The Following book is available in .PDF format at http://www.education.alberta.ca/media/511987/focus.pdf and has excellent and extensive information. It is written for teachers – but I found it very useful as a parent.
What does AD/HD look like in the classroom?
Students with AD/HD frequently struggle in academic areas. About 30 to 50 percent1
of these students also have learning disabilities. Even those without learning
disabilities frequently experience difficulties in reading, writing and mathematics
because of difficulties related to attention and short-term memory.
Reading
Students with AD/HD may have strong decoding and word recognition skills but
struggle with recall and comprehension of reading material because of a tendency to
skim read or word-read without attention to meaning.
Writing
Many students with AD/HD have difficulty with writing. Common difficulties
include spelling, editing, self-monitoring, and generating, planning and organizing
ideas. Underdeveloped fine motor skills may contribute to difficulty with the
physical act of writing legibly with speed and precision. These difficulties may result
in fatigue, inefficiency and frustration. A hasty approach to a task can also affect
legibility.
Mathematics
Students with AD/HD may have difficulty remembering math facts and procedures.
Inconsistent performance may also be due to careless errors (e.G., failure to notice
operational signs) and neglect of self-monitoring strategies. Slow and inefficient
copying and misaligning of numbers may also interfere with success in math.
Characteristics of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity in the classroom include
difficulties in:
• keeping track of personal belongings and school supplies
• getting started on tasks
• sitting still and focusing attention on the task at hand
• regulating attention to tasks and to people
• organizing or following through on instructions, assignments and classroom
duties
• organizing and managing time
• planning for and completing written assignments (both short-term and long-
term)
• working independently (e.g., completing paper-and-pencil tasks at desk)
• self-monitoring
• maintaining consistent quality and quantity of work from day to day, and at
different times in the same day
• participating in classroom discussions (e.g., waiting turns, staying on topic,
listening to others)
• dealing with change and transitions, including moving from one activity to the
next during the school day and moving from grade to grade or from school to
school.
What causes AD/HD?
Research suggests that AD/HD is most likely caused by abnormalities in certain
chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) in the brain. In simple terms, the brain is
inefficient or sluggish in the areas that control impulses, screen sensory input and
focus attention.
No one direct cause for AD/HD has been identified. AD/HD tends to run in families
and heredity appears to be an important factor, accounting for 50 to 80 percent2 of
children with AD/HD. Parents and siblings of children with AD/HD frequently have
similar symptoms. Like many traits of behaviour and temperament, AD/HD is
genetically influenced, but not genetically determined.
Other possible causes of AD/HD have been suggested. These include trauma to the
developing fetus caused by disease or injury, or exposure to alcohol,
cigarettes/nicotine and environmental toxins. Babies who are born prematurely or
with low birth weight are also more likely to become children with AD/HD.
• Nearly 50 percent4 of all children with AD/HD—mostly boys—tend to also be
diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, but these disorders exist as two
distinct conditions.
• Girls are more prone to inattentive type AD/HD,
which is marked by disorganized and unfocused
behaviour rather than the disruptive, impulsive
conduct typically seen in boys.
• Girls with AD/HD tend to have higher rates of
overall distress, anxiety and depression
compared to boys with AD/HD.
• Girls may find their AD/HD symptoms are intensified by monthly hormonal
fluctuations.
What are the characteristics of AD/HD?
There are many characteristics that might indicate AD/HD. They vary from
individual to individual, and in individuals, from age to age and from situation to
situation. Generally, the characteristics are clustered under the general categories of
inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, social-emotional difficulties and the
overarching category of executive functions.
Inattention
• losing or forgetting things
• poor listening (e.g., frequently appearing to “tune out”)
• difficulty following instructions
• tendency to miss important details
• tendency to rush through tasks and make careless errors
• difficulty staying on task and completing assignments
• difficulty with short-term memory and recall
• organizational difficulties (e.g., keeping notebooks and supplies in order,
planning for multi-step projects)
• problems with focusing and maintaining attention
• distractibility
• tendency to daydream (e.g., appearing lost in own world).
Hyperactivity
• restless and always on the go (e.g., appears “driven by a motor”)
• squirming and fidgeting (e.g., finger tapping, foot tapping, knuckle cracking,
rocking)
• difficulty staying seated or being quiet when required
• excessive talking.
Impulsivity
• acting without planning or thinking first
• difficulty following rules and sequences of steps
• blurting out inappropriate remarks
• disturbing or interrupting others
• demonstrating impatience at inappropriate times (e.g., difficulty waiting in
lines or taking turns)
• difficulty managing frustration and other emotions (e.g., getting angry or overreacting
with little or no provocation)
• demonstrating unsafe behaviour
• difficulty considering consequences
• difficulty managing transitions from one activity to the next.
Social-emotional difficulties
Inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can also contribute to social-emotional
difficulties such as:
• limited confidence in self as a learner
• limited success as a team player
• misinterpreting social cues
• emotionally overreacting
• difficulty managing anger.
Executive functions
A hallmark of AD/HD is impairment of higher level brain functions required to
perform the following kinds of tasks:
• regulating alertness, sustaining effort, and processing information at consistent
and appropriate speeds
• focusing and sustaining attention
• organizing and prioritizing tasks
• planning and using foresight
• self-monitoring and regulating actions
• remembering details and accessing short-term memory
• distinguishing essential from nonessential detail
• elaborating on single or basic points
• delaying gratification
• inhibiting behaviours
• managing frustration and other emotions
• evaluating information and own performances.
See Booklet for Information on How AD/HD is Diagnosed
What other conditions can coexist with AD/HD?
All of the items listed as alternative explanations for AD/HD symptoms may also
coexist with AD/HD; that is, a child with AD/HD may also have these conditions or
experience these situations. This condition is referred to as AD/HD Complex.
Children who have no coexisting disorders may be classified as AD/HD Simple.
Two-thirds of children with AD/HD have at least one coexisting condition, so it is
important to consider how another condition can cause difficulties and require
support. The most common disorders to occur with AD/HD in children and
adolescents are learning disabilities, behaviour disorders including oppositional
defiant and conduct disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Tourette’s
syndrome, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
Of children with AD/HD:
30 to 50% also have learning disabilities
40% also have oppositional defiant disorder
25%* also have conduct disorder
10 to 30% also have depression
30% also have anxiety disorders
20% also have bipolar disorder
7%** also have Tourette’s syndrome.
* 45% of adolescents with AD/HD have a conduct disorder.
** 60% of individuals with Tourette’s syndrome also have AD/HD.
Booklet continues with what teachers can do if they suspect a child has AD/HD – I think from a parent’s perspective it is good information as well – what a parent can suggest. In my experience it is best when parents and teachers work together – utilizing ALL resources is a good thing!
The booklet then continues to talk about whether or not the child will need specialized programming and covers IPP’s – Individualized Program Plan (www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/specialneeds/ipp.asp)
Chapter 2 is “Building Home-School Partnerships”
There is a lot of information in chapter 2 – much of it relevant to teachers, but some of it stood out for me personally – areas I feel I need to work on in my own home.
• Encourage a consistent approach at home and at school in responding to
students’ behaviour.
• Encourage parents to set up an appropriate study space at home and to
equip it with essential materials.
• Encourage parents to establish routines for studying, for review of
completed homework, and for periodic checks of notebooks and bookbags.
Monitor changes in behaviour in response to strategies, programming,
accommodations or medical interventions
• Describe observed behaviours clearly, monitor changes carefully and
adjust interventions as needed.
• Complete daily checklists if required to help in identifying effective
management plans.
• Alert parents to any significant changes in their child’s behaviour.
Work with parents to create structure
• Encourage parents to focus on structure and routine at home. This
approach enhances feelings of safety and security for the student who is
challenged in his or her own management of time, materials and tasks.
Predictability reduces the need for explanation, negotiation and potential
conflict.
• Share information about expectations at school. Consistent expectations
among those working with the student will increase the tendency to
comply.
• Communicate with parents on a regular basis to keep them informed about
their child’s positive and negative behaviour and progress.
• Discuss interventions that work well at school and can be adapted for
home such as strategies for deflecting and absorbing “Yes, but …”
arguments. Some techniques can reduce the likelihood of adults becoming
engaged in no-win arguments with a child who is resistant. For example:
When a student tries to debate a request such as “It’s time to put away
the math blocks,” the adult can resist engaging in an argument by
matter-of-factly stating, “Regardless, it is time to put away the math
blocks.” Additional protests can be responded to with a firm
“Nevertheless, it’s time to put the blocks away.”
Enhance home-school communication
• Early in the school year, set up a meeting with the student, parents and
teachers.
• Follow up this face-to-face contact with notes, phone calls and e-mails
about progress, problems or success.
• In multi-teacher settings, consider having one teacher take responsibility
for tracking the student over the school year; e.g., monitoring homework
agendas, resolving problems and celebrating successes.
• Consider daily or weekly use of a communication book signed by parents,
the teacher and the student to ensure that parents are aware of issues that
arise in class and teachers are aware of issues that arise at home.
• Ensure that positive messages are included frequently to limit
discouragement.
• Contact parents regularly through telephone calls or e-mails. Discuss the
preferred contact method (e.g., phone call, after-school check-ins, etc.) and
the best times to contact one another. If using e-mail, it might also be
helpful to discuss expectations for response time to questions or concerns.
(We have always used this method with Olivia – until this year. It’s been a little more difficult to get her teacher on board with this. I have virtually no communication with Lilyanne’s teacher and find it incredibly difficult to know what I need to be working on at home the most with her – I think constant communication is very important.)
Make homework an opportunity for communication
• Recognize that homework is often an area of family tension and conflict.
• Create assignments that are meaningful and provide independent practice
for skills covered in class:
− consider the difficulty of the work and the time for the child to complete
the work (often students with AD/HD take two to three times as long to
complete a task compared to their peers)
− modify as necessary (for example, reduce the number of spelling words
to study, assign only even-numbered math problems, allow taperecorded
responses).
• Avoid sending home unfinished class work as homework. If unfinished
assignments during the school day are an ongoing issue, this challenge
needs to be addressed in class. Parents should not be expected to fix this
problem at home, especially because by evening many children will be
overtired and/or medication may not be in effect.
• Set up routines and reminders to ensure that students record assignments
in a homework agenda and have the materials needed. Provide clear
guidelines and timelines.
• Break down large or complex assignments into chunks with timelines for
the completion of each part.
• Set up routines and reminders to assist students to hand in homework.
Check completed homework and return it with feedback as soon as
possible.
• Encourage parents to
− set a regular time for homework or develop a weekly homework
schedule
− provide a quiet workplace and materials
− review the recorded assignments with the child
− assist the child in planning the tasks for the evening
− schedule breaks or reward completing tasks with a break
− emphasize the positive by looking for the things the child has done
correctly and give positive feedback
− encourage independence. The focus should be first on assisting children
to start on homework, and then on being available to provide
encouragement. Children also might need help breaking down difficult
tasks or clarifying directions. If the child uses accommodations at school,
encourage parents to provide them at home (e.g., use of a computer or
spellchecker, help with unfamiliar words, etc.)
− let the teacher know if the homework is too confusing or difficult for the
child to do or if it is taking too long (e.g., more than one hour a night at
the grades 4–6 level).
• If homework completion becomes an issue, work with students and their
parents to come up with alternate solutions.
(Homework is a HUGE issue at our house – partly because I’m unsure of how to create a quite workspace – and individual time)
Resources for parents
There are a number of Alberta Education print and online resources that can provide
information and ideas parents can use to participate in their child’s education. All of
these resources are available for purchase from the Learning Resources Centre at
www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca/
or telephone (780) 427–2767. The more current
resources can also be downloaded at no cost from the Alberta Education Web site.
The Parent Advantage: Helping Children Become More Successful Learners at Home
and School, Grades 1–9 (1998) includes strategies parents can use to help their
child improve organizational, reading, writing, spelling, math, test-taking and
project skills. Available for purchase from the Learning Resources Centre.
The Learning Team: A Handbook for Parents of Children with Special Needs (2003)
provides practical information on building a learning team, the IPP process,
transition planning, resolving differences and keeping informed. The handbook
can be downloaded as a PDF file from Alberta Education’s Web site at
www.education.gov.ab.ca/educationguide/speced/partners
The Journey: A Handbook for Parents of Children Who are Gifted and Talented (2004)
offers information and strategies that parents can use to nurture their child’s
learning and emotional well-being at home, in school and in the community. It
includes a section on gifted children with AD/HD. It can be downloaded as a
PDF file from Alberta Education’s Web site at
www.education.gov.ab.ca/K_12/curriculum/resources/TheJourney/journey.asp
Chapter 3 on – to be continued . . .
