ADD Student

Depending on how old your ADD Student is, this post may be more or less relevant for you, but I believe that everyone with Attention Deficit Disorder can take something from it.

Like everyone else, people with ADD have their own personal rhythm to their days. Maybe you’re a morning person, ready to start the day alert and full of energy. Or maybe you’re more like me, and find your real energy later in the day.

You can use this information to structure your days so that you get the most done, and so that tasks requiring more concentration will be done when you are more alert.

In college, for instance, my kids (except my son) have learned that taking a math class first thing in the morning is a sure ticket to trouble. My girl’s both have difficulty with math, so they need to take the class on a day with lighter classes and later in the day.

If you have a college student, or possibly a high schooler, you can use this same idea to plan out their classes, scheduling difficult classes at a time when they are most alert. (I know there are many middle and high schools who would object to such “parental interference”, but you might be able to have this as part of your child’s reasonable accommodations or IEP, with the cooperation of your doctor.)

Even if you don’t have the ability to arrange classes according to your child’s body rhythms, you can still use this knowledge to your advantage. Maybe you’ve got a child who hates math, and they’ve been stuck with it at a time when they’re not so focused. Knowing this ahead of time, you can anticipate that they will need additional help this year. Maybe you hire a tutor earlier in the year, or keep closer tabs on their weekly progress.

You can use this same theory for yourself as well, even if you don’t have ADD. If you tend to get the 3 o’clock slump every afternoon, you should probably re-schedule that meeting or plan to write that report another time of the day.

Oh, and if you want an intelligent, coherent answer from me, better wait til late in the evening. Make yourself a cup of coffee and give me a call.

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