By Taylor Bowers
Embedded Files
Have you ever felt easily distracted or overwhelmed when trying to get a task done? Do you make impulsive decisions without thinking? Do you have trouble multitasking or using time management skills? These are all common symptoms of ADHD.
Three learning targets:
1. Define ADHD.
2. Explain how ADHD affects children’s behavior and learning within the classroom.
3. Describe what teachers can do to help students with ADHD.
What is ADHD?
ADHD stands for Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. ADHD is a mental disorder that affects behavioral, emotional, educational, and cognitive aspects (Lougy et al., 2007). It is one of the most common mental disorders seen in children. 11% of children between the ages of four and seventeen have received an ADHD diagnosis (Felt et al., 2014). ADHD can manifest in several different symptoms and can last for many years. These symptoms can include but are not limited to: hyperactivity, irritability, lack of attention, fidgeting, impulsivity, aggression, and mood swings.
How ADHD affects children’s behavior and learning within the classroom?
DeRuvo and Rosenthal (2007) discuss the four types of ADHD: Combined type, Predominantly inattentive type, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type or not otherwise specified (NOS). The main differences between the four types of ADHD have to do with the presence or lack of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness. Each child with ADHD will have one of the former types mentioned. Children with ADHD can be triggered by outside sources as well such as classrooms. Classrooms are known to be noisy and chaotic which can make children with ADHD very overwhelmed. Children with ADHD usually deal with short attention spans and lack the ability to focus. When Children with ADHD are provided with distractions, it can cause these children to fall behind.
Let's look at Brad's real life story!
What teachers can do to help students with ADHD?
Teachers can use the problem solving process to recognise the problem behavior and come up with a solution. The problem solving process goes as follows: recognize a problem, define the problem, generate multiple solutions, consider the best option, take action and evaluation (Young & Smith, 2017). Behavioral therapies, sometimes known as behavioral interventions, are strategies that are intended to help the targeted behavior. Behavioral therapies can include student training from a parent, peer modeling and classroom management. Students can benefit from using achievable steps or words of recognition with rewards (Young & Smith, 2017). It is super important that teachers tailor behavioral therapies being used for each student.
Below is a model known as the ADHD Iceberg. There are many forms of the ADHD iceberg model but all have the same concept. ADHD is often a lot more problematic than what is seen on the surface especially for young children that have problems vocalizing for they feel!
Personal testimony!
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was in elementary school. I had a very hard time staying focused and always felt super overwhelmed by what was going on. When I first got diagnosed, they wanted to put me on medication, which my parents agreed to thinking that it would help me greatly. This was unfortunately not the case. I had severe side effects to all the medications they tried, such as tics, loss of appetite, loss of emotions, etc. Since the medicines didn't work, I relied heavily on behavioral therapies and other self management strategies. One of my favorite strategies to use back then and even still today is a daily plan! For me, I can become overwhelmed by the amount of things I need to get done, so a daily plan has really helped me by allowing me to break things down individually. I have added in a photo of my daily plan for one of the days this week. I think that using a plan such as this for children in the classroom can also be a great way to help them stay on task without getting overwhelmed!
Conclusion
It is important that children be diagnosed early so that they can receive proper help, whether that be by medication or by using behavioral techniques. Young children in schools are learning so much; undiagnosed and untreated ADHD can put students learning way behind their classmates. Teachers become one of the primary people responsible for recognizing the symptoms of ADHD, so it is very important that they are trained on the symptoms as well as different forms of treatments.
Test your knowledge!
Which one of the following is a type of ADHD?
a. Combined type
b. Predominantly hyper-active-impulsive type
c. Predominantly inattentive type
d. All of the above
Which of the following is a type of behavioral therapy?
a. Classroom management
b. Peer modeling
c. Student training from a parent
d. All of the above
Answers 1.D 2.D
References
ADHDVOICES. (2012, October 14). What's it like to have ADHD? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl7Ro1PUJmE
American Academy of Pediatrics, McNeil, NICHQ. (2021, May 18). NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scales. https://www.nichq.org/resource/nichq-vanderbilt-assessment-scales#:~:text=The%20NICHQ%20Vanderbilt%20Assessment%20Scales,and%20families%20affected%20by%2n.d.HD.
Felt, B. T., Biermann, B., Christner, J. G., Kochhar, P., & Harrison, R. V. (2014). Diagnosis and management of ADHD in children. American family physician, 90(7), 456–464. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2014/1001/p456.html
Johnson & Johnson. (2009, June 22). Brad's story: A 12 year-old with ADHD. YouTube. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2hLa5kDRCA
Lougy, R., DeRuvo, S., & Rosenthal, D. (2007). Teaching young children with ADHD [e-book] Successful strategies and practical Interventions for PreK-3.
https://odu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/igtoi0/01ODU_ALMA51402263630003186
Young, S., & Smith, J. (2017). Helping children with ADHD [e-book] a CBT guide for practitioners, parents and teachers. https://odu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1h8kdue/01ODU_ALMA51328393440003186
Page updated
Report abuse