Part #11- When an Attention Deficit Isn't By: Dr. Craig Pohlman

NASET ADHD SERIES

Introduction

Addison is in the 6th grade, her first year in middle school. She did pretty well in elementary school, but she’s getting slammed in 6th grade. A couple of her teachers have described her appearing distracted, making mistakes with details, and being disorganized with her work. Addison admits to “zoning out” a lot during classes like English, Spanish, science, and geography. So clearly she has ADHD and could use some medication to help her focus. Except that maybe she doesn’t have ADHD at all. There are several learning problems that create the appearance of an attention deficit. Well-meaning educators and parents often are off the mark when they attribute signs like distractibility, problems with details, and disorganization to weak attention. This article, written by Dr. Craig Pohlman (and reprinted with permission from the Special Education Advisor), addresses issues that can cause secondary attention deficits in children.

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