• Behaviour plans and management An article by Judy Connell, an advocate for ADHD families
• Books on managing the behaviour of ADHD within the familyBooks we have researched that hold answers
• Give your body the food it needs to help you cope.Natural safe supplements we use and recommend that will  help you cope with stress, fatigue, and give you a positive outllook.

Behavior and Discipline Plans by Judy Connell

You can explore the law very thoroughly at http://www.wrightslaw.com and other sites listed at  my links pages. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/1580/index.html

If a child is violent the options are fewer. If a child is not a danger to himself or others, (and  the law is very explicit on what constitutes such a "danger"), then he/she needs to be with appropriate peer  role models as much as possible.

What has proven effective having a POSITIVE behavior plan and possible alternative discipline plan in place.

I would look first and foremost to identifying the child's strengths and  interests. It is amazing what can happen when the focus shifts from expecting poor behavior to building on a  youngster's strengths. This does not have to be in the area of academics, although that is wonderful if there is  an academic strength. Sometimes a mentor in the community for such an interest, say in pottery, music, or art,  can be a very positive force in such a child's life. Even one hour or two a week can make a dramatic difference  in the life of the child. I believe this should be a one-on-one activity to help the child build self-esteem and to  know one person wants to help him build on his unique strengths.

It is extremely helpful if the parent has access to a child psychologist's expertise to help write those behavior and discipline plans. Unfortunately, school staff sometimes don't appear to feel free to offer services that will be meaningful. Perhaps they do not want to rock the boat. Again, the focus can end up not on education, but on other influences. This is very sad,  as the child cannot grow in competence if those new behaviors are not cultivated.

   On the other hand, I have seen a really great behavior plan, written by the team and endorsed by the team,
help a child improve in leaps and bounds. A good plan identifies rewards that are truly meaningful to that
particular child, puts in contingency plans(ie what to do if a sub does not know about plan) and is totally
directed toward teaching the child to new behavior, not to something that is rewarding and convenient for the
district, (i.e. throw him in an empty room and call it time out). If punitive measures have been used before you
can point out that obviously that method did not work, now lets use something that will actually teach to new
behaviors.

    A good behavior plan always addresses 3 things, called the ABC's of behavior. The antecendent(what was
going on just before the behavior) the behavior itself, and the consequence (what happens as a result of the
behavior).

What schools invariably miss is addressing the antecedent. No one looked at what was going on that
lead to the behavior.Invariably something happened during a time of transition(change), teacher was attending
to something other than the class, or the child. has become the class scapegoat and the teacher enables the
class to continue this behavior. Perhaps the child is tactily sensitive, and becomes overheated in P.E., or
overwhelmed and overstimulated by large crowds.

I.D.E.A. makes it clear that if there are behavior issues there needs to be a professional behavior assessment, and ALL interventions must be documented on paper, which ones worked and which ones were not successful. This is the approach that will pinpoint a lot of problems and can start a child on the road to compentency in the area of behaviors. Here is a favorite area for throwing around the word "responsibility". A child who lacks competency in the area of social behavior is told to "act  responsibly." The district must also shoulder "responsibility" to properly identify the child's needs and draw  up a logical well thought-out positiveapproach to changing the behavior.

The law also stresses the use  of positive interventions, not punitive interventions or punishment. Punishment does not teach a child to new  behaviors. It manages to stop the behavior but only temporarily. The key is to replace the unacceptable behavior with positive behavior.

Books on Behaviour modification for ADHD people

Keys to Parenting a Child With Attention Deficit Disorder                         (Parenting Keys) - Barry E. McNamara, Francine J. McNamara;

Your Hyperactive Child : A Parent's Guide to Coping With Attention Deficit Disorder - Barbara Ph.D. Ingersoll, Barbara D.

• Dr. Larry Silver's Advice to Parents on Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorde Larry M. Silver, Larry B. Silver;
• Coping With Your Attention Deficit Disorder Child  A PracticalGuide for Management - James Shaya, James Windell;
• Pants With Pockets And Other Tips On Managing An ADD/ADHDChildVol 1 - Candi Matos, et al; Mass Market

Give your body the food it needs to help you cope.