| Class Dismissed, | | | | out what to do next. Before I finish, I check the list to |
| Millions of children long to hear each day those | | | | make sure I did all of the steps. |
| wonderful words Class dismissed. However, different | | | | The same process can be followed when helping your |
| children respond to those words differently. Most | | | | child be successful. By sitting down ahead of time, |
| students learn fairly quickly that when the teacher | | | | prompting them to write out the necessary steps, and |
| dismisses them that they need to check their | | | | impressing on them to follow the list; you reduce the |
| homework, put the right books in their backpack, make | | | | multi-step activity to one action. |
| sure they have the materials they need, straighten up | | | | As an example, when the teacher says Class |
| the desk and possibly put up their chair and then leave. | | | | dismissed, your child will open up their binder to find the |
| But the ADD child responds to Class dismissed by | | | | list posted on the inside cover. |
| bolting out the door leaving homework, books, | | | | 1. Do you have your homework written down into your |
| materials, jacket, backpack, etc. behind. Why Punish | | | | calendar? |
| them for things they can't control? | | | | 2. Do you have the books you need for that |
| Our pleadings, scoldings, groundings, and bribings fail to | | | | homework? |
| create a long term solution. What can we do to help | | | | 3. Do you have the homework paper? |
| our child be successful? | | | | 4. Do you have the supplies that you need for the |
| This is only one example of a much larger pattern | | | | homework?... |
| common to ADD. The reason for this behavior is not | | | | If they follow the list, they succeed. |
| to avoid homework, it is not to make us mad, it not | | | | I know, how in the world are we going to make sure |
| deliberate. ADD people struggle with thinking and acting | | | | the list is followed? |
| at the same time. They just do. They just do the one | | | | ADD people lose concentration by definition, they need |
| response that comes to their mind and usually the one | | | | ways to remind themselves what they should do next. |
| that brings the most immediate pleasure. | | | | Plan, do and review can be a very powerful tool once |
| This also explains why when you tell your little angel to | | | | added to the goals and rewarding yourself for each |
| hang up her jacket, get out her homework, get a | | | | step, this reinfources us too this step as positive. |
| snack from the refridgerator, and settle down to do | | | | Listed below are the steps of Plan, Do and Review. |
| homework, she will get a snack and not do the rest. | | | | Plan |
| You will probably find her in front of the TV enjoying | | | | 1. Determine the necessary steps in order. |
| her treat. Would this make you mad, if so know the | | | | 2. Determin the necessary items. |
| syptoms, so you can be part of the sloution not the | | | | 3. Determine a reasonable time per task |
| problem! | | | | Do |
| What can we do to help our child be successful? | | | | 1. Follow plan consistently |
| One important principle for training successful habits for | | | | 2. Monitor each step |
| ADD children is: | | | | 3. Celebrate completion |
| Separate the Thinking from the Doing. Often at the | | | | Review |
| moment of action, ADD people have a hard time | | | | 1. Check for completeness |
| thinking in steps; therefore, steps are often missed. I | | | | 2. Check for accuracy/quality |
| suffer still from this problem as an ADDult. I | | | | 3. Evaluate and revise plan |
| compensate by a process I call Plan, Do and Review. I | | | | By separating the thinking from the doing, especially for |
| try to make sure there is a goal in each step, I stop | | | | routine tasks, you can help your ADD child succeed in |
| and think is this correct, if not why and I continue to do | | | | life. |
| this step by step and it really helps. | | | | Athur Buchanan, A Hyperactive Writer and Speaker, is |
| When I need to do something, and since I don't think | | | | the author of ADAD and ME and he speaks nationally |
| and act at the same time; the best thing for me to do | | | | to parents, teachers and others emphasizing the hope |
| is sit down and write out the steps ahead of time. | | | | of success for fellow ADDers. You may visit his |
| Then I have follow the list. By following the list, I get it | | | | website at or send any comments to Please take the |
| done and if I am distracted, I know where to go to find | | | | time check out his book, It's great! |