ADHD-Specialized Schools: What To Know
If your child has been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, attending a school that specializes in the needs of children with ADHD can transform your child's education. Having ADHD makes it difficult for your child to stay organized, concentrate, sit still and focus in a traditional classroom setting. This often results in poor performance and not reaching full potential. Schools that specialize in the needs of children with ADHD take these factors into consideration and provide a supportive environment where your child can excel. If you're considering enrolling your child in an ADHD-specialized school, here's what you need to know.
Clinical Support
One of the many unique aspects of specialized schooling for ADHD is that your child will have clinical support from experienced professionals such as social workers, psychologists and nurse practitioners. The team works together to assess and monitor the needs of students with ADHD. If your child is taking medication to manage ADHD symptoms, the team will make recommendations and adjust medication as necessary. Through counseling, students learn behavioral skills that will help them succeed, and they learn how to add structure, which is proven to be beneficial for children with ADHD. If your child experiences a life change, the clinical team will be there to assist and help your child adjust.
Reduced Need for Medication
Children who are diagnosed with ADHD and attend conventional schools do much better when they transition to a special needs school. So much so that researchers have found that children who attend a specialized school are able to reduce their need for medication. A significant amount of children who were treated with medication while in a traditional school are able to greatly reduce or eliminate medication altogether at a specialized school, according to research. Likewise, children who were not yet on medication but considering medicine are able to remain medication-free while attending a school that specializes in the needs of children with ADHD.
The Environment is Designed for Your Child
Learning programs at specialized schools are designed with the needs of your child in mind. Students are given flexible deadlines for completing homework assignments, and they are supported in getting their homework done. The classroom setting offers more frequent breaks to give their minds more opportunity to recharge. This is especially helpful because children with ADHD can often pay attention for short bursts of time and then need to recuperate before continuing. Teachers work with students to tailor the program to your child's learning style.
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