Teach for Success - Rethinking ADHD - symptoms at school | AboutKidsHealth at SickKids

Summary

This video script focuses on observing the behavioral symptoms of ADHD in children within a classroom setting. It includes four video clips showing children with ADHD participating in a teacher-directed group activity and individual seat work. The activities are designed to highlight key ADHD symptoms such as difficulty sustaining attention, fidgeting, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The script also emphasizes how these symptoms vary depending on the task's structure and cognitive demand. Additionally, it raises the issue of how ADHD symptoms, especially inattention, are often overlooked in the classroom, particularly in girls.

Takeaways

• 😀 The program focuses on observing the core behavioral symptoms of ADHD in children, particularly in a classroom setting.
• 😀 ADHD symptoms vary depending on the activity and are context-dependent, with some activities highlighting certain symptoms more than others.
• 😀 The classroom used for the observations differs from a regular classroom, with a lower teacher-student ratio (2 teachers for 9 students) and a specialized environment for ADHD students.
• 😀 The four video clips provide a comprehensive look at how children with ADHD behave during teacher-directed group activities and individual seat work.
• 😀 The group activity used in the video clips involves map coordinates and memory strategies in a game format to engage children while practicing problem-solving skills.
• 😀 The individual seat activity focuses on completing arithmetic problems within a set timeframe, highlighting students' attention and task engagement.
• 😀 Symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity, such as fidgeting, excessive talkativeness, and interrupting others, were evident during the group activity.
• 😀 Symptoms of inattention, such as difficulty sustaining attention, reluctance to engage in tasks, and failure to finish work, were more noticeable during the math activity.
• 😀 Girls with ADHD were observed to be more likely to be overlooked in classrooms compared to boys, despite exhibiting similar social and academic challenges.
• 😀 The video clips show that ADHD symptoms can fluctuate moment-to-moment, especially when there's little external structure or high cognitive demands.
• 😀 The program raises the question of whether changes in classroom activities (like altering individual seat work or group activities) could help facilitate learning for ADHD students.

Q & A

What is the goal of the program described in the transcript?

The goal of the program is to take a closer look at the core behavioral symptoms of ADHD and examine how they are expressed in a classroom setting.

What distinguishes the classroom setup in the video clips from a regular classroom?

The classroom is a research setting with nine students diagnosed with ADHD, two teachers, and a lower teacher-to-student ratio compared to a regular classroom. The teachers are trained in behavioral management techniques.

What are the two types of classroom activities shown in the video clips?

The two types of classroom activities are a teacher-directed group activity and individual seat work. The group activity is a map coordinates game, and the individual seat work involves completing arithmetic computation problems.

What behavioral expectations are set for the group activity?

The behavioral expectations for the group activity include turn-taking, active listening, monitoring the game, and remaining seated.

What ADHD symptoms should the viewers look for in the students during the group activity?

Viewers should look for symptoms such as difficulty sustaining attention, fidgeting or squirming in seat, interfering or intruding on others, and excessive talkativeness.

How are the students identified in the video clips?

The students are identified by numbers, and these numbers are listed on corresponding worksheets that accompany each video clip.

What is the main focus of the individual seat work activity?

The individual seat work activity focuses on completing as many grade-level arithmetic computation problems as possible within a specified time.

How are ADHD symptoms less noticeable during the math activity?

The symptoms are less noticeable during the math activity because it requires independent work and quiet behavior, reducing distractions. Symptoms like avoidance of effortful tasks, difficulty sustaining attention, and failure to finish work are more subtle.

What specific ADHD symptoms are associated with the group activity when students in Team B are observed?

In the group activity, symptoms such as being easily distracted, blurting out answers before the question is complete, difficulty awaiting turns, leaving the seat when expected to remain seated, and being constantly on the go are observed.

Why are symptoms of inattention often overlooked in classrooms?

Symptoms of inattention are often overlooked because they are less noticeable than hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms, and can be harder to detect in structured classroom settings.