While many parents are driven to distraction by a young child who acts like a whirling dervish it is generally when a child     enters school that the diagnosis of ADD is seriously considered.  The school setting requires the very skills that are difficult for  children with ADD -- sustained attention to a task, waiting turns and staying seated.  Children with ADD experience difficulties in many or all of the skills needed for academic success: starting tasks; completing tasks; making transitions; interacting with others; following through on directions; producing work consistently; and organizing multi-step tasks. If the child attends preschool, ADD is often exhibited through excessive activity and an inability to play for sustained periods. In elementary school, the child is expected to pay attention for longer periods and to be able to sit quietly without disrupting the class. The child with ADD has a very difficult time with these demands. In middle and high school, these children/adolescents may settle down, no longer appearing obviously hyperactive. Instead they may be fidgety, restless, distractible, and loud. Learning skills have suffered and social problems begin to develop resulting in poor peer relations. Approximately 50% of children with ADD can be taught in the regular classroom. Teachers must be trained to recognize the special

needs of these students and to make any appropriate teaching and classroom modifications. The other 50% will require some degree of special education and related services. Of this 50%, about 35-40% will primarily be served in the regular classroom with additional support personnel and/or "pull-out" programs that provide special services outside of the classroom. The most severely affected, 10-15%, may require self-contained classrooms. Classroom characteristics which promote success for many children who have ADD: predictability, structure, shorter work periods, small teacher to pupil ratio, more individualized instruction, interesting curriculum and use of positive reinforcement.

Research also suggests certain teacher characteristics that are helpful in teaching children with ADD, include: positive academic expectations frequent monitoring and checking of pupil's work, gives directions clearly and directly, warmth, patience, humor, consistency and firmness. The teacher who wishes to work well with ADD kids in addition to the above,  must also have a knowledge of different behavioral techniques and a  willingness to work with special education

teachers. Behavior management techniques must often be used in the class. Evaluating a child's problem behavior, understanding its antecedents and consequences, educators can then assist children with ADD to develop behaviors that lead to academic and social success. Self-monitoring techniques have also proven effective in the school setting. Self-monitoring of attention involves cueing the student so that he can determine how well he is attending to the task at hand. Cueing is sometimes done by utilizing an audio tone, such as a random beep, though other cues can be used by the teacher.. Self-monitoring techniques have proven most effective when tied to rewards and accuracy checks.
Children with ADD can succeed in school if appropriate evaluations and remedial education techniques are employed and where the school/class environment is accepting, flexible but firm, and structured to meet the needs of the pupil.

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