Ways for parents to assist their child
Get the teachers involved
We are becoming more than ever of the crucial role that teachers play.
An article published in April 2013, Effects of Teachers' Knowledge and Empathy on Educational Intervention for ADHD, confirms that teachers need to become familiar with ADHD, and colcludes by asserting that "teachers need to enhance their empathy towards students with ADHD to increase the effectiveness of their educational interventions for ADHD. These results suggest the importance of focusing on increasing teachers' empathy in the classroom in order to provider better education interventions for children with ADHD".
However, in Israel toady we are also well aware that, no matter how teachers try, they encounter many difficulties in assisting children with ADHD and with learning disabilities. Hence parental involvement can make a dramatic improvement.
If you can work with and support your child’s teacher, you can directly affect the experience of your child in school.
There are a number of ways you can work with teachers to keep your child on track at school.
As a parent, you are your child’s advocate. For your child to succeed in the classroom, it is vital that you communicate his or her needs to the adults at school. It is equally important for you to listen to what the teachers and other school officials have to say.
Whether you talk over the phone, email, or meet in person, make an effort to be calm, specific, and above all positive. Some teachers, so you will learn, are more cooperative than others.
- Plan ahead. You can arrange to speak with school officials or teachers before the school year even begins. If the year has started, plan to speak with a teacher or counselor on at least a monthly basis. Make record of all these meetings, and take care to write notes, for future reference. Do not rely on your memory.
- Make meetings happen. Agree on a time that works for both you and your child’s teacher and stick to it. Avoid cancelling. If it is convenient, meet in your child’s classroom so you can get a sense of your child’s physical learning environment.
- Create goals together. Discuss your hopes for your child’s school success. Together, discuss realistic goals and talk about how they can be reached. The school will most likely make record of these goals, in academic as well as in other areas of school activity. You should keep these documents at all times, and bring them to every meeting.
- Share information. You know your child’s history, and your child’s teacher sees him or her every day: together you have a lot of information that can lead to better understanding of your child’s hardships. Share your observations freely, and encourage your child’s teachers to do the same.
- Ask the hard questions and give a complete picture. Communication can only work effectively if it is honest. Be sure to list any medications your child takes and explain any other treatments. Share with your child’s teacher what tactics work well—and which don’t—for your child at home. Ask if your child is having any problems in school, including on the playground. Find out if your child can get any special services to help with learning.
updated 1st May 2013