What are the signs and symptoms of ADHD? Forgetting homework? Daydreaming? Act without thinking? Getting fidgety? Yes, these are all signs of NORMAL behavior for children, not children of ADHD. ALL children exhibit these acts. But when do these signs and symptoms go to the extreme? When does it affect a child when it comes to learning?
First of all, ADHD is described as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which appears in early childhood usually before the age of seven. We all know that most boys in this age range can be very hyperactive. How can we as teachers, distinguish between normal child behavior and behavior that is destructive. Many of you are probably saying something like, "I can spot ADHD a mile away. This disorder is quite common and most classes have a child or two with ADHD."
Which of these 5 statements regarding ADHD are true? Can you guess?
* All kids with ADHD are hyperactive.
* Kids with ADHD can never pay attention.
* Kids with ADHD choose to be difficult. They could behave better if they wanted to.
* Kids will eventually grow out of ADHD.
* Medication is the best treatment option for ADHD.
Actually all five of these statements are myths....none of them are true. The criteria for an ADHD diagnosis consists of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in the following instances:
* Early onset: before the age of seven
* Duration: symptoms present for at least 6 months
* Settings: need to be present in two or more situations, such as home, school, etc.
* Impact: must have a negative impact on the child's school, family, social life
* Developmental level: are NOT associated with the child's normal developmental level
* Alternative explanation: are not caused by another disorder (physical, mental, or emotional)
So what are some treatments for ADHD? I can already hear some teachers yell....MEDICINE! Although medication is sometimes used, it shouldn't be the only option. Therapy has shown to be extremely effective, as well as, a better diet and exercise plan, and modifying an environment to minimize distractions.
How many of you have a student or two diagnosed with ADHD? Are they boys or girls or both? Are they on meds? Would therapy be affective for them?
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I have to type fast because I have a lot I want to comment on. I have had several students diagnosed with ADHD over the years. Off hand I can only think of boys. We are in a small school so we are all like family. Two of the boys are sons of fellow teachers and I have watched them struggle with medicating. I have watched one of the boys go up and down so many times as a result of incorrect dosage and medication, and watching the mother/teacher struggle with the guilt of doing this to her child. The son is now a junior and I still don't think he is the boy he was prior to medication, but he is passing his classes. Is that a trade off worth taking?
ReplyDeleteI just watched a Dr. Phil show about a high school kid who is addicted to percription drugs. He said it started with over-dosing his ADHD medicine. At first he just did it to do better on a test or to concentrate really hard on something he needed a good grade on, but then it led to other things and now he is abusing so many other drugs. But the sad thing is that it started with ADHD meds. Maybe a differet therapy would have helped him long ago and they might not have ever had to bring the drugs into the house. Obviously we will never know, but maybe for other kids destined down that path?
I am reading a book for our book reports about differentiated classrooms and sometimes the signals kids demonstrate about ADHD can seem similar to kids that are suffering from a classroom that doesn't fit their learning profile or style. Sometimes I think 'we' are too quick to jump to the assumption that it must be ADHD and not consider other things. It is a scary thing and I can't imagine what it is to be a parent of a child who might be ADHD. I have a 4 year old daughter and sometimes I think/joke that she is ADD/ADHD. Come on I say, she is 4, but it is worth my while to learn more about it and the alternative therapies available. Not only as a teacher but as a mother! Great topic!
Elizabeth Haraseth
Denise,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you posted this blog! I have one student in the Jr. High whom I just found out two weeks ago has been on meds for years for his ADHD. However, there are several students in our school, in the lower grades, who are either diagnosed or "teacher-diagnosed" with ADHD.
I believe that medicine should be the last resort to helping a student/child with this type of difficulty. I think that our society is a quick fix society. We are sick, pop a pill. We can't sit still, pop a pill. We have the blues, pop a pill. Yes, I think sometimes medicine is appropriate but I am also a firm believer that we need to look at the underlying reason for what is happening and try alternative methods such as therapy, counseling, diet, exercise, etc.
I get so upset at other teachers who "self-diagnose" their students and think that medicine is the only way. When they get on this bandwagon in the teacher's lounge, I have to walk out because I get upset!
Thanks for posting this topic and getting the word out about the myths. Good job!
Denise,
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone has the tendencies to be diagnosed as ADHD or even ADD at some point in their lives. There are so many emotional and personal factors in each individual life that could distract kids today. The pressures are greater than they were for our generation or the previous generation to be successful in school. There are also more opportunities. I think that diet and exercise should be considered for every student to achieve. How many students actually eat breakfast or even sit down for a dinner with their family in the evenings? I bet, even in affluent locations, you'll find less than 50% of your classes who do. How many of those ADHD students are involved with sports or exercise daily? Probably a very small percentage.
I would not want my child to be on medication. I don't want my students to need it either. I've seen them overdose on it and just become lethargic to the degree of not getting quality education either. It's just our society trying to conform to higher performance in ways society believes is best.
I know an adult who had ADHD. He wasn't successful in school. He didn't even graduate. From his own experience, he learned that working with his hands and building homes, he was happy and successful. He's a millionaire now. Do we need all our students to be "successful" in books and knowledge to the point of making them drug addicts?
I do know some students with ADHD are so disruptive, the classroom cannot function in a positive learning environment. I know of a college friend who used, with permission from the school and the family, a refrigerator box to help a student focus. They didn't use medication in times of disorder or stress, and the results were positive. The other students understood why he needed this isolation and didn't ridicule him and classroom learning was positive for everyone. I'd be interested in using this method for my own child before pumping him full of medication.
What do you think?
Have a good weekend.
Randy B.
Denise,
ReplyDeleteI currently have three students with ADHD. Two are controlled by medication and one with alternative therapies. I am with you that a lot of teachers confuse ADHD with normal kids behaviors. I also would like to point out that in my school especially some teachers would like to diagnose kids themselves. Any time a student acts in class there is always a teacher to try to diagnose them and it drives me crazy. Kids can have bad moments without being label ADHD.
For me, I learned to adapt a long time ago. My classroom is designed so that we never stay on a subject to long and there are always moments to draw kids back in to the lesson. I was extremely hyperactive as a child and went from doctor to doctor never being diagnosed correctly. My mother finally gave up and changed my activities schedule. I know how hard it is to focus sometimes so patience and a little creativity helps my three a lot. Great article.
Blaire
Great topic!!! I think ADHD is too often an excuse for active students. I remember my first year teaching I had a boy that I explained to his parents as an active six year old BOY! His teacher the following year thought for sure he was ADHD and was not allowing the fact that he was six and an active boy explain his behavior. His active behavior did not affect his social or academic progress and as he got older and matured he was less active and has turned out to be a good student.
ReplyDeleteI do currently have an ADHD boy in my class and we are working with doctors right now to come up with the best option. I have not heard of therapy before but I think I'm going to look into this more and suggest it to parents. I know medicating children can be hard for some parents so I would encourage anyone to try therapy first.
Great blog! I think we need to keep learning about ADHD because we see this so often in our schools.