not updated -- Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder – National Association of Special Education Teachers (copy 1)

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Accommodations / Modifications

  • ADHD-Building academic success:If human potential were determined at birth, we would have little need for schools. However, we know that environment plays a powerful role in individual growth. We create schools to develop that potential and broaden opportunity. Yet many children labeled at-risk--including those disabled by Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)--fail to thrive, or even survive, in current school environments-Read more.
  • School-based accommodations and interventions list with suggested techniques: Children with attention deficit disorder and/or learning disabilities can be a challenge for any classroom professional.  This page provides some practical suggestions that can be used in the regular classroom as well as the special education classroom.  certain accomodations at work based on their needs. in the regular classroom as well as the special education classroom. Read more.
  • Workplace accommodations: ADD/ADHD is covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act and individuals with ADD/ADHD can be entitled to certain accomodations at work based on their needs.
  • Accommodation rights: What Rights Does a Child Have? Accomodations in the Classroom
  • Classroom accommodations: A child who qualifies for Special Education services in the public schools may also qualify for accommodations in regular classrooms in which he or she is mainstreamed. Even if a child does not qualify for Special Education, he or she may qualify for accommodations under a law called Section 504. Here are some accommodations that might be made...
  • Adaptations & accommodations for students with disabilities: For many students with disabilities—and for many without—the key to success in the classroom lies in having appropriate adaptations, accommodations, and modifications made to the instruction and other classroom activities-Read more...
  • Presenting your lessons to children with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder: a list of suggestions in presenting your lessons to children with ADD or ADHDn the special education classroom.
  • Making the classroom fit the child: The rules and procedures of a mainstream classroom can be very difficult for the child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To help these children succeed and learn; educators have developed a number of classroom modifications. Hear are some of the adaptations that parents can expect – or insist on.

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Adults with ADD/ADHD

  • Adults with AD/HD: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood neuropsychiatric disorder affecting 3-10% of children that often remains unrecognized or "hidden" in adulthood.
  • ADHD News-Information on the research and treatment of ADD with emphasis on special education, behavior issues and advocacy. Includes free monthly newsletter and discussion groups.
  • General characteristics of the adult with ADD : Please keep in mind that this is a generalized overview of how characteristics and symptoms of ADD/ADHD may present themselves in Adults.
  • Symptom checklist : In conjunction with other diagnostic techniques, Dr Amen says he, "uses the following general adult ADD checklist to help further define ADD symptoms. No ADD adult has all of the symptoms, but if you notice a strong presence of more than 20 of these symptoms, there is a strong likelihood of ADD. Read more.
  • 50 Tips on the management of adult ADD: This article breaks down the treatment of ADD into five basic areas: Diagnosis, Education, Structure, support, and coaching, Various forms of psychotherapy and Medication.
  • CHADD article: AD/HD has been recognized and treated in children for almost a century, but the realization that AD/HD often persists into adulthood has only come over the last few decades. Very extensive article.
  • Article on how ADHD can affect adults: About 5% of school-age children have ADHD, but this is a chronic condition, it doesn't go away, and what we see is that as many as two-thirds of children with ADHD will become adults with ADHD. Read more.
  • When adults have ADHD: There is a lot of information in the news about ADHD. Usually the news is about ADHD in children. Not as much is known about the way ADHD affects adults. ADHD is a mental health problem that is often overlooked in adults. Often adults with ADHD are diagnosed when they find out their children have ADHD. This is a health problem that may be inherited.
  • Adults with AD/HD: Diagnosis, Coping and Mastery:Although it was known that children with AD/HD were more likely to have difficulties in adulthood, clinicians usually diagnosed and treated these as other conditions. During the past two decades, we have recognized attention deficit disorder in older adolescents and adults.  
  • Other conditions associated with adult ADHD: Adults have lived longer than children, and thus have had more time to develop other psychiatric disorders. In children with AD/HD, the existence of a comorbid condition is correlated with greater likelihood that the symptoms will persist into adulthood.
  • How adult ADHD may affect marriage and parenting: AD/HD can affect many areas of one’s life. This is particularly true when the adult marries and has children.
  • Diagnosing ADHD/ADD in adults: For years, health professionals believed the signs and symptoms of ADHD vanished by the time a child became a teenager, with no long-lasting effects. Now they know that as many as two out of three children will continue to battle the disorder into adulthood.
  • Treatment in adults: ADHD is treated similar in adults as it is with children. The most effective treatment found is to be a combination of stimulant medication and behavior modification.
  • What is ADD Coaching? ADD coaching is an ongoing partnership that helps individuals with ADD improve their quality of live by deepening their learning, improving their performance, and increasing their understanding of ADHD.
  • Symptoms of ADHD in adults: Adults diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to have a different pattern of symptoms than do children with the disorder, according to a study from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
  • Strategies for success: Many adults with ADHD have learned to compensate for their deficits by developing effective coping strategies and finding jobs that match their needs. For those adults who are not aware that they have ADHD, the knowledge and awareness of their disorder can help them learn to work around their difficulties and enjoy a more happy, productive, and satisfying life.
  • Various cites on adults with ADHD
  • ADDitide-The healthy happy lifestyle magazine for people with ADD.
  • ADDmirableWomen-An online community for women with ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Information, resources, advice, and support.
  • Women and ADD-ADDvance is the only site on the web designed as a resource site for women and girls with
    ADHD, providing articles, information on women's ADHD support groups across the country, and a comprehensive list of books, tapes and videos.

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Advocacy Information

  • Special education advocacy :This page has links to dozens of articles, free books and newsletters and other resources on special education advocacy.
  • Advocacy articles : Successful advocacy depends on having accurate information and knowing how to use it. There are four sections in the Advocacy Library: Advocacy Articles, FAQs: Letters to Wrightslaw
    Newsletter Archives and Advocacy Tips.
  • Advocacy article with general information : contains stories, articles, information and links on special education advocacy. A good article for parents.
  • ADHD On-line Community-ADHD.com offers information and support on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. There are forums, articles of interest, editorials, links, and submission areas.

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Assessment

  • Assessing adolescents and adults :policy statement from Office of Disability Policy-Educational Testing Services. Good site to determine standards for extended time on SAT tests.
  • Assessing ADHD in schools:This dynamic program demonstrates an innovative model for assessing ADHD in the schools.
  • General article including assessment : overview including assessment of children with ADHD.
  • Key components in assessment :Although some people seem to think that you can just tell from watching a child, arriving at such a conclusion requires a formal evaluation. Unfortunately, there are many different ways to assess AD/HD, and some assessment approaches are clearly more accurate and more cost-effective than others. 
  • Assessment products for ADHD  checklists, surveys, and rating scales for children with ADHD.

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Audio/Video Tapes

  • Variety of tapes for the classroom: A variety of audiotapes for the handling ADHD in the classroom: Tapes on distraction management, relaxation techniques etc.
  • Variety of tapes for parents and professionals: A variety of audiotapes for parents and professionals on managemnet of ADHD
  • ADHD in adults: This instructive program on VHS integrates information about ADHD with actual experiences of adults from a range of professions: from a lawyer to a mother who works in her home. It illustrates the real impact ADHD has on affected adults.
  • Assessment video: This dynamic program demonstrates an innovative model for assessing ADHD in the schools. In a departure from other approaches,
    various videos on ADD and ADHD for parents and professionals
  • For parents and professionals: a variety of audiotapes to help parents manage their children with ADHD at home.

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Assistive Technology

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Books and Publications

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Causes

  • General article including causes: A good overview article on ADHD including causes, assessment and treatment.
  • The neurology of ADHD: The most recent models describing what is happening in the brains of people with Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD ADHD - suggest that several areas of the brain may be affected by the disorders.
  • Causes of ADHD: These pages provide information about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD/ADD including diagnosis, treatment, classroom management, parent education, behavior modification, communication and family relationships. 
  • What causes ADHD:Health professionals stress that since no one knows what causes ADHD, it doesn't help parents to look backward to search for possible reasons. There are too many possibilities to pin down the cause with certainty. It is far more important for the family to move forward in finding ways to get the right help.
  • Genetic and amilial factors: Boys are four to nine times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-booklet:Over the last few decades, scientists have come up with possible theories about what causes ADHD. Some of these theories have led to dead ends, some to exciting new avenues of investigation.

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Characteristics

  • Symptoms: Symptoms are always present before the age of seven, but sometimes continue into adolescence. ADHD is seen more commonly in boys. Symptoms often become less severe in late teenage and in early adulthood, although it seems that people do not 'outgrow' ADHD, but learn to master strategies to compensate for the symptoms.
  • Cinical characteristics: Because adults are more socialized than children, and because some ADD/ADHD behaviors such as hyperactivity are less intense in adulthood, the clinical presentation of ADD/ADHD varies with age.
  • Basic characteristics: The three main characteristics of ADD are...
  • List of ADHD characteristics: ADD/ADHD manifests itself in many ways and may vary with the individual. Common symptoms may include, but are not limited to...

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Classifications or Types of

  • ADD vs. ADHD: It used to be called Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD. What are the differences?
  • Myers-Briggs Type Inicator and Temperment: Like many others, a need exixted to know whether there is a relationship between ADD and MBTI temperament type.  What is found was no quick and easy "that type's ADD!", but rather a more complex set of relationships. 
  • Which type of Attention Deficit Diorder are You?  Most medical professionals treat ADD in cookie-cutter fashion, even though research is clear that there are many variations of Attention Deficit Disorder and different methods for treating each type of Attention Deficit Disorder. With many different types of Attention Deficit Disorder that require different treatment protocols, this "one medication fits all" approach often fails.
  • Different types or styles of ADHD:Research literature, recent books, and common sense, all point to the fact that there are different types, or styles, of ADHD. In the past we referred to Attention Deficit Disorder: Inattentive Type, or Impulsive/Hyperactive Type, or a Combined Type. Today the diagnostic differences are a bit less clear, but the reality doesn't change

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Classroom Management

  • Article including educational interventions : When the behaviors of impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity interfere with the student's performance in the general education classroom, the professional should try reasonable strategies to assist the student.
  • ADHD Owner's Manual-This site, created by a medical doctor, includes information on educational and behavioral interventions, medication, and tips for professionals.
  • Increasing compliance-elementary level : list of tips for professionals on working with children with ADHD in the classroom.
  • Educational implications of ADD/ADHD: The four fundamental intervention areas of their model are environmental management, instructional accommodations, student-regulated strategies and medical management, which are briefly covered in the paragraphs
  • Using worksheets and other tips-elementary level: helpful classroom list for professionals in the classroom with students with ADHD.
  • Checklist of activities for professionals: checklist oif suggestions and activities to keep children with ADHD focued and on task in the classroom.
  • Improving consistency of performance-elementary level: a variety of methods to use with children with ADHD to increase performance in the classroom.
  • Teaching children with ADHD:ADD is a chronic disorder that can begin in infancy and extend through adulthood, having negative effects on a child's life at home, school, and within the community. It is conservatively estimated that 3 to 5% of our school- age population is affected by ADD.
  • Increasing time on-task behavior-elementary level : a list of techniques and suggestions to increase on time behavior for children with ADHD.
  • What professionals should know: Like other children with disabilities, students with ADD are helped best when the professional understands the students' special problems and makes some modifications to the instructional program. However, you do not have to face these challenges alone; professionals work as part of a team that includes administrators, special educators, school psychologists, healthcare professionals, and the parents.
  • Presenting your lesson to students with ADHD-elementary level: consider the various means of presentation of materials when working with students with ADHD.
  • Helping adolescents get homework done-suggestions for parents:Most adolescents with ADHD have difficulties with homework because of their short attention spans, natural restlessness, and impulsivity. Parents need to collaborate with their teenagers to develop an effective homework structure.
  • Tips for your students transitioning to college:The transition from high school to college can be difficult for students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (AD/HD). However, with appropriate foresight and planning, it can be managed successfully.
  • Introduction into ADD Coaching:AD/HD coaching has been defined as follows: "AD/HD coaching is an ongoing relationship which focuses on the client taking action toward the realization of their vision, goals or desires. AD/HD coaching uses a process of inquiry to discover ways in which a client can maximize strengths and talents, function optimally with a disability, and be responsible and accountable for actions or lack of action.
  • Impulsive behavior-adolescents with ADHD : a list of classroom management techiques for dealing with impulsive behaviors in the classroom.
  • Improving social skills-elementary level: a list of helpful activities and suggestions for dealing with social dificulties that may be exhibited by students with ADHD and improving social interaction skills.
  • Organizing your students with ADHD-elementary level : a list of very worthwhile suggestions and techniques for helping children with ADHD get organized.
  • Classroom management : These pages provide information about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD/ADD including diagnosis, treatment, classroom management, parent education, behavior modification, communication and family relationships. 
  • Teaching children with ADHD: good overview of classroom suggestions and techniques for working with children with ADHD.
  • Behavioral charts and forms-elementary level: charts and forms used to monitor and chart behavior for children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
  • Impulsive behavior-elementary level: a list of classroom management techiques for dealing with impulsive behaviors in the classroom-elementary students.
  • Resources for professionals: a very thorough list of links for professionals on a variety of topics such as resources for professionals, medications used with ADHD, organizations, suggestions for parents and so on.
  • Setting up your classroom for students with ADHD-elementary level : a list of practical suggestions and techniques for setting up a classroom for students with attention deficit hyperactive disorder on the elementary level.
  • Room setup for adolescents with ADHD: a list of practical suggestions and techniques for setting up a classroom for students with attention deficit hyperactive disorder on the secondary level.
  • Presenting lessons to adolescents with ADHD: consider the various means of presentation of materials when working with secondary level students with ADHD.
  • Organizing adolescents with ADHD: a list of very worthwhile suggestions and techniques for helping secondary level students with ADHD get organized.
  • Using worksheets and giving tests to adolescents with ADHD: Usability" is the design buzzword for the 21st Century. Just as web designers strive to make web sites fast, easy to navigate, and more user-friendly, professionals should strive to make their worksheets easy to understand, easy to navigate, and user friendly
  • Increasing on task performance with adolescents with ADHD: a list of techniques and suggestions to increase on time behavior for secondary level students with ADHD.
  • Suggested Classroom Interventions For Children With ADD & Learning Disabilities: Children with attention deficit disorder and/or learning disabilities can be a challenge for any classroom professional.  This page provides some practical suggestions that can be used in the regular classroom as well as the special education classroom.  By looking through a given list of interventions, a professional will be able to select one or more strategies that are suited to a specific child in a specific environment.
  • The Really Big List Of Classroom Management Resources: There are classroom management techniques tailored to elementary and secondary education, discipline ideas for new and experienced professionals, tips for handling special education, suggestions for getting organized, strategies for preventing behavior problems, sample classroom rules, ways of creating a caring community, and information on new products and services.

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Definition

  • Brief definition of ADHD: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is generally first diagnosed during the primary school years. Symptoms are always present before the age of seven, but sometimes continue into adolescence.
  • Definition and symptoms: According to the 1994, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Ed. IV, (DSM-IV) ADHD is a Disruptive Behavior Disorder characterized by the presence of a set of chronic and impairing behavior patterns that display abnormal levels of inattention, hyperactivity, or their combination.
  • DSM definition: this site provides the definition of ADHD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

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Diagnosis

  • General article on symptoms, diagnosis and management: ADHD can only be identified by looking for certain characteristic behaviors, and these behaviors vary from person to person.
  • Diagnostic considerations: ADHD, which has been estimated in the US to have a prevalence rate among school-aged children of 4-12%, is a chronic condition for which there is no cure.
  • Diagnosing ADD and ADHD: Everyone in a private practice setting who works with ADD ADHD children or adults is going to have their own opinion on how Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADD or ADHD - should be diagnosed.
  • General article including diagnosis: AD/HD is one of the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorders of childhood. The disorder is estimated to affect between 3 to 7 out of every 100 school-aged children [American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2000]. This makes AD/HD a major health concern.
  • Diagnosis: contains many aspects of ADHD. Look for area "Diagnosis"

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Frequently Asked Questions

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History of the Field

  • History and genetics of ADHD : The first clinical description of ADHD was reported in the British journal, Lancet, by Dr. George Still in 1902.  Dr. Still was a British physician treating children who noticed some of his patients were disinhibited and impulsive.
  • Timeline of the history of ADHD: a timeline explnation of the development of terminology and medications for ADHD over the years.

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Incidence

  • Overview of incidence: In recent years, researchers have estimated that anywhere from 1 percent to 20 percent of school-age children in the United States have ADHD. Confusion over the rate of cases has fanned concerns that children are overidentified as having the disorder, or are overmedicated to treat it.
  • Concerns over increase: As the federal government considers changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, state and nationwide surveys are showing dramatic increases in the numbers of children diagnosed with either Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or autism.
  • Study on incidence : Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, has become a common diagnosis among American children, but the true incidence of the condition remains in dispute.

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Medical Issues/Medications

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Organizations

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Overview and General Information

  • General overview-1: School counselors are often consultants for parents and professionals on problems that children and adolescents face. Attention deficit is one such problem.
  • General overview-2: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity that occurs in academic, occupational, or social settings.
  • General overview-3: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is usually first diagnosed in children and adolescents. It is characterized by inappropriate degrees of inattention, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity. Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are typically:
  • Schwab Learning: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects an estimated 3-7 percent of the school age population.
  • National Institute of Mental Health: a very good overview but the site needs to be explored for the starting point. Scroll down for table of contents on ADHD.
  • ADD search engine-ADD Resource is a search engine and directory for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities.

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Parent Information

  • An overview for parents: Early identification and proper treatment dramatically reduces the family, educational, behavioral, and psychological problems experienced by individuals with ADHD.
  • Home-school collaboration: Collaboration and communication between home and school facilitate successful education for all students. For students with ADHD, it is essential to have effective parent-professional communication, collaboration and consistency on goals and rewards across settings, and collaborative planning and monitoring of interventions.
  • ADHD support for parents-Informational site for parents, educators, and doctors regarding all facets of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Answers for families: ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorder in childhood, affecting about 1.6 million school-age children, according to Children and Adults With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Still, questions of how to treat it -- and whether it exists at all -- spark debate. And controversy.
  • What parents should know: If you believe your child shows signs of Attention Deficit Disorder -- short attention span, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity -- there are several steps you can take.
  • Questions to ask when selecting a professional to assess or treat ADHD: a series of very importnat questions for parents to ask any professional involved in the treatment or education of a child with ADHD.
  • Father’s role: This article draws insight and direction from the real experts in the field of ADHD: the fathers who live with and help support their sons who must grapple with and manage ADHD on a daily basis.  
  • Talking to children about their ADHD: Parents who raise children with attention and learning problems, and professionals who teach them, often benefit from a wealth of information about these subjects. They have become active consumers: reading current research, seeking out new books and articles, attending lectures given by experts in the field. However, a significant omission is often made. They sometimes neglect to pass on what they know to those who need it most: the children.
  • ADHD primer:  It is important for parents to recognize the symptoms of ADD and to work with professionals in making an accurate diagnosis.
  • Resources for parents: a variety of links on various topics of interest on ADHD.
  • Stress in children: Stress is a feeling of discomfort that is experienced somewhat differently by children and adults and from one individual to another
  • What it means for parents when their child is diagnosed: When parents have a child with any type of problem, it is not unusual for the parents to feel guilty or blame themselves. Parenting education and support has been shown to be very helpful for families with an ADD/ADHD child and its value cannot be overemphasized
  • How do I have my child evaluated for AD/HD: When your child is experiencing difficulties that suggest that he or she may have AD/HD, you as a parent can take one of two basic paths to evaluation.
  • AHDH, back to school: The start of school may be a very difficult time for students who suffer from attention problems, overactivity, or both.  Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a fairly common disorder in school age children.  This disorder makes it difficult for students to attend during class, remain still, and inhibit their impulses.

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Prevalence

  • When ADHD runs in families: The familial nature of ADHD isn't uncommon. With increasing frequency, child and adult psychologists and psychiatrists are encountering families with multiple ADHD cases.
  • Prevalence and assessment : from the American Academy of Pediatrics, this research article covers the prevalence and assessment of attenttention deficit hyperactive disorder.

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