...Teaching Students with ADHD J. Palmer Capella University Abstract In recent history, the number of students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has grown tremendously; causing teachers to face new challenges on how to instruct students with behavioral and learning difficulties. Students with ADHD have not only the privilege, but also the right to learn according to the Public Law 94-142 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. There is growing debate about methods that are best for students with ADHD including reward systems for behavior, to medications administered to the individual. In order for a student to learn with ADHD, teachers should integrate a variety of techniques, a general knowledge of medications and ADHD itself. Teaching Students with ADHD Introduction Sitting still, listen quietly, concentrating are characteristics of students inside of a classroom engaged in learning. But to a student who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, these tasks can be somewhat a difficult challenge. Inside of the public school system, ADHD has doubled its numbers from previous findings ten years ago. For three years, I have worked with adolescent teens in the foster care system that was placed inside behavioral facilities. One of the common diagnoses of the teens included ADHD. Seeing first hand the affects of ADHD, I chose this topic to further expand my knowledge of ADHD and what strategies could maximize learning within the classroom. One...
Words: 1433 - Pages: 6
...Understanding and Teaching Students with ADHD Evening Degree Program High Point University Understanding and Teaching Students with ADHD The stereotypes are those which we are all too familiar with: the school boy who refuses to stay in his seat for more than a few minutes at a time; instead he goes back and forth to the pencil sharpener or the trash can over and over again and is constantly tapping something when he happens to be seated. We also know of the schoolgirl who never stops staring out the window peacefully daydreaming instead of paying attention to the lesson at hand. It is now common knowledge that this type of behavior seen in the boy can usually be attributed to a neurological disorder called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Hallowell & Ratey, 1994). This diagnosis is also given to the girl in this example even though she doesn’t show signs of hyperactivity. In this case the term Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is sometimes used, although it is generally agreed that both are suffering from the same problem (CHADD, 1996). Both of these scenarios pose a difficult challenge for the educator. How can teachers most effectively work with children who have ADHD? What is ADHD and how is it treated? Teachers need to understand the condition of ADHD before trying to learn how to make instructional changes for the afflicted children. ADHD symptoms were previously thought to stem from the brains inability to filter competing sensory...
Words: 2735 - Pages: 11
...May I Have Your Attention Please?: Teaching Student Writers with ADHD This research paper will investigate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in order to encourage teachers to view the symptoms and behaviors of ADHD as variability, and to discuss how we can address variability in our teaching philosophies and pedagogies. The initial objective is to provide an understanding of the symptoms and behaviors of ADHD in order to make educators evocative of how students with ADHD function and to discuss strategies proven help students with ADHD succeed in the classroom. An additional objective of this paper is to address why teaching children with ADHD is challenging and encourage changes in teaching philosophy and pedagogy. Most teachers...
Words: 1560 - Pages: 7
...Disorder &ump; Autism in the Classroom When teaching it must be expected that there will be students that have behavioral disorders. These disorders must be taken into consideration when giving these students the best education possible. Teachers must accommodate to these children and incorporate them into the daily classroom. Every teacher has their own methods of doing this and can use their creativity to come up with these strategies for teaching. Some strategies may not work, so instructors must put much thought into how they are going to accommodate to these particular students. A very common disorder in children is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. These students have a difficult time holding attention due to the lack of the ability to concentrate. These students tend to act impulsively, have attention deficits, and sometimes exude hyperactive behaviors. Children that have ADHD do not qualify for special education unless they also have another disability. Approximately 7.8 percent of children from the ages of 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, research also shows that males are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD over women. These ratios vary from 4:1 to 9:1. These students with ADHD can be impulsive, which means they act before they think or before considering the situation that they are currently in. They also have a hard time concentrating and find it difficult to sit still. There are medications for ADHD, and they are prescribed often, there are...
Words: 2136 - Pages: 9
...SameDayEssay.com ADHD Methodology 1 Methodology of Research, Data Collection and Analysis This part contains a discussion of the methodologies used to collect and analyse data for the study with the aim of determining whether mainstreaming and inclusion of children with ADHD is the best option or if alternative options are available for parents and schools that would allow special children to achieve their maximum potential. The objectives that would allow the aim of the research study to be achieved are the following: (1) To conduct semi-structured surveys involving the following target respondents: a. Special education teachers handling students with ADHD b. General education teachers in mainstreamed classes c. Parents of children with ADHD d. Parents of children without ADHD but whose children attend classes with children with ADHD e. Classmates of children with ADHD (2) To answer the following research questions to be adapted in the most appropriate manner according to the nature of the respondent (teacher, parent, or schoolmate): a. How effective is mainstreaming in dealing with ADHD students? b. How prepared are teachers in dealing with ADHD students? c. What other alternatives are they aware of or have been tried to deal with ADHD students? (3) To analyse and evaluate the data collected to find the answer(s) to the research aim as to whether mainstreaming is the best option, or if there are better alternatives, and the different conditions for the effectiveness of...
Words: 3857 - Pages: 16
...essay the topic of research is: ‘how children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are included within a mainstream classroom and how greater efforts can be taken to ensure inclusivity for them’. Within our school setting there seem to be more pupils with ADHD (some diagnosed, some undiagnosed but will display some of the behaviours/traits of pupils diagnosed with ADHD). Pupils with ADHD do have some barriers to learning. Some of these pupils are quite able academically and, therefore, may not have been identified as requiring special educational need (SEN) support if it weren’t for the perceived negative behaviours frequently displayed. These behaviours could include: trouble sustaining attention in tasks, trouble organising tasks and activities, refusal to comply with adult instructions, fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in seat, disruption to the lesson by talking excessively, easily frustrated and having trouble waiting for his or her turn, distress at seemingly minor issues, disturbing other children, leaving the classroom etc. A range of strategies can be used to help these pupils settle in a main stream classroom and raise their achievement. It would be interesting to find out if it is an issue of Sensory sensitivity that is largely a factor in inhibiting the learning of these pupils. Baranek (2002) and Barkley (1998) report that pupils with ADD, ODD and ADHD often have Sensory Processing concerns and also Motor planning deficits. Many people who...
Words: 4456 - Pages: 18
...Running head: ADHD AND HOW IT RELATES TO FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS 1 ADHD AND HOW IT RELATES TO FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS 8 ADHD and How It Relates to Families and Schools Hayleigh Weldin California State University, Bakersfield Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most predominant childhood disorders and it is a community and family health problem that can result in meaningful psychiatric, social, family, and academic problems if not treated (Ercan, Ercan, Atilgan, Basay, Uysal, Berrin, & Ardic, 2015). ADHD, affects approximately five percent of school children worldwide and usually presents itself in early childhood (Prasad, Brogan, Mulvaney, Grainge, Stanton, & Sayal, 2013). Children with ADHD display...
Words: 2071 - Pages: 9
...Education Associations Page • National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) 4 • National Education Association (NEA) 4 • International Association for Special Education (IASE) 4 Professional Development • Council for Exceptional Children 5 Legal Rights and Resources for Parents • Ed.gov IDEA 5 • Wrights Law 5 • The ARC 6 • National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) 6 • American Academy of Child & Adolescence Psychiatry 6 • Parent Pals.com 7 Educational Resources • ePals 7 • Glogster 7 Individual Disability Resources • Time 4 Learning-ADD/ADHD 8 • Ed.gov- Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders. 8 • Internet 4 Classrooms-Dyslexia 8 • Autism Speaks 9 • MitoAction 9 Special Education Associations National Association of Special Education Teachers (2007). Retrieved January 29, 2012, from http://www.naset.org/ The NASET is a national organization that was founded for future, current and former special education teachers when they had absolutely no organization to call their own. NASET gives support to special education teachers, as well as a place to come to stay up to date on current trends and findings in the special education field. National Education Association (NEA) (2012)...
Words: 1327 - Pages: 6
...take a look at a group of students who have different learning abilities. Those three groups are students with ADHD, Down Syndrome, and Autism. We will take a look at some of the common characteristics these three groups of students have, some challenges that an educator My have to overcome when it comes to teaching that particular group of students, what special learning opportunities can be offered to the whole class, and some specific strategies to help each group of students to be able to successfully succeed. First, let us take a look at some of the characteristics of children with ADHD. Some of those characteristics are doesn’t pay attention to details, has trouble staying focused, has trouble following directions, constantly fidgets and squirms, acts out without thinking, and often leaves his or her sit where sitting quietly is expected. Some characteristics of children with Down syndrome are short attention span, language impairment, refusing to comply with requests, and delayed social development. A person with autism can display the following characteristics; some of those characteristics are may not imitate others, may not understand social cues, may be resistant to change, and may only focus on one thing such as a particular toy. Now we will take a look at some of the common characteristics that all three groups have in common. First of all, in all three of these groups the children have some sort of disability. Children will ADHD, Down syndrome, and Autism...
Words: 1811 - Pages: 8
...Inclusion Education and ADHD: A Hit or a Miss? Alice A. Avila-Smith COM 22 July 15, 2012 Katherine Cox Inclusion Education and ADHD Brianna, a precocious seven-year-old student diagnosed with ADHD came home from school and handed her mother a report with a turned down smile on it from her teacher indicating she was disruptive in class, earning her a time-out. Her mother asked why she talked so much in class. With a wide-eyed innocent expression on her face, Brianna says, “I don’t want to but I have to! (B. Smith, personal communication, October, 2002). For an estimated 4.5 million school-aged children diagnosed with ADHD, this same sentiment could be echoed much to the dismay of parents and teachers alike. Forty percent of these children are also diagnosed with co-morbid conditions, secondary to ADHD, such as learning, and conduct disorders or Oppositional Defiance Disorder, a condition marked with aggression, conflict-seeking, ignoring even the simplest requests, and frequent outburst (Flippin, 2005). Proponents of Inclusion Education argue integrating disabled students with their non-disabled peers into mainstream classrooms is beneficial to teaching them how to socially function in the world after high school; however, immersion does not guarantee inclusion for the ADHD student, who typically does not benefit from the one-size-fits-all classroom model. Inclusion of ADHD students in mainstream education has merit, but it has missed the mark because it leads to...
Words: 2070 - Pages: 9
...Teaching and Learning Issues with a Cognitive Context Vansago Holt ESE 370: Dr Andrea Felch September 28, 2014 Ashford University Teaching and learning Issues It is clearly documented that when it comes to learning the brain plays the most important role. Yes there are other important factors to consider also but they all lead back to the brain. “The brain has been compared to a telephone switchboard” (Jensen, 2008, pg 2), this just goes to show that every action performed is linked to the brain. If every action has something to do with the brain then it is safe to say that every malfunction also is connected to the brain. This malfunction may be anything from a chemical imbalance to the environment that we live in. Considering that there are so many factors that play a role in how our brain works numerous studies have been done to try to provide a balance to enable learning to take place. From these studies strategies can be put in place to aid or assist those with issues that would prevent or not enable them to be successful learners. Two groups that I will try to cover are those that come from a background of poverty, homelessness, hunger and those with autism/ADHD. The grade level that I will focus on is K-5. Reason is to me this is the best time to stat helping by using strategies and teaching coping skills. Poverty, Homelessness and Hunger Sad as it may seem with all the help out there poverty, homelessness and hunger is still a major cause for concern...
Words: 2481 - Pages: 10
...medical disorder called ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). ADHD is a common behavioral disorder that affects school aged children. This percentage has increased from 7.8% in 2003. With this disorder increasing 3% per year, some begin to wonder if it is the children that are needing to be “fixed” or is it the way we teach our children. Are there alternatives to helping children with their focus other the medication? Medicating children due to ADHD is not always the answer and often alters the child’s personality. There are alternate teaching methods available for students before having them medicated. Teachers can perform these teaching methods to help children focus better in school and not get bored. Parents can help by also delivering these methods at home. Kids with ADHD may have trouble with focus, acting without thinking, hyperactivity and troubles knowing what is expected of them because they have a difficult time sitting and paying attention, so focusing on something is very difficult. The symptoms that they experience typically happen over a long period of time and do not just come in go like with children that just may be excited or anxious about something. There are no test that can diagnose ADHD. In order to evaluate the child a Dr. will meet with the child in the office as well as getting evaluations from the schools and from home to be sure that there are not issues at home that are causing the behaviors. To be diagnosed with ADHD, a child must display...
Words: 2101 - Pages: 9
...William Schrupp Impact of ADHD on a Child’s Schooling SS3150: Research Methods Steven Smith Impact of ADHD on a Child’s Schooling Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurological disorder and is mainly diagnosed in childhood, although it can carry on into adulthood. ADHD often occurs in more in males than females. A child with ADHD might daydream, forget or lose things, fidget, talk too much, and having trouble socializing. School can be very challenging for a child with ADHD. A child with ADHD may have trouble concentrating in school, have difficulties reading and writing, and have trouble making friends and socializing. A child with ADHD has a hard time concentrating on schoolwork and paying attention in the classroom. Most school/classroom requirements are sitting still, listen quietly, paying attention, and following instructions; these are things that a child with ADHD has trouble with, because their brains will not let them focus. As a result to the lack of concentration and not being able to pay attention while the teacher is teaching can result in low grades and even having to repeat a grade. It is normal for a child to have some type of trouble focusing or to misbehave in school, but children with ADHD do not outgrow these types of misbehaviors. A child with ADHD may have trouble staying in one spot for a long time, for example, a student who cannot stay in his/her seat in school. They demand attention by interrupting the class...
Words: 1533 - Pages: 7
...About Communications and Learning Disorders what we know about Communications and Learning Disorders is that: * they are neurological conditions which keep people off track. * Either from having no self control (ADHD) of attention and/or impulsivity. * Or impairs their perceptions and processing of information (SLD) either visual, auditory or kinesthetic. * Or impairs their social relatedness (Autistic Spectrum). * These conditions often prevent students from being organized, on target, attentive or focused on school work. We know that there has been a great deal of coverage on ADHD, Learning Disabilities and Autistic Spectrum on TV, in newspapers, in professional journals and elsewhere in the public eye. Yet there does not seem to be a simple answer to help deal with these students with Communications and Learning Disorders in the classroom. Students with Communications and Learning Disorders often look to their teachers as being : * distracted * disorganized * fidgety * impulsive These students are frequently * socially immature * temperamental * with short attention spans * suffering from low self-esteem Students with Communications and Learning Disorders may display one or all of the following behaviors which tend to drive teachers crazy: * fidget with hands and feet * have difficulty remaining seated * are easily distracted by visual or auditory stimuli in and outside of classroom * have difficulty waiting for turns in classroom situations ...
Words: 2773 - Pages: 12
...Overexposure and ADHD: Is there a connection? It is an urban myth that an overexposure to watching television may cause people to develop Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). My purpose is to study this theory to discover if it is accurate. I am also interested in discovering how ADHD plays a role in education. Before I can begin I have to start by researching what ADHD is. ADHD is a disorder among people that is associated with three main symptoms which are poor sustained attention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. Along with these three main topics, three subtypes have also been identified in the forms of being predominately inattentive, predominately hyperactive-impulsive, and combined types (Barkley). Where does ADHD occur? Out of the childhood population 4-12% have ADHD (Clayton). Along with that percentage boys can be found outweighing girls in a ratio of 3:1. ADHD can continue on into a person’s adolescence stage in 50-80% of clinically diagnosed case and into adulthood in 30-50% of these same cases (Barkley). How can someone determine if their child or children have ADHD? ADHD is most likely evaluated through diagnostic interviews with the child, their parents, and the child’s tearcher(s). Other evaluations are behavior rating scales completed by the parents and the teacher(s), direct observations of the students’ school behavior, and clinic based testing (Anastopoulos). There are many different methods as to how ADHD is treated. Some...
Words: 1108 - Pages: 5
