AboutPatricia Ireland-Williams Expertise I am a retired K-12 Public School Principal (8 years as a teacher and counselor) and 23 years as an administrator. I can help parents with questions about how the system works, provide ideas on how to solve school issues or assist teachers in coping with the plethera of stressors they face.
Experience I am currently an educational consultant and have served on the State of Arizona Solutions Team.
Question Our grandson is now twenty years old. When he was six and in first grade he was diagnosed as having ADHD and a possible developmental disorder by a developmental pediatrician at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis, MO. His teacher did not believe in ADHD and punished him when he could not finish his work in class. Then, she began keeping him in several afternoons a week half an hour after school so that he could try and complete his work. When I would go to the school to pick him up, I could hear her saying things such as , "You didn't finish this one or this one or this one, so tomorrow when all of the children are watching a movie, you will be out in the hall working on your classwork." She would keep him in during his lunch recess and have him
come back to the classroom and work on his classwork. He
could just turn his head and see the children playing outside. Once, she brought her fist down very hard on his desk and knocked his backpack on the floor spilling things out of it. She did have another boy help him pick the things up. When she took the whole class outside for awhile on "groundhog day" and left our grandson inside of the room by himself finishing his work. I pnoned the principal. It's been a long time ago and I can't remember everything she said but I remember she was putting our grandson down and she had me crying on the phone. I arranged a meeting and at the meeting, which my husband and daughter(our grandson's mother ) attended, she had our grandson's whole evaluation and diagnosis faxed to her by the developmental pediatrician and she said, " We don't always go along with what the doctors say." Then, she said, "You don't seem to understand, we want the things we are doing to him to hurt him because this is the way that we get him to do better." His teacher failed him and he had to repeat first grade. It was a long, hard road through elementary, middle school and high school, but he graduated in May of 2006. He was in several special ed classes in high school. When he was just a little boy and all of this was going on, I was not knowledgeable about Section 504 and the laws that had been put into place for children who had learning disabilities. I would so appreciate it if you would comment on what I have written.
I can't help but think with your compassion that things
would have turned out for our grandson if you had been his principal back then.
Answer Connie, it is very unfortunate that you and your family had to endure such insensitivity but as you know, we can do nothing about the past. Certainly it is because of situations like yours that advocates began legislation regarding 504. However,ADHD is still not viewed as a disability and although teachers are better trained to deal with kids with ADHD, the reality is that the numbers of students have increased greatly. A 504 is sometimes utilized in this situation but in my experience, it was seldom used. Most teachers coming out of college today are better trained to teach in a variety of modalities which enhance learning for all (not as structured and more activity based.
It is great that your grandson has been successful in graduating from High School. I encourage you to encourage him to do what ever he dreams of because, Connie.........I too am a child who was ADHD and in the 50's there were no drugs, no interventions, nada........I look at my ADHD as a real advantage in that I am the ultimate multi tasker!
Best wishes in continuing your advocacy of your grandson!
