Attention Deficit Disorder School

Attention Deficit Disorder School

Attention Deficit Disorder School : Is your child struggling to concentrate at school?

Is your child falling behind academically, due to being distracted, having to redo work because he/she were not listening or making mistakes?

Has your child lost his/her confidence in everyday life due to some tasks being just too difficult for him/her?

Does your child forget what has been asked due to not paying attention or struggling to pay attention due to his/her surroundings?

Attention Deficit Disorder has an impact on a child’s functional living as well as his/her ability to learn.  These children lose confidence in themselves because they are always being reprimanded.  They also lose confidence in school because they are aware of their struggle and they start questioning why they are not like their peers who do not struggle.

Many children which have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder are immediately put on medication.  Imagine a program which could help your child with Attention Deficit Disorder without having to administrate medication to him/her.

Catch Up Kids is a program which assists children with Attention Deficit Disorder in schools.  To teach him/her how to pay attention properly when it is required, assists a child with Attention Deficit Disorder to work in his/her memory skills, to remember to write down homework, to remember what tasks he/she were asked to do, to be able to follow instructions the teacher has given him/her and to recognise when they have made a mistake without being told what the mistake is.

Catch Up Kids is a learning program which is designed by a Catch Up Kids Supervisor to work on the areas your child is specifically struggling in.  The child is assessed in areas such as memory, attention, listening to instructions and all the areas in which he/she would require to be able to function comfortably in a school environment.

The assessment is done by means of a workshop with a team of experienced tutors.  Your child will be assessed individually as well as in his/her school environment.

It is important for a child with Attention Deficit Disorder to be assessed in school in order for the Catch Up Kids team to have a better understanding as to how your child reacts to certain situations, as well as how he/she copes with the instructions given to them.

The Catch Up Kids program can have a huge impact on your child’s daily functioning as well as the teachers, their peers and you as a parent.  Catch Up Kids can assist in helping your child with his/her homework and to actually complete his/her homework in one sitting.

Your child could either have one on one therapy or school facilitation, whereby a tutor goes to school with your child to assist him/her with immediate situations which your child might struggle to cope with or your child could even receive both.

Attention Deficit Disorder School: Catch up Kids is a program to help children with Attention Deficit Disorder in schools and his/her surrounding environments.

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Attention deficit disorder education

Attention deficit disorder education

When working in the educational aspect of attention deficit disorder (attention deficit disorder education), there are some things we need to be aware of. Children dealing with attention deficit disorder often have difficulties maintaining their attention span and have impulsivity control issues. At times this is accompanied with hyperactivity, however this does affect 3-5% of school age going children being affected by this disorder. As a result, special care needed to be taken when it comes to children and attention deficit disorder in education. Ways that assist with the control of problem behaviour in a school or classroom setting can sometimes be facilitated with therapists or teachers in the classroom as sometimes is the case with Catch-up kids. There are often obvious things that teachers might struggle with when it comes to attention deficit disorder education. This includes little attention to detain and becoming easily distracted. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to assist with classroom facilitation that can be carried out by the teachers and even in homes schooling situations with more than one facilitator. Placing them away from “high traffic” areas, for example places near doors or hallways or near windows as it often tends to distract children with this disorder quite easily and it may be harder to return to the task at hand. Make your directions and instructions simple, direct and break it down into smaller more manageable tasks especially with more complicated tasks. DO PROVIDE ENCOURAGEMENT. Often this can be forgotten because of problem behaviour but once it is made apparent that these kids are capable of so much especially when they have encouragement to do better, they strive to do better, they feel motivated to achieve new heights. Integrative creativity into your lessons, as well as individual homework assignments or projects, can lead to significant growth of focus from a child especially one who does have ADD/ADHD and make teaching and learning easier.

People also tend to play off not only the emotional but the physical sensitivity that comes with ADD. Patience is something people also do forget and not only with the child but also with themselves. Often these kids are highly sensitive to sounds, textures, visual stimulation and on occasion even smells can be overpowering. Remain calm and patient throughout this. It is important to remember that often there are good and bad days and both need to be taken into account when looking at behaviours that might arise. Sometimes people believe behaviour might be a setback but it should be looked at as a small road bump as opposed to having to stop.

For more suggestions on facilitating the best possible education outcomes for your child, visit Catch Up Kids today.

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ADD teacher

ADD teacher:

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) causes difficulties in being attentive, focusing, following instructions, finishing activities and interacting with peers. These children are often hyperactive and compulsive. The prevalence of ADD in school going learners is 2%-16%. Teachers often label these children as being ill-mannered or naughty as the learners are often not diagnosed with ADD. It is always a good idea for teachers to suggest for the learner to go for an assessment as parents are not aware that their children may have ADD. This means that with the increase in learners with ADD, it is beneficial for teachers to do research on ADD and the signs of ADD. Some of the signs of ADD that teachers can look out for are making mistakes as the learner overlooked details, being easily distracted, difficulty in listening and following instructions, being disorganised, incomplete school work as well as fidgeting, find it difficult in remaining quiet, constant talking and interrupts others while they’re talking or involved in an activity.

Teachers should although try to be attentive to the child before suggesting that a child’s behaviour may be as a result of ADD. There may even other factors causing the child to behave in that way such as disruptions in their home life, being bullied at school, anxiety, learning disorders, sensory issues and dyslexia. These factors as well as others could be causing the learner to behave in a way that may be seen as ADD but is something else entirely. Schools in South Africa have been placing importance on employing a counsellor for the school. If a school has this facility, it is a good idea for the teacher to refer the child to the counsellor as opposed to labelling the leaner as being “naughty.” The counsellor will be able to make an informed decision on whether the child may have ADD or if other factors are causing the behaviour. The counsellor and the teacher(s) may become an important part of what we call the “treatment team”, which should be headed up either by the counsellor or by a Catch Up Kids case supervisor.

Children that show signs of ADD can be helped with their school life by the ADD teacher. The methods used at Catch Up Kids are easily enforced and it may make the ADD teacher’s classroom environment a more accessible learning space for the child with ADD. As a general rule, having set classroom routines will make it easier for an ADD learner to be successful in the class. Reducing distractions in the learner’s immediate environment will help them to concentrate, as will giving them some time to engage in gross motor activities between activities to release some of their energy. This can be as simple as choosing the child with ADD when an errand across school needs to be run. Learners benefit from reinforcement and this includes children with ADD. Teachers can set up a reinforcement schedule for the entire classroom as not to single anyone out. The teachers using positive role models in peers will also help ADD learners.

An ADD teacher showing interest in the ADD learner will make their teaching easier as well as the child’s ability to learner. There is a great number of articles available on the Internet for teachers to read based on strategies for ADD learners to cope in the classroom. Taking this time will make a big difference for both the teacher and the ADD student. A Catch Up Kids supervisor can also help shortcut the process by conducting a school observation and attending meetings with the teacher on a regular basis.

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ADD Symptoms in Children

ADD Symptoms in Children

You’re sitting in front of your computer. You type in “add symptoms in children” and you hit “search”… within a few seconds an overwhelming number of resource links stare back at you. Even though the awareness of and resources pertaining to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is definitely on the increase, the idea of diagnosis or official diagnosis can still be overwhelming for some.

A child with ADD has a disorder that pertains to a deficit in attention. It can present in different ways or varying degrees in different children, because certain tasks or routines may be unique to a certain child. ADD also affects school children of any age, as well as adults.

Being able to sustain our attention to everyday tasks and in everyday conversation is a prerequisite skill for many tasks – from being able to start and finish a puzzle to a beading patterning card, to being able to complete more educational activities, such as worksheets and prescribed reading. Our skill in the area of sustained attention helps us to start and finish such activities without “drifting” away from it too often, making the completion of such activities constant, continuous and faster than those who cannot sustain their attention as long.

Sustained attention also affects how much information we are able to take in through our auditory or visual senses – if we have a deficit in being able to sustain our attention to what we are reading or what someone is saying to us (e.g. a teacher teaching in class), we might miss some or lots of valuable information in the process.

The overarching symptoms relating to attention may appear in children, adolescents as well as adults (these symptoms in any combination, however, do not necessarily warrant a diagnoses of ADD – a diagnosis is made by trained professionals).

ADD may appear as…

  • A partial or complete inability to sustain attention when being spoken to
  • A consequential inability to recall what has been said soon after being spoken to
  • Difficulty carrying out a given instruction (different to not understanding the instruction, or an inability to know how to carry out new instructions)
  • Difficulty adhering to a set of tasks/ a routine with many individual steps
  • Difficulty starting and/or finishing a worksheet
  • Difficulty starting and/ or finishing a play activity, e.g. a puzzle
  • Difficulty sustaining attention during a given or chosen play activity
  • A decline in school performance with no clear cause
  • Appearances of “daydreaming” and inattentiveness
  • Sudden shifting in patterns of thoughts and speech
  • Difficulty staying focused on a topic of conversation with peers and adults
  • Difficulty sustaining attention to reading activities

Once a diagnosis is made, there are several strategies that can be applied to overcome any deficits in attention – one such strategy focuses on helping a child increase the time for which they can sustain their attention to various tasks. As ADD is characterised by many symptoms that are treatable, we can, with the right support, tools, techniques and practice, lessen or diminish the effects of these symptoms. Catch Up Kids and its team of trained experts can help to relieve ADD symptoms in children.

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ADD School

ADD School

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a behavioural disorder that causes a child to have trouble concentrating, struggle to stay organized and show impulsive behaviour.

ADD School: Often kids who struggle with ADD get left behind in a mainstream school environment because the teacher goes on at a pace that is too quick for the child. A child with ADD is often too shy or ashamed to ask the teacher to slow down or help them when they don’t understand something.

It is possible for a child with ADD to go to a mainstream school and be on par with their peers. At Catch Up Kids, they address issues like emotional coping, attention, planning, inhibition, memory, self-monitoring, time management, meta-cognition, problem solving and more. These are all issues that kids with ADD have to deal with on a daily basis.

ADD School: Children with ADD have trouble concentrating. This is something that can be worked on and be improved. Catch up kids can specifically work on improving the time the child can sustain their attention on a task so that it is on their peers’ level. With having trouble concentrating also comes going off-task easily. Improving their skill in the area of sustained attention helps them to stay on-task to finish what is required in the allotted time.

Struggling to plan a head is a daily challenge for someone with ADD. For a child who has ADD an immediate reward is more desirable than a reward that is somewhere in the future. Because a child with ADD is more focussed on the short-term rewards, the future is just a haze to them and they don’t think of the medium- to long-term impact of their short-term behaviour. In school this is clearly seen in not planning accurately how long home work will take, or in not acting upon the idea that if they start early enough to study or do an assignment quickly enough after it is given, the load will be less later on. Catch Up Kids helps teach your child the skill of planning ahead, both academically and socially.

Catch Up Kids can also help with the management of impulsive behaviours. Impulsive behaviours aren’t something that a child with ADD has to struggle with. With the right interventions children with ADD can be taught how to manage these impulsive behaviours. This in turn will show improvements in a class environment and also with peers in a social environment.

Because children with ADD also often struggle with confidence, Catch Up Kids spends time working on building and improving confidence. Better confidence helps the child to ask in class if he/she is stuck and to work with more resilience at difficult academic tasks.

At Catch Up Kids, the focus is on the child’s strengths and using these strengths to the child’s advantage.

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ADD help

Attention Deficit Disorder: How to get ADD help

What is ADD?

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a common condition that can be found in both children and adults (but more likely in children). Children with ADD generally finds it more difficult to concentrate on a specific task and finish it. They get bored easily and they tend to be a bit more impulsive with decisions they make.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), which is the standard of mental health diagnoses, symptoms of ADD/ADHD include the following:

Inattention

  • Often makes careless mistakes or has problems paying attention to detail
  • Poor concentration during tasks or leisure activities
  • Does not seem to be listening and appears to zone out when spoken to directly
  • Frequently fails to complete instructions or to complete work tasks or chores
  • Often has trouble organizing a task or activity
  • Short attention span
  • Frequently avoids, dislikes, or resists participating in activities that require sustained concentration/mental effort, due to difficulty focusing, a tendency to waste time
  • Repeatedly loses things needed to complete tasks or activities
  • Easily distracted by extraneous input or unrelated thoughts
  • Frequent forgetfulness/absentmindedness

Hyperactivity and impulsivity

  • Often engages in fidgeting, squirming, or tapping hands or feet
  • Frequently has trouble staying seated
  • Frequent restlessness or boredom
  • Has trouble engaging in leisure activities quietly
  • Engages in multiple activities at once
  • Often talks excessively
  • Repeatedly interrupts others talking
  • Trouble waiting his or her turn
  • Often intrudes on others

How to get ADD help

Medication can be a helpful tool for managing the symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD), but it is not the only option or treatment available. For a lot of children, more than one approach combined is the most effective. How do we get ADD help for our children?

Depending on a person’s needs, a number of psychological and behavioural therapies are available to help manage ADD, including psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, social skills training, support groups, and parenting skills training.

Behavioural therapists, paediatricians and some other licenced mental health professionals can diagnose a child with ADD and offer some assistance and direction to get ADD help.

A child with ADD needs help to sustain attention for longer periods of time, they need help to use their energy in appropriate ways, help to improve their planning skills and help to channel their creative energies into something that interests them.

Professionals that can help your child with these skills could include behavioural therapists, child psychologists or after-school centres that can spend time with them on the skills that need improvement.

Catch Up Kids is a perfect example of such a centre. At Catch Up Kids they address issues such as attention, planning, inhibition, memory, self-monitoring, time management and more. They discuss with you as a parent about what you feel your child needs and then tailor a program that can help your child achieve as much as they can.

For children with ADD, help comes in many forms and can often include a variety of different sources together. Get in touch with Catch Up Kids to find out how a highly-trained professional can help bring all the necessary resources together for the benefit of your child.

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ADD Education

What is ADD

The diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), was used to describe a person who had trouble focusing but was not considered hyperactive. This diagnosis has however been changed to fall under the umbrella term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has been found to be one of the most common disorders diagnosed in children. The symptoms can also differ widely from person to person. According to the South African Journal of Psychiatry, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects 2% to 16% of children between 6 and 18 years old. It was also found that the symptoms of 60% to 70% of these children will persist into adulthood.

ADHD has been divided up into three main types. The first is inattentiveness, which is when a child struggles to concentrate but is not hyperactive. The second is Hyperactivity or impulsivity without signs of inattention. And the third type is a combination of all three; inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

How does it affect learning? ADD Education:

Children diagnosed with ADHD/ADD can find school particularly tough, especially when moving from preschool to higher grades where they are required to sit still and focus on the teacher talking for longer periods of time. Difficulties experienced by children diagnosed with this disorder can include an inability to attend to the teacher’s instructions as well as auditory and visual confusion.  It is also common to experience memory problems and have a hypersensitivity to visual and tactile sensations such as fluorescent lights.

Large assignments can also make children with ADD feel overwhelmed. Processing and understanding directions can be challenging, and it is likely that they will also struggle with complex problem solving.

Other difficulties in ADD Education can include organizing and planning for multiple tasks and deadlines. It is likewise difficult for children diagnosed with ADHD/ADD to sit still through long classes and tests.

How Catch Up Kids can help with ADD Education

Catch Up Kids is a learning programme which focuses on the individual needs of children who are having difficulty academically or who are experiencing hurdles and falling behind in school. Some of the things that makes a Catch Up Kids programme so effective are the fact that each child’s programme is tailored specifically to their strengths and weaknesses, that it pulls from a comprehensive overseas curriculum, and that its methodology is based in the principles of human learning and behaviour for ADD Education.

Catch Up Kids focus on address issues such as emotional coping, attention, planning, inhibition, memory, flexibility, self-monitoring, time management, meta-cognition, problem solving, social skills and many more. All the aforementioned skills can be grouped under the term; executive functioning skills. By improving these skills, children will be more empowered to function better in school and to catch up where they have fallen behind.

“Catch Up Kids has one goal – to produce confident and empowered learners who have all the necessary skills to keep up with the class and academic demands”

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