How IDEA Applies to Children with ADHD - Free Essay Example

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act from 1975 to 1990, aims at making available designed instructions that meet the unique needs of children with disabilities and giving parents a voice in their childs education; 13 disability categories are recognized by this law. For example, Other Health Impairment, usually abbreviated to OHI, encompasses a range of conditions determined by limitations in the areas of strength, vitality, and alertness and the most familiar condition in this category is probably Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD. At first, ADHD was called hyperkinetic impulse disorder and it was first identified in 1902 by British pediatrician Sir George Still. In 1936, Dr. Charles Bradley found out that the medicine Benzedrine improves a childs ability to concentrate and learn. It was not until the late 1960s that the American Psychiatric Association medically documented ADHD as a mental disorder. Historical figures like Thomas Edison was considered difficult and hyperactive in school, Pablo Picasso said Dont think I didnt try to learn at school, I tried hard. I would start but immediately be lost. There has been widespread speculation that John F. Kennedy had a form of dyslexia, but some scholars believe he may have had ADHD as well. James Carville, political commentator and media personality, has gone on to speak publicly about ADHD for organizations like Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a constantly recurring disorder that has an effect on childrens ability to concentrate on a task. It exhibits a range of complications such as difficulty sustaining attention, inability to control behavior due to abnormality in processing neural stimuli, and excessive movement of the subject or hyperactivity. In a classroom, a student with ADHD displays several moments of inattention which could make it difficult for the student to link concepts or to match answers to appropriate questions. According to mind-disorders, symptoms of hyperactivity in children with ADHD are fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat, unable to remain seated when expected to, runs or climbs excessively when inappropriate, feelings of restlessness, constant movement, excessive conversation, along with blurting out answers before the question has been completed and having difficulty waiting for his/her turn which demonstrate the impulsivity of someone diagnosed with ADHD. In a classroom, the tea cher will have to be patient in dealing with all these symptoms. There are three different types of ADHD: inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type, and combination. The inattentive type experience more symptoms of inattention and get distracted constantly but the hyperactive-impulsive type displays signs of impulsivity and hyperactivity as described above; the combination type is a combination of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In many instances, ADHD continues into adulthood. Low self-esteem is a common problem amongst students with ADHD; experts believe the condition is closely linked to self-image and confidence. In other words, creating favorable self-images and improving the quality of close relations with other people are almost impossible for children with ADHD. According to helpguide.org, typical classroom accommodations for students with ADHD are: Seat the student with ADHD away from windows and away from the door, put the student right in front of your desk unless that would be a distraction for the student, Seats in r ows, with focus on the teacher, usually work better than having students seated around tables or facing one another in other arrangements, Create a quiet area free of distractions for test-taking and quiet study. Give instructions one at a time and repeat as necessary, If possible, work on the most difficult material early in the day, and Use visuals: charts, pictures, color coding. These accommodations are elements of a trusted guide to mental and emotional health, I assume they are tested accommodations. In fact, these accommodations are the newest ones because they were last updated in October 2018. In an inclusive learning environment, students with ADHD are best supported when teachers meticulously explain concepts while requiring feedbacks from each student in an environment free from distraction. Furthermore, the teacher should be patient and organized during every single lesson. In my opinion the top three recommendations for regular-education teachers who may have a student with ADHD in his or her classroom are being attentive and patient to the demands of a student diagnosed with ADHD, make sure everyone in the classroom is fully engaged, be willing to explain something multiple times while asking for feedbacks. In this case, information delivery must be done meticulously and the students reaction to the information must be expressed through feedbacks.