic??   :(
by
Kathleen Nadeau Ph.D.
author of Help4ADD@ HighSchool

If someone had 6 or 7 different jobs, with each of his bosses giving him work assignments without knowing or caring how much work the other bosses had already given

If those six or seven different jobs –were difficult, requiring lots of reading, writing, and memorizing and most were not very interesting

If his jobs had to start really early in the morning without his being able to get enough sleep, because his jobs also required him to work at home at night

If those jobs required him to sit and listen all day, with very few breaks, to constantly take notes and to remember what was said all day long every day

If he had to move from one job to the next all day long, not having his own desk and having to keep track of papers and materials for each job

If his worksite was noisy and distracting

If his only break was a half hour lunch break and the company cafeteria sold pretty bad food

If he had little or no choice over the work he was assigned, and couldn’t concentrate on doing the kinds of work he was naturally good at

Think how hard that job would be! And that’s a description of high school!

Sounds pretty awful, doesn’t it? But the picture doesn’t have to be all bad

One thing that’s important to do is to carefully choose the classes you take and to try to select teachers who are good for you and your ADD.

What should you look for?

	An "ADD-friendly teacher" is: A teacher who is excited about a subject, and works in creative ways to get you excited too A teacher who is flexible, and tries to work with you instead of rigidly sticking to "the rules" A teacher who encourages rather than lectures when you’re having difficulties A teacher who understands that ADD can cause forgetfulness, even when you’re trying really hard to remember. A teacher who is organized and clear about what is required in the course A teacher who is fun and interesting, and seems to enjoy the class
An "ADD-toxic teacher" is: A teacher who doesn’t "believe in" ADD, and refuses to accommodate you A teacher who shows little interest in his/her students A teacher who is rigid and inflexible A teacher who is boring or non-creative A teacher who is disorganized A teacher who can’t be bothered to help you individually A teacher who motivates through shame and criticism rather than praise and encouragement.

Work hard to fill your schedule with ADD-friendly teachers and with courses that you’re interested in. Individual teacher, section and course selection is a common accommodation for students with ADD in college, and SHOULD be a common accommodation in High School.

Work closely with your academic advisor and have your parent, tutor, or other professional that you work with help you lobby to get a more ADD-friendly schedule.

Try not to take your most difficult classes at times of day when you are tired or less able to concentrate – and try to mix up your hardest classes with classes that give you a break.

For more tips on how to succeed in High School with ADD check out the new book, Help4ADD@ High School by Kathleen G. Nadeau, Ph.D.  Published by Advantage Books, Bethesda, MD, 1-888-238-8588.