The
article can be summarized in its title, “ADHD in the Classroom: Effective
Intervention Strategies”. It describes many options for teachers to deal with
behavior, academics, communication with home and collaboration with important
school personnel. Further, the authors
highlight the need for balanced treatment plans including both proactive and
reactive interventions. Finally, the
need for multiple facilitators is addressed.
Teachers cannot do it alone. A
student with ADHD will make the most progress with a team working towards that
same goal.
I
found this article connected to my experiences in the classroom. I am a general education teacher and I have
had both diagnosed and undiagnosed ADHD students over the past nine years. I have witnessed middle school students that
struggle to pay attention in class and act out inappropriately. In addition, I
have observed students struggle with the side-effects of the medication
prescribed to fight the symptoms of ADHD.
During the 2014-15 school year I had a student in my inclusion 8th
grade math class that was constantly tired, late to school and lethargic
because he had no appetite during the day.
Some of the interventions suggested in the article worked very well with
this student. For example,
self-regulation, a chart that the student used to evaluate his own behavior,
gave this 8th grader an investment in his own success. He was able
to keep track of his on-time arrivals, his work completion and his behavior. He
also received academic interventions at the end of each day. This included working with peers in small
groups and computer programs to reinforce skills. Finally, the communication between home and
school occurred weekly. I believe this
may be the most important step. Success
can only occur when both school and home are working together. Parents need to
know what is happening during those 7 hours in order to keep doctors informed
and to reinforce the skills and behaviors.
Teachers need to know of changes, concerns and successes at home too.
This
article is worth a teacher’s time. It
explains concrete interventions that can be immediately used in the
classroom. While these interventions
have been suggested for children with ADHD, it is my opinion that they could
benefit many more. I especially liked that the writer looked at the “whole”
child; interventions were suggested for academics, behavior, peer relations and
home. The only weak point I found was
the practicality of collaborative consultation.
The author defines this as an equal partnership between a classroom
teacher and the school psychologist. In
my case, I rarely see the school psychologist.
In fact she is split between many schools in the district and I have
only sat across the table from her during an IEP or 504 meeting. This intervention is just not possible in
most schools.
DuPaul, G. J., Weyandt, L. L., & Janusis, G.
M. (2011). ADHD in the Classroom: Effective
Intervention
Strategies. Theory into Practice, 50(1), 35-42. Retrieved from
Great summary of your article. It was nice to hear that some of the strategies mentioned, you have actually tried with your students. I too think one of the most important pieces of student success is parental involvement and keeping teachers abreast of change as well as teachers keeping parents informed.
ReplyDeleteI was pleased to see that we both chose the same article. I wanted something practical and I think this article delivers that. I like to see that you use some of these strategies in your classroom, even in the middle school. I hope that your school psychologist will be able to work with you, and become more actively involved. All of the information we read seems to point in that direction. It is a shame that there is not more collaboration between professionals. I really liked the part in the article which talked about how you are the specialist in your classroom and the psychologist is the specialist in the consultation realm. You both need each other to bring an effective plan to the student. I know that you really care about your students, and that inspires me. I hope that those kids know what a great advocate they have in you.
ReplyDeleteGreat personal connection to the article, and I love that you highlighted the strengths of the article as well as offered a critique. You are right...I think many districts share one psychologist between many schools; making collaboration nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments
ReplyDeleteVery nice personal connections with the article. I like how you mentioned how the side affects changed the students' classroom behavior. I feel that there are a lot of times as educators, we simply say "put the kid on medication" and don't always think about the side effects. Also, I thought that the strategies you mentioned were useful and the fact that you used them in the classroom is very impressive.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you described the article as being "worth a teacher's time." It makes me want to read it to develop a stronger sense of classroom management. I also liked how you mention that you've had diagnosed and undiagnosed ADHD students in your class, since my article was about girls not going diagnosed for years compared to boys. It's sad that you don't have a good relationship with your social worker because they can give great insight into these types of students.
ReplyDelete