Expert: Norm Bishop - 10/16/2009

Question
I have a 13 year old son in the 8th grade with a diagnosis of ADD.  He currently takes 30mg vyvanse daily during the school week. He is very bright (has a full scale IQ of 143) but his grades in math and science are failing.  He does very well in classes that allow time to begin and/or complete homework in the classroom.  His grades in the other classes are adequate, but he does not always turn in his work when it's due (he does it, it's in his bookbag "somewhere"), because either he forgets to turn it in, or can't find it, or forgets to bring it to class the next day... etc..  Because it's not turned in, he gets zeros which are averaged into his grades, causing him to fail. He technically failed the 6th grade due to a failing math grade but tied for the highest "end of grade" math score in the whole school.  All classes requiring any type of organization of notebooks, remembering to bring a signed paper in weekly, etc... end up being a major struggle for him.  Although his teachers are aware of the ADD issue, they do not seem to want to compensate at all for his disability.  He is still held to the same standards that all of the children are held to.  I almost feel like they equate ADD with laziness or unwillingness to try to succeed.  My son used to love science, now he feels like he won't be "good at it" and I fear he is giving up. How can I help his teachers to understand that he has a disability that needs to be addressed, with strategies put into place that will benefit him rather than punish him?

Answer
You have described some of the classic symptoms of ADD.  In your son's case it is based in his inability to organize.  There are two different laws that may require teachers to accommodate his disability.  First is IDEA qualification, however, with his intelligence, I doubt he would qualify.  That is the law that is the creation of Special Education.  The other law is a civil rights act for the disabled, usually referred to as 504.  504 guarantees that any school accepting any federal financial assistance to ensure that students with disabilities don't get discriminated against because of their disability.  If you have a doctor's diagnosis (which you would have with a prescription), then ask the Principal of your school for a "504 Plan".  A team of school people will decide what appropriate accommodations are needed, write it down and ALL teachers are expected to accommodate.  If not, then you can file a complaint with the office of civil rights, who has as much or more power than the IRS.  First, create the plan.

ADD is an invisible disability.  The symptoms mirror those of lazy and unmotivated students, so often teachers will automatically go there.  

504 isn't intended to give your son any advantage, but it won't allow him to have to do what he can't.  My experience tells me that when we create organizational skills and then over and over repeat helping with the system, eventually some of it takes and the student learns to have more control over the disorganization.

If this medication doesn't seem to make work well, there are other alternatives that your doctor can change him to.  

Make sure he gets a 504 plan as a first step.