ADHD

=Living with ADHD and behavioural intervention techniques.= The //Living with ADHD// website ( [] ) is a fantastic website all about ADHD. It is in easy-to-understand plain English with headings and succinct information on a variety of ADHD related issues, like what it is, treatment options, information about children, adults with ADHD and information for schools on dealing with children with ADHD. One thing which I found especially relevant, as I have used some of these strategies, was their behavioral intervention techniques. Children with ADHD often act immaturely, have difficulty learning how to control their impulsiveness and hyperactivity and may have difficulty thinking through the social consequences of their actions. Thus behavioural intervention techniques are beneficial as they assist these students in displaying the behaviours that are most conducive to their own learning and that of classmates. Some effective behavioural intervention techniques, which I think can be used even up until high school, include: =-By u3049594-= = = =IDEAS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN WITH ADHD=
 * Verbal reinforcement of appropriate behaviour: This is perhaps the most important and effective technique. Praise should be given to a student when he or she begins and completes an activity or exhibits a particular desired behaviour.
 * Selectively ignore inappropriate behaviour: This is particularly useful when the behaviour is unintentional or unlikely to recur or is intended to gain your or classmates' attention without disrupting the classroom.
 * Create "escape valve" outlets: Permitting students with ADHD to leave class for a moment, perhaps on an errand (such as returning a book to the library), can be an effective means of settling them down and allowing them to return to the room ready to concentrate.
 * Hand gestures: Use hand signals to communicate privately with a child with ADHD. For example, ask the child to raise his or her hand every time you ask a question. A closed fist can signal that the child knows the answer; an open palm can signal that he or she does not know the answer. You would call on the child to answer only when he or she makes a fist (http://www.livingwithadhd.com.au/schools/strategies/intervention).

The website 30 Ideas for Teaching Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder ([]) provides a large variety of different strategies that can be implemented into a teacher's pedagogy to ensure the learning needs of all children in the class are met. These strategies would be suitable for students of all ages but are directed more towards primary school aged students. After collaboration with the student suffering ADHD, the students parents and appropriate staff members, these strategies can be adapted and implemented into the classroom environment by the teacher to make certain the learning needs of all students in the class are met to the highest possible potential, regardless of their abilities.

=**Sydney Developmental Clinic **= The Sydney Developmental Clinic (SDC) was established by Dr Rory McCarthy and Dr Mark Selikowitz in 1993. It is a developmental paediatrics practice specialising in the assessment of children with ADHD, ADD, learning difficulties, and associated learning, behavioural, and emotional problems. The purpose of establishing the SDC was to provide a facility where children with a range of developmental difficulties would be able to receive thorough, multidisciplinary professional diagnostic assessment and management of their disorder. The SDC is a fantastic clinic which you refer parents to have their child assessed which will give the child, the parents and teacher involved a concrete assessment of the childs learning, behavioural and emotional difficulties and problems. This information then can be used to make a learning plan. By parents, teachers and phycians working together a childs learning expereicne will be a positive one without major struggles. Both Dr Mark Selikowitz and Dr Rory McCarthy are consultant developmental paediatricians and Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. They are also both members of the Chapter of Community Child Health of the College of Physicians. Both have been specialist paediatricians for more than twenty years and have extensive experience in their sub-specialty field of developmental paediatrics, with particular interest in the diagnosis and management of ADHD and related conditions. They are partners and owners of the SDC and have a team of fifteen professional and administrative staff, including psychologists, technicians, and educationists working at the clinic.

The Sydney Developmental Clinic is a specialist medical clinic providing comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of learning, behavioural, and emotional problems such as: [|www.sydneydevelopmentalclinic.com.au]
 * * ADHD
 * ADD
 * Academic underachievement
 * Dyslexia
 * Specific learning disorders
 * Oppositional defiant disorder
 * Asperger syndrome
 * Tic disorder
 * Anxiety disorder || * Depression
 * Conduct disorder
 * Anger problems
 * Social difficulties
 * Self-esteem disorders
 * Obsessive-compulsive disorder
 * Childhood bipolar disorder
 * Short-term memory problems
 * Gifted but learning impaired ||

Ghanizadeh, A and Hagighi, H (2010). How do ADHD children perceive their cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects of anger expression in school settings? //Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Mental Health// 4(4)
 * For additional reading to understand ADHD and education **

Humphrey N (2009). Including students with ADHD in Mainstream Schools //British Journal of Special Education// 36 (1)

Mellor, N (2009) Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder or attention seeking? Ways of distinguishing two common childhood problems //British Journal of Special Education// 36 (1)

Mokrova,I, O’Brien M, Calkins S and Keane S (2010). Parental ADHD Symptomology and Ineffective Parenting: The Connecting Link of Home Chaos Parenting: //Science and Practice// 10,119 – 135

Sherman, J, Rasmussen, C, and Baydala L (2008). The impact of teacher factors on achievement and behavioural outcomes of children with ADHD; a review of the literature //Educational Research// 50 (4) 347- 360


 * Modifying instruction- for students with ADHD**

This website explains that there are 3 basic ways to modify lessons. These are; student:


 * Lesson presentation- by keeping a lesson clear and precise there leaves little room for confusion, therefore minimising the chance for student distraction. To implement this in my classroom I would vary the tone of my voice, write up a brief list of lesson instructions on the board and encourage student participation for an interactive lesson.
 * Physical arrangement of the classroom- By seating students away from high traffic areas and having designated work spaces an effective routine can be established. Again, by minimising the risk of distraction the lesson has the chance to flow and achieve its objectives.
 * Work assignments- by getting the student with ADHD to make self-made reminders such as ‘to do’ lists or schedules, a sense of responsibility and initiative is taken on by the student. Many students with ADHD respond well to extra responsibility and I have seen this in action on practicum. By getting the student’s parents involved through a simple process of signing a piece of work every night, the student has something that they know they have to have an activity completed by the end of the day. (05/07/11)


 * http://www.teachervision.fen.com/add-and-adhd/teaching-methods-and-management/10425.html?detoured=1**

__**TeacherVision**__

This is from the same website as above, but a different section- []. This is just really simple changes an educator can make in their classroom to make things a little more beneficial for ADHD students in their classroom. The changes or strategies are as simple as placing students with ADHD in the front row of the class or make sure students comprehend instructions before they begin the task.

These are really simple strategies that educator's can easily keep in mind and think about when teaching children with attention needs. The methods don't make great changes to the classroom and son't disrupt the children without additional needs. These kind of changes are a prime example of making reasonable adjustments within an inclusive setting.

TeacherVision (2011). //Teaching students with ADD/ADHD//. Retrieved from: []

The website [] provides 32 teaching strategies for children with ADHD. These strategies are more useful for teachers who have not had experience teaching children with ADHD and therefore offer helpful, basic techniques that can be used in the classroom. Most of the strategies mentioned on the website are also useful for teaching students with a variety of disabilities including autism. These strategies aid teachers in building an inclusive setting in the classroom.
 * Basic Teaching Strategies for Children with ADHD**

**Word of the Day : a strategy for focussing attention**
Vesley and Gryder report on their use of “Word of the Day” (WOD) strategies as a tool to help students learn to focus or re-focus attention in class. While the strategy was designed specifically to assist students who have difficulty in directing their attention (eg. students with reading difficulties and/or attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder) it has been found useful as a whole-class strategy to reinforce vocabulary skills and develop self-monitoring study skills.

Briefly, the WOD steps are :
 * Teacher identifies an appropriate vocabulary list, which may be drawn from a class text or unit of study.
 * Teacher selects one word to be the WOD.
 * Students discuss meaning of WOD – this is a teacher-led class discussion, using dictionaries or other resources as appropriate.
 * Students define the WOD in their own words.
 * Teacher models printing WOD in notebook, preparation of tally chart, and drawing tally marks – students follow in their own notebooks.
 * Teacher uses the WOD at least 15-20 times throughout the lesson.
 * Students listen for WOD and draw tally mark every time the word is used.
 * Teacher compares tallies at the end of the lesson. Tallies may be used as an indication of which students are likely to need additional assistance, or as an indicator of class participation for the lesson.

Vesley and Gryder suggest that the WOD can be used by the teacher in context or inserted randomly in the conversation as a call-to-attention. A student who has difficulty in regulating attention may not actually hear the word used, but will notice that classmates did hear it and will re-direct their attention to their own tally sheet and to the lesson. It becomes a positive reminder to the student re-focus and re-engage.

WOD is thus designed primarily as an attention-focussing strategy, but has the benefit of offering an opportunity to reinforce meaning and improve vocabulary for the whole class. In a 2006 study in the US, the authors used WOD strategies to pre-teach vocabulary from a science unit and found that all students had benefitted from the strategy in tests of acquisition of new vocabulary.

There is a risk that students may become “hyperfocused” on the use of the WOD rather than attending to the overall lesson and its meaning, and the authors suggest that this can be avoided by engaging the students themselves in discussion and tallying their own use of the WOD appropriately and in context. They give also an example of a situation in which students attempt to “trick” the teacher into saying the WOD, which allows the teacher to engage them in clarification of meaning.

WOD strategies can be varied to suit the class level, but are likely to be effective in circumstances where students are expected to spend some time sitting at desks and listening – and so are probably appropriate no earlier than middle primary school, and are probably most effective in upper primary and lower secondary classes.

Reference : Veseley, P.J., Gryder, N., (2009). Word of the Day Improves and Redirects Student Attention While Supporting Vocabulary Development. //Intervention in School and Clinic// **44** pp.282-287

ADHD and Exams –
Studying for exams is stressful for all students, but the added pressure of exams on a student with ADHD can cause severe temperament break outs as well as anxiety and depression if they don't do as well as people, or they, expect.

Whilst all students dread the hours of study in lead up to exams, it can be difficult for a student with ADHD, to even organize themselves enough to study, let alone to figure out what they should study and how they should organize this information. It is important to understand that whilst there are many similarities between students with and without ADHD, students with ADHD will, from time to time, need additional help.

Strategies for helping students with ADHD study for exams include:


 * Allowing the student extra teacher time, whether this be whilst the class is watching a movie or doing independent study, it is important for the teacher to be free to answer any questions the student may have on the test.
 * It may be possible to allow the student’s time to study in groups, either of 2 or more students. This will allow you to place the student in question with a student who displays good organization skills. This will allow both students to bounce ideas back and forth, but also gives the student with ADHD a helping hand to get organized.

Whilst using these methods, and more, can help any student succeed in an exam, don’t forget to allow the student a chance to talk to you (the teacher) about their result afterwards. If they’ve studied hard and still gotten a low grade, it may help them to hear why, and for you to suggest or offer helping tips for future exams.

Jonathan Mooney and David Cole (2000). //Learning Outside the Lines//. Australia: Simon & Schuster.