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PACKET FOR ATTENTION DEFICIT-HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Disability Resource Packet for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder

Amber Dominguez

Portland Community College

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AttentionDeficitHyperactivityDisorder

Definition

Attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder(ADHD)isbelievedtobeapsychiatricand

mentaldisorderwithunexplainedsymptomsoccurringintwoormoresettings,andnegatively

affectingsocial,emotional,oracademicfunctioningforyoungstudents(Friend,2014).

Description

Attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorderisdescribedasaproblemofnotbeingabletofocus,

beingoveractive,andnotbeingabletocontrolonesbehavior.Amorecompletedescriptionof

ADHDislistedinthefollowing:

SomestudentswithADHD,inattentionisthemainsymptom
OtherstudentswithADHD,themainsymptomisamixtureofhyperactivity,high

amountsofmovement,impulsivity,andinabilitytocalmdownbeforeacting.Thiskind

ofADHDiscalledpredominantlyhyperactiveimpulsivetypewherestudentsusually

talkalot,taptheirdesks,andwiggleintheirseats.
OtherstudentswithADHDhavesymptomsindicatingthatbothinattentionand

hyperactivityimpulsivityarepartoftheirdisorder.ThisisknownasADHDcombined

type.

Summary

Attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorderisneurobiologicaldisorderthatoriginatesinthe

brainanddevelopsduringchildhood.Itiswellknownbyitssymptomsofinattention,

hyperactivity,andimpulsivity.ADHDmayalsobeassociatedwithlearningdisabilities,

depression,anxiety,conductdisorder,andoppositionaldisorder.ThecauseofADHDiseither
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unknownormayhavedifferentcauses.StudiesshowtherelationofADHDtohighleadlevels,

abnormalthyroidfunction,morphologicbraindifferences,andEEGpatterns.Itisalsoongoing,

longtermandnotacutelyacquired.Itaffectschildrenandadultsinmanysettings,butismostly

noticeableinschoolbecauseofthestructureandexpectationsthere.

EducatingStudentswithADHD

Childrenasyoungas2yearsofagehavebeenidentifiedashavingattentiondeficit

hyperactivitydisorder.However,significantdifficultiesoccurinmakingtherightdiagnosisat

suchayoungagebecauseformalassessmentinstrumentsarenotmadeforchildrenthatage

(Friend,2014).Childrenwhohaveattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder,andareoldenoughto

attendschoolreceivetheireducationdependingontheirneeds.SinceADHDisnotconsidereda

disabilityalone,thegovernmentdoesnotcollectorreportinformationinvolvingthelocations

wherestudentswithADHDhaveaccesstoeducation.Mostrecommendededucationalpractices

forstudentwithADHDarelinkedtoresearchontreatmenteffectiveness,accesstowealth

informationforschoolprofessionalswhoworkwiththesestudents.Therearealsoothereffective

recommendededucationalpracticesandinterventionsthatareavailabletostudentswithADHD.

Althoughreportsarenotcollectedandinformationisnotpublishedbythefederal

government,thereareparaprofessionalswholivetoservestudentswithADHD.Accordingto

theauthorRonaldKotkin,TheIrvineParaprofessionalprogramwasdesignedtohelpchildren

whohavetraditionallyfallenbetweenthecracksintheeducationalsystem.Thisprogram

workstowardsprovidingshorttermyetintensiveinterventionforstudentswhohaveADHD,and

arefailingsociallyandacademicallyinageneraleducationclassroom.StudentswithADHD

usuallyhaveanaverageoraboveaverageintelligence.Theyalsoarentawareoftheircognitive
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ability,andoftenhaveproblemsproducingthequalityandquantityacademicworkneededin

theirgradelevel.However,thesestudentscanperformaswellastheirpeersthroughbehavioral

programslikeIrvinebecauseitwasmadetoincreasethequalityandquantityofacademicwork,

soADHDstudentswillbeabletoprogressacademicallyingeneraleducationclassroom(Kotkin,

1995).Thewaygeneralizationwouldbepromoted,wouldbebyhavingstudentslearnsocial

skillsinageneraleducationclassroomsetting(problemarea).Ifstudentswithattentiondeficit

hyperactivitydisordercanbeencouragedandreinforcedtousetouseappropriatesocialskills

(whattheirlacking)intheclassroom,theywillprogressandmastertheseskillsaswell.

RecommendedResources

TheNationalResourceonADHD

TheNationalResourceCenter(CHADD)onattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorderis

vitalresourceforfamilieswithchildrenwhoADHD.Thiswebsiteallowsfamiliestoaccessthe

informationtheyneedtobetterunderstandthedisorder,andansweranyquestionsorconcerns.

Thereisalsoinformationandmanylinkstoresourcesinvolvingaccommodationsandservices

thatareprovidedtostudentswithADHD.Thelinksofferfamilieswithagreatbackgroundof

servicesandaccommodationsareavailabletotheirchild.Thereisatremendousamountof

supportofferedfromthiswebsitefamilies,children,andstudentsbenefitdearlyfromaccessing

it.

AdditudeSupportforADHD

Additudeisanincredibleonlinemagazinefilledwithtonsofsupportandstrategiesfor

individualswithattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder.Thismagazinealsosharesnewstories

andexperienceseverydayaboutfamilies,children,andadultslivingwithADHD.Itisalsoa
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websitewithaccesstoinformationaboutadultslivingwithADHD,parentingADHDchildren,

ADHDsymptomsanddiagnosis,andtreatment.Inaddition,Additudeoffersaccessto

informationinvolvingschoolaccommodationsforstudents,homeworkhelp,organizational

skills,ateachersguide,andADHDschools.Teachersandindividualsinterestedorplanningto

workwithstudentswillgainsomuchfromusingthisresource.

BooksandDocumentariesADHD

Thisresourceisthegatewaytomanybooksanddocumentariesfamiliesandchildren

shouldwatchtogether.Attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorderisoneofthemostcommon

childhooddisorders.Therearemanyveryhelpfulresourcesthatareprovidedtostudentswith

ADHD.Therearealsolinkstodifferentcategories,specialneedsapplications,andEbooks.Here

youwillfindsomanychildrensbooksdesignedjustforstudentslivingwiththisdisorder.Once

Familiesandtheirchildrenaccessthisresourcetheywillbenefitfromit,andtrulyenjoyit.

AdditionalQuickClickResources

https://www.verywell.com/adhd4014765
http://www.addvance.com/resources/index.html#links
https://edgefoundation.org/
http://www.adderworld.com/

References
"ADDitude: ADHD Symptoms, Medication, Treatment, Diagnosis, Parenting ADD Children

and More." ADDitude Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 June 2016.

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"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National

Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 06 June 2016.

"Education." : Students with ADHD. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 June 2016.

Green, Michelle. Summary. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 06 June 2016.

Kotkin, R. A. (1995). The Irvin Paraprofessional Program: Using professionals in serving

students with ADHD. Intervention In School & Clinic, 30(4), 235.

"SpecialEducation:ContemporaryPerspectivesforSchoolProfessionals,Video

EnhancedPearsonETextAccessCard(4thEdition)4thEdition."Special

Education:ContemporaryPerspectivesforSchoolProfessionals,VideoEnhanced

PearsonEText.N.p.,n.d.Web.06June2016.