Martha Van Leeuwen University of Kansas Resources for Paraeducators Website Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ADHD The Center for Disease Control Prevention describes ADHD as: "ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavior disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), and in some cases, are overly active." Students with ADHD experience difficulty with attention and impulse control causeing them to struggle with concentration on lessons and completing assignments. Students with ADHD may show there symptoms differently. There are 3 different types of ADHD and only a qualified professional can make this diagnosis.

ADHD - Predominatly Hyperactive- Impulsive Type A student with this form of ADHD will show behaviors such as being overactive and misbehaving due to the fact that they do not think about the consequences of their behavior. Students with this type of ADHD are usually diagnosed at a young age (preschool/kindergarten) Some behaviors you may see are fidgeting with hands or feet, leaving their seat or situation when expected to sit, runs or climbs excessively in situations even when inappropriate, has difficulty playing quietly, or blurts out the answers prior to questions being asked. Students may also have difficulty waiting their turn or interrupts or intrudes on others.

ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type This type of ADHD is usually seen as just ADD (taking the hyperactivity out). Students with this type of ADHD have little or no impulsivity or hyperactivity. Their primary concern is keeping attention, being alert, organization, memory, and planning. Students with this type of ADHD can often be seen as lazy, unmotivated, or irresponsible due to their difficulty with initiating, remembering and following through on various tasks. Students with this type of ADHD may have symptoms such as not making close attention or making careless erros. The student doesn't seem to listen when spoken to, has difficulty keeping attention, and does not follow through on instructions causing them to fail to finish tasks. Students may also struggle with organization and will lose things necessary for certain tasks or activities.

ADHD, Combined Type The last type of ADHD is when students have difficulty with impulsivity and hyperactivity as the first type, but also struggle with attention. Students with this diagnosis often get the most attention due to their challenging behaviors in the classroom and difficulty with academics. This type of ADHD is not an attention disorder, but rather an impulse control disorder. This means students have difficulty resisting inappropriate behavior due to the impulsivity of doing what feels good and not thinking about consequences.

Interventions Inattention Place a students seat away from distractions Make direct eye contact with the student to help keep them engaged Write instructions on the board or on paper for the student Allow students to have a copy of the notes Teach students to check their work Reduce the amount of writing students need to do on tests and assignments Prepare the student for transitions Slow/Inefficient Work Production Allow students extra time to complete work Shorten assignments when possible – especially if student understand the material Use a time for the student to complete various tasks Beak up assignments into short parts and teach the student to finish the easiest tasks first.

Interventions Excessive Physical Activity and Impulsivity Allow students to take movement breaks and provide opportunities for physical activity Teach students to look over their work prior to handing it in for a grade Closely monitor behavior during transitions or unstructured activities Address misbehavior without bring a lot of attention to the student Set up a behavior contract and provide positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior Disorganization and Poor Memory Establish routines and teach clear expectations Encourage the use of an assignment notebook Encourage the use of a three – ring binder Help students organize their desks, work space, lockers Create a place for students to have extra books at home Provide a checklist for students and create a system for using them Color code and coordinate objects to be remembered and organized

References LD Online Cooley, M. L., (2007). Teaching Kids with Mental Health and Learning Disorders in the Regular Classroom. Minneapolis; Free Spirit Publishing Inc.