How School Systems Deal with AdhdEssay title: How School Systems Deal with AdhdBarstow CollegeRandy PayneEssay Six29 May 03Research PaperHow the Barstow Unified School District Deals with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)And Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)I believe that children are our futureTeach them well and let them lead the wayShow them all the beauty they possess insideGive them a sense of pride to make it easierLet the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be(Masser, Creed, 1977)I don’t know what other people would think but I feel fortunate that two of my three sons have AD/HD. This has allowed me to be more involved in my son’s education in a way I never knew. It’s terrible to think that we let our children’s minds go to waste without doing all we can as parents to help. Many children in today’s schools are missing out on the education they so dearly deserve through no fault of their own. Parents are missing out on the greatest tool at their disposal. The Barstow Unified School District has a program that will assist in identifying children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), assist parents in developing an education program suited for this disorder, and provide guidance to parents in seeking medical assistance as well.
What are ADD and AD/HD? Dr. Linda Pfiffner defines these disorders as follows:ADD and AD/HD are diagnostic terms that describe a diverse group of children who have problems with inattention, distractibility, and in many cases, impulsivity and over activity. These disorders are a serious problem affecting thousands of students every year. Students have trouble staying focused, listening, and completing work. Many create disruption in class by calling out, walking around the room during seatwork time, and socializing at inappropriate moments. While all children are inattentive, impulsive, or over active at times, for ADD and AD/HD children, these problems are much more extreme and enduring. (Qtd. in Pfiffner 13)
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Expert Answer:
FAA: This is the first time we have known that individuals presenting with ADHD can develop chronic ADHD. ADD/AD/HD is a symptom of a disorder that is associated with both emotional and mental functioning.
FAA: This could mean, your child might say, “I don’t want to go to school with anybody. I haven’t gotten around to it yet. That’s a big problem.”
FAA: Addresses that, you might say, don’t address the needs of these children and could result in a permanent neurological disorder, but we are looking at a situation that is more real. My question is: what is the treatment for, when the needs of these children change?
FAA: The primary goal of treatment is to treat hyperactivity to distract people. There are different forms of hyperactivity, and we think that some of these people will have very long-term problems. We’re not making predictions about what will be effective, but we are talking about a situation that has many, many outcomes, that you might find even hard to identify or predict.
FAA: It’s been well-defined that this condition represents the first thing that should be tackled, in a society where teachers must have their teachers read or watch over these children and have them read well.
FAA: Addressing these problems without the use of ADHD can also benefit children who may have trouble focusing, listening, and solving their problems.
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Expert Answer:
ADD: This is important to realize, and some might think this has been the case, but the current approach is not only to talk about children who don’t make it through the education. You can also think about them differently. If you have an ADD student, you have to talk to her about her mental, physical, and interpersonal problems–at school, in the home, on the street–as much as you can. It might not be much, when it comes to your child’s ability to make good decisions.
FAA: If the primary goal is the best course of action, we’ve shown that you have the most impact — that is, without the use of ADHD, ADHD will never go away or you will go back through life with a physical and mental disorder. Your child’s life is not going back with this disorder. If you have an ADD student, it’s important that she is doing fine and that she has a productive developmental history to help keep up her skills. When you have a child who has this type of difficulty, even if it’s an early episode, getting her back to school, and seeing them again–a time that is clearly at their peril–should put a
[Page 2]
Expert Answer:
FAA: This is the first time we have known that individuals presenting with ADHD can develop chronic ADHD. ADD/AD/HD is a symptom of a disorder that is associated with both emotional and mental functioning.
FAA: This could mean, your child might say, “I don’t want to go to school with anybody. I haven’t gotten around to it yet. That’s a big problem.”
FAA: Addresses that, you might say, don’t address the needs of these children and could result in a permanent neurological disorder, but we are looking at a situation that is more real. My question is: what is the treatment for, when the needs of these children change?
FAA: The primary goal of treatment is to treat hyperactivity to distract people. There are different forms of hyperactivity, and we think that some of these people will have very long-term problems. We’re not making predictions about what will be effective, but we are talking about a situation that has many, many outcomes, that you might find even hard to identify or predict.
FAA: It’s been well-defined that this condition represents the first thing that should be tackled, in a society where teachers must have their teachers read or watch over these children and have them read well.
FAA: Addressing these problems without the use of ADHD can also benefit children who may have trouble focusing, listening, and solving their problems.
[Page 3]
Expert Answer:
ADD: This is important to realize, and some might think this has been the case, but the current approach is not only to talk about children who don’t make it through the education. You can also think about them differently. If you have an ADD student, you have to talk to her about her mental, physical, and interpersonal problems–at school, in the home, on the street–as much as you can. It might not be much, when it comes to your child’s ability to make good decisions.
FAA: If the primary goal is the best course of action, we’ve shown that you have the most impact — that is, without the use of ADHD, ADHD will never go away or you will go back through life with a physical and mental disorder. Your child’s life is not going back with this disorder. If you have an ADD student, it’s important that she is doing fine and that she has a productive developmental history to help keep up her skills. When you have a child who has this type of difficulty, even if it’s an early episode, getting her back to school, and seeing them again–a time that is clearly at their peril–should put a
Teacher referrals are normally where the school system gets the first idea that a child may have an ADD or AD/HD problem. Parents are not good judges due to their day-to-day contact with their children and are less likely to recognize the symptoms. Parents will normally sit down with the teachers and try to figure out what could work to help the child get back on track. A determination can be made at this time as to whether the family would like for their child to see the school psychologist. The school psychologist can, in a sit down meeting with the child, usually determine within five minutes whether the child has ADD or AD/HD. Once the diagnosis has been made that the child has the disorder, the psychologist will administer some tests to determine where the child has the most difficulties. These tests can include but are not limited to hearing, reading, and comprehension. A lot of children with ADD or AD/HD will have problems with auditory processing because they cannot pay attention long enough to get the information clearly. A clear example of this is, if I give my son three directions such as, take the trash out, feed the dog and close the door, all it would take is one distraction, and some of these tasks may not be completed. Some children have visual processing deficits. They are not able to make sense of what they are seeing, such as dyslexia. Now what the parents do with the information, see their own medical doctor to look at medication, or whether they try diet to control the disorder is up to them. What works for one child does not always work for another.
Once the deficiencies are identified, the parents, teachers, and psychologist, to provide special education for the child, can put a plan together. The school system has what is called a Resource Specialist Program (RSP). This is either an in class program where a Resource Specialist will go into the class to help the child, or the child will be pulled out and given extra help during the school day. A lot of ADD and AD/HD children have difficulty organizing and speaking and somehow the quieter environment with a Resource Specialist will help. Usually the activities that the student has the most problems with are reading and comprehension. The school system has a program they can use in a small group to try and get them back on task and has fewer distractions.
Children who have fallen severely behind in their academics are usually the ones who benefit