CURRENT TRENDS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION...

Handling Your Child's Behavior Issues (Parenting ADHD Children)

MY REFLECTION:

Let’s accept the fact that there are some cases about the denial of parents for having children with special needs. Is it the right thing to do? To deny a child or much better to accept them, understand them and give them the love and affection that they should have..

Yes, it is not easy to have a child with special needs. Thinking how can you give a better life to your children. But in fact, you can, if you accept wholeheartedly your child, surely they will live a happy life.

Parents cannot predict the occurrence of such behavior of their child. The parents should always be ready about such situation and know how to handle such kind of behavior. And understand that your child have such kind of behavior.

There are a lot of meetings a parent can meet for them to be aware of the behavior of their child. There is family meeting that will help the parents teach the child to communicate and associate. There is also the IFSP or the Individualized Family Program.

For those parents, who accept and love their child, it’s a blessing for you because it is a gift from GOD. And for those who are not, learn to give them the love, they are your own, treat them normally…and mot especially, you being their parents have the most important role in making their lives normal and meaningful.



THE WRITE UPS…

Handling Your Child's Behavior Issues

Is it that your child won't or can't? So many children with special needs have behavior problems built into their diagnoses, and may act out due to impulses or self-protective routines that we can't understand. That doesn't mean you have to accept chaos as a way of life. Here's some help in handling the unique behavior challenges special-needs kids present us with.

Parenting ADHD Children

Parenting a child, any child, is a difficult task to begin with. When you have a child with ADHD, you are parenting a child who has greater demands, needs more involvement and requires greater patience and understanding. Read tips for parenting your ADHD child.
First of all, try not to be so hard on yourself. Parenting a child with ADHD can be very challenging – and that is actually a major understatement. It can be an exhausting, stressful, frustrating experience when your child is struggling to manage the disruptive symptoms that often come along with ADHD and on some days you may want to disappear to an isolated island just to get some rest!
That you can see the situation clearly after the fact is a good. It is easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment when things feel so emotional. Because you are aware of what is going on, you can make plans about how to address such situations in the future. This will allow you to be more thoughtful, less reactive in responding. In other words, you can plan your response ahead of time.

Know that kids with ADHD are often very good button pushers. They often very good button pushers. They often seek stimulation and getting a reaction from others can be stimulating. I know this is easier said than done, but try not to take the behaviors personally. By responding in a composed and calm way in these situations and avoiding any type of power struggle, you can better work with your child to provide more positive, productive outlets for him.
It is also very helpful to try to get a handle on what triggers your child’s provoking behaviors. Are there times of day that tend to be more difficult for him? Perhaps there are activities that create more stress and frustration. Homework is often a difficult time for kids with ADHD, for example. Transition times or times where there is less certainty and more unpredictability can be tough, as well. Becoming more aware of your child’s specific triggers can be a big help because then you can intervene early and provide redirection and support before things unravel and get too chaotic and unmanageable.

Also, remember that it is okay to take a break or a “time out” yourself when you need it. If you are uncertain about how to respond, let your child know that you will discuss the issue later that day when you are feeling calmer and more relaxed and can think through the most appropriate consequence.

Rather than your son losing the privilege of riding his bike – which is wonderful exercise and very helpful for kids with ADHD – you may want to think through alternative consequences. Perhaps the loss of computer time or TV time might be other options. And even more effective than losing privileges is earning special privileges and motivating rewards for positive behaviors.

Family Meetings

Family meetings are a wonderful way for family members to come together, proactively solve problems, set family goals and foster positive communication.

Family meetings provide parents with a positive opportunity to teach their children problem solving, negotiation, and communication skills. This is particularly important for families with children who have ADHD.

ADHD can make coping with the typical demands of family life much more difficult. It can also result in increased conflict and strain in sibling relationships. Positive family relationships play an important role in child development and healthy family functioning. Family meetings allow family members to come together, proactively solve problems, set family goals and improve overall communication. Here are some tips for running your family meetings.

· Set up a regular, consistent time for the family meetings. Weekly seems to work well for many families, but you may find that more frequently or less frequently works best for your family. It is helpful to keep the meetings to a consistent time limit, as well. For younger children 15 minutes may be all they can handle. For older kids, 30 minutes may be needed. Again, tailor the time to your own family. And of course, family members can request a special meeting if important issues come up before the regularly scheduled family meeting.

Have a prepared meeting agenda. Purchase a simple notebook (your “official family meeting notebook”) and set it out in a designated spot the day before the meeting. Family members will use the open notebook page to write down the problem they’d like to resolve at the meeting. If your child has difficulty with writing and spelling, you can provide support as he or she writes or you can have your child dictate concerns to you. It is essential that family members understand that the focus of the meeting is to resolve problems. It is not to scapegoat, criticize, punish or complain. Preparing in advance like this often helps children to be more thoughtful, less impulsive and more planful in the problem solving process – an important skill for all children to cultivate, but especially important for children with ADHD.

There are two main rules that family members must follow during the meetings.
1. Be Respectful of Others
2. Wait Your Turn to Speak (No Interrupting)
Review these rules before every family meeting. It is often helpful to have the children take turns reading or reciting the rules themselves. You may need to give your ADHD child extra help with the wait your turn rule. It often helps to sit beside your impulsive child to give him or her a little extra support.
· As a parent, your role is to enforce the two rules, follow the agenda, facilitate the problem solving, keep the meeting on task, and maintain a positive, solution-focused atmosphere.

http://specialchildren.about.com/od/mentalhealthissues/Handling_Your_Child_s_Mental_Health_Issues.htm