Nick+D

Teaching Students with ADD & AD/HD

A significant percentage of today’s students are diagnosed, or in many cases, misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The disorder is not globally accepted, though in America it has penetrated our school system with alarming speed. It could be argued that many of the students are diagnosed too quickly and without looking at their entire environment before deciding to administer potentially harmful drugs. Some teachers may insist that a child is AD/HD, but the misbehavior could be a result of an unprepared, tired teacher who fails to create a daily engaging experience.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has a great FAQ’s page on their site that breaks down the disorder from basics to questions parents might have about proper treatments or consequences if left untreated.

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Healthcentral.com is a great source for knowing what medications are out on the market and more importantly, how they work and what the side effects are. In many cases, it seems the risks outweigh the benefits. I found it shocking that the goal of many of these medications is to dose the students with chemicals that release dopamine, lulling the usually overactive student into a Brand-New-World-esque state of compliance. Page 2 of the document provides unsettling information on Adderall, a very popular medication for ADHD.

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This link is an example of a clinical trial with the drug Adderall. The study looks positive, but the changes are measured purely by teacher and parent evaluation. Negative side effects were experienced by the experimental group in the form of appetite, stomachaches, insomnia and headaches. Negative side effects were also seen during trials where a placebo was used after a trial of Adderall had already taken place.

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This scholarly source is a PDF that examines the relationship between ADHD and sleeping disorders, looking at studies comparing unmediated and medicated cases. This is relevant because students need to be properly rested for school, prepared to engage and focus.

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I included two links on this last topic, which are strategies and techniques for teaching or writing a lesson from a class with ADHD students in it. I wanted to include two links because there are several different approaches teachers can take when confronting behavior problems and it’s a good idea to look at all of your options. It’s great to have all the background knowledge on the disorder, symptoms, medication options, and side effects, but I think it’s more important to realize how you can mold your teaching method to work for all of your students, including those with ADHD.

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