All You Need to Know About Boarding Schools for Children with ADHD

Although underachievement in school is a familiar case scenario for children with ADHD, on most cases these academic failures aren’t totally reflective of what these children can be capable of. The most frustrating part to parents would be the speculation - what if these children worked harder or behaved better in class?

The underlying problem of ADHD sufferers is the inability to maintain attention and the resistance to distraction. These biologically-based inabilities alone prevent them from meeting a school setting’s intrinsic demand for self-regulation and self-direction, which are : staying put quietly in their seats, listening attentively when the teacher speaks, raising hands before talking, asking permission first if they need to go out, doing seatwork, exams, projects and other school work on time.

Boarding schools especially for children with ADHD can offer these children direction and structure, which is basically absent in most academic institutions.

General Set Up

Academics

Most ADHD boarding schools cater to younger children, usually from ages 3 to 12 years, where the child’s formation and development is the most critical. Learning programs mostly delve on teaching children how to appropriately respond to stimuli which help learning process. Most schools have well built online sites where you can peruse what they have to offer for your child. An example is the New Leaf Academy in North Carolina, a private boarding school exclusive for girls ages 10 to 14. On the site, you can check out daily activities, the academic programs as well as make virtual tours of the campus.

Social Training Programs and Activities

Most ADHD schools have specialized daily programs that will help develop a better focus and management in future life. These programs teach strategies on how to improve communication while discouraging unwanted behavior. Most of these programs are built into each day's activities. For instance, during mealtimes children are taught proper table manners, how to enjoy food in a generally acceptable way, or how to start and engage in polite table conversations. As example, you can check a typical day schedule posted on Cedars Academy.

Certification

Until recently, many academic institutions were unwilling to evaluate a child with ADHD. However, with better understanding of the disorder, recent laws prohibit any academic institution to bypass the obligatory evaluation of a child suspected of having ADHD. Most states in the U.S have Parent Training and Information (PTI) centers as well as a Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agencies where you can check for more information.

For parents that needs advice and information on how to help their children with ADD-ADHD contact us. Or fill out this Teen Questionnaire to know whether your teen needs help or not.