High School and ADHD

[OliviaMGonzal]

Hi. My 14-year old son is in ninth grade this year and we are already struggling to keep up. He is in the STEM program and taking all AP classes like he was last year but he is having trouble. I don't know what to do, his case worker suggested we level him down. He doesn't want to and I am unsure. He had a teacher follow his class 5th-8th and she was against him leaving STEM. She was able to see him work at school and felt STEM being that it was hands on was perfect for him but all STEM classes are AP. Can a child with ADHD take classes? I don't want to put too much pressure on him and from what I been seeing I feel he is struggling. I don't even know what accommodation he could receive. I know there was supposed to be a case worker with him at times but so far he says no one has been in during any of his classes. Please advise on any suggestions, experiences. Any advise is welcomed, I feel like I am failing my son.

[Hidden]

Hi,

I don't think anyone can make a blanket statement that kids with ADHD should not be in stem or in AP classes but whether it's a good idea or not depends on what your sons areas of ADHD-related challenges are and whether he is willing to do his part to bridge the gaps (and whether the school is able to accommodate those areas regardless of the type of class.)

If it were me, the first thing I would do is sit down with your son and talk about (list) what exactly the challenges are that are getting in the way of him doing well in his stem classes… Is it organizational skills? Is it time management? Is it that there is too much reading and he's not understanding what he's reading? Does he need extra time on tests? Etc. etc. then once you know exactly what the issues and problems are specific to him that are making him "struggle to keep up", you will be better able to figure out possible accommodations. Not sure if he has an IEP or a 504 plan but those are two ways to put accommodations in place-- and in either case, a team at his school would help decide what to put in there.

But again I think the first step is to figure out exactly what the challenges are, then you can talk about it with him to decide whether there is a way (and willingness on his part) to bridge these gaps. If he wants to stay in these classes then the chances are high that he will have the motivation to do what he needs to do on his end.

As you are brainstorming, it might be a good idea to get input from the teachers of those classes because they see him in action every day and they know exactly what is required in the classes. If you approach them and say, "we need your help! He loves your class and STEM and we would really love to have him stay in these classes; Can you please help us figure out how we can make that happen?" then hopefully they will want to help you as part of your parenting team.

Hope this helps!

Joyce Mabe

Parent Coach, school counselor, author, mom of adult son with ADHD

Website: parentcoachjoyce.com

[OliviaMGonzal in reply to Hidden]

Hi Joyce. Thank you so much for the information you provided it is very helpful. Miguel and I have been working very hard trying to figure out a plan to help him succeed. He successfully passed the first nine weeks but I continue to see him struggle mainly with two of the core courses (Human Geography and Language Arts). In Human Geography and ELA has trouble with the comprehension part when it comes to the test and quizzes. I've been learning about ADHD as I go and doing some research but sometimes I don't know if that is all that my son is struggling with. I would like to get some more input from you please. Miguel sometimes has trouble organizing his ideas, when he is asked questions he panics and cannot get words out. Sometimes when he is being talked to he seems very confused. I know at school ESL has been recommended since we are Hispanic they interpret the confusion with language barrier; however, English is our first language. I feel that for a 14 year old his vocabulary and grammar is not developed adequately. I don't know if this is normal, due to his ADHD, or the fact that he didn't get diagnosed until almost middle school so he doesn't have that foundation in the core classes. I talk to my kid and we review and I see he has the knowledge, he learns and understands but when it comes down to testing or explaining the information in his own words he can't organize his ideas.

We had his annual ARD meeting to discuss his 4 year plan and I don't know what accommodations to ask for in class but I know he needs more than is being provided. I had a breakdown in the car because it hurts my heart deeply to see my child has potential and eagerness to succeed but I don't know how to help him at school. I saw his frustration and the hurt in his eyes because of the looks some of people present gave him. I know it wasn't their intention but even I could sense their impatience while waiting for his response and that made him shut down even more. They have scheduled a second meeting for tomorrow and have his core class teachers present... not just his Art teacher which I am glad because we need their input. Is delayed processing time part of ADHD? could I ask they re evaluate for learning disabilities, his testing was done in fourth grade. Please share any study tips.

Thank you so much.

[pwb78]

Perhaps you could request a (new) IEP evaluation from the school. I think there's two ways to look at it: (A) How is the ADHD impacting what he's doing in his STEM classes? (B) How is the rigorous nature of the classes impacting his performance?

ADHD won't necessarily cause struggles for him if the reason he's struggling is a lack of academic knowledge on the subjects. So, an IEP may help if the ADHD is the root of his struggles (an inability to focus, hyperactivity, organizational issues). However, a tutor or tutors would help if the rigorous nature of the courses is why he's struggling.

For instance, when I was young, my parents moved to a new state. In the first state, I was excellent in Math. In the second state, I was a dismal failure. This is because in one state we were just starting fractions. But in the next state, the class had already wrapped up fractions and were moving on to more challenging math problems. So, I had a humongous knowledge gap preventing me from being successful in Math. Perhaps something similar is happening for your son in regards to academics. That's why I suggest considering a tutor if this is the reason for his struggle.

That being said, perhaps both are issues, n which case, an IEP would still be helpful but tutors to help him catch up academically would also be a good way to go.

In the end, I, personally, would try to honor his desire to remain in the STEM classes if that is what he wants to do. But that is my way of approaching a subject. I try to allow my child to follow his interests. So if STEM is your son's interest, it might be best for his morale to let him continue to explore it.

Might I also say how wonderful it is that he is still dedicated to succeeding in that STEM environment despite his struggles? It shows that he has a great work ethic!

[Crazymom]

I am in the same situation with my 14 yo daughter. She has been in a Montessori school and is now in a public high school with all advanced classes. She has a high conceptual ability but a very slow processing speed and ADHD. I wanted to drop her down a level on some classes after the first quarter but she was adamant that she wanted to stay where she was. I finally decided it would be a bigger blow to her self-esteem to tell her she could not try than to move her. But, every day is hard. She has alot of difficulty getting her assignments turned in (loses them, etc) and sometimes has difficulty finishing all the work. We have a 504 that gives her extra time on tests and on timed-assignments. Still not sure we are doing the right thing.

[Olivtre in reply to Crazymom]

I truly understand what your going through. My daughter a Junior in HS decided to take AP classes and I too took what it would do to her self esteem into consideration. Tests are killing her grades right now. She has tutoring for math once a week with a highly qualified tutor as well as taking advantage of after school tutoring 3-4 times a week. She too has a processing delay and I see her struggle on a daily basis and work so hard. She also has a 504 plan but I feel that this isn't enough. I don't know what else to do to help her. She had a breakdown the other day and was so upset and overwhelmed. My heart breaks for her.

[Crazymom in reply to Olivtre]

Since I posted the first time we were able to get an IEP that allowed my daughter to have a study hall period. That has helped a lot to have time during the day (and when her meds are more active) to get some things done. We also dropped down a level in math. It's still hard to watch but there are baby steps.