Offering Diagnostic Educational Evaluations

If I had a dollar for every meeting that I sat in, where the teacher said, "but he doesn't come for extra help"; then I would be rich!  Telling a student with ADHD to go for extra help, is like telling a deaf person to hear.  The steps involved in going for extra help...are all weaknesses of the ADHD student.  Executive Functioning....planning...short-term memory...organizing their schedule to attend...knowing when extra help is offered...knowing what to do if the teacher isn't in the room when they get there....knowing what to do if the teacher is talking to another adult...knowing what to say to the teacher when he arrives at the room for extra help...knowing what to bring...making sure the work is completed so the teacher can offer feedback...what if you get distracted and are now a few minutes late....what if you forget to go and now the teacher is mad...what if you forgot to tell your parent you were going...what if a friend sees you there...what if you become so worried about going that it consumes your thoughts all day long...what if? what if? what if?  In my opinion....the task of "going for extra help" should be an IEP goal...and throughout the year teachers should work on objectives related to helping that student achieve that goal.  I know it sounds silly, but some students actually have to be taught...how to go get Extra Help. These objectives can be broken down so each week the student become more independent and closer to going for exra help on his own.  Perhaps, the teacher can give him a pass with the day, time, and room number.  Then if someone asks him where he is going, he can simply show the pass.  Worry #1-done.  Next, the teacher should understand how challenging the task of going for extra help is for the student.  The teacher should never scold the student for work not done or if the student cannot explain why they are there or if they arrive late. The teacher should welcome the students and reward him in some way for coming.  I know this sounds excessive and the extra help should be the reward, but this is why students have IEPs because simple tasks (like going for Extra Help) are not so simple for some students.  They require direct instruction in these areas.  Yes...they need to be taught HOW to go for Extra Help.  So the next time a teacher of an ADHD student says "I don't understand why he doesn't come for extra help,"  I dare you to reply "and I don't understand why the deaf child can't hear."