Dropin #4
Susan Nash Travetto
Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention
Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
Introduction
Children
with ADD and ADHD pose a significant challenge to classroom teachers. These children frequently have IEPs that require teachers to design and modify instruction
based on the diagnosis and the perceived instructional needs. This is a condition about which many
educators disagree in terms of causes, treatment, and the ways in which schools
respond to children with this diagnosis.
Frequently,
bright children have been referred to psychologists or pediatricians because
they exhibited certain behaviors (e.g., restlessness, inattention, impulsivity,
high activity level, day-dreaming) commonly associated with a diagnosis of
ADHD. Almost all of these behaviors, however, might be found in bright,
talented, creative, gifted children. The similarities and differences between
the two groups raises the potential for misidentification in both
areas-giftedness and ADHD.
There
is another “school of thought” that these behaviors are a result of poor
parenting and the diagnosis of ADHD is a quick way to help
parents of “unruly” children manage their behavior with medication.
Assignment
This
assignment is designed to lead you through an exploration of the ADD and ADHD
to understand one of the major issues you will face in your classrooms. In a
maximum of three pages, discuss differing view points about this condition. Include causes, diagnosis of the condition,
suggestions for parents and educators on how to cope with children with the
condition, and suggestions for teachers on how to effectively plan lessons for
students with the condition. You can
start with the following websites for your research, but let these websites
only be the beginning of your exploration.
Suggested
Resources
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/pages/dis.add.html