Response to ADHD-Danielle Blair

1. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that affects a student’s ability to function and focus with everyday activities, including activities in the classroom. People with ADHD have an imbalance in the attention and activity part of the brain that affects their ability to focus. As a result, people have a hard time focusing academically and socially. ADHD is similar to Learning Disabilities in Mathematics because of the type of behaviors they represent. They are both mental health disorders that effect a person’s academically and socially. Students with learning disabilities in mathematics specifically struggle with all aspects of mathematics including organization, similarly students with ADHD have trouble focusing and socializing which also has an effect on a students organizational skills.
2. There are a wide range of developmental characteristics which all stem from the part of the brain that controls attention and activity in a person. Since the brain lacks control over attention and activity in a person, a person cannot control their impulses to act on certain behaviors. Therefore, if a person as an impulse to call out or hit someone they will act on it because the brain is not cautioning them to stop and think about their actions. Consequently, in school students diagnosed with ADHD are constantly reprimanded and corrected for their behavior. While ADHD is usually diagnosed during childhood, people who do not show symptoms until later can be diagnosed during their teenage years or as late as adulthood. The symptoms that are associated with ADHD include difficulty paying attention, trouble finishing or completing assignments on time, loss or forgetfulness of homework assignments, easily distracted, lack of attention with details and makes careless mistakes, trouble with organization, impatient, restless immature social behavior, and excessive talking. The developmental characteristics differ between ADHD and mathematic learning disabilities because math learning disabilities focus mainly on difficulties concerning math such as difficulty mastering number facts whereas, ADHD mainly affects a persons ability to focus and maintain on task. However, both disabilities can affect one another. For example, if a student has ADHD and have difficulty with their organization skills and are easily distracted, this can affect a student’s ability to excel in mathematics because they lack the ability to focus and therefore retain the information.
3. There are many ways to accommodate and support a student with ADHD in and outside of the classroom. Communication between the parents and teacher is important when dealing with a student with ADHD. For example, if the parents feel comfortable sharing with the school/teacher that the child is on medication this helps the teacher in particular recognize specific behaviors the student displays on and off medication and can accommodate the student based on those observations. In conjunction with the home, teachers can send home weekly reports to the parents to keep them informed about their child’s accomplishments and struggles in school. In the classroom, the teacher can utilize simple strategies such as placing the student’s seat in the front of the classroom near the teacher, where there are less distractions and more teacher student interaction. Teachers can also extend time on assignments for the student and help strengthen the student’s organization skills by helping them list in a planner all academic and extracurricular activities to organize their day. Shorter tests with direct questions or extended time on tests will allow the student to focus more and complete the test to the best of their ability because they are not pressured to complete the assignment with the rest of the class. If necessary, an aid can be present in the classroom for further assistance. The strategies and accommodations to support a student with ADHD are similar to those associated with a student that has a learning disability in mathematics. Both students require extended time on assignments and tests, assistance organizing their work, and daily/weekly progress reports documenting their growth. Communication between parents is also important as well as the classroom set-up and where the child is seated.