Laura Gutierrez ENG 105 Commentary Essay PDF

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ENG 105 January 20, 2018 Jan Wakefield-Davis Children with ADHD and Schooling When the words children and school are mentioned it comes to mind that children attend school to be successful in their studies and well as enjoy the time with their peers. School is considered to be the best years of one’s life, for some children school is difficult enough now consider having to handle Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and feel that all fingers are being pointed at them. Many school-aged children feel the pressure of going to school and the stress of having to attend school and manage their diagnosis of ADHD. According to the Center for Disease Control (2017), reported that 11% of school-aged children ages 4-17 were given the diagnosis of ADHD. School-aged children with ADHD tend to have difficulties engaging in school work, suffer negative interaction with teachers and school staff due to their condition, and sometimes have poor relationships with other children School-aged children that have been diagnosed with ADHD often have difficulties in a school setting (Kendall, 2016). ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that makes it hard for people to concentrate and difficult to control impulsive behavior causing them to act without thinking, in some cases causing hyperactivity (CDC, 2017). Give into consideration that a child attending school is expected to pay attention to their teachers for periods of 6 to 7 hours per day. This is a common expectation and a possibility for most school-aged children, this expectation could be impossible for a child with ADHD. A controlled study was conducted and proved that school-based behavioral intervention improved the child’s behavior as well as an increase in

2 academics of the child with ADHD (Moore, Whittaker & Tamsin, 2016). It is important to understand what causes children to lose interest in academics and why they tend to misbehave rather participate with their peers in the classroom. Due to the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior children will be disruptive in the classroom becoming a challenge to teachers and other students. ADHD disorder will prevent the engagement and cause a distraction to children which may have a difficult time with memory, planning and poor organization skills, causing children to not fallow the teacher’s instruction and lead to academic failure (Kendall, 2016). The interaction between a teacher and a student is key for a child to become academically successful when dealing with ADHD. Teachers are becoming a key piece in deciphering if a child with behavior and concentration issues are dealing with ADHD. Two-thirds of teachers have stated they are the first ones to initiate that a child should be evaluated for ADHD (Topkin, Roman, & Mwaba, 2015). There is an increased need to have well-educated teachers on the topic of ADHD as the child spend so much time with their teachers. Children with this diagnosis have negative interactions with teachers and at times school staff members due to the lack of knowledge on ADHD. The training of teachers regarding management of behavior issues of a child diagnosed with ADHD should be the initial part of classroom management including the knowledge of symptoms, and treatment of ADHD; there can be a decrease in negative interaction with child and teacher (Topkin, Roman, & Mwaba, 2015). When a teacher reacts negatively to a child with ADHD the child will become embarrassed and the disruptive behavior will increase causing with drawl of the child from their studies. It is known that a child that has a teacher that is well prepared about ADHD will be understood and supported. The following is a comment made by Sam age 12 diagnosed with ADHD “They just think that I have a behavioral problem and I get into trouble

3 for not concentrating. They shout at me in front of everyone and it makes me feel awful” (Kendall, p130, 2016). Furthermore, when a teacher has a clear understanding of ADHD the relationship between the diagnosed child and teacher will become productive and help with peer’s interaction. Relationships between peers are equally important in the life of a school-aged child diagnosed with ADHD. Unfortunately for many children that struggle with ADHD also struggle making or maintaining friendships and communicating with other children. The inability in children with ADHD to express their feelings and turning to violence creates a distance between the children, causing the exclusion of the diagnosed child (Harazni, Alkaissi, 2016). Due to the aggressive behavior of the child with ADHD, other children will cause incorrect judgment among peers. Teachers of children with ADHD tend to keep the child separated from others due to the fear of children being hit or bitten for no reason. This causes poor relationships between the children (Harazni, Alkaissi, 2016). The disruption of the class prevents the teacher from providing full attention to the lesson causing other children to lose engagement and focus on the distraction being created, resulting in no academic growth for the children in the classroom. Academic failure tends to be high in many school-aged children. Regrettably, children with ADHD have a higher risk of academic disengagement due to the negative interactions with the teacher and poor relationship with other children. It is important to understand the proper training by mental health professionals is essential to fully understand ADHD, and prepare interventions to support rather isolate children with ADHD (Cuellar, 2015). Children with ADHD have a difficult time maintaining a relationship with other children and adults causing incorrect judgment due to lack of education on ADHD, causing the child to have more difficulties in school and their social life.

4 References Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Key Findings: A National Profile of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Among US Children Aged 2 to 5 Years. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/features/kfnational-adhd-profile-young-children.html

Cuellar, A. (2015). Preventing and Treating Child Mental Health Problems. Future Of Children, 25(1), 111-134Daresh, J. C. (2004). Beginning the assistant principalship: A practical guide for new school administrators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Retrieved From: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1062954&site=ehost-live&scope=site Harazni, L., & Alkaissi, A. (2016). The Experience of Mothers and Teachers of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Children, and Their Management Practices for the Behaviors of the Child a Descriptive Phenomenological Study. Journal Of Education And Practice, 7(6), 1-21. Retrieved From: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1092501&site=ehost-live&scope=site Kendall, L. (2016). "The Teacher Said I'm Thick!" Experiences of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder within a School Setting. Support For Learning, 31(2), 122-137 https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1105466&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Rogers, M., Bélanger-Lejars, V., Toste, J. R., & Heath, N. L. (2015). Mismatched: ADHD Symptomatology and the Teacher-Student Relationship. Emotional & Behavioral Difficulties, 20(4), 333-348. Retrieved From:

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https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1083177&site=ehost-live&scope=site Topkin, B., Roman, N. V., & Mwaba, K. (2015). Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary School Teachers' Knowledge of Symptoms, Treatment and Managing Classroom Behavior. South African Journal Of Education, 35(2), Retrieved From: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1135083&site=ehost-live&scope=site...