Teaching ADD Kids to Learn Effectively

 

The Center of Wisdom in Israel, is taking a different approach to the problem of kids with attention deficit disorder, or ADD.

 

It teaches them how to learn and succeed without resorting to pharmaceuticals. 

 

A common solution nowadays is to treat children diagnosed with ADD using Ritalin.

 

[Aviram Heihal, Director, Center of Wisdom]: 

"What we do here, in fact, is instead of labeling the child as problematic and so on, we basically remain educators and not medical professionals. From an education perspective, we believe that there is no child that can’t be helped. We need to change the ways to reach every child."

 

This mother of one of the center participants lists some problems that her child was struggling with.

 

[Limor, Mother of Center Participant]: 

"Inability to concentrate in class, overstepping boundaries, almost complete loss of wanting to study and attend school. A significant decline in achievement compared to previous years. There were other difficulties and social problems too."

 

The director of the center says that the key to success in the program lies in the student's motivation.

 

[Aviram Heihal, Director, Center of Wisdom]: 

“We do not take kids here who do not want to be here. Those who succeed here are, first of all, children who want to do so."

 

Parents themselves participate in the process and learn how to study and share with the child the experience of learning.

 

The children learn special exercises that develop concentration skills. They also learn etiquette, self control and a number of ways to communicate and express themselves.

 

[Aviram Heihal, Director, Center of Wisdom]: 

"These exercises are very challenging. Firstly, we combine a lot of games in private tutoring classes and those are learning games. In addition we have a lot of prizes and planned competitions among children.”

 

Jonathan is nine-and-a-half. During the four months he's been here, he's learned how to study and be attentive.

 

[Jonathan, Center Participant]: 

"I wasn't busy in classes and I couldn't concentrate and I sometimes I wouldn't copy from the class board...and I felt tired and couldn't study. So I came here, and here I got a lot of tools and I began to understand many things, and now I copy from the board, work and do my homework."

 

When children who've already been on Ritalin for some time join the center's program, they're guided through a process of detoxification by a supervising doctor. 

 

Then the child begins to integrate in the study program.

 

[Gadi Ben Levy, Vice President, Center of Wisdom]: 

“I just want to add one thing to sum things up, Ritalin - really, is not the answer. This is not what will spur the education system of the State of Israel or any other country in the world towards better education. Kids just need to know how to learn, once they know how to learn, most of the problems associated with attention and concentration are completely solved."

 

And for those who do learn how to study effectively, the sky's the limit.

 

NTD News, Israel

 

Photographer: David Bershadsky , Reporter: Nehora Shumely