RIA Vvecin, founding partner of The Tomatis Center in the Philippines, recommends the following to parents and teachers who deal with ADHD children.

For Parents:

* Learn about ADHD. The more you know, the more you can help yourself and your child.

* Praise your child when he or she does well. Build your child?s abilities. Talk about and encourage his or her strengths and talents.

* Be clear, be consistent, be positive. Set clear rules for your child. Tell your child what he or she should do, not just what he shouldn?t do. Be clear about what will happen if your child does not follow the rules. Have a reward program for good behavior. Praise your child when he or she shows the behaviors you like.

* Learn about strategies for managing your child?s behavior, such as charting, having a reward program, ignoring behaviors, natural consequences, logical consequences, and time-out. Using these strategies will lead to more positive behaviors and cut down on problem behaviors.

* Talk with your doctor whether medication will help your child.

* Pay attention to your child?s mental health (and your own!). Be open to counseling. It can help you deal with the challenges of raising a child with ADHD. It can help your child deal with frustration, feel better about himself or herself, and learn more about social skills.

* Talk to other parents whose children have ADHD. Parents can share practical advice and emotional support.

* Meet with the school and develop an educational plan to address your child?s needs. Both you and your child?s teachers should get a written copy of this plan.

* Keep in touch with your child?s teacher. Tell the teacher how your child is doing at home. Ask how your child is doing in school. Offer support.

For Teachers:

* Learn more about ADHD. It will help you identify behavior support strategies and effective ways to support the student educationally.

* Figure out what specific things are hard for the student. For example, one student with ADHD may have trouble starting a task, while another may have trouble ending one task and starting the next. Each student needs different help.

* Post rules, schedules, and assignments. Clear rules and routines will help a student with ADHD. Have set times for specific tasks. Call attention to changes in the schedule.

* Show the student how to use an assignment book and a daily schedule. Also teach study skills and learning strategies, and reinforce these regularly.

* Help the student channel his or her physical activity (e.g. let the student do some work standing up or at the board). Provide regularly scheduled breaks.

* Make sure directions are given step by step, and that the student is following the directions. Give directions both verbally and in writing. Many students with ADHD also benefit from doing the steps as separate tasks.

* Let the student do work on a computer (if you see that this is working, that the student can concentrate and accomplish more). This works for some and not for others. Observe and implement what is best for the student.

* Work together with the student?s parents to create and implement an educational plan tailored to meet the student?s needs. Regularly share information about how the student is doing at home and at school.

* Have high expectations for the student, but be willing to try new ways of doing things. Be patient. Maximize the student?s chances for success.