Mack has his own video business. Sally babysits and plans to become a
criminal lawyer. Willie works in a factory and wants to play in the NFL
and earn a degree in business administration. The three teens all do
well at their public high schools, keep busy with work and friends, and
are carefully planning their futures.
But what they also have in common is a diagnosis of attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -- also sometimes referred to as
attention-deficit disorder, or ADD -- and many past struggles.
In the teenage years, the academic, behavioral and social problems
associated with ADHD have high stakes. Failed classes must be made up
in order to graduate; fighting or reckless driving can land a kid in
jail or worse, and poor social skills can lead to depression.
But the flip side is the ability of older children with ADHD to take
charge of their situations. "At a high school age, you can actually sit
down and go through this cognitive process with them," says Sheila
Espinosa, special-education teacher at Chief Sealth High School, in
West Seattle. "They're becoming aware of themselves and their
behaviors, what's working and what's not."
Not all students diagnosed with ADHD are in special-education programs.
However, the advantage of giving these students specially designed
instruction is the opportunity to meet individual needs and build on
existing strengths -- whether those lie in music, math or other
subjects.
Missed assignments, poor writing skills and lack of organization can
result in low or failing grades for students with ADHD. Because
academic difficulties often cause battles at home and trouble at
school, addressing them can have benefits beyond the classroom.
"Succeeding in school is one of the most therapeutic things for a
child," says Chris Dendy, author and national speaker on managing ADHD
in teenagers. "For the child with ADHD, academic interventions improve
behavior, but the converse is not true."
When Mack Fisher was in fifth grade, the school counselor told his
parents their son was destined to lead a life of crime and recommended
that he leave the Bellevue elementary school he attended. "Mack was
bored, antsy, mouthy and smart," says his mom, Deborah Fisher, "and I
didn't raise a compliant child." The positive outcome of this difficult
time was the Fishers' referral to a family therapist who educated both
family and school about ADHD and how it affected Mack's brain and
school performance.
Sally (who preferred her last name not be used in this article) spent
her middle school years fighting with her mom, bouncing between schools
and seeing juvenile detention facilities from the inside. Still only
16, Sally already speaks about her "behavior issues" in the past tense.
"It just hit me," she says, "I needed to get stuff done in order to go
to college."
Willie (who also requested his first name only be used) credits his
parents' "riding him" and pushing involvement in sports for his staying
in school and out of trouble. Willie was still in elementary school
when his ADHD was diagnosed and Ritalin recommended. But Willie's
parents decided to manage his impairment without medication. As is
typical of kids with ADHD, Willie didn't cope well with the greater
workload and responsibilities he encountered in middle school, and then
got distracted by the social scene during his freshman year at
Seattle's Garfield High School.
As a result, Willie transferred to Chief Sealth, a smaller school with
fewer distractions. Although the move was against his mother's wishes,
it proved to be a wise choice: 18-year-old Willie graduated this spring
and is off to college in California on a football scholarship.
"I think school is what you make of it, it's not what school makes of
you," Willie says. To challenge himself, Willie chose to take general
education classes for all but one subject, even though it meant lower
grades.
As with Willie, 10th grade was also a turning point for Mack. Now a
17-year-old junior at Sammamish High School, Mack takes general
education classes and had a GPA of 3.75 on his last report card. "What
helped me was doing it for myself rather than doing it for my parents
as I did all through middle school," says Mack, referring to his
schoolwork.
Deborah Fisher confesses to having been a "homework cop" until a major
battle with her son led her to finally let go. Self-managing proved the
key for Mack, who is now off medication and will finish his senior year
without the safety net of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Sally has a 3.7 GPA in her special-education classes at Chief Sealth,
but she doesn't find school easy. "I don't apply myself," she admits,
"because school is stressful, one big stress." Nonetheless, she plans
to attend South Seattle Community College in order to fulfill
prerequisites and ease into university life.
Sally was introduced to SSCC through Chief Sealth's special-education
program. Sheila Espinosa teaches and manages services for up to 30
students who have IEPs at the school. Regular field trips to career
fairs and community colleges, as well as life-skills training, help
students like Sally get and stay on track. In what is known in special
education as the "transition process," Espinosa helps her students set
goals and plan for their futures.
Deborah Fisher also speaks highly of the career planning offered in
Mack's study skills class, the only special-education class he's taken.
"It was very helpful to analyze his learning style and learn what he
needed to know about himself to move forward."
While Mack, Sally and Willie are nonchalant about their turnarounds and
successes in school, they do offer advice to other teens with learning
or behavioral challenges.
"Get into counseling (with a good counselor), find a support system and set goals early," Sally says.
Procrastination is Mack's biggest weakness: "I used to think homework
was a waste of time, but now I realize that I have to do it sooner or
later, so why not sooner for full credit than later for half credit?"
Mack also confesses that he'd be lost without his PDA, which he uses to
keep track of his school assignments and work schedule.
For Willie, involvement in sports has provided discipline and life
lessons. Willie's advice to fellow teens: "Put your mind to something
and stick with it; don't just give up and drop out. Separate yourself
from friends if necessary, do what you need to do. Apply yourself."
Freelance writer Melinda Tsuchiya lives in West Seattle with her husband and two sons (one of whom has attention- deficit disorder). She can be reached at .
Health & Development 
