The Bigger Picture of ADHD/ADD That You Might Not Know (ADHD, ADHD Symptoms, School Recommendations )

Karen Griffith Gryga — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:21:50 +0000

Managing ADHD in the classroom requires a tight collaboration between the family, the teacher and the school administrators. Many people, including teachers, are not well educated about ADHD and some still have the prejudice that the child is lazy or a discipline problem. The fact is ADHD is a neurological disorder that can make every day tasks that are second nature to those without ADHD/ADD seem like an insurmountable task for those with ADHD.

The standard definition of ADHD includes three subtypes:

1. Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive
2. Predominantly inattentive
3. Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive

The most prominent features of ADHD include:

1. An inability to control behavior or impulses.
2. An inability to delay gratification.
3. Excessive physical activity that is unrelated to the activity at hand.
4. Poor ability to sustain attention or to persist with tasks.

Each individual with ADHD is different with their own set of strengths and challenges. However, in addition to the hyperactivity or the inattentiveness, the ADHD child often has challenges in a group of skills called executive functions. According to Wikipedia, executive functions is a “concept used by psychologists and neuroscientists to describe a loosely defined collection of brain processes which are responsible for planning, cognitive flexibility, abstract thinking, rule acquisition, initiating appropriate actions and inhibiting inappropriate actions, and selecting relevant sensory information”.

Often with the ADHD child, the impairment is more than them being hyperactive or inattentive. Other possible ramifications or symptoms of the child with ADHD include challenges, limitations or problems with:

1. Organization

2. Working memory capacity which affects remembering to do things, following instructions and learning new concepts.

3. Memory recall of facts or concepts learned.

4. Forgetfulness

5. Diminished time management or sense of time

6. Diminished or delayed development of the little voice inside our heads that guides reasoning, reflection and self-regulation.

7. Management of emotions.

8. Motivation especially with tasks that they classify as boring and with goals that have limited or no immediate reward.

9. Working towards and achieving long-term goals.

10. Great variability in task or work performance.

Bottom line, the disorder is complicated and manifests itself in many ways. In addition to all of this, there is a high incidence of learning issues as well as anxiety and depression for those with ADHD.

I believe that it is up to the family to educate the teachers and administers on the wide range of challenges their child faces due to ADHD. Do not assume that they know or understand. Remember that you know your child best. However the ideal situation occurs when the parents, teachers and administrators work together to creatively deploy and teach strategies that address the child’s weaknesses. Strategies like lists, reminders, previews, and repetition help the child with ADHD address the realities of the disorder and teach ways to cope with the challenges of the disorder. That ideal situation cannot occur, however, until teachers and administrators are educated. We all need to do our part to make that happen.

I close with a Bill of Rights that I found on a blog of a mother who son, 18, was diagnosed with ADHD at age 6. Her name is Angel, she lives in South Africa and shares her story of raising her son (among other topics) at http://www.angelsmind.co.za.

ADHD Bill of Rights

1.“Help me to focus…” Please teach me through my sense of ‘touch’, I need ‘hands on’ and ‘body movement’.

2. “I need to know what comes next.” Please give me a structured environment where there is a dependable routine. Give me an advanced warning if there will be changes.

3. “Wait for me, I’m still thinking.” Please allow me to go at my own pace. If I rush, I get confused and upset.

4. “I’m stuck! I can’t do it!” Please offer me options for problem-solving. I need to know the detours when the road is blocked.

5. “Is it right? I need to know NOW!” Please give me rich and immediate feedback on how I’m doing.

6. “I didn’t forget, I didn’t ‘hear’ it in the first place!” Please give me directions one step at a time and ask me to say back what I think you said.

7. “I didn’t know I Wasn’t in my seat!” Please remind me to STOP, THINK and ACT.

8. “Am I almost done now?” Please give me short work periods with short-term goals.

9. “What?” Please don’t say ‘I’ve already told you that’. Tell me again in different words- give me a signal- draw me a symbol.

10. “I know, it’s ALL wrong, isn’t it?” Please give me praise for partial success. Reward me for self-improvement, not just for perfection.

11. “But why do I always get yelled at?” Please catch me doing something right and praise me for my specific positive behavior. Remind me (and yourself) about my good points, when I’m having a bad day.

12. I may be hard to live with, and have ADHD, but I still have feelings and would have never chosen to behave like I do sometimes…

Author unknown

To learn more about the ADHD Executive Functioning Research that has been conducted please see:

Great summary chart of the Executive Function Domains can be found at http://www.lehighpsych.com/art_adhd.htm

Dr. Thomas E Brown
http://www.drthomasebrown.com/brown_model/index.html

Dr. Russell Barkley
http://www.russellbarkley.org/adhd-nature-of-self-control-book.htm

http://www.chrisdendy.com/executive.htm

http://www.thehelpgroup.org/pdf/adhd-dys/Brown_ADHD.pdf

Lipstick Wisdom » neurological disorder

The Bigger Picture of ADHD/ADD That You Might Not Know (ADHD, ADHD Symptoms, School Recommendations )