Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

A classroom that includes students diagnosed with ADHD needs to include effective intervention strategies. According to the American Psychiatric Association, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by pervasive and developmentally inappropriate difficulties with attention, impulsivity, and hyper activity. These students frequently have difficulties following classroom rules and can show aggression, they are also more likely to be rejected socially and have more difficulty getting along with other students. School-based services are usually needed as well as placement in a special education class. The implementation of behavioral strategies combined with the use of psychotropic medications can help achieve a favorable outcome and a greater chance of success. Children with ADHD have different behaviors that can prevent them from learning and those behaviors can range from being mildly disruptive to almost making it impossible for academic and social success. A variety of behavioral strategies can be implemented to accommodate each child's needs. These strategies should include some clear, simple expectations or rules that outline expected behaviors for all students. These rules should be posted and reviewed frequently as well as recognized and praised when they are being followed. When all students understand the expectations, they have a goal they can work towards. For some students having additional prompts can help them to maintain self control and achieve these goals. Academic tasks can seem overwhelming for some students and there are some ways to help these students complete their school work. One effective strategy is modifying the size of a task, breaking it into smaller assignments can help them achieve success. Gradually increasing the level of difficulty, and the time spent working on an academic activity might help some students learn self regulation. When they can complete a task they should be praised or rewarded. I currently work in a classroom where there are modifications made for several students depending on the subject being taught. One student becomes overwhelmed by math lessons and feels defeated before he even begins. His behavior reflects this when he becomes disruptive and refuses to even try. Several strategies have been implemented to help him and are currently being used with success. Presenting the work in smaller assignments has helped him feel less overwhelmed. First I make sure he understands the task and what the total assignment is, then it is broken into sections for him to choose from. By choosing the section he feels most comfortable to begin with helps promote a positive attitude toward the overall task. Combining this with positive reinforcement and praise for staying on task and not disrupting others has been successful and this student's average grade has increased by 10% since the beginning of the school year. Reinforcement based strategies like a reward system can be a very helpful tool as a whole class strategy. The desired behavior and expectations need to be outlined as well as what the reward will be. These expectations need to be individual and realistic so that the student can see progress toward the goal. This strategy can be successful when used regularly and followed through. This is a strategy that I currently work with and it brings positive results. I work in a seventh grade ASD classroom where there are clear classroom goals as well as individual goals. The students earn â€Å"checks† for short term rewards like 15 minutes of IPad use or art time as well as a larger goal of â€Å"Friday Fun† which is a free period of social interaction with classmates where they can choose a game or activity to play for an entire period. The goals are individualized and can be increased as the student's ability grows. Having a long term goal also gives a student room to adjust their behavior and make up for times when behavior needed to be corrected. Not every student earns this reward all the time, but the teacher helps the students understand where they need improvement and how together they can work to achieve their goal for the next week. Both articles discuss the importance of the partnership between parents, teachers, and counselors. All parties should have a good understanding of the strategies used at home and in school. These strategies are the most successful when they are followed through by all. Open communication is very important and allows for an easier transition from school to home and home to school. For two students in my classroom we send home a â€Å"Have a Good Day Chart† which gives parents a look at their child's overall behaviors as well as their progress throughout the day. This helps us to see what time of day may be more challenging or if a particular subject causes unwanted behaviors. If the student is on medication it can track the time of day behaviors are occurring and can help when parents speak with their child's doctor. Intervention services are essential to helping a student succeed. These providers evaluate from a different perspective and can offer additional strategies for parents and teachers The way to achieve the best outcome is for all caregivers to develop a plan that includes strategies that are both proactive and reactive. Encouraging the desirable behaviors and addressing undesirable actions help to teach self regulation. Tracking and recording data show growth and improvements. This helps everyone identify the strategies that work and where changes are needed as the child grows. These strategies should be reviewed and discussed by everyone implementing them. This is especially important for children in middle school or high school where there are multiple teachers working with the students each day. Consistent and clear guidelines can help students with ADHD be successful and reach their full potential. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Wolraich and Baumgaertel in â€Å"The Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Based on the New DSM-IV Criteria† (1996) observe that ADHD is â€Å"the most common mental disorder in children† (p. 168). From a parent’s perspective, ADHD is a troubling disorder feared due to its adverse effects on the behavior of children. Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996) further notes that the symptoms for the disorder â€Å"are usually well developed by school age† children and are also â€Å"most clearly and consistently observed in the school and classroom environment† (p.  170).For the parent, ADHD is a disorder that should be given strict consideration as it may greatly affect their child’s school performance and overall mental development. The article gives a detailed account of the history of ADHD, consistently citing earlier researches conducted in examining the disorder. The article also emphasizes the previous criteria in determining t he disorder. In essence, Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996) argue that DSM-IV as a new criteria for the prevalence of ADHD.In their research, the authors obtained teachers who will fill-up a behavior rating scale for their students. Children from kindergarten to fifth grade in a middle Tennessee county participated in a second study under the same research. Moreover, the questionnaires used in the research consisted of a modified teacher rating scale in order to fit the DSM-IV. In the studies, a principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was used. Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996) found similarities among the studies and that ADHD is indeed a prevalent disorder among school children.With DSM-IV as the new criteria, the researchers confirm that the scope of ADHD is more prevalent than we may already know. From the perspective of the parent, it can hardly be denied that the behaviors of their children may reflect symptoms of ADHD in one way or another. By noting the research findings of Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996), parents may soon realize that their children may have ADHD or show symptoms of the disorder. It may cause a reason for alarm which can ultimately result to an increase in the efforts of parents to constantly monitor their children’s behavior both at home and in school.I have learned that ADHD is indeed a serious disorder because it is prevalent among children who, in their young age, are still on the verge of learning many things which are basic to one’s life. If that is the case, ADHD poses a threat on the younger generation of learners which should be a sufficient reason for the learning institutions and key officers to assess the school services being provided and to create measures which will address the symptoms of the disorder manifested by young learners with ADHD. Without doubt, my perspective towards ADHD and those who have it has changed.The prevalence of ADHD among children taught me that the disorder is not a si mple problem which has a ready-made solution. Because the disorder is primarily rooted in the human brain, one’s attitude towards children with ADHD should not be in a harsh way. Learning to treat children with the disorder with respect and understanding is a must. If the facts presented by Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996) are not compelling enough, I cannot think of any other compelling force to make people rethink their attitudes towards people with ADHD.In case one may wonder, the research done by the authors of the article is a credible research primarily because the authors have accurately and objectively presented their findings with no regard to personal bias. More importantly, the authors have the authority and scholastic records to back-up their efforts in the research. For one, Mark Wolraich is the Child Development Center’s director as well as a Professor of Pediatrics in Vanderbilt University Medical Center.On the other hand, Anna Baumgaertel is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the same university. Apart from the thing that the authors have presented, there are still other things I would like to know. For instance, can ADHD last a lifetime? Inasmuch as ADHD can be acquired by children at a young age, does it also indicate that the disorder can be carried over to one’s adulthood or later years on life? Hyperactivity is one of the symptoms in determining if a person has the disorder.But it is certainly not the sole defining symptom in identifying traces of ADHD in a person’s behavior. If that is the case, then it is more than likely that grown-ups and the elderly may also manifest ADHD. Or is it? Another thing that I would like to know is whether ADHD can be directly cured by medicines or medical and surgical operations. Since the disorder has strong relation to a person’s brain, can doctors make use of brain surgery in order to ‘correct’ what seems to be a flaw in one’s brain and eventuall y relieve the person suffering from ADHD?Or can it be the case that continuous medication through pills or perhaps through injection of medicine in the form of fluids can result to an immediate and long-lasting cure for the disorder? Lastly, if ADHD is best manifested through the behavior of children, what can parents do in order to counter or at least lessen the possibility for children with the disorder to suddenly turn towards a hyperactive state?It seems much is yet to be explored about the nature of ADHD and those who suffer from it. For the moment, it is sufficient to know that the disorder is a serious problem and necessitates serious solutions for both parents, teachers and doctors. Reference Wolraich, M. & Baumgaertel, A. (1996). The Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Based on the New DSM-IV Criteria. Peabody Journal of Education, 71 (4), 168-186. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (abbreviated as ADHD) is a term that used to describe a range of behavior related problems leading to lower concentration and poor attention.   It is a problem which affects many people across all ages in the world.ADHD leads to development of many learning difficulties in children since they cannot pay full attention in class.  Ã‚   While some individuals may exhibit one condition alone, other may exhibit a wide range of conditions including impulsiveness, restlessness, hyperactivity, and many others.The severity of the condition depends on the range of symptoms that are exhibited by the child.   Apart from academic problems, children with ADHD also suffer from social problems and most of them have shown inability to socialize with their peers at home or at school. The condition is also known by other words like hyperkinetic due to the common factor of restlessness which is exhibited by children suffering from the condition.The conditio n can be categorized together with other neurobehavioral defects which affects a wide range of population.  Ã‚   However, ADHD is more prevalent in children although statistics shows that the condition affects close to 5% of the people in the world regardless of their age. The symptoms the conditions are more evident in children than in adults and are mainly noted in a close supervision set up like in schools.There is also gender variation in the prevalence of the condition and it has been diagnosed twice in males and females.   In some case, the disease has been shown to be chronic where more than 45% of individuals who are diagnosed with the condition in their early age progress with the symptoms late to their adulthood. As individuals grow, they develop coping mechanisms which decrease the prevalence of the symptoms of the condition in later adulthood.ADHD presents one of the greatest academic challenges that teachers have to deal with.   Unlike normal children who are atte ntive in class, ADHD children exhibit a wide range of attention difficult which affects their academic performance.Therefore it is the duty of the teacher to come up with working strategies to help ADHD children to perform like the rest in class. There are various strategies that have already been proved quite effective in assisting ADHD children to improve their academic performance.  This paper will discuss ADHD in school going children. The paper will first have an overview of ADHD including its definition, pathopysiology, symptoms, and treatment. Then it will review the   social and academic difficulties that ADHD children goes through and finally it will review strategies that can be used by teachers to help students with ADHD to perform well in class.ADHDADHD was first recorded by Scottish physician Alexander Crinchton in 1798. Alexander described a condition resulting to mental restlessness which is very similar to the modern  Ã‚   diagnoses of ADHD.   However, ADHD w as recognized in 1902 by a British pediatrics George Fredrick.   Fredrick also defined a condition which was very similar to ADHD but he recognized it as an abnormal physical condition affecting children which as more evident in their studies (Cleave and Leslie, 2008).Extensive research on ADHD has shown that it can be caused by biological or environment factors and the combination of the two aggravates the symptoms of the condition.  Ã‚   According to Cleave and Leslie (2008), there are three biological factors which can predispose individual to develop the symptoms of the condition including;Child temperament   which   lead to   varied change in attitude and   personality Genetic factors   including inheritance of the condition   from parents   or close relatives Accidents leading to damage of the brain tissues which can be due to pre-birth problems or trauma which leads to hypotoxic damage of the brain Environmental causes have also been linked to development of the condition.   Environmental causes include a wide range of factors that compose the growth environment (Stern and Stern, 2002).There are wide ranges of environment factors which can predispose individuals to the development of the condition including the family stress, the style of parenting earlier difficulties faced in education, growth in  Ã‚   areas prone to negative behaviors like violence, peer influence, and many others. For example, research has shown that children who grow up with violent parents or alcoholic parents are prone to development of symptoms of the condition than others.In the United States ADHD has remained on of the most controversial social and medical issue.   Different stakeholders like medics, social workers, media, and others have all questioned the diagnoses criteria in ADHD with some arguing that the condition is over diagnosed by the present DSM-IV criteria.However this controversy in the diagnoses criteria stems from the systematic developme nt of the diagnoses tool keeping into consideration that ADHD cannot be diagnosed using clinical signs.