Edge Foundation Blog

School’s almost out. Everyone has summer on their minds. But have you spent any time thinking ahead to next year’s classes? How about the year after that?

The end of the school year is a good time to look ahead and think about how you want your year ahead to go. Taking a little time now to plan ahead can lead to less stress, better grades and more success in school.

Pause for reflection. Many people with ADHD tend to spend more time looking ahead than reflecting on the past. But taking a minute to think about what worked well, and what didn’t go so well, can help you build on successes and avoid repeating past mistakes. Pretend its January 1st. What are your resolutions for things to do differently next year? What are things you want to build on? Write yourself a note and send it to yourself to arrive on September 1. (43things.com is a great tool for sending yourself reminders about future goals.)

It’s all about balance. Think about what classes you need to take to graduate? Which subjects do you love? Which ones do you struggle with? Think about the type of work required for each class and balance the type of classes out over the year. For example, don’t take more than two classes each term that requires heavy memorization.

Optimize productivity. When selecting classes, think about when you are most productive. When do you listen best? When are you able to knuckle down and study? Now plan your class work and study time to fall during these high productivity periods. For example, if you are a morning person, consider allowing a block of time between two morning classes to get a quick burst of studying in at the start of your day.  Thinking about and planning for a “productivity window” can help and ADHD student move from struggling to success.

Establish good habits now. Do you have a regular exercise routine? If you don’t, start one now. Research has shown that regular exercise helps reduce ADHD symptoms. If you integrate exercise into your daily routine now, it will be easier to keep going in the fall.

Start researching your future teachers now. Talk to your friends and find out about the teaching style of different teachers and professors. Which ones are rigid and which ones may be more accommodating of your style. Consider talking to teachers before you sign up for their classes about their expectations. Better to know in advance that 50% of your grade will be dependent on completing daily homework assignments, don’t you think?

Lighten the load. Consider taking classes over a five year period instead of trying to push through college in 4. Take one or two classes during the summers so you can focus on the tough classes with fewer distractions during the school year. If you are in high school, talk to your guidance counselor and see if a home school option for summer study is available to you, too.

Find an ADHD coach. A coach works with you over time to develop better planning and self-management skills; skills that will help you manage your time and your things so you’re on top of your work and the rest of your life and not overwhelmed or behind. You can begin working with a coach over the summer, so you have good organizational systems in place when fall rolls around.

So as this school year draws to an end, take time to reflect and plan ahead. Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, think School Year’s Resolutions!

What are your School Year Resolutions? We hope you’ll share them in the comments.

We also hope you find these related ADHD coaching articles useful:

Treating ADHD with exercise

Getting the most out of 504 & IEP meetings

ADHD coach vs. academic tutor

Plan ahead so you don’t crash and burn in the fall

Editor’s Note: As you most likely know, Edge Foundation coaches have all completed Edge’s rigorous training for coaches working with students and young adults with ADHD.  We are very proud that Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, adolescent coaching expert, has been instrumental in developing our coach training and mentoring program.  She’s publishing a new book in June, Empowering Youth with ADHD:  Your Guide to Coaching Adolescents and Young Adults for Coaches, Parents and Professionals, and we chatted with her a bit about what you can expect to find inside.

Edge:  You’ve been instrumental at Edge Foundation in designing our ADHD youth coaching training program.  How did training and mentoring the Edge coaches shape your point of view as an author?

Sleeper-Triplett:  My work with the Edge Foundation gave me a fresh perspective on my work and insight into the questions that coaches, clients and parents have about ADHD, the coaching process, and strategies for success.  Each time I was asked a question during my work with Edge, I took notes and used those queries to formulate the information shared in the book.

Edge:  High school and college is a time that most children draw away from their parents or even outright rebel.  How will parents benefit from reading this book?

Sleeper-Triplett:  Parents will learn how a coach can be a great partner for high school and college-aged children.  Coaching allows parents to step back from the day-to-day routine and nagging and allows the young person to be more independent.

Edge:  Over the years were there common questions you’ve fielded from parents about coaching?

Sleeper-Triplett:  Parents need a deeper understanding the coaching process.  They need better insight into what their role is in the coaching process.  They want to explore how boundaries are established within the coaching relationship.  And they want to understand what makes a coach qualified to work with young people with ADHD.

Edge: And how do you respond to parents who are skeptical that coaching won’t make a difference for their students?

Sleeper-Triplett: It’s important for parents to understand that coaching is different from other services, especially therapy.  Many parents have struggled with their ADHD adolescent over time management, organization, and self-advocacy and social skills.  These are all areas addressed in coaching in a non-judgmental manner, allowing young people to feel more confident and ready to stretch themselves to a new level of success.  Not everyone is cut out to benefit from coaching.  So the book also includes a information about how prescreening is used by coaches to ensure a person is ready for coaching before they sign up and invest in the process.

Edge: Writing a book is a huge undertaking of time and energy.  What inspired you?

Sleeper-Triplett:  My clients and coach trainees are my inspiration.  Watching the positive changes that coaching can have on young people and helping coaches to learn new skills is really motivating to me.  I have been encouraged and supported by coaches, therapists, educators and friends to put my work on the page.  Once I committed to doing it there was no turning back for me.

Note:  Empowering Youth with ADHD:  Your Guide to Coaching Adolescents and Young Adults for Coaches, Parents and Professionals will be available in September, however, preordering is now available at Amazon.com.

Click here for more books on ADHD.

The end of the school year is right around the corner. This is a time of year that many student’s IEP or 504 meetings are scheduled. Before you head into your meeting, take a few minutes to plan out your meeting time so you can use your time wisely.

Outcome: Be clear with yourself what you are hoping the meeting will accomplish. Understand your child’s needs and develop a plan to see that they are met. The clearer you can be with yourself, the more likely you are to be able to communicate your objectives effectively.

Participants: Ask who will be attending the meeting. You have the right to ask for your child’s special education, homeroom or other teacher who knows your child well to participate in the meeting. At many schools the principal also attends these meetings.

Assessments: Ask , in writing, to see your child’s recent assessments ahead of the meeting — especially if the meeting is the three-year service review. If you don’t understand what the scores mean, be sure to schedule time to discuss them with the school, or if you have had your own evaluation, discuss them with your evaluator.

Agenda: While the special educator is under pressure to get your signature at the end of the meeting, you don’t have to give into that pressure. If you need more time to discuss things, don’t let a 15 minute meeting cut off valuable discussion time. Be sure to request a long enough meeting time if you know you will have concerns coming into the meeting.

Support: You have the right to bring other people to a meeting with you such as an advocate, psychologist or evaluator. But be advised, bringing a lawyer to the meeting can set up a hostile dynamic and can be counterproductive to achieving a good outcome. That being said, you still may want to consider bringing (or consulting with in advance) any outside experts (such as psychologists, speech language/PT/OT therapists, etc) to support you and give you perspective, or have them available by phone if necessary.

Follow-up: Always follow up the meeting with a detailed letter summarizing what was said and by whom. Indicate what you agree with and what you disagree with and why. Be thorough and assertive, but also diplomatic. It is important to preserve your position by creating a paper trail. You may always request additional meetings at any point in the year. Some families find that quarterly meetings are a good way to stay on top of issues before time passes.

Virtual schools are on the rise. What was once seen as a second rate degree, a virtual diploma has become far more common place and acceptable a means of education. Virtual schools have even been lauded for lowing dropout rates among at-risk youth. In fact, a study by the US Department of Education even showed that on-line learning can be even more effective than classroom instruction for some groups of students.

Virtual School Advantages

If you have ADHD, an online school may be an option to consider.

• If you are a few credits short at graduation or you’ve been considering dropping out of high school, on-line education can be a way to get a fresh start, complete your high school credits and graduate.
• An on-line school is also a way to start college without leaving the support structure of home. Many times students take a year or so of community college before going away from home to a college or university. You may want to consider a virtual school in this situation if your local community college doesn’t offer the subjects you are interested.
• In all cases, be sure to check on the accreditation of the school you are considering. And, if you are thinking of transferring the credits you earned to another college in a year or so, be sure to check with that school to find out how many of the credits will transfer.

Virtual School Pitfalls

Virtual school sounds pretty great, huh? Set your own pace. Perhaps there’s even no set class time to show up for – so you are never late. No commute time. Study without ever having to get dressed. All these conveniences can also have a flip side – no accountability. YOU are responsible for showing up. YOU are responsible for keeping yourself on track. YOU are responsible for staying focused on your school work instead of surfing the web. It’s just as easy to fall behind in a virtual school as a traditional one if you don’t manage your time well.  So, just as many have found that working at home can require more self discipline than they expected, you want to think carefully if virtual class work is for you.

• Many students find that they have to go to the library to force themselves to focus on their studies. Where will you go when it’s time to sit down and learn?
• Do you have the ability to organize your time to get everything done you need to accomplish during the day? If you already have trouble getting yourself organized or being places on time, the less structured format of on-line education may not work for you.
• On-line schools may or may not be able to accommodate your 504 plan.

An ADHD Coach can help

• An ADHD coach can be a helpful partner for on-line learning. A coach can help you assess your strengths and work with them – instead of against them.
• You can work with your coach to figure out what type of learning environment is best for you. A coach can help you learn organizational skills that will keep you on track, plus have the added bonus of serving you well throughout your life.
• If an on-line school is right for you, a coach can help you stay accountable and moving ahead with your studies. (Side bonus, keeping Mom and Dad off of your back!)

Have you tried on-line learning? What have you discovered worked for you? Please let us know.
And while you are here, check out these related articles you might be helpful:
Live at home student responsibilities
Resiliency and ADHD success
ADHD College Survival Guide