Frequently Asked Questions: ADHD and Education

For the past 30 years I have worked as a special education teacher in Wisconsin.  My area of specialization is working with students who are learning disabled.  I also have many family members with ADHD, including myself to some degree.  I found your article to be very interesting.  In Wisconsin, ADHD is a medical diagnosis, not an educational determination, therefore school personel are not considered elidgible to diagnose or determine that a student has ADHD.  Having or being ADHD, as I have found, is not always a disability. For example, my daughter has a full scale IQ of 135, but she is very, ADHD.  She always was able to get straight As in school, however she was an underachiever.  Up until middle school she was proud of her grades, until the kids on the bus teased her for having straight As.  That was the last time she got those grades.   It's frustrating for a parent to know how intelligent their child is, and then watch her purposely undermine her grades. 

I've struggled since first grade up with my son. When I started having a losing battle in school. I done some researchand, found a state afficate to help my son.When I found her, which she was a God sent,My son was in 6th grade by then. I wasn't happy about that, but I felt he had a chance.I could go into the challenging journey but would take a stack of documents. What I want to say is, after we moved from our enviroment, my son was making progress, slow but non the least it was a better start. At least it was until he hit high school. It seemed like his special ed program didn't exsist anymore. They were't there to help him. My son did not finish school. My son liked the 1 on 1 teaching he received from time to time, and tried to finish school going to adult ed classes. When his friend quit going, my son lost his way to get there. My heart is breaking for him, because he is struggling so much in his life. His past has come to haunt him. His state of mind logically speaking, is the same as it was since he's was young. That was what I wanted help for my son in the first place, for his thinking. I love my son. Even before he started school, I felt something wrong with my son, but I could'nt figure out what it was. One example, My son wasn't expressing his feelings.I would ask him if he was happy, he'd say yea,but no expression. The only emotion he would show was angry. I would ask my son what he would like to do for fun, he'd always say I don't know. He actually used those 3 words for everythng he did as he got older. When school started, if he got into trouble for doing something, He would be asked why he did it, and he would say "I don't know". My son tried all different kind of meds, and I really did'nt see a improvement that lasted long enough. My son didn't like the way he felt on them. Stomach aches, heart racing fast, jittery. He didn't want to take them anymore. I will always try to find ways I can help my son, no matter how old. So if any suggestions, will be appreciative.