ADHD to 89985 Special Needs

ADHD to 89985

SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS: STRATEGIES for ADHD and ASD STUDENTS in the CLASSROOM

The objective of this work is to conduct a review of literature for the purpose of learning and distinguishing between the different types of learning disabilities. This work is also concerned with effective classroom strategies that could be used to support students with ADHD and Autism to overcome the various barriers to learning. This work will specifically concentrate on students in the United States with ADHD and Autism.

ASD - Autism Spectrum Disorder

Accommodations -- Materials or methods that help people with learning disabilities to complete tasks successfully. Reasonable accommodations must be provided -- by law -- to people with diagnosed disabilities. Examples include extra work time, use of technology (e.g., tape recorder, computer) or changes in a work setting (such as getting directions in writing or on tape).

Assessment -- the steps taken to find out if someone has a learning disability. Can include tests and interviews.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) -- a condition in which a person has a hard time paying attention, staying focused and being organized. A person with ADHD may be unusually active and impulsive, although some people with ADHD are not especially active. ADHD can lead to learning problems and behavior problems.

Cognition -- the process of knowing.

Diagnosis -- a decision that someone has a condition. A diagnosis of learning disabled must be made by a qualified person.

Dyslexia -- a serious difficulty with understanding and/or using language. It includes problems in reading, writing and/or spelling.

Learning Disability -- a serious difficulty with processing information, understanding and using spoken or written language, and/or reasoning and doing calculations in math.

Learning Strategies -- Ways a person learns (e.g., repeating something several times or explaining it out loud to oneself).

Learning Styles -- the ways a person prefers to learn (e.g., by seeing, listening or "hands on").

Metacognition -- Thinking about and being aware of how one learns.

Screening -- Collecting information that might point to a possible learning disability. A definite diagnosis must be made by a qualified professional. (Southern LINCS Literacy and Learning Disabilities, July 16, 2002)

LITERATURE REVIEW

I. ADHD

ADHD is a developmental disorder that is brain-related which results in a loss of self-regulation which in turn impairs other functions of the brain that are critical for the child with ADHD in terms of their being able to pay attention and in terms of their understanding that the processes of social functioning.: The work entitled: "Identifying and Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resource for School and Home" states that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has many faces and remains one of the most talked-about controversial subjects in education. Hanging in the balance of heated debates over medication, diagnostic methods and treatment options are children, adolescents, and adults who must manage the condition and lead productive lives on a daily basis." (U.S. Department of Education, 2003) ADHD is a neurological condition "that involves problems with inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity that are development inconsistent with the age of the child. We are now learning that ADHD is not a disorder of attention, as had long been assumed. Rather, it is a function of developmental failure in the brain circuitry that monitors inhibition and self-control. This loss of self-regulation impairs other important brain functions crucial for maintaining attention, including the ability to defer immediate rewards for later gain (Barkley, 1998a). Behavior of children with ADHD can also include excessive motor activity. The high energy level and subsequent behavior are often misperceived as purposeful noncompliance when, in fact, they may be a manifestation of the disorder and require specific interventions." (U.S. Department of Education, 2003)

Children with ADHD generally display behavior that is categorized as follows: (1) poor sustained attention; and (2) hyperactivity-impulsiveness. (Ibid) Because of this "three subtypes of the disorder have been proposed by the American Psychiatric Association in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV):

1) Predominantly inattentive;

2) Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive; and 3) Combined types. (Barkley, 1997; as cited by the U.S. Department of Education)

Common characteristics of the child with hyperactivity include the child being "fidgety, have difficulty staying seated or playing quietly, acting as if drive by a motor..." (U.S. Department of Education, 2003) Characteristics of children with impulsivity include "difficulty participating in tasks that require taking turns, blurting out answers to questions instead of waiting to be called and flitting from one task to another without finishing." (U.S. Department of Education, 2003) Characteristics of the child with inattention is something that impacts the education of other children because of the child's challenges in "attending to detail in directions, sustaining attention for the duration of the task and misplacing needed items." (U.S. Department of Education, 2003) the U.S. Department of Education report states: "...one-third of all children with ADHD have learning disabilities...[and] may experience difficulty in reading, math and written communication." (U.S. Department of Education, 2003) ADHD generally is accompanied by other conditions and current literature "indicates that that approximately 40-60% of children with ADHD have at least one coexisting disability." (U.S. Department of Education, 2003)

II. CAUSES