Attention Deficit-

Hyperactivity Disorder
What is it?
ADHD is a neurological disorder of development…

 It appears in childhood
 Delays development of one or more psychological
funcionts
 Goes on until adulthood (usually not outgrown)
 Treatable. But not curable

 Although not being a learning dissability, it does affect

learning
What causes ADHD?
Causes have not been entirely determined, but…
Genetic factors - ADHD is highly heritable

Environmental factors – exposure to tobacco and

alcohol during pregnancy

Diet – overconsumption of artificially-coloured, high

in sodium foods

Injuries to brain – prefrontal region

Main characteristics
Triad of symptoms:
Inattention
Impulsivity
Hyperactivity

These have to be present from childhood, for at least six

months

Must affect the person’s life in at least two different

areas (socialization, interpersonal relationshpis,
academic life, working environment)
ADHD subtypes: Inattentive
Forgetful during daily activities
Easily distracted by any external stimuli
Loses important items (e.g. pencils, homework, keys, wallet,
money, etc.)
Does not appear to listen throughout
Unable to sustain attention in activities
Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring sustained mental effort
Makes careless mistakes by failing to pay attention to details
Difficulty organizing tasks and activities
Great attention-seekers
Fails to follow-through on complex instructions and tasks
(e.g. homework, chores, etc.)
ADHD subtypes: Hyperactive/Impulsive
Squirms and fidgets (with hands and/or feet)
Cannot sit still for too long
Cannot play quietly or engage in leisurely activities
Talks excessively
Runs and climbs excessively
Always on the go, as if "driven by a motor"
Cannot wait for their turn
Blurts out answers and finishes people’s sentences
Intrudes on others and interrupts conversations
ADHD subtypes: Combined type
The most frequent one

Presents symptomps of both inattentive and

hyperactive/impulsive type
 Most people exhibit some of these behaviors at some
point in their lives...

A diagnose for ADHD should be considered when such

behaviors interfere significantly, impairing a person's
ability to work, to sustain meaningful relationships, or
to cope with academic life.
What about adults?
ADHD carries on to adulthood in 60% of cases
Symptoms from childhood are not expressed in the
same way in adulthood
Brief summary of adult characteristics:
1. Difficulty organizing, 6. (extreme cases) Engaging in
planning and prioritizing criminal behaviour
2. Reckless driving 7. (extreme cases) Lack of
3. Marital and social sexual responsibility
difficulties 8. Difficulty starting tasks
4. High distractibility and (procrastinators)
poor listening skills 9. Zero time-management
5. Restlessness and difficulty (loses track of time, is
relaxing always late)
10. Angry outbursts
 Needs of an ADHD student and what can teachers do
 Be patient
 They need external structures for what they can’t structure
internally – list of steps, checklists, lists of rules, reminders,
repetition
 They’re prone to low self-esteem – give constant, positive
feedback.
‘neon signs’, visual aids, lots of
 They need explicit directions –
color, bigger fonts, mnemonics
 Give more time for tests and prioritize work at home over
timed-testing
 They need to move – allow time for ‘escape outlets’ (fetching
something, cleaning the board, handing out material)
Needs of an ADHD student and what can
teachers do
Break down tasks and texts into smaller, more manageable
parts
 Working memory is a problem – use mnemonics,
flashcards, rhymes, songs
 Handwriting can be difficult– when possible, consider
alternatives like testing orally or using a computer
 Keep in touch with parents – they can also help with
feedback
 Help the student self-monitor – use daily progress reports
 Consider their learning style (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic)
to help them develop useful study strategies
Sources
 Handout – Problems in child development: Attention Deficit-
Hyperactivity Disorder, p. 189-190
 www.chadd.org
 www.help4adhd.org
 www.russellbarkley.org
 http://adultadhdrelationships.blogspot.com/
 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Attention_Deficit_Hyperactivity_Disorder
 http://www.drthomasebrown.com/brown_model/index.ht
ml
 http://www.spu.org.uy/revista/dic2007/09_conf.pdf