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About Michelle Fattig
Expertise
I can answer questions about educational testing, autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, Special Education, IEP, Learning Disabilities, Sensory Processing, Parent Advocacy, Response to Intervention, living and parenting with disabilities, parent rights in special education, school psychology, and more. I cannot provide a medical diagnosis.
Experience
I am a school psychologist, medical technologist, author of the Annie Books series: Experience Aspeger's Syndrome and Attention Deficits Through the Eyes of a Child, RTI facilitator, ILCD facilitator, parent advocate, presenter, and researcher. My children and I have Asperger's, ADD/ADHD, and learning disabilities.
Organizations
National Association of School Pyschologists, American Medical Technologists, Learning Disabilities Association of Nebraska
Education/Credentials
Ed.S. in School Psychology, doctoral studies in SPED Law, SPED Systems Enhancement Leadership, and doctoral candidate Education Leadership. MT(AMT) and MLT(ASCP)
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You are here: Experts > Parenting/Family > Parenting Special Needs > Autism > My son adhd/pdd
Expert: Michelle Fattig
Date: 3/20/2008
Subject: My son adhd/pdd
Question
My son was disgnosed years ago with adhd and last year they also disgnosed him with pdd. He has an IEP plan for school, but he is still make low grades my concern is that he is in 8th grade and next year high school, will he be able to keep up.I know he will still have help, but its a concern. Also, he has an IQ of about 80 to 85 and sometimes he just dont get it, with school or anything else.
It gets very upsetting at times, when you have to keep repeating yourself.What can I do to help him and help myself.
Answer
The very best option is to make sure than his IEP is very clear about his accommodations and modifications. Also, the following are good suggestions to have in his IEP:
Guiding Principles: Services for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
1. Individuals closest to the child, especially the parents, in consultation with professionals and in some instances with the child, are in the best position to make educational program decisions for children.
· Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) should be aware of all the educational options available for their children
· Decision-making in planning for the education of children with ASD must include professionals trained in the education of children with ASD.
· Parent education and staff development are essential components for meeting the needs of children with ASD.
· Strong partnerships among parents, school districts, services providers and agencies are vital to meet the needs of children with ASD.
A certain level of inattention, impulsivity, and over activity are common to many students; however, it is when theses characteristics are excessive, and/or developmentally inappropriate, that attention deficit disorder or other developmental delays should be considered. Attention Deficit Disorder is characterized by consistent inattention, hyperactivity or impulsiveness. Different symptoms may appear in different settings, depending on the demands of the situation may pose for the student’s self-control. A disruptive, “can’t sit still” child will be noticed in school, but the inattentive daydreamer may be overlooked. Executive Functioning disorders can be difficult to diagnose, especially when behavioral or oppositional behaviors may be present. Children who are inattentive have a hard time keeping their minds on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. If they are doing something they really enjoy, they have no trouble paying attention. But focusing deliberate, conscious attention to organizing and completing a task or learning something new is difficult. Homework is particularly hard for these children. They will forget to write down an assignment, or leave it at school. They will forget to bring a book home, or bring the wrong one. The homework, if finally finished, is full of errors and erasures. Homework is often accompanied by frustration for both parent and child.
The DSM-IV-TR gives these signs of inattention:
· Often becoming easily distracted by irrelevant sights and sounds
· Often failing to pay attention to details and making careless mistakes
· Rarely following instructions carefully and completely losing or forgetting things like toys, or pencils, books, and tools needed for a task
· Often skipping from one uncompleted activity to another.
Children diagnosed with Executive Functioning disorders may be impulsive or hyperactive, and they have significant problems paying attention and organizing. They may appear to be daydreaming, "spacey," easily confused, slow moving, and lethargic or hyperactive and ‘bouncing off the walls.’ They may have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as other children. When the teacher gives oral or even written instructions, this child has a hard time understanding what he or she is supposed to do and makes frequent mistakes. Yet the child may sit quietly, unobtrusively, and even appear to be working but not fully attending to or understanding the task and the instructions.
SUGGESTED INTERVENTIONS
Children with Executive Functioning Disorders/Delay may need help in organizing. Therefore:
· Schedule. Have the same routine every day, from wake-up time to bedtime. The schedule should include homework time and playtime (including outdoor recreation and indoor activities such as computer games). Have the schedule on the refrigerator or a bulletin board in the kitchen. If a schedule change must be made, make it as far in advance as possible.
· Organize needed everyday items. Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place. This includes clothing, backpacks, and school supplies.
· Use homework and notebook organizers. Stress the importance of writing down assignments and bringing home needed books.
· Children with Executive Functioning Disorders/Delays need consistent rules that they can understand and follow. If rules are followed, give small rewards. Children with Executive Functioning Disorders/Delays often receive, and expect, criticism. Look for good behavior and praise it.
· Social Skills training-direct and explicit
· Social Stories
Learning Environment
1. Permit him to do his work in a quiet, less crowded corner of the room or another distraction free/reduced area; however, do not isolate him. Reduce distracting stimuli when possible.
2. Place him close to the teacher for more immediate help and prompts to attend. Practice proximity teaching.
3. Separate him from those students most likely to distract him.
Learning Style Adaptations:
1. Assign tasks one step at a time with limited verbiage. Make sure he is giving eye contact, and ask him to restate the directive in his own words to assure understanding.
2. Assign shorter tasks and gradually increase tasks over time, as he demonstrates success.
3. Follow any sitting activity with a moving activity (e.g., sharpen pencil, go to the restroom, deliver something to the office, or etc.).
4. Make sure he has completely disengaged from previous task before starting a new one (perseveration is common with attending difficulties).
5. Allow for prompt/think time whenever possible (e.g., ask a question and tell him you will get back to him for the answer, “We are going to be going to Art in 5 minutes, it’s time to put your things away,” or other as appropriate.
6. Make an agreement with him to stay on task for a specified amount of time to be followed by an enjoyable activity. Start with an amount of time that he can be successful at, and gradually increase with success.
7. Provide self-monitoring opportunities, with reward for success (it doesn’t matter if he is actually successful, you are actually rewarding the new behavior of learning self-awareness and self-monitoring).
8. Use eye contact, touch, or call his name before giving instructions.
9. Never use grades as a punishment for his inability to attend, grade on knowledge/content, not inability. Consider individual testing, oral testing, alternative methods for assessment when appropriate. (Why can’t you just statements….because he can’t.)
· Social Stories. He may benefit from the use of social stories during transitions or before new situations. Social Stories are a tool for teaching social skills to children. Social stories provide an individual with accurate information about those situations that he may find difficult or confusing. The situation is described in detail (pictures) and focus is given to a few key points: the important social cues, the events and reactions the individual might expect to occur in the situation, the actions and reactions that might be expected of him, and why. The goal of the story is to increase the individual’s understanding of, make him more comfortable in, and possibly suggest some appropriate responses for the situation in question.
SUGGESTED CLASSROOM ACCOMODATIONS
· Proximity teaching-he should be within close proximity to the teacher or the teacher's assistant.
· Limit the level of noise, smell, stimuli, and distractions when possible.
· Provide a quiet, distraction free area for test taking and work completing, or any activity requiring concentration.
· Eliminate clutter and keep distractions to a minimum.
· Give clarifications and reminders regularly as needed.
· Home/school communication daily
· Work is organized into workable 'chunks'.
· Classroom expectations are clearly understood, as are consequences for inappropriate behaviors.
· Provide and discuss a cueing and prompting system, which helps him stay on task and transition from task to task (social stories).
· Never begin instructions/directions until the student provides undivided attention.
· Allow additional 'wait' time for student.
· Provide activities that are multi-sensory, and that take into consideration learning styles.
· Direct and Explicit Social skills training
· Provide direct, observable transitioning activities with a positive behavioral support system to encourage prosocial behaviors and reduce ‘meltdowns’
TARGETED INTERVENTIONS
· Social Skills training. Social Skills training covers a vast array of behaviors to teach, approaches for teaching those behaviors, and desired outcomes. Desired outcomes or goals need to be clearly identified focusing on long term quality of life and emotional status. Sometimes it is more appropriate to refine a behavior, lessening its negative impact. Total elimination of inappropriate behaviors is not always and option. The team should decide:
o Which behaviors are significantly interfering with his social relationships?
o Can the behavior be changes without making unreasonable demands on him, or is the behavior and integral part of autism?
o Will the behaviors being taught provide the most independent means for social performance?
1. Increase his repertoire of prosocial behaviors. Teaching a variety of relevant, meaningful social skills that increase available choices for response. The more prosocial social skills, the greater the likelihood that the behaviors will be used in social situations.
2. Use Direct Instruction to teach social skills. Divide into small steps, use visual reminders, specific steps consisting of concrete, observable behaviors. Model and practice both in the classroom and in other settings.
3. Videotape him using the appropriate skill. Video taping can be used for teaching social skills and an effective way to develop acceptable visual models.
4. Develop social stories books that show social situations. The stories should reflect real life scenarios and be meaningful and functional. Supplement the stories with pictures including the student, family members, peers, teachers, and familiar and non familiar activities or social opportunities.
5. Develop a cuing system that maximizes the development of his independent functioning. Use structure and visual prompting strategies, but avoid too much reliance on verbal cues or prompts. Encourage a preference for routine and ritual for him using visual supports rather than teacher/parent prompts.
6. Provide a “social diet” allowing for social interaction on a scheduled basis and upon appropriate request. Plan and predict through the use of visual prompts to encourage independent generalization and prosocial interactions.
We have an organization learning tool free at www.anniebooks.com as well as other helpful downloads and information. I wish you the best.
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