Coping With ADHD

1. When necessary, ask the teacher or boss to repeat instructions rather than guess.
2. Break large assignments or job tasks into small, simple tasks. Set a deadline for each task and reward yourself as you complete each one.
3. Each day, make a list of what you need to do. Plan the best order for doing each task. Then make a schedule for doing them. Use a calendar or daily planner to keep yourself on track.
4. Work in a quiet area. Do one thing at a time. Give yourself short breaks.
5. Write things you need to remember in a notebook with dividers. Write different kinds of information like assignments, appointments, and phone numbers in different sections.
6. Keep the book with you all of the time.
7. Post notes to yourself to help remind yourself of things you need to do. Tape notes on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, in your school locker, or dashboard of your car -- wherever you're likely to need the reminder.
8. Store similar things together. For example, keep all your Nintendo disks in one place, and tape cassettes in another. Keep canceled checks in one place, and bills in another.
9. Create a routine. Get yourself ready for school or work at the same time, in the same way, every day.
10. Exercise, eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep.

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Dealing with Disruptive Classroom Behavior

To head off behavior that takes time from other students, work out a couple of warning signals with the student who has ADD/ADHD. This can be a hand signal, an unobtrusive shoulder squeeze, or a sticky note on the student’s desk. If you have to discuss the student’s behavior, do so in private. And try to ignore mildly inappropriate behavior if it’s unintentional and isn’t distracting other students or disrupting the lesson.

Classroom accommodations for students with ADHD
As a teacher, you can make changes in the classroom to help minimize the distractions and disruptions of ADHD.

Seating

• Seat the student with ADD/ADHD away from windows and away from the door.
• Put the student with ADD/ADHD right in front of your desk unless that would be a distraction for the student.
• Seats in rows, with focus on the teacher, usually work better than having students seated around tables or facing one another in other arrangements.

Information delivery

• Give instructions one at a time and repeat as necessary.
• If possible, work on the most difficult material early in the day.
• Use visuals: charts, pictures, color coding.
• Create outlines for note-taking that organize the information as you deliver it.

Student work

• Create a quiet area free of distractions for test-taking and quiet study.
• Create worksheets and tests with fewer items; give frequent short quizzes rather than long tests.
• Reduce the number of timed tests.
• Test the student with ADD/ADHD in the way he or she does best, such as orally or filling in blanks.
• Show the student how to use a pointer or bookmark to track written words on a page.
• Divide long-term projects into segments and assign a completion goal for each segment.
• Let the student do as much work as possible on computer.
• Accept late work and give partial credit for partial work.

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ADD/ADHD in the Classroom: TIPS FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS

At any given time, a teacher can expect to have at least one student with ADHD. The impulsive and hyperactive behavior of such students can be distracting to everyone in the classroom. But there are strategies you can use to help students with ADHD channel their energy and focus their attention so that they can achieve their full potential—and you can conduct lessons with fewer interruptions.

Teaching students with ADD/ADHD

If you’re a teacher, you know these kids:

• The one who stares out the window, substituting the arc of a bird in flight for her math lesson.
• The one who wouldn’t be able to keep his rear end in the chair even if you used Krazy Glue.
• The one who answers the question, “Who can tell me what the 6th Amendment guarantees?” with “Mrs. M, do you dye your hair?”

Students who exhibit ADD/ADHD’s hallmark symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity can be frustrating. You know the brainpower is there, but they just can’t seem to focus on the material you’re working hard to deliver. Plus, their behaviors take time away from instruction and disrupt the whole class.

Challenges of ADHD in the classroom

Think of what the school setting requires children to do:

• Sit still.
• Listen quietly.
• Pay attention.
• Follow instructions.
• Concentrate.

These are the very things kids with ADD/ADHD have a hard time doing — not because they aren’t willing, but because their brains won’t let them. That doesn’t make teaching them any easier, of course.

Students with ADD/ADHD present the following challenges for teachers:

• They demand attention by talking out of turn or moving around the room.
• They have trouble following instructions, especially when they’re presented in a list.
• They often forget to write down homework assignments, do them, or bring completed work to school.
• They often lack fine motor control, which makes note-taking difficult and handwriting a trial to read.
• They often have trouble with operations that require ordered steps, such as long division or solving equations.
• They usually have problems with long-term projects where there is no direct supervision.
• They don’t pull their weight during group work and may even keep a group from accomplishing its task.

Students with ADD/ADHD pay the price for their problems in low grades, scolding and punishment, teasing from peers, and low self-esteem. Meanwhile, you, the teacher, wind up taking complaints from parents who feel their kids are being cheated of your instruction and feeling guilty because you can’t reach the child with ADD/ADHD.

What teachers can do to help

So how do you teach a kid who won’t settle down and listen? The answer: with a lot of patience, creativity, and consistency. As a teacher, your role is to evaluate each child’s individual needs and strengths. Then you can develop strategies that will help students with ADD/ADHD focus, stay on task, and learn to their full capabilities. Successful programs for children with ADHD integrate the following three components:

• Accommodations: what you can do to make learning easier for students with ADD/ADHD.
• Instruction: the methods you use in teaching.
• Intervention: How you head off behaviors that disrupt concentration or distract other students. Your most effective tool, however, in helping a student with ADD/ADHD is a positive attitude. Make the student your partner by saying, “Let’s figure out ways together to help you get your work done.” Assure the student that you’ll be looking for good behavior and quality work, and when you see it, reinforce it with immediate and sincere praise.

Finally, look for ways to motivate a student with ADD/ADHD by offering rewards on a point or token system.

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Diagnosing ADHD

Call your doctor if your child shows symptoms of ADHD, or if teachers notify you that your child is having academic difficulties, behavioral problems or difficulty paying attention. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD. Your doctor may make the diagnosis or may refer your child to a specialist. The doctor will ask you if your child has shown any of the characteristics of ADHD.

Since many of these characteristics are more likely to be seen in a school setting, your doctor also will ask about your child's behavior in school.

To help collect this information, parents, teachers and other caregivers may be asked to fill out special behavioral checklists. Your pediatrician also will ask about your child's medical and developmental history, and will examine your child. It is important to be sure that your child does not have other conditions that may affect his or her behavior, such as trouble hearing or seeing, learning disabilities, speech problems, seizure disorders, anxiety, depression or other behavior problems. In some cases, other testing is necessary to check for one or more of these conditions. Your child may be referred to a specialist (usually a psychologist, psychiatrist or neurologist) for psychological or neuropsychological testing. These tests, which can take many hours to complete, are made up of a series of written and spoken questions and are designed to detect mental conditions (such as depression or anxiety) or learning problems.

Treating ADHD

Although there is no cure for ADHD, many treatment options are available. The goal of treatment is to help children improve social relationships, do better in school, and keep their disruptive and dangerous behaviors to a minimum. Medication alone rarely is the answer. The best results usually require a combination of medication and behavior therapy. Several different types of medication are prescribed by doctors to treat ADHD. Stimulants, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta and others) and forms of amphetamine (Dexedrine, Adderall and others) are safe and effective for most children, helping them to focus their thoughts and control their behavior. Despite their name, stimulants do not cause increased hyperactivity or impulsivity. In some children, these medications may cause mild side effects, such as decreased appetite, weight loss, stomachaches, sleep problems, headaches and jitteriness. Rarely, there may be more serious side effects, such as dizziness, stuttering, tics or increased blood pressure. Children who take stimulants should be monitored regularly to make sure that the medication is working properly and to check for side effects. Recently, a non-stimulant medication called atomoxetine (Strattera) was approved for treating ADHD in children and adults. Other types of medicines, such as antidepressants, also are used to treat ADHD occasionally. Other treatment approaches, used alone or in combination, may include:

1. Behavioral therapy: techniques that try to improve behavior, usually by rewarding and encouraging desirable behaviors and by discouraging unwanted behaviors and pointing out the consequences.
2. Cognitive therapy: psychotherapy designed to help a child change his or her thinking so that he or she can build self-esteem, stop having negative thoughts, and improve problem-solving skills.
3. Social skill training: Improving social skills helps children with ADHD to make and keep friends.

Parent education and support

Training classes, support groups, and counselors can help to teach and support parents about ADHD, including strategies for dealing with ADHD-related behaviors. Because many children with ADHD also are troubled by poor grades and school behavior problems, it is important that schools provide educational adjustments and interventions (such as an individualized educational plan) to promote the best possible learning environment for the child.

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Symptoms of ADHD

Parents of a child who has ADHD may receive a note from school saying that their child "won't listen to the teacher," "is too active or hyper," or "causes trouble in class and is disruptive." Even though a child with ADHD often wants to be a good student, his or her impulsive behavior and inability to pay attention in class make it difficult. Teachers, parents and friends may see that the child is "misbehaving" or acting "different," but they might not be able to tell exactly what is wrong. Over the years there have been changes in what are considered to be the essential symptoms of ADHD.

In general, children with ADHD have a hard time with normal activities of everyday life because of significant problems with inattention, hyperactivity or impulsive behavior. Unlike the normally high level of activity sometimes seen in children who do not have ADHD, the hyperactivity of ADHD happens more often and is typically more haphazard, poorly organized and not goal directed (has no real purpose). Likewise, children who do not have ADHD occasionally are impulsive or inattentive. In children with ADHD, these behaviors are so frequent that they make it hard for the child to learn in school, get along with others and be safe.

Although specific symptoms of ADHD vary from child to child, a child with ADHD generally shows several of the following characteristics:

1. Difficulty organizing work, often giving the impression of not having heard the teacher's instructions
2. Easily distracted
3. Excessively restless or fidgety behavior; unable to stay seated
4. Impulsive behavior (acts without thinking)
5. Carelessness
6. Frequently calling out in class (without raising hand, yelling out answer before question is finished)
7. Failing to follow through with teachers' or parents' requests
8. Difficulty waiting for his or her turn in group settings
9. Unable to stay focused on a game, project or homework assignment; often moving from one activity to the next without completing any

Many children with ADHD also show symptoms of other behavioral or psychiatric conditions. These associated conditions include learning disabilities and disorders characterized by disruptive behavior.

Learning disabilities

Studies have shown that at least 20% of children with ADHD also have learning disabilities. This is many times greater than the rate seen in the general population. The child may become angry and frustrated because of problems related to his or her learning disability.

Oppositional defiant or conduct disorders

These behavior disorders, which involve frequent outbursts of extremely negative, angry or mean behavior, affect up to one-third of all children who have ADHD. Studies have shown that children who have both ADHD and behavioral disturbances are more likely to have a poor long-term outcome, with higher rates of school failure, antisocial behaviors and substance abuse. In most children with ADHD, symptoms begin before age 7 and last through adolescence. In some cases, symptoms continue into adulthood.

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What Is Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a problem related to brain development (neurodevelopmental disorder) that causes hyperactivity (always on the move), impulsive behavior (doing things without any self control), and attention problems (not able to pay attention). ADHD is the most common problem seen in outpatient child and adolescent mental health settings. It is estimated that ADHD affects between 4 % and 12 % of school-aged children, more often boys than girls. Studies suggest that the amount of ADHD seen in the population has risen significantly in recent years. But whether more people have the disorder or whether it is just being diagnosed more often is not clear.

The specific things needed to make the diagnosis of ADHD have been more clearly defined during the past 20 years. Also, people are more aware of ADHD so the disorder may be recognized more often. ADHD can cause significant emotional, social and educational problems.

However, when ADHD is diagnosed early and treated properly, the condition can be managed effectively, so children can grow up to have productive, successful and fulfilling lives. Although some children appear to grow out of their ADHD as they reach their adolescent years, others have lifelong symptoms.

What Causes It?

Despite years of research, the exact cause of ADHD is still not fully understood. There are numerous factors that may contribute to the development of ADHD in a child. These include:

1. Genetic factors
2. History of head injury
3. Infections of the brain and spinal cord
4. Premature birth
5. Exposure to tobacco, alcohol or other drugs while in the womb
6. Lead poisoning

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