ADD/ADHD and the Classroom

Teachers should be trained to work with ADD/ADHD children/adolescents in the
classroom. The success of a child with ADHD is often dependent on their ability to attend to
learning tasks within the classroom and the support of the teacher with minimal classroom
distractions. Children/adolescents with ADHD often experience difficulties forming relationships
with peers and struggle with academics if proper interventions and methodologies are not
implemented. Normal teacher training is not adequate as a teacher needs to understand the
disorder, its effects on children and then come up with appropriate classroom techniques and
interventions that are suitable for these students. Children/adolescents with ADD encounter more
difficulties in their path to academic success compared to the average students. A teacher should
be trained to provide ADD treatments in the school setting. These may include organizational
training and behavioral classroom management. Also, such students need to be accommodated to
lessen the effects that ADHD has on their learning.
The American Academy of Pediatrics provide recommendations that the programs
offered in school or learning environment is part of the treatment plan for ADHD (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). APP also recommends that schools should provide for
treatment in the form of behavior therapy that should be administered by the teacher. Also,
proposed DSM-5 modifications require that teachers assess the behavior of children and look out
for any inconsistency based on a student’s developmental level (Sibley et al., 2013). DSM-5
modification places teachers at the center of the diagnosis of ADHD. Teachers are expected to
note any behavior changes in children/adolescents that are not compatible or consistent with the
developmental stage of an individual child. A child may exhibit ‘hyperactive behaviors’ and this

may be related to their developmental level and not necessarily to ADHD (Armstrong, 2013).
Thus, a teacher should be able to different normal ‘disruptive behavior’ from behavior associated
with ADHD.
DSM-5 provides criteria or a combination of behaviors that are exhibited by individuals
with ADHD. Students may appear restless, fidget with their feet or hands or squirm in their seats.
They have difficulty remaining in their seats and sustaining attention. Individuals blurt out
answers to the teacher’s questions even before the question has been completed. They encounter
difficulty following through instructions and organizing assigned tasks. Individuals rarely
complete tasks as they shift from one unfinished activity to another. They are bound to careless
mistakes as they fail to give close attention to details. Individuals may lose things or objects
required to complete tasks. They exhibit a wide range of mood swings and encounter difficulty in
delaying gratification. Lastly, they are easily distracted and thus encounter difficulty listening to
others attentively without interrupting.
Children with ADHD do not necessarily show all these behaviors but exhibit a
combination. DSM-5 categorizes the disorder into three; the predominantly hyperactive-
impulsive, predominantly inattentive, and combined types. For example, according to ADD,
students who do not have impulsivity and hyperactivity may not exhibit fidgeting and excessive
activity. Instead, such children exhibit behaviors such as restlessness, act lethargic, or may even
daydream. Such students may also frequently fail to complete their work. Also, studies show that
25 %-33% of children with ADHD also have learning disabilities (Kos et al., 2006). Hus,
teachers who handle ADHD, have to be prepared to implement appropriate interventions that
support learning for students with ADHD as well as strategies that are appropriate for students
with different learning disabilities. The comorbidity has been found to range between 7-92

percent (Kos et al., 2006). Studies also show that children with ADD also have coexisting
psychiatric disorders; the rate ranges from 43%-93% (Kos et al., 2006). The likelihood of such
children also experiencing mood and anxiety disorders is also high.
When teachers are selecting and implementing instructional practices and techniques, it is
crucial that they consider the unique characteristics of individual children. The teacher should
begin with first identifying the needs of a child. They should identify when, why, and even how a
child is impulsive, inattentive, and hyperactive. They then proceed and selected different
educational practices that relate to classroom accommodations, academic instruction, and
behavioral interventions to meet the specific needs of individual students. The teacher then uses
this information to prepare an Individualized educational program (IEP). A teacher who does not
understand the different needs of a child with ADD may not sufficiently meet the needs of these
children. Also, these children are likely to present different behavior combinations, which must
all be considered when coming up with an instructional plan. Additional training is, therefore,
necessary to prepare teachers adequately. The effectiveness of the treatment plan in the form of
behavior therapy will depend on the preparedness of the teacher. If the teacher does not
understand the children’s needs, then he or she may not deliver the treatment plan well, and thus
children with ADD may not be able to overcome behavior challenges that affect their academic
success.

References

Armstrong, T. (2013). ADD/ADHD Alternatives in the Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Assoc. for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). ADHD in the Classroom | CDC. Retrieved 3
March 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/school-success.html
Kos, J. M., Richdale, A. L., & Hay, D. A. (2006). Children with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder and their teachers: A review of the literature. International Journal of Disability,
Development, and Education, 53(2), 147-160.
Sibley, M. H., Waxmonsky, J. G., Robb, J. A., & Pelham, W. E. (2013). Implications of Changes
for the Field: ADHD. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 46(1),
34–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219412464350