Adhd

No child gives 100% into everything that they do. They all get distracted from time to time. Most people are able to get back on track after a moment or two. Imagine if after a few moments you were unable to get back on track and pick up where you left off. That is what a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder feels. (First slide) They are in a constant struggle to concentrate on any one thing. (Brain slide) Adhd is a neurobiological condition which causes are not fully understood. Studies of people with ADHD show that certain brain areas have less activity and blood flow and that certain brain structures are slightly smaller. These differences in brain activity and structure are mainly evident in the prefrontal cortex, the basal ganglia, and the cerebellum. These areas help to inhibit behavior, sustain attention, and control mood. (Symptom Slide) Its symptoms are characterized by excessive fidgetiness, frequent out of seat behavior, frequent problems following instructions, difficulty finishing tasks, difficulty listening well, acting without thinking, often interrupting conversations, difficulty concentrating, difficulty waiting their turn, excessive talkativeness, difficulty keeping track of homework, papers or books. Imagine if every moment of your life was like that. How could you learn anything? We all struggle from time to time with inattentiveness but a child with this condition seems to suffer the most because it dominates their life. They lose many of their socializing skills and learning becomes almost impossible. Research on ADHD has only been done in the past few decades and has become understood as a condition that affects an estimated two million children. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 5% of children have ADHD. Their studies show that boys are ten times more likely than girls to be diagnosed. Some people think that this is true because boys are more active than girls. (Slide) Research also shows that ADHD may be inherited.

Children that show signs of ADHD should be tested at the first signs of the disorder. If the learning disability can be caught early the child has a better chance of learning to cope with the disability and moving forward with the rest of his or her class. A child with a visible illness will be taken to the doctor quickly whereas a child with only symptoms of ADHD are not always taken to the doctor right away because the parents think that the child is “just being a child”. A proper diagnosis may be complicated because not all children present the same way. Incredibly, some children with ADHD have been labeled as lazy. There are tests and assessments that are carried out on children to try and establish if they are suffering with ADHD. These tests are carried out with teachers, parents and doctors. The doctor may want to observe the child in a school room environment since this is where most of the behavior takes place. In order to be diagnosed with ADHD a child must have present six or more symptoms of inattention and/or six or more symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity that have persisted for at least six months. (Slide) A school, under federal law, is responsible for providing an educational diagnosis of a child. To do this successfully they will have to incorporate modifications into the child’s classroom and give homework according to his or her needs. Often children with ADHD need to be taught in smaller classroom settings and need more one on one help from the teacher or paraprofessional. That help is not always openly offered and the parent needs to make sure they are a major part of their children education. No parent wants their child to “fall through the cracks”. There are so many children in the educational system today that have different needs; it is easy for children to get pushed aside. The children only have their parents to stand up for them.

Children with ADHD are often made fun of or thought of as the class clown. They are made fun of because they are unable to perform simple tasks and they may choose to disguise his or her ability with a refusal or other form of rebellion. Sometimes children with ADHD do not understand what is being asked of them and will simply rebel because they do not want to look stupid. My son has ADHD and when he was asked to do something he did not want to do or did not understand he would simply run away from me or run around the room to try and take the attention off of the subject at the time. Children with ADHD are often very immature. They throw temper tantrums and hit when they do not get their way. Instead of being able to play well with other kids they do not usually make friends well because other kids think of them as being bossy or bully’s.

(Slide) Children with ADHD can also have problems playing sports. Playing in a sporting event takes concentration and patience and those are two things that a child with ADHD usually does not have. My son for example, he has always been very good at baseball but because of his ADHD he has always struggled to play because when he is out in the field he would be playing in the grass or throwing dirt instead of watching for a ball that would be hit to him. He has been hit with a ball on several occasions because of this. His coaches would always yell at him to pay attention, and his response would be “I am!” and to him he is.

Dealing with a child who is affected by ADHD can be an exhausting experience for both teachers and parents. Parents need to remember