My son/daughter has trouble paying attention in class and is underachieving academically. I think the discipline and structure will help him/her focus better on school work.

Nearly every underachieving student will benefit from a strict structure of set hours for class, exercise, recreation, meals, and study. Because many boarding schools offer superior academics with small class sizes and teachers who hold advanced degrees, most underachieving students will improve academically in such environments.

However, before you consider a boarding school for your teen, you have to get to the root of why he is underachieving. Many times a child underachieves because he is suffering from an undiagnosed learning disability, such as dyslexia or dyscalculia, or undiagnosed problems with vision or hearing. Approximately one in 14 American children has attention deficit disorder (ADD), making it hard for that child to sit still, concentrate, and control his impulses. Other children have mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, Asperger's syndrome or opppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Still others cannot perform in school because of family conflicts, divorce situations, or even because they are being bullied at school. Many teens are too involved with drugs or alcohol to perform well at school.

Therapeutic boarding schools are set up to address each of these particular problems. Often, just one year at such a school is long enough to turn an underachieving student into one who is college-bound.

However, you have to make your choice based on your child's individual needs. For example, there are boarding schools that specialize in working with children with ADD. These schools have special equipment such as computer learning software and specially trained educators to help those children. Classes may be shortened and there may be more recess periods and outdoor recreation.

If your child has a mental disorder, he will need to be at a school where there is a psychiatrist to monitor his medications. If your child has emotional problems or substance abuse issues, you need a school that emphasizes counseling, therapy, and substance abuse treatment.

A good boarding school geared toward helping underachieving students will require a complete diagnostic psychological and educational work-up of each student who applies. This way you can be sure that the staff can get to the root of your child's underachievement and address each issue in the most beneficial way.

Frustrated Boy