Using Self-Regulation for Students with ADHD By: Cristin Carroll

Abstract This action research attempted to discover whether the use of a self-regulating behavior chart decrease the amount of times a student with ADHD is off task. The research focused on an 8 year old female student in Brooklyn, New York Public School. The related literature shows that elementary aged students who are diagnosed or are dealing with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are facing a constant struggle everyday when they attend school, and teachers need strategies in order to help them. Many researchers have found that self-regulation is an effective strategy in decreasing unwanted behaviors. The tests show that self-regulation is effective in decreasing off task behavior. Additional research is needed in order to determine if this can generalize to other students with ADHD.

Statement of the Problem “Elementary aged students who are diagnosed or are dealing with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are facing a constant struggle everyday when they attend school. When working with an 8 year old girl in Brooklyn with ADHD, I saw how she struggled every day to remain on task because of her ADHD. Her need to socialize or avoid work distracted other students and hindered her ability to produce quality work. This is one case of a child dealing with this issue; there are many other elementary aged children facing the same problem and teachers need strategies in order to help them.”

Review of Related Literature A similar case study was conducted by Fabiano & Pelham, Jr (2003) and focused on using classroom interventions for an 8-year-old black male with ADHD in a general education setting. In this case study the researchers observed the boy John in the morning and afternoon and they used rewards as a behavior management technique.  Other research supports the idea that children with ADHD should be using self-regulating techniques in school. Research conducted in an Australian high school, focused on creating personal best goals for students with ADHD. The research showed there was a positive improvement in various aspects of their academic lives because of the implementation and use of personal best goals (Martin, 2013)  A lot of research supports the use of some form of behavioral intervention, based on the students, the setting, and the specific needs being addressed (Fabiano et al, 2003).

Research Design The design of this research was ABAB design or a Single Subject Design. A)A Baseline was conducted B)The treatment was implemented A)The treatment was removed B)The treatment was reintroduced. ●The Researcher will monitor and chart the off task behavior of a student with ADHD. The student will use a self-regulating chart to decrease off task behavior.

Methods Procedures During a 4 week period the target student will be tested 5 times per week during a 20 minute independent work period in the morning. Week 1- the baseline frequency count will be taken of the off task behavior. Week 2- thee intervention will be introduced and the student will use a self-regulating check chart. They will time themselves for 5 minute increments and if they get 4 checks in 20 minutes they will receive a reward. The tester will take a frequency count during this time. Week 3- intervention will be removed and a frequency count will be taken. Week 4- The intervention will be reintroduced. Instruments Permissions Self-regulating checklist Frequency chart Stopwatch Computer

Threats to Internal Validity History Maturation Instrumentation Ecological generalizable conditions Experimenter effects Selection Treatment Novelty effect Hawthorne effect

Descriptive Statistics Strongly Disagree: Likes reading, enjoy sitting and reading for long periods of time. Strongly Agree: Likes going to school, Like doing group work, Likes to play and talk with her friends, Has a hard time focusing when sitting for a long time. Frequencies: Reads once a day, reads for 30 minutes at a time, takes less than 20 minutes to finish her homework. Plays 3-4 times a week, plays outside for 45 minutes to an hour.  The student had the most difficulty staying on task during independent reading periods which strongly correlates to her dislike for reading, and reading for long periods of time.  The function of her off task behavior is work avoidance and socialization which strongly correlates to her positive responses to doing group work and talking and playing with her peers.

Frequency of Off-task Behavior As the chart shows with the implementation of the intervention the students off task behavior decreased. Overall the average time the student is off-task is.19 with the implementation of the intervention the student is below this average. The Baseline is stable because it never exceeds the average.

Results ●The self regulating chart, breaks, and rewards are helping the student stay on task, because they were created specifically for this student and her needs. ●When the intervention was introduced the off task behavior decreased. ●After the intervention was removed you can see an immediate return of the off task behavior. ●This confirms some of the research conducted by Gromely and DuPaul who argue that a strategy used in the classroom should be customized to meet the needs of the student and the preferences of the teacher.

Discussions The results of the research shows that the self-regulating behavior chart with built in incentives helps the student stay on task. However, there were a number of inconsistencies during the treatment things that were outside of the experimenter control such as: area of study, state testing, trips, testing times throughout the morning. Despite these inconsistencies the treatment was effective and these are actual challenges teachers or other professionals deal with every day, so despite the issues it is still an effective treatment.

Implications The implications of this research are positive. With the use of an on-task chart and incentives students with ADHD can be aided on regulating off-task behavior. However given this is a one subject sample the results may not generalize to all students with ADHD. Future studies should consider controlling the tasks students preform, or the subject area the researcher conducts the research during.