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ADHD from page 61

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kind of support. Many of these chil-
dren develop low self-esteem because
they are reprimanded so frequently.
"These kids get in trouble constant-
ly because they can't stay in line or
they lose things!' Mann said. "Part of
their disability is a lack of organiza-
tion. You can't punish them for
She recommends meeting with
teachers and other school personnel
to suggest some simple strategies that
can be worked into the regular school
routine without drawing attention to
the child with ADHD.
"A lot of teachers want to help, but
don't know what to do because they
haven't been trained!' she said.
Because restlessness is often a fac-
tor, teachers can find positive ways to
let a child stand up and move around,
such as returning books to the media
center or passing out supplies. For a
child who repeatedly forgets to turn
in his homework, appointing him
"homework collector" may resolve the
problem.
In addition to ADHD, Max has a
learning disability called dyscalculia,
which makes it difficult to memo-
rize facts. Because he needed more
specialized support than the public
school was providing, Melissa A.
enrolled him in Eton Academy, a pri-
vate school in Birmingham that spe-
cializes in students who have ADHD
and other learning disabilities.
"There are only six kids in a class,
and they put together an individual-
ized program for each student!' she
said. "It would be wonderful if all
schools could take that approach:'
Cristene Hall grew up with ADHD,
so she thought she could help her
10-year-old son, Jakeb Bradburn,
when he started showing signs of the
disorder.
"He kept getting in trouble in
school," said Hall. "He refused to stay
in his seat on the bus, he wasn't fol-
lowing directions and his grades were
Cs and Ds:'
When Hall took her son for testing,
the results were as she had suspected:
Jakeb was diagnosed with ADHD.
She met with school personnel before
Jakeb entered fourth grade to develop
a plan under Section 504 of the 1973
Rehabilitation Act, which ensures
that any child who has a disability
identified under the law receives the
accommodations necessary for aca-
demic success.
"I thought I would start seeing a
difference," Hall said. "Then came my
breaking point. He was suspended
three times during the first month. I
was doing everything the school told
me to do, everything the doctors told
me to do. I had hit the wall; I was
frustrated, crying. I didn't know what

to do."
At the suggestion of a school social
worker, the Melvindale mother turned
to Mann for help, who reassured
her there were options to help Jakeb
manage his behavior and improve his
performance in school. Mann facili-
tated a meeting at the school, work-
ing with the staff to design a behavior
plan that worked with Jakeb's ADHD,
rather than against it.
"He's only gotten in trouble once,
and his grades are As and Bs," Hall
said. "He's starting to see he has
responsibility and to be accountable. I
see him maturing!'
Hall also enrolled in Mann's par-
enting program, where she learned
effective strategies to use with Jakeb
at home.
Some of the tools include detailed
checklists for morning, after school
and bedtime, with visual reminders
about daily tasks such as brushing his
teeth, hanging up his coat and empty-
ing his backpack. Hall said the check-
list is more effective than the constant
verbal reminders she used in the past.
"It reminds me every single day
that I have to do everything!' said
Jakeb, who is "really happy" about the
improvement in his grades.
Hall uses another system involving
pennies and marbles to reward Jakeb
for good behavior during the school
day.
"As a parent, you've just got to stay
on it," Hall said. "Stick with your
instincts. Parents know their kids.
Look for answers, talk to people:'

Sensory Issues
More than 60 percent of children with
ADHD also have sensory process-
ing disorders, according to Michelle
Mintz of Inner
Connections in
West Bloomfield.
Mintz, who is
an occupational
therapist, provides
a variety of services
using sensory input
techniques that help
Michelle Mintz
the brain build new
neural pathways.
Some of the signs
that a child has sensory processing
issues include sensitivity to touch or
sounds.
"These are the kids who can't tol-
erate noisy environments, or who
are bothered by the tags inside their
clothing!' she said.
The treatment Mintz provides helps
children with problems such as atten-
tion deficits, poor handwriting or
other fine motor skills and coordina-
tion.
"A lot of them don't have a sense of