Please leave your comment on this very important issue inside this blog! This is what I wrote-
Many MLA's believe that your mandate also includes the issue of Ritalin, but this is not the case. I am aware your mandate is to review the Inclusive Education Programs and Services in New Brunswick. The following are my views on inclusive education with regards to students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD).
Inclusion to me is every student with a Special Need will receive the best education that this province will allow. Of course, we must separate the rights of the child to be in a typical class, and concentrate on the need that would be most optimal for the special need student to learn. Therefore, enhancing the opportunity for the student to have a better quality of life for themselves and society.
The typical New Brunswick classroom often has a combination of students with more than one type of mental disorder. For example: ADHD, Autism, or Cerebral Palsy(CP).
For students with ADHD, often the classroom composition is disruptive commonly with increased noise levels, which impedes learning of the student with ADHD.
Students with ADHD are often labelled as "idiots" or "stupid" by their peers because they are on Ritalin. Conversely, the reality is these students with ADHD are often quite intelligent.
There are many great individuals with ADHD who have become global leaders with different expertise. For example: Bill Gates of Microsoft, Past-President Bill Clinton, Vince McMahon from the WWE( he told millions of viewers on 60 Minutes he has ADHD). Only an ADHD mind could develop a soap opera in the world of wrestling.
In the classroom, once the student with ADHD completes their assigned work the teacher should tell the student to go outside and run around. This is not realistic, but it bears reminding that the student with ADHD may require extra activities to keep him/her busy and mind occupied.
By implementing this strategy there is a reduced opportunity for the student with ADHD to act or get into trouble.
If circumstances are such that the ADHD student works outside the classroom, assurances must be in place that he/she will receive the same grade level curriculum as his/her peers, or higher if indicated.
Educators must hone in on the interests of the ADHD student, foster the interest to assist him/her to go on to lead a productive life. They must not be forgotten in the classroom.
To enhance learning in the classroom, a suggestion would be to have access to an FM System. The teacher will be speaking into a microphone and the student will be wearing an earphone. This permits the ADHD student to filter out background noise, and focus on what the teacher is saying.
You must understand students with ADHD are easily distracted, and today's classrooms are noisy.
Smaller classrooms are a must, and the teachers must be educated on ADD/ADHD, and be trained to implement effective strategies to teach them.
One word I truly despise is the word Special Assistant. I understand that the teacher needs help, but if a special assistant is always offering help to a student with ADHD, it could lower their self-esteem. Other students notice this kind of thing, and they can be very degrading to the ADHD student. Often leading to the ADHD student to be called "idiot" or "stupid". Truth is children can be cruel.
Of course, the atmosphere at home must be taken into consideration. Parents and teachers must be open to communicate with each other. If both parents are working, on many occasions, the time is not made available to help the student with ADHD to do homework or study properly.
The other issue I have is about Ritalin, however, I realize this is not your mandate to study this issue. The percentage of students taking Ritalin is at an all time high in New Brunswick schools. Therefore, these highly intelligent students must be treated with dignity by the Department of Education, School Districts, Schools and their Administrators.
Remember one thing. If we continue to degrade these students with ADHD, we can be preventing some of them from developing into our future leaders of the province or country.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles Leblanc
Adult living with ADHD
ADHD Activist
4 comments:
Hello Charles, we met at the end of the forum last week. I hope you don't mind, but I edited your letter. See what you think, it is only a suggestion.
A Review of the Inclusive Education Program
And Services in New Brunswick
The following areas are of concern on Inclusive Education with regards to students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Inclusion, to be included. That is the definition. But in our current education system our children with ADHD, as a main example are excluded due to the nature of their special need. There is a current and ineffective plan on how to teach or deal with our children. There is a lack of knowledge and support for the teachers we are expecting to nurture our child’s educational growth. Therefore Inclusion is not taking place in the New Brunswick Education system.
Inclusion for ALL Special Needs students will require the Department of Education to get an education on how to teach these children, teach them with the same dignity and respect that other students without special qualities receive. Because of the level of incompetence in our current classroom setting most if not all special needs students are up for peer ridicule. This of course leads to behavioral disruptions that tend to lead to the discipline being handed out to the Specials Needs student, as opposed to the other because they are the ones who lack the “given” skill to react according to there age group.
The typical New Brunswick classroom often has a combination of students with more than one type of physical or behavioral disorder. For example: ADHD, Autism, Conduct Disorder or Cerebral Palsy (CP) just to name a few. Inclusion requires that all students must have there educational needs met in the classroom. There are many great individuals with ADHD who have become global leaders with different expertise. For example: Bill Gates of Microsoft, Past-President Bill Clinton, Vince McMahon from the WWE (he told millions of viewers on 60 Minutes he has ADHD).
Inclusion requires that the Department of Education works and communicates with the parents/guardians of our Special Need students. And that all teachers and support staff be re-educated on how to teach and deal with all “types” of children, especially ADD/ADHD.
In conclusion I would like to address the issue of instruction by educators to use Ritalin. This medication and the use of it must be the sole decision of the parent/guardian of the child and there doctor. Not the Department of Education or its employees. New Brunswick is at an all time high for the amount of Ritalin that is prescribe to children for ADD/ADHD. It has been noted on several occasions by the press that school officials have suggested or badgered parents into getting there child medicated. This is not a method that falls into Inclusion. It is time that the Department of Education and its employees stay within their boundaries. Again this is a prime example of how the educators need to be re-educated on how to teach the Special Needs students.
Remember, if we continue to degrade these students with ADD/ ADHD, we can be preventing them from developing into our future leaders.
Respectfully yours,
I will send them both....
We still don't get it. Attention span is an individual trait. Brown hair is an individual trait. Johnny has a 10 second attention span while Billy has a 60 second attention span. Is something wrong with Johnny? Johnny also has brown hair while Billy has Blonde hair. Is something wrong with Johnny?
This individual trait shows itself when all are locked in the same system
Remember "God Says, Our Children need Love not pills?" or as Roxy Music sang "Love is the drug"
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