Pay Attention to ADHD

By Karen Marley

Let’s call her Lisa. She’s a healthy adult leading a hectic life. She misplaced her cellphone again, spent yesterday’s meeting daydreaming about her next camping itinerary and forgot to go to the bank.

Does she have attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Maybe.

It’s in the brain

“You can’t tell by looking,” is a pinnacle message from the ADHD Awareness Month Coalition, which observes ADHD Awareness Month each October and is sponsored by the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, ADHD Coaches Organization, and Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

The Attention Deficit Disorder Association and Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are clear that being occasionally forgetful and distracted does not equate to having ADHD, and the idea of having a “little bit” of the disorder is misleading.

People with ADHD possess a brain with a different structure, volume, chemical activity and communication pathways. Moreover, scientists have made genetic connections to the condition. The Attention Deficit Disorder Association states most people (around 90-95%) do not have this physical difference in their brains. For those who do, ADHD is a chronic syndrome, often requiring lifelong management that demands relentless awareness and effort.

Teachers face especially unique challenges when working with students who have the disorder. Students’ days are filled with staying on task, focusing their attention, sitting still and practicing delayed gratification — all of which are challenging to those with ADHD.

Symptoms

ADHD symptoms exist across two categories: inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Individuals can have both. According to Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, individuals who predominately have inattentiveness exhibit the following behaviors:

Make careless mistakes and overlooks details.
Struggle with attention.
Do not appear to listen.
Avoid tasks that require sustained mental effort.
Lose items.
Easily distracted.
Forgetful.

People with hyperactive-impulsive behaviors tend to:

Fidget and squirm.
Have difficulty remaining seated.
Run or climb excessively as children: have extreme restlessness as adults.
Have difficulty engaging in activities quietly.
Act or feel as if driven by a motor.
Talk excessively.
Blurt out answers before questions have been completed.
Are impatient.
Interrupt or intrude upon others.

Some of these behaviors are a normal part of growing up or the result of a temporary life situation. It does not necessarily mean they have ADHD. Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder emphasizes that diagnosing the condition is a complex process and professional evaluators must follow a specific protocol of diagnostic criteria.

Students and classrooms

Based on a 2016 survey, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 9.4% of U.S. children ages 2-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, with the vast majority of diagnoses occurring at ages 6-17. Boys (12.9%) are more likely to be diagnosed than girls (5.6%).

The CDC recommends the school environment be part of a student’s treatment plan with behavioral classroom management and organizational strategies. The former encourages positive behaviors with a reward system and/or constructive daily feedback. The latter emphasizes time management and planning skills.

Additionally, the CDC offers specific tips to help teachers communicate effectively with ADHD students. This includes providing frequent feedback to positive behavior. Think in terms of catching a student doing something right, not wrong.

Communications should also reflect sensitivity to the emotional impact ADHD has on emotions and social growth.

While inattentiveness is a hallmark trait of the disorder, students with it can become hyper-focused on activities they find interesting to the point they may need help transitioning their attention or changing their routines.

Other classroom management strategies recommended by the CDC cover an array of tactics. These include:

Make sure assignments are extra clear and short without sacrificing their challenging nature. Be sure to ask students if they understand what is being asked of them.
Provide choices for students to demonstrate mastery such as letting them choose between writing an essay, giving an oral report or constructing a hands-on project.
Plan for adequate breaks with time for physical activity.
Minimizing classroom distractions.
Utilizing organizational tools to limit how much a student needs to track.

For more strategies and insights on how educators can help a student with ADHD reach their full academic potential, visit chadd.org/for-educators/overview. Educators will find everything from tips to videos and suggested trainings.