RINE Interim Summary: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or AD/HD, is a commonly misunderstood and controversial disorder that affects approximately three to seven percent of school aged children. (Rief, 2005, p. xvi) This high incidence rate virtually guarantees the pre-service teacher will encounter students with AD/HD in their practicum classrooms, and consistently throughout their future teaching careers. My previously limited understanding of the disorder has motivated me to investigate its effects within the classroom, and the techniques I can employ to mitigate them.

AD/HD, or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, refers to “a family of related chronic neurobiological disorders that interfere with an individual’s capacity to regulate activity level (hyperactivity), inhibit behaviour (impulsivity), and attend to tasks (inattention) in developmentally appropriate ways.” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2000, in Rief, 2005, p. 4) This helpful definition concisely separates the traits of the child with AD/HD into the sometimes co-existent, sometimes mutually exclusive categories of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, which is perhaps the least recognizable form of the disorder.

I was previously unaware of the “predominantly inattentive” form of AD/HD, which according to Rief is easy to overlook, as the child with this form does not exhibit the disruptive behaviours that are commonly associated with AD/HD. The “predominantly inattentive” child may exhibit behaviours such as seeming not to listen, difficulty remembering and following directions, forgetfulness, difficulty sustaining alertness during tedious tasks, daydreaming, disorganization and poor study skills. As Rief acknowledges, many of these behaviours could easily be dismissed as “not trying” or “being lazy” (2005, p. 4), meaning students with this form of AD/HD could go undiagnosed and unassisted in the classroom, thus disadvantaging the student throughout their schooling and later life careers.

In addition to the “predominantly inattentive” form of AD/HD, the “predominantly hyperactive-impulsive” type is the more recognizable. This form of the disorder is responsible for behaviours such as extreme energy and hyperactivity, unnecessary movement, fidgeting, roaming, excessive talking, interruptions, impatience, lack of self control, inappropriate noises, poor consideration of the consequences of actions, and so on. Since this is a far more observable form of the disorder, this is the form of AD/HD we are most likely to respond to in the classroom, generally in a negative fashion.

One of the main inhibitors for a student with AD/HD being able to focus and participate in their work is their need for “arousal” (Cherkes-Julkowski, Sharp & Stolzenberg, 1997, p. 50). In “Rethinking Attention Deficit Disorders”, Cherkes-Julkowski et al. recommend tactics for maintaining a student’s interest in an activity, by maintaining their state of arousal. Importantly, they recognize that the teacher’s oft-quoted “sit still so you can pay attention” is absolutely wrong when it comes to students with AD/HD. These students need to maintain arousal in order to maintain attention. Teachers can help students maintain arousal by switching tasks frequently, incorporating movement into tasks and allowing motor activity while working. These suggestions excite me as a teacher, as I believe these active, exciting and engaging lesson tasks are not only suitable for students with AD/HD, but are ‘best practice’ techniques for engaging all students, regardless of their additional needs. They are all techniques which I have already employed in my practicum, in order to maintain a high engagement level, not only for students with AD/HD but for their peers, and even for myself.

It is easy to sympathise with some parents’ concerns about administering drugs such as Ritalin to their children on a long-term basis. I hope to develop a greater understanding of how to help both the medicated and unmedicated students with AD/HD to deal with their disorder on a day to day basis, by providing a challenging and stimulating learning environment which will benefit all the students in my classroom.

Thus far my research has focused on developing an understanding of the nature of Attention Deficient/Hyperactivity Disorder in order to create a foundation on which to build my ongoing research. From this point forward my research will focus more on some of the recommended practical techniques and strategies for engaging students with AD/HD to ensure their higher achievement in the classroom.


Source List

Cherkes-Julkowski, M., Sharp, S., & Stolzenberg, J. (1997) Rethinking Attention Deficit Disorders. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Brookline Books.

Rief, S., (2005) How to Reach and Teach Children with ADD/ADHD: Practical Techniques, Strategies, and Interventions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Wright, C. (2006) Practically speaking: ADHD in the classroom. Special Education Perspectives, 15(2), 3-8. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=155036;res=AEIPT