Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Definition
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity).

ADHD has three subtypes:


* Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive

o Most symptoms (six or more) are in the hyperactivity-impulsivity categories.

o Fewer than six symptoms of inattention are present, although inattention may still be present to some degree.

* Predominantly inattentive

o The majority of symptoms (six or more) are in the inattention category and fewer than six symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity are present, although hyperactivity-impulsivity may still be present to some degree.


o Children with this subtype are less likely to act out or have difficulties getting along with other children. They may sit quietly, but they are not paying attention to what they are doing. Therefore, the child may be overlooked, and parents and teachers may not notice that he or she has ADHD.

* Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive

o Six or more symptoms of inattention and six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity are present.

o Most children have the combined type of ADHD.

^^Taken from ("Attention deficit" 2009)


Characteristics

Children who have symptoms of inattention may:



* Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another

* Have difficulty focusing on one thing

* Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable

* Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new

* Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities

* Not seem to listen when spoken to

* Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly

* Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others

* Struggle to follow instructions.


Children who have symptoms of hyperactivity may:



* Fidget and squirm in their seats

* Talk nonstop

* Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight

* Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time

* Be constantly in motion

* Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.


Children who have symptoms of impulsivity may:



* Be very impatient

* Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences

* Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games

* Often interrupt conversations or others' activities.

^^Taken from ("Attention deficit" 2009)

Review

* The scary truth is that no one test can show that a child has ADHD. It is only shown by a series of testing, and gathering of information about the child’s behavior and environment. A family needs to discuss this matter with their pediatrician first, and they may be referred to a mental health specialist.

* “Current medications do not cure ADHD. Rather, they control the symptoms for as long as they are taken. Medications can help a child pay attention and complete schoolwork. It is not clear, however, whether medications can help children learn or improve their academic skills. Adding behavioral therapy, counseling, and practical support can help children with ADHD and their families to better cope with everyday problems” (NIMH).

Federal Laws

* IDEA - gives grants to the state, and organizations in order to support research for the disability, and grants to colleges or non-profit organizations also to support research, advances in technology or parent-training and information centers.

* SECTION 504 - In 1973 the Rehabilitation Act became the first disability civil rights law to be finalized in the United States. It prohibits discrimination against anyone who has a disability and receives federal financial assistance. Section 504 works with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) “and IDEA to protect children and adults with disabilities from exclusion, and unequal treatment in schools, jobs and the community” (Special Education).

Summary

* Not every child with ADHD is alike, which means the teacher needs to set out a personalized education plan for the student to follow on a weekly basis. This plan will include the student’s strengths and weaknesses.

* School assignments should be made smaller into more simple parts, as well as the teacher’s encouragement throughout the assignment. To get the student’s attention, you need to address them by their name and then respond with a question.

* The best seat for an ADHD student is in the front row or near the teacher’s desk. Also, all students must put away any toys or such to prevent distractions.

* The student should be given extra time for any tests, and strategy teachers could use would be to have multi-page tests. This entails giving the following page of a test to a student once they’ve completed the one before.

* ADHD students need to see what is ahead, with “clear and consistent transitions between activities” (NIMH). Also, schedules recording daily events such as when classes start or end, or when lunch is are very important.

* Teachers should always look for a way to encourage good behavior with ADHD students.

* Another important tool is to have a separate area in the classroom used specifically for any student with ADHD. This area will be their spot to calm down if they ever start to feel agitated or frustrated.



Descriptor

* CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) – an organization throughout the US created to provide education and to help support those who are affected by ADHD.

* Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) - an organization raised to support adults with ADHD by providing them information and resources needed to live better lives.

* American Psychiatric Association (APA) – a medical society created to encourage and inform everyone who has a mental disorder of some type about effective treatment.

Works Cited

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd). (2009, June 15). Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/complete-index.shtml#pub1

Facts about adhd. (2009, October 07). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html

*All other quotes are found from the links on the right side of blog.

Mental Retardation

Major federal laws:

• IDEA - gives grants to the state, and organizations in order to support research for the disability, and grants to colleges or non-profit organizations also to support research, advances in technology or parent-training and information centers.


• NCLB - (No Child Left Behind Act) The act was created in order for states and school districts to be held more accountable in making sure that “all students reach certain proficiency standards in a specified amount of time.” If these standards are not met in time, students may switch to a higher performing schools or receive other services such as tutoring. This also points to the school’s curriculum, teacher qualify, and parental rights. Children with disabilities must be included in standardized testing, and this will determine whether the school meets the specified standard; “95% of students with disabilities must participate in the annual testing.”


• SECTION 504 - “This is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It gives parents certain rights to review and request changes in their child's school records as well as requiring parental permission for the release of education records except under specified circumstances” (Special Education).


• ADA – “The landmark 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by employers, public accommodations, state and local governments, public and private transportation, and in telecommunications” (Special Education).

Definition:

• Mental retardation, also known as Intellectual Disability is the disability a child has from birth or infancy, which causes dependency and limitations of engaging in normal activities on a daily basis.

Characteristcs:

• Inability to take care of themselves and to develop a social relationship.


• In a number of cases, children are not identified to have this disability until they start school. However, most students with mild mental retardation master academic skills up to about the sixth-grade level and are able to learn job skills well enough to support themselves independently or semi-independently” (Characteristics of MR).


• Significant delays in academic and social development.


• Individuals with moderate mental retardation tend to have better health and behavior problems than those with a mild case of mental retardation.


• If a child is identified at birth, it is more than likely that they have a severe case of mental retardation.


• Massive central nervous system damage, and may have other disabilities as well.


• “Difficulties accepting criticism, limited self-control, and bizarre and inappropriate behaviors such as aggression or self-injury” (Characteristics of MR).


• As W. L. Heward states, “The more severe the retardation, the higher the incidence of behavior problems” (Ch. of MR).
  

Review:

• Short-term memory, which causes these individuals to encounter more daily difficulties seeing as they need to be repeatedly reminded in order to develop a long-term memory on certain subjects.


• “The rate at which individuals with mental retardation acquire new knowledge and skills is well below that of typically developing children” (Ch. of MR).


• Compared to a typical developing child who needs to learn something 2-3 times, a child with mental retardation needs to be taught something about 20-30 times.


• It is said that teachers have assumed that just because the students is mentally disabled, their teaching instruction should be lowered to meet their mental level. This is indeed wrong. “Research has shown, however, that students with mental retardation benefit from opportunities to learn to ‘go fast’” (Ch. Of MR).


• Trouble staying on task and paying attention. These students become easily distracted, which creates more difficulty when learning new information in the classroom.


• These students also rely on others for help when they do not understand or know the answer; they expect the person to help them because they have low expectations for themselves.


• Teachers need to teach these students how to become “self-reliant problem solvers” (Ch. of MR) instead of waiting to be helped.
  

Summary:

• Teacher can become easily frustrated when dealing with a student who “stands too close, interrupts frequently, does not maintain eye contact, and strays from the conversational topic” (Ch. of MR).


• Students with mental retardation have below average scores and their IQ scores on a standardized test are usually below 70. This can be extremely discouraging for both the student and their teacher.


• One strategy for teachers is to think positive, and to spread that positiveness onto your students with a disability. There’s no sense in focusing on the negatives when you truly believe that you’re students can do much more than expected.
  

Descriptor:

• NICHCY – promotes to encourage and educate anyone dealing with or affected by a disability.


• The Arc – “devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities” (The Arc).

*All quotes are used by the links at the right side of blog.

Spina Bifida

Definition:

Spina bifida, which literally means “cleft spine,” is characterized by the incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and/or meninges (the protective covering around the brain and spinal cord). ("Spina bifida" 2009)

The two forms of spina bifida are spina bifida occulta and spina bifida manifesta.

Spina bifida occulta is the mildest form of spina bifida (occulta means hidden). Most children with this type of defect never have any health problems, and the spinal cord is often unaffected.

Spina bifida manifesta includes two types of spina bifida:

1. Meningocele involves the meninges, the membranes responsible for covering and protecting the brain and spinal cord. If the meninges push through the hole in the vertebrae (the small, ring-like bones that make up the spinal column), the sac is called a meningocele.
2. Myelomeningocele is the most severe form of spina bifida. It occurs when the meninges push through the hole in the back, and the spinal cord also pushes though. Most babies who are born with this type of spina bifida also have hydrocephalus, an accumulation of fluid in and around the brain.
   

^^Taken from ("Spina bifida" 2009)

Characteristics:

Myelomeningocele - may include muscle weakness or paralysis below the area of the spine where the incomplete closure (or cleft) occurs, loss of sensation below the cleft, and loss of bowel and bladder control. In some cases there maybe fluid build up and cause an accumulation of fluid in the brain ("Spina bifida fact sheet" 2009).

In less serve cases, the children will be able to walk with the help of a walker, braces, or crutches.

Review:

Children with Spina Bifida from birth face the chance of never being able to walk again. Some of these children end up paralyzed for life. While other children with spina bifida need accomodations to help them walk such as a walker, braces, or crutches. Most children with spina bifida do not face problems in their learning.

Summary:

Most children with spina bifida do not need accomdations when it comes to learning in a classroom setting. The accomaditions they do need is when it comes to walking and moving around. Some of the students will be using a walker, braces, or crutches.

Organization:

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
P.O. Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013-1492
nichcy@aed.org
http://www.nichcy.org
Tel: 800-695-0285
Fax: 202-884-8441

Spina Bifida Association
4590 MacArthur Blvd. NW
Suite 250
Washington, DC 20007-4266
sbaa@sbaa.org
http://www.spinabifidaassociation.org
Tel: 202-944-3285 800-621-3141
Fax: 202-944-3295

Federal Laws

• IDEA - gives grants to the state, and organizations in order to support research for the disability, and grants to colleges or non-profit organizations also to support research, advances in technology or parent-training and information centers.


• NCLB - (No Child Left Behind Act) The act was created in order for states and school districts to be held more accountable in making sure that “all students reach certain proficiency standards in a specified amount of time.” If these standards are not met in time, students may switch to a higher performing schools or receive other services such as tutoring. This also points to the school’s curriculum, teacher qualify, and parental rights. Children with disabilities must be included in standardized testing, and this will determine whether the school meets the specified standard; “95% of students with disabilities must participate in the annual testing.”


• SECTION 504 - “This is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It gives parents certain rights to review and request changes in their child's school records as well as requiring parental permission for the release of education records except under specified circumstances” (Special Education).


• ADA – “The landmark 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by employers, public accommodations, state and local governments, public and private transportation, and in telecommunications” (Special Education).

Works Cited

Spina bifida fact sheet. (2007, December 11). Retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spina_bifida/detail_spina_bifida.htm

Spina bifida. (2009, December 02). Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/ill/spina_bifida.html

Autism

Definition:

• The National Institute if Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) describe the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as "a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior ("Autism fact sheet," 2009)." Autism spectrum disorder is the most severe form of ASD. While milder forms of ASD are known as Asperger syndrome and the rare condition is called Rett syndrome ("Autism fact sheet," 2009).

Characteristics:

• The characteristics for Autism varies in severity and symptoms. This characteristics parents begin to notice in their child between the ages two and six.

Early Indicators:

1. No babbling or pointing by age 1


2. No single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2


3. No response to name


4. Loss of language or social skills


5. Poor eye contact


6. Excessive lining up of toys or objects


7. No smiling or social responsiveness
   

Later Indicators:

1. Impaired ability to make friends with peers


2. Impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others


3. Absence or impairment of imaginative and social play


4. Stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language


5. Restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus


6. Preoccupation with certain objects or subjects


7. Inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals

("Autism fact sheet," 2009)

Major federal laws:

• IDEA - gives grants to the state, and organizations in order to support research for the disability, and grants to colleges or non-profit organizations also to support research, advances in technology or parent-training and information centers.


• Section 504 - In 1973 the Rehabilitation Act became the first disability civil rights law to be finalized in the United States. It prohibits discrimination against anyone who has a disability and receives federal financial assistance. Section 504 works with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) “and IDEA to protect children and adults with disabilities from exclusion, and unequal treatment in schools, jobs and the community” (Special Education).


• NCLB - (No Child Left Behind Act) The act was created in order for states and school districts to be held more accountable in making sure that “all students reach certain proficiency standards in a specified amount of time.” If these standards are not met in time, students may switch to a higher performing schools or receive other services such as tutoring. This also points to the school’s curriculum, teacher qualify, and parental rights. Children with disabilities must be included in standardized testing, and this will determine whether the school meets the specified standard; “95% of students with disabilities must participate in the annual testing.”


• FERPA - “This is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It gives parents certain rights to review and request changes in their child's school records as well as requiring parental permission for the release of education records except under specified circumstances” (Special Education).

Review:

• A child with autism differs from typical children because he/she lack social skills, sometimes communication, and need specific routines. Having these needs stops children with autism from living a social and spontaneous life typical children live. Children with autism have a lack in relationship with not only peers in school but also with their family members. They usually do not like to be hugged or have the intimate relationship parents long to have for with their children. Even though, children with autism love their parents they have a hard time expressing their feelings. Children with autism inability to to express their feelings not only show through expressing love but also frustration. In these circumstances, children with autism may have burst of rage when they are upset.
  

Summary:

• Even though there is no cure for Autism, therapies and behavioral interventions are used to improve the individual’s daily life. “Most health care professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better” (NINDS).


• In order for children with Autism to develop social and language skills, they must have the help of their therapists by having “highly structured and intensive skill-oriented training sessions” (NINDS).


• Counseling for the family and siblings of the child with Autism is highly important when helping families to cope with the difficulties of their day to day lifestyle.

Descriptor:

• OSEP-Used for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. The ages go from birth to 21. This program provides “leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts.”


• NIDRR- (National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research) This organization also “provides leadership” as well as “support for a comprehensive program of research related to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities.” This program is created to improve the lives, from birth to adulthood, who has a disability.


• RSA- (Rehabilitation Services Administration) encourages grants which are to help people with physical or mental disabilities, in order “to obtain employment and live more independently through the provision of such supports as counseling, medical and psychological services, job training and other individualized services.” The administration’s major grant program provides assistance to state rehabilitation agencies in order to provide them with the correct employment opportunities needed for these individuals with disabilities.


• NICHCY- In 1997, Congress promoted the National Institutes of Health to form the Autism Coordinating Committee (NIH/ACC), used to strengthen the quality, pace and coordination of efforts at the NIH, and more importantly, “to find a cure for autism.”


• In 2007 and 2008, NIH began assisting 11 Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE), which were run by the NIH/ACC. Some of the investigations done by the ACE are “early brain development and functioning, social interactions in infants, rare genetic variants and mutations, associations between autism-related genes and physical traits, possible environmental risk factors and biomarkers, and a potential new medication treatment.”

Works Cited Autism fact sheet. (2009, October 19). Retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
Autism symptoms checklist. (2009, December 02). Retrieved from http://www.autism-pdd.net /autism-symptoms.html