The ADHD Student and Homework Problems

Preface

Raise your hand if you loved getting homework and were disappointed you had nothing to do.

Well, I see a few hands, but not many.

Why is that?

Could you feel mentally worn out after a day at school?

Did you need to do something not learning after school?

Were you hoping to have some downtime to go outdoors, watch an after-school special, read a fun book, or just lay back and relax?

If this is your child's daily truth, ADHD could be the reason. But most children with ADHD don't have just ADHD. They are called ADHD +. It is the +, which makes homework even more complex than if your child only had ADHD.

According to the CDC, approximately 60% of children with ADHD have at least one other disorder. The Learning Disabilities Association of America notes that 30-50% of students with ADHD also have learning disorders.

These co-existing disorders are where the problems with homework come into play. This book looks at the many factors affecting the ADHD student in learning and doing homework. It is essential to understand why children work to avoid their homework. This book will discuss the following factors that cause ADHD students to struggle with homework:

Executive function skills

Cognitive/mental flexibility

Working memory

Dysgraphia (written language problems)

Language and communication problems

Reading problems and dyslexia

Organization and time management problems

Strategies to help the ADHD student survive each day

Chapter 1: Who Is the ADHD Child

Six-year-old Joey has been diagnosed with ADHD. While medicine helps him stay focused in class and retain what he is learning, he still has some issues. One night, as his mother was putting him to bed, he shared -

My teacher keeps telling me to keep my hands to myself. She says I am always touching things and other students..

With tearful eyes, he asked his mother,

When will anyone teach me how to keep my hands to myself?

3-8% of the child and adolescent population is diagnosed with ADHD based on different assessment measures. But these numbers frequently refer back to when the term ADHD was introduced in the early 1980s and even before when it was called the hyperkinetic reaction of childhood and minimal brain dysfunction.

Recent literature reviews interview parents to see how many of their children have symptoms using a standardized checklist like the Vanderbilt. They also look at teacher ratings of the same children and adolescents. The literature also records how many youths have been diagnosed with ADHD or started on medication. The number of youth who are positive by checklist is closer to 10-15%. Healthcare providers prescribe ADHD medication to only 10-30 % of students diagnosed with ADHD.

Mildly impaired students may not be labeled until their abilities are exceeded by the demands around them, in middle school or high school. Others are obvious and identified early in elementary school or even in preschool for the more severely impaired. Approximately 70% will continue to have significant ADHD symptoms in adulthood.

ADHD is one of six neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurodevelopmental means that the brain develops with certain risks of conditions that impair different aspects of learning, language, behavior, and social interactions.

One child in six will have one of the six neurodevelopmental disorders. The six neurodevelopmental disorders are:

Intellectual Developmental Disorder

Communication Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Learning Disorders

Motor Disorders

If a child has one of these disorders, there is a higher chance that he will have more than one. For example, 51% of students with ADHD also have reading problems. This co-existence of disorders is why it is essential to fully evaluate your child if ADHD is suspected.

Many professionals suggest treating ADHD first and then monitoring for learning problems. For the 51% of students with ADHD + Learning Disorders, this lack of a complete evaluation means that they will continue to stress out over school work. It means that home and school expect medication to be the answer. Anything less than excellent results will