• Resources for teenagers and their parents
• A schooling horror story with a happy ending you may get ideas from
• Legal rights in the USA
• Legal resources for ADHD people and their parents in the USA
• A very successful teacher of special needs kids offers her winning techniques.

	Adhd and Teens : A Parent's Guide to Making It Through the Tough Years The reviewers say,"The author tells us what we need to know as parents and how to guide the educational system. THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR EDUCATORS!!!!" "I am an ADHD female and I found this book very helpfull.I can now pay attention better and curve my impusivity.The strategies were very helpfull and I am now an A student without medicine.I am also not ashamed of having ADHD anymore."		Give Your Add Teen a Chance: A Guide for Parents of Teenagers With Attention Deficit Disorder Give Your ADD Teen a Chance provides parents with expert help by showing them  how to determine which issues are caused by "normal" teenage development, and which are caused by ADD. It also looks specifically at the academic challenges ADD teens face, offering tips for academic success. Finally, the book enables parents to look objectively at their ADD teen, giving guidelines for discipline, guidance, and responsibility.
	Born To Be Wild: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Alcoholism & Addiction For professionals who work with ADHD students who are at risk for addictive illnesses (alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling, sexual, food). Also included are tips on early identification and treatment to reduce these risks. This text includes: * A guide for physicians regarding medical   management * Educational instructions for teachers  * A guide for parents, physicians, and psychologists regarding behavioral management  * Self-understanding and self-help to individuals with ADHD  *Redefines ADHD as a genetic disorder  * Explains various subtypes		Distant Drums, Different Drummers : A Guide for Young People With Adhd The reviewer said,"Finally! An appropriate book on ADHD for "middlers"!  We have tried all the others. THIS was the one my son could read, identify with and appreciate. Ingersoll addresses her readers with the assumption that they are intelligent. What a refreshing change! She defines the physiological differences,  offers the "hunter" theory of ADHD to explain the roots of the differences,  addresses survival skills. At the end of the book are some short checklists for the  kids which allow some introspection, and suggested ways for kids to address what shortcomings they've found. This is the one to try for the 10+ crowd.

A Horror Story with a Happy Ending
This email arrived last month, and with the Mum's permission  it has been reprinted as it may help you find answers.

"My son's last school was hell on earth, to put it mildly. The principal had stated to me "why do you fight for your kids, they're nothing but trouble makers."
    When the youngest, Jake--adhd, was trying new meds and a new school, he had behavior problems. He ended up getting away from special ed teacher and hitting/kicking principal. This caused them to call police as my husband and I were out of town shopping. The police were never told he was special needs, the school did NOT give police his meds, and they put him into temporary foster care til we got home. This happened around ten in the morning and we didnt get home til around two thirty.
    My son had charges pressed against him by the school/principal. The court appointed lawyer thought he was just a brat til I contacted him to tell of his adhd. Then I had to do all the calling and getting information to the lawyer. We ended up with Jake in a diversionary program. It still cost us hundreds of dollars.
    Due to this problem, we ended up putting Jake into a psychiatric hospital. This was the best thing for him. We found out he was also ODD. We got meds leveled and  a para for him at school. Things went well for him.
    My other son, Ben, is gifted. We recently found out he is ADD. At this same school, my gifted son was making D's and F's. He ended up in a wheelchair with conversion disorder(where the body is under too much stress that it shuts down). The principal and teachers were always putting him down saying he was faking his illness. We had him test out of school and two weeks after that he was playing baseball. All we got from the school people was "we knew he was faking it."
    My main question is what legal rights do I have to go on to sue the school and principal?
    There has to be something out there and someone willing to take the  case to help me make sure that these people never do this again. Thanks for listening. I am glad to say that we have moved from the other town and kids are doing excellent.
Geri "

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Know your rights as an ADHD family
We therefore did some research for Geri and thought these places may also be useful to you if you need to know your rights as an ADHD person or a parent. If you are not in the USA, and have information on rights in your country, please let us know and we will add them to this ezine for future readers. Contact us at leggnz@xtra.co.nz

UNDERSTANDING LEGAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Recent legislation in the USA protects the rights of people with disabilities. In order to be effective selfadvocates, students
need to be informed about this legislation. It is especially important to know about the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(especially Section 504), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and how they differ from the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990. In addition the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 protects the confidentiality of student records, which is very important for students
with learning disabilities and their families to understand.

IDEA, Section 504, and ADA: Understanding the Differences

High school students with learning disabilities must understand their rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (which guarantee the civil rights of persons with disabilities) and
how these differ from the rights and services they received under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA).

Under IDEA, which is the legislation that guarantees a free appropriate public education and governs the provision
of special education services to students with disabilities in elementary and secondary schools, the school is
responsible for identifying students with disabilities, for providing all necessary assessments, and for monitoring
the provision of special education services. These special education services, which are described in detail in a
student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Individualized Transition Plan (ITP), could significantly alter
the requirements of the "standard" high school academic program.

Requirements for high school diplomas may be changed under IDEA, as well. For example, dependent on their particular
disabilities, some students' programs of study under IDEA may not include certain language, mathematics, or
science courses that are usually required courses for a diploma.

"If you are seeking information about  our book: Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, which contains the full text of IDEA-97, the special ed regs, text of Section 504, FERPA, and landmark U. S. Supreme Court cases,  please click here. Before a consultation, the parent should have reviewed our book Wrightslaw: Special Education Law . Many questions you may have of Pete are answered  here We receive many emails from parents who said that they were in crisis, ordered ourpublications, completed the questionnaire, were organizing the file for the consultation,reading the articles, and then realized what the true issues were, that they were focusing on the wrong symptom of a greater problem, and did not need the consultation. So often the analysis of the bark on the trees causes us to overlook the needs of the forest and the forest fire on the next ridge headed toward us.

This is the most important function of our website - to provide parents with accurate information and an understanding of tactics and strategies. Often, parents who become knowledgeable, do not need to consult with an attorney, succeed in NOT shooting
themselves in the foot, and are able to get better services for their children.Every day, we also receive one to two dozen requests for help from parents who have a present legal or educational problem.

Remember, while knowledge of the facts and the law is important, they do not control outcome. More important is how information is presented. You must learn how to present your information in a way that makes your adversary WANT to give your child what he
or she needs. You avoid a battle and everyone benefits, including your child. Try not to let your situation get polarized. If necessary, let someone else act on your behalf - let that person become the lightning rod- The Wrightslaw computer"

The Complete IEP Guide : How to Advocate for Your Special Ed. Child "This book will become the "bible" for parents of Special Education children. Thebook is written with the lay person in mind in a clear and concise manner. The whole IEP process is spelled out in easy to follow steps that gently glides one through the process. The letters and forms which can be copied or added to are invaluable, and take a giant step toward helping parents become effective advocates for their children. A copy of the law IDEA 1997 is included, giving full disclosure tothe general public. The information included in this book can save a parent thousands of dollars in attorney's fees. If you buy just one book about Special Education this year, this should be the one!"says the reviewer.

Negotiating the Special Education Maze: A Guide for Parents & Teachers "If for any reason your child is in or entering special education, this book is beyond value. It explains the processes involved, what the schools are and are not permitted to do, what they and you must do, to achieve~ This book gives you the base you need to fight back on behalf of your child's future. No parent facing a school's 'child study team' should be without this. You'll be amazed at the rights you and your child actually have."

As a school teacher dealing with all different populations of students, throughout the years, I have learned how to make a child become a winner. What does it take for someone to win when they have been told they can't because they have a disability that interferes with learning? Let me share with you what I have learned in fifteen years as a public school teacher.

First, you must love these children and let them know it. They need to know that you care and you are there for them, whatever it takes. You must love what you do to do this. I have had students that others would not take because they were labeled as having special needs. These children had learning disabilities and were told that they wouldn't be able to achieve what the so-called normal child would.

See, you must know something about me: I believe nothing is impossible, and if you have faith, all things are possible. This is the first principle I use every day when I enter my classroom. I believe that every child has a right to learn and there is a way to help each individual child. I build a relationship with these children and they know that I have faith in them.

I find that these children who are labeled have had many negative experiences along the way. You must work with them to help them start small to achieve and win instead of lose. I give them projects to do and I help them along the way. They may have to get up and walk away from what they are doing because they have a problem concentrating, but I encourage them to go back and complete the work. I do work with these children one-on-one as much as I can and I go out of my way to reward them even in little ways by saying, "you did a great job ," or showing the others what they have accomplished. These children need to know that they can be successful. To illustrate, I took seven of my students to state competition; and five are state winners, two of them are labeled as having learning problems. I would also like to share with you that your attitude in the classroom towards these children would set the tone of the classroom. You must not draw negative attention to these children because you then again are contributing to more negative input in their lives.

I know how tough it can be to deal with behavior problems and the frustration that results when these children cannot sit or behave like the student who does not have these problems. I am a mother of a child who is ADHD and I know what I have lived through in just four short years of life. I am asking they you give these children a chance. You really can make a difference in their lives and I pray it is one of a positive nature.

Karen L. Riley, RDH,BS,MED

Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul; 102 Stories to Give Kids Courage, Hope, Laughter  Book Description  Today's kids face more grave issues and harder decisions than ever before. Gang warfare,violence, drugs, alcohol, smoking, pregnancy, depression and suicide have found their way into middle and elementary schools. Divorce splits apart families every day. These issues make kids feel as if they must understand and accept all the troubles of the world.  In this special volume, young listeners will find empowerment and encouragement to love and accept themselves, believe in their dreams, find answers to their questions and discover hope for a promising future.  Available also as audio tapes. click here for more information and to buy.

If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules : Ten Rules for Being Human, As Introduced in Chicken Soup for the Soul Book Description  A wonderful book for anyone and everyone to read. Reviewer: CDauph25@freewwweb.com from Silver Spring, MD "When I picked up this book last week at the airport, it was out of morbid curiosity. Due to the fact that my perception of most "motivational speakers" is of being opportunistic people who make their living from people in need. However after I started reading this book I could not put it down, since then I have read it twice. The reason I got OnLine today was to order hard-cover copies to give away. I wish I have read something like this back in Junior-high. I’ve always said that in our school systems we lack a mandatory class for teaching people how to be civilized human beings. I now believe this book would be wonderful text material for such a class. From now on I am adding this book to the series of books I give to the troubled teenagers I mentor." click here for more information and to buy.