ADHD is not an easy disability to diagnose. Not everyone who is overly hyperactive, inattentive, or impulsive has ADHD. There is a lot of testing and observations that need to be done in class and at home before a diagnosis can be made. Behavioural patterns are observed over a twenty four hour time frame and recorded and interviews are held between child, parent/career, teacher, specialists (paediatrician, child psychologist, child psychiatrist, paediatric neurologist, or social worker) this information is used to help diagnose the child. Teachers and educational professionals may also be required to give information on any learning or cognitive difficulties. All these observations and testing are done over a period of at least 6mths to make sure that the behaviour and trends are consistent and therefore the right diagnosis and treatment can be given.
It is so important that the diagnosis is made on the observations of behaviours and symptoms that occur in more than one setting. Often the diagnosis includes treatments of drugs and diagnosis in itself has an impact on the student and the immediate family.
Pierangelo and Giuliani agrees on the importance of a correct and thorough diagnosis as there has been a recent increase on children being diagnosed with ADHD duFe to an increase of public awareness. Pierangelo and Giuliani make it clear that the following must be true:
• “ there must be clear evidence of significant difficulty in two or more settings (e.g., at home, in school, with peers, or at work).
• Symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity must be present at least six months.
• Some of these symptoms have to cause problems before age seven.
• The symptoms have to be developmentally inappropriate.” (2008, P. 32).
They also go on to say that no laboratory test exists to determine if a child has this disorder. Nor can it be diagnosed by urinalysis, blood test, CAT scan or an MRI (2008, P. 34).
Once a student has been formally diagnosed the teacher then needs to start planning strategies for behaviour management, social skills, and cognitive techniques. A part of the planning may involve writing an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) for the student, this would be if in the case of a student who is not achieving to their potential in relation to the curriculum.
Bender, W discusses the role of the teacher when teaching social skill strategies that include students with ADHD working in groups, with a responsible role such as a group leader or even a teacher’s assistant. The teacher must model appropriate social behaviour, assist in developing friendships by pairing the student with other students who model the appropriate behaviour, reinforce positive behaviour and teach the student social interaction skills like appropriate manners, friendly and uplifting words (1997 P. 130). These strategies can be used both in the classroom and in the home/community. Bender, W encourages a parenting training program to be run over a ten week period where the parents who have children with ADHD are able to learn strategies to help implement behavioural management plans. These plans include positive parental attention to appropriate behaviours, timeout procedures and coping skills for both the child and the parent (1997, P. 131-133). Not only did the parents learn great strategies but they also benefit from being able to socialise with other parents going through the same thing.
Students with ADHD in a classroom environment can set inappropriate behaviour traits and teachers then have to spend extra time in dealing with the behaviour problem. Teachers must implement intervention strategies, which are effective if children with ADHD are to succeed in the classroom environment.
An example of behaviours from students with ADHD include blurting out answers before the teacher calls the students name, running around the classroom, getting loud and boisterous during class activities. The implications of this behaviour to the teacher is the disruption to the other students learning and being able to offer an equal learning environment for each student (Bender,1997). Bender discusses the ways of being able to manage this behaviour by using a “Hierarchical approach” strategy. Structuring the lesson is one way to manage students with ADHD by providing clear academic directions and task given to the class. Providing an outline of the lesson, as well as clear instructions to the whole class as the students with ADHD have short attention spans and having an outline will help students to follow the teacher’s instructions. Teach the students to recognising cues from the teacher for example when the teacher says “time to begin” would be a cue to get ready for the next activity (1997, page 154-155). Planning frequent breaks or strategies where the student can take time out when they feel themselves losing control, maybe in ways of excess energy or frustration. At Fraser Primary School they have a management plan where students place a photo of themselves on their desk if they have to go to the toilet, this way the teacher and other students know where they are and no accidents occur. This could also work with a student with ADHD and it can be used for the whole class so then no one is being discriminated against.
Information, Communications, Technology (ICT) is a “High-Interest” activity which is great to use with students with ADHD as the often lose interest and this is when they can start to become disruptive. The technologies that you could integrate into the classroom include computers, interactive white boards and audio (Bender, 1997).
The classroom set up is also an important factor to consider when teaching students with ADHD. Structured classroom provide ADHD students with less distractions and stability. A structured classroom has walls and a door to block out distractions in the corridor. Classroom rules are displayed as students with ADHD can refer to it and remind themselves before they act impulsively and the rules can be role played to ensure that all students understand them (Bender, 1997). Students with ADHD should be seated where they are either close to the teacher and or where they are not facing windows or distractions. There are also behaviour strategies that you should implement like token economy, time owing or being paid back and others.
A lot of the strategies used for behaviour and classroom management are very simular for what you would implement for student with no disability. This is great as it opens classrooms for inclusive learning environments and teaches all students important lessons on being active members of the community and not to judge. It is a privilege to work with students with disabilities and to have these students active members of your classroom. It has its challenges and with correct planning and strategies put in place it can be a positive and moving year for all those involved. It is also very important to keep communication open with the parents/carers and to be honest with the student as everyday will be different and present challenges.
Reference list
Pierangelo, R. Giuliani, G. (2008) Classroom Management Techniques for Students with ADHD. United States, America, Corwin press.
Bender, W. (1997). Understanding ADHD A Practical Guide for Teachers and Parents. United States, America, Prentice-Hall Inc.
About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Retrieved July 5, 2010, form http://www.livingwithadhd.com.au/about/default.aspx.
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