Guest Author - Valerie Shoopman
ADD and ADHD are popular terms these days that are thrown around in many circles. Let’s take a closer look at how they are actually defined, how they can be controlled, and what effects they have in the classroom.
ADD is attention deficit disorder and can be defined as inattention and impulsivity that is not normal for that age group. Inattention is having difficulty focusing or attending to specific tasks for any length of time at all. Impulsivity is completely lacking the ability to control yourself. You know what you should do or not do, you just cannot seem to make your body do what it should.
ADHD is attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. The hyperactivity is defined as being in constant motion. Someone who had ADHD just never stops, even when he or she goes to bed, his or her mind is still racing and never slows down. You might also see ADHD written as AD(H)D or AD/HD.
ADD and ADHD both result from difficulty in processing neural stimuli. If a brain image scan is done on a child with ADD or ADHD, you will see much more activity going on than in the brain of a child without ADD. So essentially, what happens is everything in an ADD or ADHD child’s environment becomes a stimuli. Everything they see, touch, hear, taste, or feel bombards their brain and expects a response. Only, the stimuli are coming in so fast, they do not have time to process or respond before the next stimuli occurs.
Rick LaVoie, who has ADD, once explained it to me like this. His mind is so active that when he is driving he dreads coming to a stop light because it forces him to be idle, even if only for a few seconds. He just about goes crazy waiting for the light to change, so to keep his mind satisfied and his body active, he starts sorting his CDs, programming radio stations, checking his calendar, anything he can do to move around and pass those few moments.
So imagine for a moment a child with ADD or ADHD in the classroom. They cannot sit still. They cannot stay in their seat. They can’t focus on most tasks for any length of time. Writing is very difficult for them because by the time they have an idea, they forget it before they can get it written down and formatted properly. The impulsivity factor also causes them to speak out in class at inappropriate times, cut in line, say things they don’t really mean, and rush through their work.
The ADD or ADHD child feels bad about what they are doing or saying, but at the time, they have absolutely no control over it. Imagine if your mind was so active that you could not remember your place on the page, or you couldn’t remember the question the teacher just asked. How would that make you feel day after day? I’m betting you would feel frustrated, feel like you are a failure at everything, feel sad and depressed, starting into a downward spiral with no self esteem.
Sometimes, parents themselves have ADD or ADHD so they have a better understanding of what their child is going through. Teachers trained in Special Education know how to recognize the signs and what changes they can make in the classroom to help a student with ADD or ADHD.
One thing for sure, there is no one cure that works every time for every child. First, you have to aware and accepting of the fact that every person’s brain does not operate the same and when someone says they can’t control a behavior, they really can’t no matter how much they want to.
ADD and ADHD students can be successful in the classroom with the right tools and strategies in place. It also requires teachers, parents, and doctors to communicate regularly and effectively to help the ADD/ADHD student succeed in the classroom and ultimately in life. Whether you choose medication, nutrition and diet supplements, research-based strategies, or a combination, you will need to educate yourself, your child and everyone your child is involved with on a daily basis.
A couple of good resources for more information on ADD and ADHD are:
Attention Deficit Disorder A to Z
