Special Education - ADHD

Hattie (2023) defines Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a neurodevelopmental disorder that generally causes attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects about 5 to 7 percent of children when diagnosed according to the criteria established by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Students diagnosed with ADHD often exhibit other, related learning disorders, such as reading disorders or deficits in mathematics. Common drugs used to treat this are Adderall and Ritalin that often take time to determine the appropriate strain and dosage.

(Hattie, 2023)

"By the age of 12, a child with ADHD will receive 20,000 more negative messages than will her neurotypical peers."

(New Hope Media, 2017, p. 35)

What loved ones of those with ADHD want you to know:

“Kids with ADHD forget what they should be doing and mask their frustrations with behaviors perceived as naughty. They feel big feelings but don’t have the same built-in skills to manage them as do neurotypical kids. All this is on top of having to expend their energy on everyday activities that come naturally to neurotypical kids. Imagine a bunch of kids running a race, and one has a big, lead weight chained to their ankles. That’s the kid with ADHD.”

(Additude, 2023)

“Children with ADHD are no different from any other child in their class. Just as teachers teach differently, children learn differently, especially those children with ADHD.”

(Additude, 2023)

“I’d like everyone to know that it is not their fault. It is hard for people with ADHD to focus and participate in something they consider not super-interesting. They are not lazy. Their brains are wired differently, and we need to be patient and encouraging.”

(Additude, 2023)