Change

The last 4 weeks of term 1 were quite challenging for Leni. His classroom went through some big changes with structure which really unsettled him and derailed all the things we had worked so hard for over the past few years.

I can’t imagine being a teacher and having such a diverse mix of students and personalities in one room every day but I think it’s fair to say that some people handle the diversity much better than others.

Change for an ADHDer is hard. Even good change can be stressful and requires patience and careful consideration for those children who may find it difficult. Some schools do this well and others need a little guidance.

I had more calls from the school in those last 3 weeks then I have since Leni started school. The emotional strain it put on me had me struggling to focus at work and often in tears at the end of a call. I was just frustrated and sad that change had crept back into our lives as much as it did in such a short time.

Whilst I thought the teacher that was assigned to his class for the remainder of term to be nice, she just kept clashing with Leni so he spent a lot of time at the school office seeking refuge from what was too overwhelming for him.

He would start the day in the classroom and then one thing would upset him and he would end up back at the office. He even started to visit the sick bay often which I think he knew was an easy way to get out of class and possibly sent home. It’s hard to believe that one teacher could alter his experience at school so much.

A few weeks out from the end of term we were advised that the department of education had given their approval for a new class due to numbers. I jumped on the opportunity for him to be placed in the new class that was to be lead by a teacher that we knew well and a teacher that was also likely to be on class more often than not.

I know that teachers have a lot on their plates but just the smallest adjustment to their approach with an ADHDer can have such a big impact on their learning outcomes and behaviour.

His new teacher seems fairly confident in their approach and has resources in place to help accomodate Lenis needs.

Week one of school holidays down and Leni has spent much of it at home. I think he was so tired by the end of term that he just needed some down time away from everything and everyone.

I think it’s safe to say he has ADHD burnout so the holidays arrived at just the right time. Let’s hope he is rested and ready to step into the ring again in a weeks time.