ADD or ADHD
OVERVIEW
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a brain disorder marked by an ongoing patter on inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml
OVERVIEW
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a brain disorder marked by an ongoing patter on inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.
- Inattention: a person wanders off task, lacks persistence, has difficulty sustaining focus, and is disorganized; and these problems are not due to defiance or lack of comprehension
- Hyperactivity: a person seems to move about constantly, including situations in which it is not appropriate, excessively fidgets, taps, or talks.
- Impulsivity: a person makes hasty actions that occur in the moment without first thinking about them that may have a potential for harm; or desire for immediate rewards or inability to delay gratification. An impulsive person may be social intrusive and excessively interrupt others or make important decisions without considering the consequences.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADD & ADHD
The biggest difference between ADD and ADHD is that children with ADHD are hyperactive. Children with ADHD may have trouble sitting still and might be so restless that their teachers or tutors quickly notice. Conversely, children with ADD might go unnoticed for longer due to the absence of the hyperactive symptom of the disorder. Rather than being hyperactive or disruptive, children with ADD commonly appear shy, day dreamy or off in their own world. In both cases, attention is the main issue at hand. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/difference-between-add-adhd |
COMMON SIGNS & BEHAVIORS
Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity are the main behaviors that characterize ADHD. Some children only have problems with one of the behaviors; however, most children have the combined type of ADHD and have problems with both.
In general students with ADD/ADHD often:
Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity are the main behaviors that characterize ADHD. Some children only have problems with one of the behaviors; however, most children have the combined type of ADHD and have problems with both.
In general students with ADD/ADHD often:
- Demand attention by talking out of turn or moving around the room
- Have trouble following instructions, especially when they are presented in a list
- Forget to write down homework assignments, do them, or bring completed work to school
- Have difficulty taking notes and hard to read handwriting (usually due to difficulty with motor control)
- Have trouble with operations that require ordered steps, like long division or solving equations
Children with symptoms of inattention often:
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Children with symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity often:
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TECHNIQUES & TIPS FOR HELPING
Two of the most important tools teachers and tutors can utilize when working with students with ADHD are a positive attitude and patience. It's no secret that students with ADHD can make it difficult for teachers to maintain the attention of other students. Students with ADHD can frequently disrupt the entire class and take away from other student's learning, which is without a doubt very frustrating for teachers and tutors. A positive attitude and patience are important in order to facilitate a productive and successful learning environment for ALL students in the classroom.
To help students with ADHD maintain focus and build organizational skills, teachers and tutors can:
Keep a routine schedule: Keeping the schedule on the front board and writing in changes to the schedule as far in advance as possible – this will help student stay on task in general – and likely help student struggling to do so follow a routine schedule
Organize everyday items – have a place for everything in the classroom and on the desks – many classrooms are set up in ways in which clusters of desks are grouped together and the children at each cluster share utensils and tools – having an organized system (like a bin or bucket) where all utensils/tools have a place on the desks will help children with ADHD work on this organizational skill
Homework/notebook organizers – having students keep subjects organized in notebooks can be an important tool for them to carry with them throughout their educational career – it is also important to have students adopt the routine of writing down homework and assignments early on in school to further facilitate organizational skills
Being clear and consistent – children with ADHD need consistent rules they can understand and follow
Praise and reward for desired behavior – when children with ADHD follow expectations and rules it is important to acknowledge their good behavior – because they often receive and expect criticism, it is important to make note of good behavior
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml
General classroom accommodations:
Information delivery
Two of the most important tools teachers and tutors can utilize when working with students with ADHD are a positive attitude and patience. It's no secret that students with ADHD can make it difficult for teachers to maintain the attention of other students. Students with ADHD can frequently disrupt the entire class and take away from other student's learning, which is without a doubt very frustrating for teachers and tutors. A positive attitude and patience are important in order to facilitate a productive and successful learning environment for ALL students in the classroom.
To help students with ADHD maintain focus and build organizational skills, teachers and tutors can:
Keep a routine schedule: Keeping the schedule on the front board and writing in changes to the schedule as far in advance as possible – this will help student stay on task in general – and likely help student struggling to do so follow a routine schedule
Organize everyday items – have a place for everything in the classroom and on the desks – many classrooms are set up in ways in which clusters of desks are grouped together and the children at each cluster share utensils and tools – having an organized system (like a bin or bucket) where all utensils/tools have a place on the desks will help children with ADHD work on this organizational skill
Homework/notebook organizers – having students keep subjects organized in notebooks can be an important tool for them to carry with them throughout their educational career – it is also important to have students adopt the routine of writing down homework and assignments early on in school to further facilitate organizational skills
Being clear and consistent – children with ADHD need consistent rules they can understand and follow
Praise and reward for desired behavior – when children with ADHD follow expectations and rules it is important to acknowledge their good behavior – because they often receive and expect criticism, it is important to make note of good behavior
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml
General classroom accommodations:
Information delivery
- Give instructions one at a time and repeat if necessary
- Keep instructions simple and structures
- Work on the most difficult material early in the day
- Use visuals: charts, pictures, color coding
- Create outlines for note-taking or assignments that organize the information as you are giving it
- Show the student how to use a pointer or a bookmark to track written words on a page as they read them – this can reduce possible frustration that occurs when students frequently lose their place when reading
- Reading aloud and asking questions that test comprehension while reading can help students stay on task and retain important information from the reading material
- Highlighting key information and main ideas as you read along with students
Personal Experience
As I mentioned above, it is common for all elementary students to display some signs of inattention, unfocused motor activity and impulsivity. However, in students with ADHD these behaviors occur more often, are more severe, and ultimately take away from their learning. This past summer I came in contact with many cases of ADHD/ADD during my time working in a third grade MPS summer school classroom. Some cases were more severe than others, nonetheless it served as a challenge for me as a Summer Reads VISTA. In my classroom there were about 5 or 6 kids that seemed to exhibit the typical signs and symptoms of ADHD. Three of these students would constantly be up walking around the classroom and out of their seats during times when they were expected to be sitting at their desks working. I can say confidently that not a single day went by where the entire class wasn't distracted by at least one of these students and took up at least ten minutes of our day trying to get everyone back on track. In the beginning of my service in the classroom these experiences were very frustrating for me. It felt almost as if I had no control over whether or not the entire classroom was going to get distracted from a lesson by just one student, and this was happening on a daily basis. One thing that I found important to remember during these times is that it is just bad behavior, not bad kids. Although at times it felt that these students were intentionally distracting the entire class, I know this was not always the case. I found it useful to spend more time with these particular students when I noticed that they were starting to get antsy and off track. By giving them a bit more attention than usual and working individually with them on their work we were able to maintain a good learning environment for everyone in the classroom. I found it helpful to sometimes take these kids out in the hallway when they seemed fidgety because it allowed them to work in a different environment that was more open and less strict, all the while getting their work done and staying on task.
As I mentioned above, it is common for all elementary students to display some signs of inattention, unfocused motor activity and impulsivity. However, in students with ADHD these behaviors occur more often, are more severe, and ultimately take away from their learning. This past summer I came in contact with many cases of ADHD/ADD during my time working in a third grade MPS summer school classroom. Some cases were more severe than others, nonetheless it served as a challenge for me as a Summer Reads VISTA. In my classroom there were about 5 or 6 kids that seemed to exhibit the typical signs and symptoms of ADHD. Three of these students would constantly be up walking around the classroom and out of their seats during times when they were expected to be sitting at their desks working. I can say confidently that not a single day went by where the entire class wasn't distracted by at least one of these students and took up at least ten minutes of our day trying to get everyone back on track. In the beginning of my service in the classroom these experiences were very frustrating for me. It felt almost as if I had no control over whether or not the entire classroom was going to get distracted from a lesson by just one student, and this was happening on a daily basis. One thing that I found important to remember during these times is that it is just bad behavior, not bad kids. Although at times it felt that these students were intentionally distracting the entire class, I know this was not always the case. I found it useful to spend more time with these particular students when I noticed that they were starting to get antsy and off track. By giving them a bit more attention than usual and working individually with them on their work we were able to maintain a good learning environment for everyone in the classroom. I found it helpful to sometimes take these kids out in the hallway when they seemed fidgety because it allowed them to work in a different environment that was more open and less strict, all the while getting their work done and staying on task.
ADD/ADHD Resources:
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/teaching-students-with-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder.htm
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/difference-between-add-adhd
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/teaching-students-with-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder.htm
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/difference-between-add-adhd