I was wondering if could please offer some advice as to how i can help my son who has ADD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder and also has a non specific learning disorder.
The difficulty for me is that not only am i a single parent to four children of whom three have ADD with LD but I also have ADD, mild dyslexia and a LD.
I very much feel like its the blind leading the blind here. The most essential things required of a parent of a LD child are the very things i struggle with the most.
I am medicated for my ADD which helps immensly but i still struggle with memory issues, organisation and consistency.
My son was recently assessed using the WISC test and I was told his ability to process ideas was extremely low and that because of this he needs extra time to make decisions and problem solve situations.
Because of my ADD I have learned that when i remember to do something like get my son to do his homework I need to act on it immediately or i will get distracted and forget. So I tend to push my kids with a ‘do it now’ type attitude.
How do i give my son they processing time he needs and still stay on task myself?
Is there any kind of games or mental skills i can teach my son to help improve his processing ability?
Thanks in advance for all and any help.
Blind leading the blind
I think that there are other ways to get organized. Personally I have helped my child and organization by having a planner in her large 3 ring binder. Each subject for school is there, and she needs to write down what she needs to do each night for homework. (because remembering to bring home what books, it is listed in her IEP that she has a second set of books for home.)
I find having a specific schedule each and every day also helps. When she comes home, she unpacks her lunchbox, and unpacks her back pack. We discuss what needs to be done for homework. She has a snack and has a half an hour to regroup before attacking her homework.
She gets a break after doing some homework, if she needs one. This is timed witht he kitchen timer.
To keep you both on schedule, or with all of your children, you may want to make out a schedule and post it. Use a timer, since scheduling time is a challenge for you…
I hope this helps.
www.net-haven.net
A good generalized program for improving attention and processing is BrainSkills. Website is http://www.brainskills.com. You *must* have a cooperative child to do this program. It requires an hour a day five days a week for 12 weeks, so it is probably something you would want to schedule for summer. Cost is about $500. This program is best for children who are 8 years old or older. Chances are, if you did this program with your son, your attention skills would improve along with his (especially if you switch roles regularly and he becomes your trainer).
You may also want to look into BrainWare Safari software, especially if your son likes working on the computer. (You still will probably need to sit with him when the exercises get harder.) Website for that is http://www.brainwareforyou.com/
Nancy