Kate Kinsella SPED 205 Assignment A 9/27/12 Teaching Students with ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder reveals

itself in grades as low as preschool. These children have difficulty controlling their behavior and paying attention. ADHD is a relevant disorder to study since 35% of kids have ADHD which means that its likely that there will be at least one student with ADHD per classroom of 25-30 students. Key characteristics of ADHD are impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention; however, the child may not demonstrate all of these symptoms at once which allows children to be easily overlooked. For example, the hyperactive, disruptive student is sure to be noticed but the distracted daydreamer may be ignored. Impulsivity in students is not necessarily a discipline problem or a result of bad upbringing.; ADHD can be caused from a variety of factors including genetics and can continue into adulthood. There are three sub-types of ADHD recognized by physicians: 1) hyperactive/impulsive type, 2)inattentivesometimes called ADD, 3)combined hyperactive and inattentive. Signs of hyperactivity include: fidgeting/squirming in the seat, running around when quiet behavior is expected, blurting out answers before listening to the whole question, difficulty waiting in line or taking turns, etc. Signs of inattention include: being easily distracted by arbitrary sounds/sights, failure to pay attention to details causing the child to make careless mistakes, not following directions, losing materials necessary for a task, skipping from incomplete activity to incomplete activity, being easily confused, being spacey or lethargic, lacking fine motor skills which leads to bad notetaking and illegible handwriting, etc. Of course all kids demonstrate these behaviors at times; however, when the symptoms begin to interfere with schoolwork, thats when ADHD is suspected. Since symptoms vary in different environments, ADHD is not easily diagnosed. Students with ADHD have a difficult time as it is with schoolwork so making some accommodations can really alter how the student views himself and school. For instance, the teacher can seat the child with ADHD away from distracting doors and windows in order to facilitate a better classroom dynamic. When explaining an assignment, its be helpful if the teacher gives

instructions one at a time and repeat as necessary. Working on more difficult material earlier in the day/period can help students with ADHD focus their energy and attention on the more challenging material before they become distracted. More examples of classroom accommodations include: using visuals (such as charts and pictures), creating outlines for note-taking, giving frequent short quizzes instead of long tests, showing the student how to use a pointer to follow along as they read, dividing long-term projects into segments, colorcoding materials for each subject for better organization, listing activities of the days lesson on the board, using eye contact to keep student attention, varying the pace of activitiescompetition is often a good way to keep students with ADHD engaged, summarizing key points of each lesson so that the student remembers. Sometimes something as simple as allowing the student to squeeze a stress ball can help the student to focus better on the lesson being taught. Some helpful websites to use while researching this condition are http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_teaching_strategies.htm, ldonline.org/adhdbasics, and ncld.org. These sites are very helpful because they explain the disorder thoroughly and provide tips for how to overcome obstacles that would normally distract the child from learning.

Teaching Students with Aspergers Syndrome Children with Aspergers Syndrome often have difficulty in social situations because they may not grasp the idea of reciprocal interactions. For instance, some children will have no interest in social interaction while others just have trouble understanding how. Children with this syndrome do not understand the give-and-take nature of social interactions (familyeducation.com). For instance, the child may wish to lecture on their new coin collection or he may leave the room in the middle of a conversation. These children have difficulty recognizing verbal and non-verbal cues such as eye contact, facial expressions, body language, conversational turn-taking, as well as consideration of perspective. Children with Aspergers Syndrome have complications with realistic use of language; they view language as a vehicle for sharing facts and information that theyre interested in instead of as a way to share thoughts and feelings. Oftentimes, these students will have trouble

with topic appropriateness and conversations can seem scripted since the childs melody of speech (pitch, stress, or rhythm) may be impaired. Students with Aspergers may have issues with problem solving, analyzing information and understanding language beyond its literal level. In addition, the child may have a narrow range of interests; however, the few interests that they do have will likely dominate. Other hindrances may include: motor clumsiness, inability to consider others perspectives, difficulty empathizing, rigidity in thought which makes imaginative thought difficult, as well as sensory sensitivities. According to an excerpt from a speech by a high school junior with Aspergers to future educators (found in an article by Joan S. Safran entitled Supporting Students with Aspergers in General Education), allowing students to pick their own groups leaves kids feeling excluded when they arent picked. The student writes, its really embarrassing when no one wants you and you wither have to work alone or the teacher has to find you a group. This student suggests that teachers try to encourage the more socially adept in [the] class to spend time with the less, maybe by giving them jobs to do together or pinpointing out interests they share. Or maybe the kid with Aspergers could help a popular kid with his math. In addition, the student advises future teachers to maintain a zero tolerance policy for putdowns, verbal harassment, and bullying. Additional changes that can be made to assist students with Aspergers include; constructing thoughtful seating arrangement; providing a safe, quiet place; limiting use of technology. Its important to understand the students sensory sensitivity so during assemblies or any other situation that can be overwhelming with noises or crowds, its beneficial to offer an alternative to the event or headphones or earplugs. Furthermore, technology can be a helpful resource in the classroom; however, limiting use can avoid the potential for the computer to become a substitute for human contact (Safran). Some helpful websites for parents to explore additional resources for children with Aspergers Syndrome include: familyeducation.com/aspergers/characteristics/66244.html, asperger.org, udel.edu/bkirby/asperger because each site is sympathetic to the frustrations that can accompany having a child with Aspergers. The sites also offer advice for how to approach and inform teachers about the syndrome

Teaching Students with Dysgraphia Dysgraphia is a type of learning disability and processing disorder which affects writing and can lead to issues with spelling, messy handwriting, and journaling. Students with dysgraphia often have difficulty organizing letters, number, and words on a page (ncld.org). Dysgraphia can be a result of visual-spatial or language processing difficulties. Warning signs of dysgraphia include: awkward pencil grip and posture, misunderstanding upper and lowercase letters, becoming tired quickly while writing, illegible handwriting, saying words aloud while writing them, leaving words unfinished in sentences, issues with syntax and grammar (ncld.org). In order to help students deal with their dysgraphia, teachers can make certain accommodations such as: using paper with raised lines so that they can feel where the lines are and write within them; allowing the student to test out different pens to see which is comfortable; allowing extra time for writing assignments; alternating focus of writing assignmentsemphasize neatness or spelling in one assignment and grammar/syntax in the next assignment; encouraging students to proofread work after an incubation period; providing constructive feedback explaining the strengths and weaknesses of the students writing. It can also be helpful for students with dysgraphia to use a tape recorder to take notes. In addition, it is crucial for teachers to urge students to practice writing in lowstress situations such as, letters, in a journal, or even household lists (ldonline.org). Helpful website resources for parents of children with dysgraphia are http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/writing, http://www.ncld.org/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=345&pop=1&Itemid=456047, and http://people.cofc.edu/~perkinsr/classes/EDFS710/Student/Dysgraphia.html because each site offers an in depth explanation of the disorder and proposes good techniques for improving the childs experience in the classroom.

Resources ADHD Resources: http://www.ldonline.org/adhdbasics http://www.helpguide.org/mental/teaching_tips_add_adhd.htm http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_teaching_strategies.htm Aspergers Syndrome Resources: http://life.familyeducation.com/aspergers/characteristics/66244.html?page=7&detoured=1 http://www.wjcc.k12.va.us/content/admin/specialized_educational_svcs/schoolpsychsvcs/staff_websites/lesleyhenderson/docs/supporting_students_with_aspergers.pdf Dysgraphia Resources: http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/what-is-dysgraphia