Transcript ADD Group Presentation

Attention Deficit Disorder
Melissa Homakie, Sarah Keenan
Haley Martin, Kristina Morris
Sarah Keenan
Kristina Morris
Melissa Homakie
Haley Martin
ADD or ADHD?
“Official” clinical diagnosis is Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD
ADD used as generic term for all typ0es of ADHD
Basically talking about the same thing, whether you
say ADD or ADHD
 ADD affects approximately 5% of children and
adolescents and 2% or adults
 Impacts about 2 students in every classroom
across America
Definition
ADD is a diagnostic label given to children and adults
displaying certain characteristic behaviors over a period of
time. The most common core features include:
Inattention/distractibility
Impulsivity
Hyperactivity
Boredom *
To meet diagnostic criteria:
Behaviors must continue for at least 6 months
Problems apparent before age of 7
Impairment from symptoms present in 2 more
more settings
Common Symptoms
Failing to give close attention to details or making careless
mistakes
Difficulty sustaining attention to tasks
Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
Failing to follow instructions carefully and completely
Losing or forgetting important things
Feeling restless- fidgeting with hands and feet or squirming
Running or climbing excessively
Talks excessively, blurts out answers
Difficulty awaiting turn
* Nature and severity of symptoms varies widely between cases
* 1/3 of those with ADD do not have hyperactivity component
Effects on Education
Classroom setting probably the worst possible
setting for ADD children
•Many distractions
•Told to sit still and not talk
•Need to pay attention to boring, repetitive
worksheets, etc.
•Need to keep on task until work is finished
Many students “hit a wall”
Continual struggles
•Attention Deficit Disorder and Ritalin have
become almost synonymous. (Dexedrine, Ritalin,
and Cylert)
•Children do not out grow ADD symptoms, so other
methods of treating ADD besides medically must be
used.
•Maintain a healthy diet…encourage fruits and
vegetables and eliminate caffeine and sweets. Get
proper rest and exercise daily!
• Teachers and parents need to deal with and work
on improving children’s attention skills,
impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
• Effective reinforcement systems need to be found.
• Stop and think before they answer or begin work.
• Appropriate behavior modeled by adults.
• Ear plugs!!!
Classroom Techniques for Students
with ADD/ADHD…
General classroom teachers being faced with
increasing responsibilities for students with ADD

 At first, teachers are likely to feel burdened,
overwhelmed and unconfident in tackling ADD
 Many proactive steps teachers can take to help
prevent the problem from becoming overwhelming.
Top 10 Ways to Alter a
General Education Classroom
in ways that Support the
Strengths of Children with
ADD!!!
# 10…
Incorporate movement into
classroom life, in the form
of role play and other
active curricular
responses.
# 9…
Arrange Classroom in a
traditional row-seating
pattern
# 8…
Student with ADD should be
positioned in the front row,
where he/she is less likely
to be distracted.
# 7…
Remove child from
potentially distracting
areas, such as near
windows or pencil
sharpeners
# 6…
Surround child with ADD with
well-behaved, attentive
classmates as desk neighbors.
# 5…
Because children with ADD are
often self-conscious about their
need to take medication, provide
children with a secure place to
keep and take pills.
# 4…
Teach students with ADD to
break down assignments into
smaller, less overwhelming
components.
# 3…
For over stimulated children,
designate a stimuli reduced area
of the room, where a child who is
fidgety and overly aroused can
complete his or her assigned task.
# 2…
To address the hyperactive
child’s reluctance to tackle finemotor skills, create small
interactive centers requiring fine
muscle control (art center, map
skills area) in the classroom
setting.
# 1…
View and treat the student with
ADD as a whole person, and not
a person with ADD, or an
“ADDer” but a complete and
unique individual.
Devin…
Devin at East Academy