Team One: Cheryl

GENERAL INFORMATION AND STRATEGIES

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), Predominantly Inattentive Type is defined as
"someone with serious inattention problems, but not much problem with hyperactivity/impulsive
symptoms" (National Resource Center on AD/HD: A Program of CHADD, 2009). The DSM-IV
lists nine symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Type.
They are:
• Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
• Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or
other activities
• Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in
the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
• Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
• Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort
(such as schoolwork or homework)
• Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils,
books, or tools)
• Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
• Is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
• Is often forgetful in daily activities (National Resource Center on AD/HD: A Program of CHADD,
2009).
All of these factors will affect the dynamics of the classroom as a whole and the relationships
between students and with the teacher(s); “those with AD/HD often have problems with academic
achievement and social relationships” (Hill, 2005, p. 2)
Our student, Cheryl is AD/HD, Predominantly Inattentive Type. She may need help with
general social skills, manners, sensory issues, school issues, friendships, personal grooming and
safety issues (Hill, 2005). These are some of the things that the teacher would need to consider
when planning effective teaching strategies. There are two recommended approaches to dealing
with some of these issues; the environmental approach where changes are made in Cheryl’s
external world so that she functions better and thrives, and the pharmacological approach where
medications are used to reduce the symptoms of AD/HD (Fowler, 2006). Results showed that
“children who were treated with medication alone, which was carefully managed and individually
tailored, and children who received both medication management and behavioral treatment had
the best outcomes with respect to improvement of AD/HD symptoms” (National Resource Center
on AD/HD: A Program of CHADD, 2009). The teacher can only provide support to Cheryl’s
external world, although he/she may utilize some of the benefits of medication if Cheryl is taking
them, i.e. planning a math activity which requires more focus at a time when her medication is
working, rather than at a time when it is beginning to wear off. It is important to note that “pills
don’t teach skills. Medications should never be the only treatment used. Children still need
structure, skills, strategies, and support that comes from well-designed school, home and social
programs” (Fowler, 2006, p. 48).
Cheryl, as well, needs some help with skills and strategies that will allow her to succeed in
school. Often “students have the knowledge and skills to meet curriculum demands, but their
difficulties with attention, impulsivity, activity level, organizing and planning prevent them form
performing consistently” (Alberta Education, 2006, p. 43). There are general strategies that will
benefit Cheryl and create a supportive learning environment that she so desperately needs. One
of the key factors is attitude; is the teacher caring and encouraging or quick to judge Cheryl and
assume that she is “lazy, unmotivated, or not too bright” (Fowler, 2006, p. 122). The teacher also
needs to be organized and establish predictable classroom routines while being enthusiastic and
engaging so as to not bore the students. “Teachers with these traits provide a positive role model
for all students and show how to understand and accept students with AD/HD. Teachers play a
key role in helping students with AD/HD have a positive school experience” (Alberta Education,
2006, p. 45).
Being aware, as a teacher, is imperative in the classroom and this is an especially important
strategy for a teacher of a child with ADHD. Making eye contact or gesturing could be measures
used to show the student that you are aware of them and what they are doing; it is a general
technique that can be used for any student. Also, when a teacher notices that the student is
losing focus, they can take the opportunity to speak with them and discover what they need – it
may be just a discussion to help them refocus or they may need to get up, so they could be sent
on an errand or something of the sort for the teacher (US Department of Education, 2004).
Cheryl will also “benefit from clearly established classroom rules, behavioral expectations and
routines” (Alberta Education, 2005, p. 47). This does not mean that Cheryl needs to have an
abundance of rules, rather a couple of classroom rules that are applicable to everyone and are
reinforcing for Cheryl. Some of these may include keeping your hands to your self, being ready to
learn and being respectful by not talking when others are speaking. It is necessary to establish
rules and they must be posted where all the students can see them, but the teacher must also
model these rules and make sure that the students understand what they mean, otherwise this
strategy becomes ineffective. “Good” behavior must be reinforced, with immediate and specific
feedback so that Cheryl (and any other student) is able to understand and experience praise
when it is warranted; too much time passing between the action and the praise makes it seem
like an after thought and not very important (Alberta Education, 2005).
A student with ADHD Primarily Inattentive Type will also find it difficult to remember instructions
and follow through when given tasks – not because they are being defiant, but because they find
it difficult to understand the instructions. To best aid Cheryl and other children with this difficulty,
a teacher should give clear, concise instructions. The instructions could also be written out for
the students to reference; songs or chants could be written to help remember daily routines
(Government of BC, 2006). Routine and structure would be important strategies for a teacher to
implement in order to help Cheryl maintain focus. For example, having a daily plan posted (with
words and/or pictures) would help her to organize throughout the day, or to have specific lesson
plans mapped out for the students to see.
The teacher of a student with AD/HD Predominantly Inattentive Type would also need to focus
on classroom organization. It would be important to take environmental considerations into
account. Cheryl is easily distracted and finds it difficult to concentrate so being conscious about
classroom layout and seating would benefit her. Things like air conditioners and pencil
sharpeners can be very distracting and may cause Cheryl to lose focus of the learning at hand. It
may be a good idea for Cheryl to have access to a stimuli reduced area where noise and
distraction levels are very low. The key to success with this type of strategy is to make sure that
this area is never used as punishment; it should be a safe place for Cheryl to go to whenever she
needs to refocus and do her work. Nuisance items (i.e. loud toys or rubber bands) can easily
divert Cheryl’s attention and care needs to be taken so that these items are removed promptly out
of the hand of other students. The teacher could also think of seating her beside a classmate who
would model positive behavior, seat her further away from high travel areas of the classroom, or
set up a quiet area in the classroom (Government of BC, 2006). Another idea is to seat the
student with ADHD near the teacher so that she will be more able to focus her attention on the
teaching at hand.
Continuing forward with this idea of strategies that support Cheryl is making sure that the
teacher's expectations for her are reasonable and not set up as being doomed for failure. Her
teachers need to be very clear about behavior expectations and they shouldn’t try to work on too
many at the same time. Cheryl needs to concentrate on a few of factors (i.e. listening when being
spoken to directly) rather than everything all together (i.e. organization, forgetfulness, sustaining
mental effort etc.); “it is generally better to focus on a couple of things that are really important”
(Rabiner, n.d.). It is also necessary that Cheryl experiences initial success in order to maintain
and enhance her motivation; without this, there is no reason for her to move forward. If Cheryl
thinks that she cannot succeed why would she try? Consistency is extremely important too; once
a particular behavior is being worked with/on you need to apply the same approach otherwise the
strategy is not reinforced and the inconsistency “is a sure fire way to keep this from being helpful”
(Rabiner. n.d.). Cheryl will need frequent reminders so that she doesn’t forget what her behavior
goals are. Rabiner (n.d.) also reminds us not to “expect or require perfection. Even a small
improvement is still an improvement”.
Cheryl actively participates in the arts, but struggles more with math and spelling. In order to
help her focus in the latter subjects, it may help to have a basket of calming manipulatives. Some
students with ADHD need sensory input in order to help them while they listen (US Department of
Education, 2004), so providing a basket of manipulatives could help her to focus. This strategy
again comes down to knowing the child and his/her needs. Some children may be more
distracted with the manipulatives while others will be more focused with the use of them.

SPECIFIC STRATEGIES
• Student-centered approach:
After doing this research on which teaching strategies best support students with ADHD, it
becomes evident that a student-centered approach not only supports students with ADHD but
also every student in the classroom. This theory allows students to feel a sense of empowerment
and be intrinsically motivated to find deeper meaning. The process of implementing a student-
centered approach demonstrates many advantages for students with ADHD. Silvia L. DeRuvo
illustrates (2009) that "students with ADHD flourish in a student-centered environment because
the activities of the class have meaning and allow them to take greater ownership of their
learning" (p. 8).
The student-centered approach allows for students with ADHD to embrace and pursue their
individual strengths and interests (Alberta Education, 2006). It also allows students to move
around in their learning environments as the student-centered teaching strategy includes flexible
grouping. This is important because when implementing a teaching strategy that transitions from
individual work, to small groups, to whole class settings, students benefit from differentiated
instruction (Manitoba Education and Training, 2007). The integration of cooperative learning
enables “students at all ability levels [to] enhance their short- to long-term memory as well as their
critically thinking skills” (Manitoba Education and Training, 2007, p.5.7).
• Math and Reading Programs:
Encouraged by the possibility that a student-centered approach will benefit students with
ADHD, the focus is on student-centered programs that can be integrated into the classroom.
John Van de Walle and Sandra Folk’s book, Elementary and Middle School Mathematics:
Teaching Developmentally embraces the concept of problem-based mathematics. The
philosophy of this program is to allow students to learn about the deeper meaning of patterns in
mathematics rather than simple memorization.
This program incorporates the Flexible Grouping approach mentioned previously, and uses
specifically the “Think-Pair-Share strategy” (Manitoba Education and Training, 2007, p.5.4).
Moreover, it allows for the use of manipulatives, and for multiple entry points which helps to
support students with ADHD. In addition, it supports ADHD students who are challenged by
recalling and memorization. This program focuses on understanding and meaning rather than
the process drill and memorization.
In like manner, Regie Routman has created a model to support teachers in developing a
literacy program. Her main goal is to move students toward independence (Routman, 2003).
Routman (2003) has created “The Optimal Learning Model”(p.44) which illustrates that there are
four phases of learning; “the four phases of learning – demonstration, shared demonstration,
guided practice, and independent practice – appear distinct but in fact are seamlessly
integrated”(Routman, 2003, p.44). Modeling is the foundation of this program and will help
students with ADHD learn strategies for fluency, decoding, and comprehension by participating in
flexible grouping activities.
• Art Integration into Math: Math in Nature
Many of the readings on AD/HD have encouraged teachers to focus on the students’ strengths
and use their likes to encourage focus and learning. Arts integration would allow Cheryl to
express herself in a more creative and non-restricting way. Cheryl could use her strength and
likes to learn in other areas of study. This may allow Cheryl to then become more interested in
those areas such as math and ELA. Karin Bauch, a known advocate for art instruction has an
entire website devoted to the link between AD/HD and Art. "When we consider that so many
creative people in history, like Thomas Edison, would probably been diagnosed as having
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, we realize that artistic expression can open up a wonderful
new world to young “active-minded” students” (Bauch, 2006). Teachers need to allow students to
experience the learning, not just learn about it in a lecture. Students need to play in, through and
around the material. Teachers need to think, how can I make this more meaningful to my
students? How can I use dance, drama, art, and music to make this lesson mean more? How can
I give my students a better understanding of the material? How can I make the subject material
more interesting?
Learning through the arts is a great teaching strategy. Cheryl and other students. It especially
helps Cheryl because her difficulties are not with hyperactivity, but rather with keeping focus and
paying attention. Teaching through the arts allows more interaction between students and the
subject matter itself. It not only allows students to learn about the arts themselves, but creates a
deeper understanding of the other subject area as well.
According to Scips (2008) “students with ADHD can excel at dance and drama programs, as
they respond well to a less formally structured learning environment, where they can express
themselves more freely...Some education psychologists have also suggesting using music and
dance with children who have ADHD to help them to control their behavior and focus on their
learning, so it is possible that some students may have learnt as children to associate the use of
music and dance with various methods of their learning”.

References:

Alberta Education (2006). Focusing on success: Teaching students with

attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, grades 1-12. Alberta: Alberta
Education. Retrieved from
http://education.alberta.ca/media/511987/focus.pdf
This is a book that is available on-line. It has many different general strategies that are applicable
to and for students with AD/HD. An excellent resource for teachers, not only for strategies, but
classroom management and AD/HD information.

Alberta Education. (2006). Focusing on success: Teaching students with

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder. Edmonton AB: Author. Available
from http://education.alberta.ca/admin/special/resources/adhd.aspx.
This is a document created by Alberta Education. It is a web resource for teachers to best
support students with ADHD. The document includes information on understanding ADHD, class
management approaches, instructional strategies, and alternative available resources.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (1999).
Teaching core curriculum content through the arts. Available from
http://www2csusm.edu/goldberg/teaching_core_curriculum_content.htm.
This book/web source gave great examples of lessons on how to teach through the arts. It gave
lessons for all grades (1-6). It also gave the reasoning behind why teaching through the arts
enhances learning and understanding.

Bauch, Karine. (2006). Art and ADHD: how to get “active-minded” children
focused on art. Retrieved from
http://www.teachartathome.com/ADHD.htm
This web source gave reasoning why art integration is a great venue for children with ADHD. It
also gave suggestions of how to teach art to children with ADHD and suggested art lessons that
would be suitable projects. The source also gave instructions of how to teach art to children with
ADHD.

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2006). Teaching students with

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Planning for success at school.
Victoria, BC: Author. Available at
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/adhd/plan.htm.
This is a document is written by the BC Ministry of Education. The specific page accessed
addresses teaching children with ADHD; including basic classroom strategies and individual
behavior strategies.

DeRuvo, S.L. (2009). Strategies for teaching adolescence with AD/HD:

Effective classroom techniques across the content areas, grades 6-12.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Silivia DeRuvo is a nationally known authority on ADHD. This book is a resource that provides
teachers with strategies to teach across all content areas: English, ELA, Math, Science, and
Social Studies. It also gives strategies to differentiate instruction and create inclusion.

Fowler, M. (2006). 20 questions to ask if your child had ADHD. Franklin

Lakes, NJ: The Career Press Inc.
This source provides guidelines that may help with some of the issues a child may have when
struggling with AD/HD. It is an easy to understand book designed primarily for parents, but is
useful for teachers too.

Hill, B.A. (2005). The AD/HD book. London: Penguin Books Ltd.
This book includes some key background information on AD/HD in an easy to use question and
answer format. The focus is on understanding some of the causes of AD/HD, medications, coping
with a child with AD/HD and challenges/solutions. There is information on specific strategies and
some worksheets and ideas to accompany.

Lougy, R., DeRuvo, S., & Rosenthal D. M.D. (2007). Teaching young
children with ADHD: Successful strategies & practical interventions for
preK-3. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
This is an easy to read book about teaching children with ADHD; written by a teacher, special
education resources development specialist, and psychiatrist. The book explains different forms
of ADHD and everything from symptoms to learning strategies.

National Resource Center on AD/HD: A Program of CHADD (2009). What

 we know, AD/HD predominantly inattentive type. Retrieved from
http://www.help4adhd.org/documents/WWK8.pdf.
This is a web resource that focuses on general information about AD/HD Predominantly
Inattentive Type. The focus is on symptoms and diagnosis. This is an excellent resource and it
was referred to in Beth Ann Hill's book The AD/HD handbook as one of the best web sites to
access when looking for information.

National Resource Center on AD/HD: A Program of CHADD (2009). What we

know, AD/HD predominantly inattentive type. Retrieved from
http://www.help4adhd.org/documents/WWK3.pdf.
This is a web resource that focuses on managing medication for children with AD/HD. All of the
different types of pharmaceuticals (psychostimulants and nonstimulants) are discussed, including
side effects, brand names, duration, form and dosage. An excellent resource for AD/HD medical
treatments.

Rabiner, D. (n.d.). Behavioral treatment for ADHD/ADD: A general

overview. Retrieved from
http://www.helpforadd.com/add-behavioral-treatment/.
This is a web- based resource written by Dr. Rabiner. The site is dedicated to AD/HD information
with a focus on behavioral strategies that may help a child/student with AD/HD cope and manage
through life generally and school specifically.

Routman, R. (2003). Reading essentials: The specifics you need to teach

reading well. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Regie Routman focuses on strategies on effective reading instruction. This is a valuable
resource for teachers because it emphasizes on teaching literacy in relation to the diversity in the
classroom. This book incorporates philosophy with practicality to allow teachers to easily
integrate strategies into their classroom.

Scips (2008). Dance, drama and performance and attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Retrieved from
http://scips.worc.ac.uk/subjects_and_disabilities/dance/ddp_adhd.html
This web source gave information on ADHD and the connection between ADHD and dance and
drama. The site also gave many teaching strategies for students with ADHD in an inclusive
teaching context. Strategy purposes included raising self esteem, organizational skills and
memory and attention skills.

US Department of Education. (2004). Teaching children with Attention

Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional strategies and practices.
Retrieved from
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/needs/speced/adhd/adhd-resource-pt2.pdf.
This is a website made by the US Department of Education. There are a variety of teaching
strategies to help students with ADHD in their learning. It also shares strategies for classroom
setup and successful lesson instructing.

Van De Walle, J.A., & Folk, S. (2008). Elementary and middle school
mathematics: Teaching developmentally. (2nd ed.) Toronto, ON:
Pearson Education Canada.
The philosophy that John A. Van De Walle promotes is that every child can learn mathematics.
This book resource focuses on a three-step problem based lesson in mathematics that
incorporates the think/pair/share strategy. It promotes, cooperative learning, flexible grouping,
the equity in the classroom.