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Chris Giordano

EDUC360
4/20/17
Field Experience Task

Many students must overcome countless adversities within a

classroom. Some of these problems include having trouble staying

focused, not knowing how to complete the work, having poor time

management, or having trouble balancing their school life with their social

life.

One of the biggest problems students today have to deal withand

what the student that I worked with, Nicholas, had to deal withis

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). According to

www.add.org (ADHD, 2017), ADHD is a genetic, brain-based disorder that

has to do with the regulation of a particular set of brain functions and

related behaviors. So what does that mean? Essentially, these brain

operations are collectively referred to as executive functioning skills, and

they include important functions such as concentration, memory,

motivation, impulsivity, organization, and the ability to learn from mistakes

all very important functions towards being able to excel in the classroom

and beyond.

There are two main symptoms of ADHD: inattention and

hyperactivity, the most common symptom for children being hyperactivity.

Although it is fairly common for most people to have some of the

symptoms of ADHD, these behaviors for those who suffer from the
disorder have it much more severely and much more frequently. So if

most people have these symptoms, how could you be sure that your

student or child, in fact, has ADHD? Some of the telltale signs in children

include: leaving their seats in situations when staying seated is expected,

running or climbing in situations where it is inappropriate, talking nonstop,

constantly being in motion, shouting out answers before a question is

finished being asked, or interrupting in general (Attention Deficit, 2016).

Although some of these symptoms could be circumstantial, if they are

repeated daily, it is possible that that child suffers from ADHD.

Although you may be certain that a child is suffering from ADHD, it is

an extensive and comprehensive process to be diagnosed, and it includes

being evaluated by a licensed clinicianpediatrician, psychologist, or

psychiatristwith expertise in ADHD. Most cases are diagnosed prior to

the age of 12.

This is the problem that my student, Nicholas, faced while I was

observing. His biggest struggle was that he was having trouble focusing

on the instructions in his science class. While the rest of the class

understood the lesson and went to work on it, Nicholas couldnt

comprehend the instructions of the assignment. The students were

instructed to map a weather pattern based on the impending snowstorm,

but he was having trouble figuring out which articles to look at for

information for the worksheet, regardless of the numerous times he was

told the instructions. Students were given a worksheet with a map of the
continental United States, and were asked to look at the various sources

that were given to them in order to accurately draw a weather pattern on

the map of the United States. At first, I thought that the student just didnt

hear the directions clearly, but when I carefully described them to him

again and again, he still had trouble comprehending what to do.

Some of the ways teachers can deal with this problem include

identifying the problem early (usually by the age of 12), teaching them to

stay organized, and helping them create and work towards accomplishing

goals. It is very important for this disorder to be diagnosed early, and as

many as 65% of children diagnosed with ADHD have it persist into

adolescence (Wolraich, 2005). For people who get left undiagnosed,

problems continue into adulthood, and can become more severe.

As I began researching how to work with this disorder, and the

various ways I could help Nicholas, I found that there are two primary

modes of treatment for ADHD: medically and behaviorally (Swanson,

2006). Because I would only be able to help Nicholas by using behavioral

treatments, and not medical treatments, I focused on various behavioral

treatments of ADHD.

With the cooperation of parents, and a doctor, teachers can be

instructed regarding the use of specific behavioral techniques, including

praise, planned ignoring, effective commands, time outs, and a daily

report card (Chronis, 2006). The daily report card is one technique that I

thought would be very helpful. It is a school-based intervention in which


specific behavioral goals are set, and the child is rewarded at home based

on his attainment of said goals. These goals are set to be challenging for

the student, yet attainable, and are made increasingly more difficult until

the students behavior is within normal levels (Chronis, A. M. 2006). This

method is also a good way for parents to keep track on how their child is

both behaving and performing in school.

Additionally, there were also methods I could use that promoted self-

management and autonomy. I found that several studies have indicated

that a combination of self-monitoring and self-reinforcement strategies

was most effective in improving a variety of behaviors including task-

related attention academic accuracy (DuPaul, 2006). If students were able

to somehow motivate and reward themselves for being able to stay

focused, it was the most effective way to treat the symptoms of ADHD.

Some of the most effective ways to combat ADHD is by staying

organized. This is exactly what I did with Nicholas to try and help. I took

steps to help him become more of an organized person. One of his main

problems was that his backpack and notebooks were a mess. On one of

the days I went in to observe, I brought him a couple of folders that he

could use so he didnt have various worksheets and notes floating around

in his backpack. By having these folders, he would be able to organize his

notes and worksheets by subject. Along with organizing his backpack, one

of the other problems Nicholas was facing was turning in assignments in a

timely manner. To help him with this, I helped him create a day planner,
so he could write down due dates for homework, dates of tests or quizzes,

or general reminders such as bringing something to school one day. My

goal was to have Nicholas be able to have everything he needs, and know

where everything could be found, so it would be much easier for him to

focus on what he is doing, and what needs to be done.

Although I was not with Nicholas for as long as I wanted to beI only

saw him four times for 45 minutes each timeI definitely saw him make

progress throughout the few days I was able to spend with him. Although I

did not completely fix the problem, I am satisfied with the progress he

made with the allotted amount of time that I had with him. On one of my

last days observing his class, he came in with several late homework

assignments, all completed and ready to hand in. It was a significant

moment for him, the cooperating teacher, and myself, as we saw that

Nicholas had finally begun making some progress with his ADHD.

Although students face many different adversities in both their

school and social life, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is the most

common mental disorder in children (Wolraich, 2005). This is the problem

that my student, Nicholas, was faced with, and millions of other children

across the globe have to deal with. In my case, I was lucky. Working with

my teacher, we were able to come up with a solution to the problem, and

face it head-on. In other cases, it may not be this easy. Through the

research I have done and the experience I have gained through working

with this problem first-hand however, I am more comfortable, prepared,


and ready to work in helping any of my future students that may suffer

from this debilitating disorder.


Works Cited

ADHD: The Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2017, from

https://add.org/adhd-facts/

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (2016, March). Retrieved April 17,

2017, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-

hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml

Chronis, A. M., Jones, H. A., & Raggi, V. L. (2006). Evidence-based

psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Clinical psychology

review, 26(4), 486-502.

DuPaul, G. J., & Weyandt, L. L. (2006). Schoolbased intervention for

children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: effects on

academic, social, and behavioural functioning. International Journal of

Disability, Development and Education, 53(2), 161-176.

Swanson, J. M., Volkow, N. D., Newcorn, J., Casey, B. J., Moyzis, R., Grandy,

D., & Posner, M. (2006). Attention deficit hyperactivity

disorder. Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science.

Wolraich, M. L., Wibbelsman, C. J., Brown, T. E., Evans, S. W., Gotlieb, E. M.,

Knight, J. R., ... & Wilens, T. (2005). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity

disorder among adolescents: a review of the diagnosis, treatment, and

clinical implications. Pediatrics, 115(6), 1734-1746.

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