Teaching life lessons -- and learning them
For children diagnosed with ADHD, one secret to their success is finding their niche – something where they can achieve success. Senior Tiffany Grine, who taught a group of these students during a summer internship through the Cleveland Clinic, just may have found hers.
The seven-week Summer Treatment Program, operated through the clinic’s Children’s Hospital, helps adolescents and younger children learn to manage their behavioral, emotional and learning issues. Tiffany would be hard-pressed to decide whether she or students benefitted more from the experience..gif)
The goal of the program, styled like a day camp, is to teach them life skills and skills they need in a school setting to be successful., said Tiffany, an early childhood intervention and voice performance major. “To see the kids grow from Day 1 to Day 35, it was astounding. I could see that the program was really making a difference in their lives.”
In her second year with the program – she worked with the younger children last year – Tiffany spent three hours a day teaching history, reading, literature and language arts with a focus on school survival skills to 11- to 14-year-olds, many of whom also contend with accompanying disorders such as dyslexia, mood disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Research has borne out that children diagnosed with ADHD function better in a structured environment. “It’s all about a routine,” Tiffany said. “Their day is planned to the minute. They are on a very specific schedule with very specific rules to follow.”
The schedule – which includes a group discussion in the morning – is spelled out for the students on the first day of the program. When the students aren’t in the classroom, they are involved in athletic activities, an arena where success often comes somewhat easier.
Tiffany observed that her 15 students had not previously experienced much success in the classroom. “To see the surprise on their faces when they realized they could be successful – that was amazing,” she said.
Clinic staff follow the progress of the students throughout the succeeding school year, observing them in their individual classrooms. An important component to the program involves parents, who participate in weekly training sessions and monthly through the school year.
Many of the students have difficulty forming friendships, but that comes easier in the structured Summer Treatment Program, which is voluntary. Tiffany bonded with her students as well, which made for an emotional farewell when the program concluded. But the good news is that she has been invited to return next summer for a third time, where she just might be reunited with some of her students. Many enroll in the program again because of its positive impact, she said.
Tiffany’s internship experience confirmed for her that she’s on the right career path. “My dream job is to work with kids with ADHD,” she said. She’s gained some valuable experience that’ll guide her as she begins research for her senior honors project on different behavior monitoring programs that are effective for handing children with ADHD. After graduation, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in school psychology.