ADHD
Joe Lakeberg
JL's Profile
Often times many children are labeled with having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) that really don't. Typically all children show symptoms of ADHD at some point or another, but that's just being a kid. Children who have ADHD and are not treated are more likely to become obese in adulthood. Also, those that are not treated will fall behind in school, lack social skills, and lead to drug and alcohol abuse.
Symptoms include inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Inattentive symptoms include careless mistakes, does not seem to listen, difficulty sustaining attention, unorganized, loses things, easily distracted, and is often forgetful. Hyperactivity symptoms include fidgeting hands/feet, runs around when the time is inappropriate, can't play quietly, and talks excessively. Impulsive symptoms include blurting out things, cannot wait for their turn, and interrupts or intrudes.
Common medications for ADHD include stimulants such as amphetamine and methylphenidate which increasing blood flow and the levels of dopamine in the frontal lobes of the brain where all executive decisions are made. Such stimulants were first introduced in WWII to allow soldiers to march all night and fight all day.
Physical activity has also been proven to decrease the symptoms of ADHD. When the body exercises to the point of respiration, chemical changes in the brain occur to enable the body to endure the fatigue and keep going. These chemical changes also promote a more concise thought process and also calm the mind, although it doesn't seem so with an increased heart rate and fatigue.
Ways to “reach out” to children with ADHD are to play games with them to help them learn. Play simple games that hold the students attention yet they enjoy that lead them to learning and hold their attention. An example of such a game is the “beach ball” toss for spelling words. Put spelling words on a beach ball, and place the students into pairs or small groups. When a student catches the ball they need to say the word that they see first and then toss the ball and with each toss the students need to say each letter to spell the word and continue until the word is spelled. Once the word is spelled, start a new word.
References
"ADHD Medication | ADD ADHD Information Library." ADD ADHD Information Library | Help for Parents with ADHD Children. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. <http://newideas.net /adhd/medication>.
Aldgidge, Jerry. "Helping Chiren With ADHD." Healthy Child Care Oct.-Nov. 1998: 32-35. Web.
"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - PubMed Health." Web. 1 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002518/>.
Goss, Kim. "ADHD and Physical Activity." BFS Mar.-Apr. 2009: 43-45. Print.
McGuinness, Teena M. "Helping Parents Decide on ADHD Treatment for Their Children." Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services 46.8 (2008): 23-27. Print.
Service, HealthDay News. "Children With ADHD Symptoms at Higher Risk of Obesity - ADD/ADHD Center - Everyday Health." Health Information, Resources, Tools & News Online - EverydayHealth.com. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. <http://www.everydayhealth.com/adhd/children-with- adhd-symptoms-at-higher-risk-of-obesity.aspx>.
Comments (32)
denise.larson@... said
at 7:52 pm on Apr 6, 2011
Joe, why do you think that ADHD children that are not diagnosed have problems with obesity later in life? You would think that these children are hyperactive and would have metabolisms that sky-rocket. Just wondering. I know that our society is good to give pills to ADHD children. Do you think that we are as mindful to give these children rigorous exercise schedules? From your report, it sounds like that would help a lot.
Richard S. Russell said
at 12:21 am on Apr 17, 2011
Check out what happens to football linemen after they leave the game. They're no longer burning off 6000 calories a day, but they've developed eating habits needed to stay bulked up for each week's game. It can get ugly.
Joe Lakeberg said
at 5:30 am on Apr 7, 2011
Children are more apt to become obese because of the impulsive behavior that they have. They will eat to eat and stay busy. And yea, rigorous exercise would definitely help, but with today's society kids are sitting in front of a video game counsel too much and not playing enough.
kevin.engel@... said
at 1:54 pm on Apr 8, 2011
I don't have experience dealing with kids who are ADD/ADHD. This may be a stupid question, but do kids who are ADD really sit and play video games for long periods of time? My limited understanding is that they typically have a hard time focusing on a task for a long period, or is it the way video games can be exciting, colorful, and action-packed enough to keep their attention?
David L Zuck said
at 1:21 pm on Apr 16, 2011
My kid has ADD and he can skateboard/snowboard all day. But sitting still for homework is very tough.
Lindsey Krawchuk said
at 10:19 am on Apr 18, 2011
My daughter was recently (as in like 3 weeks ago) diagnosed ADD and her issues rest more with inattentiveness. She does not have the hyperactivity issues many children have. Her biggest problems are paying attention to a teacher for more than 5 minutes. Independent reading time in school for 10min is difficult for her. But she can sit and do an activity of interest for a long time- whether that be drawing, playing her DS, or playing outside. Its about keeping her interested and she has no problem keeping herself interested in something she wants to do and was her idea.
Dan Morrison said
at 3:51 pm on Apr 15, 2011
I am not sure if this is correlated or not, but many of the kids that have ADHD at my karate also have a lot of coordination issues too. The kid I work with has a lot of trouble with this. He has no problem remembering things, but has trouble with making his moves clean. When he does forms, I told him to concentrate on one thing, putting snap into his forms and pausing very slightly between each move - it has helped immensely in making his form look great! Is the coordination thing related to ADHD (unable to focus) or is there more at work here?
Jaime Goulet said
at 7:07 pm on Apr 7, 2011
What you do with the ADHD kids that have been misdiagnosed and are on meds that are not needed? What physically and psychologically happens to them? Are teachers responsible to help with the diagnosis of ADHD?
Joshua Voller said
at 7:56 pm on Apr 7, 2011
I've heard many people who take ADHD medication complain about the negative side effects. Do you think these side effects help push some individuals with ADHD to sell their medication for money since they don't like the effects of the drug anyway and just want to make a buck off of it?
Zach Johnson said
at 8:48 pm on Apr 7, 2011
Joe, how do you feel about people saying that ADHD is overdiagnosed? Do you think diagnosis is more accurate now, or is it being inflated by doctors who don't know how to deal with students with behavior issues?
Lindsey Krawchuk said
at 10:23 am on Apr 18, 2011
I am not an expert on ADD issues, but after ahving recently gone through the diagnosis process and talking to our psychologist about these questions she told us the diagnosis process is intense and long. It took us almost 2 months to get a diagnosis and 2.5 months to get started on some meds to help her pay attention in school. So I don't want anyone thinking that you can take your kid in the ER, get diagnosed in 10 min and get thrown on meds in 15. It just doesn't work that way. I'm sure there are some misdiagnosed kids, but our dr. told us most of it has to do with better diagnosing that didn't occur 20 years ago.
Genevieve.Bennett@st.bemidjistate.edu said
at 11:04 pm on Apr 7, 2011
My sister is ADD without the hyperactivity. She was on Ritalin, but would only take it before she did her homework at night. She was very happy about being able to take meds that could help her focus. Unlike a lot kids, she wasn't diagnosed until high school, because she didn't have the hyperactivity. She also has a learning disability, so it was very difficult to spot the ADD. She now teaches preschool and is very sensitive to what she thinks is over-diagnosis and over-medication at such a young age.
Joe Lakeberg said
at 7:51 am on Apr 8, 2011
Well, like your sister I too have ADD myself without the hyperactivity. I wasn't diagnosed until college. I had a professor that noticed it. I never bought or used any books, I just sat in the front row and took notes. By taking notes, though we didn't need to, my focus was kept. I never bought the books because I could read the material ten times over and never be able to tell you what I read. She asked me to take a few tests and see a friend of hers. After the tests and what not, I was diagnosed with ADD.
Joe Lakeberg said
at 7:47 am on Apr 8, 2011
Katherine Buhr said
at 12:44 am on Apr 9, 2011
I'm also curious what a teacher's role will be with students with ADHD? Will be asked questions about the different medications students take and their affects? What is the legal obligation here? I've heard about teachers being criticized for suggesting a child may suffer from ADHD, so I'm wondering if we just state facts as to child's behavior and performance? Or do we offer opinions if parents were to ask?
Brenda Mattei said
at 3:13 pm on Apr 13, 2011
This is Joe's wiki but I just witnessed my mentor with a boy who has ADHD and they are trying to regulate his meds. One of the teacher said specific things like, he is hyper because she feels he just wants attention, etc. The special ed teacher explained to me that you never diagnose or say why, you only tell the facts of how the child is actually acting.
Laura Rust said
at 2:19 pm on Apr 16, 2011
thats a good point to bring up because i think when kids are told they just want attention versus something that they simply cannot control resonates with them psychologically and can have a negative impact on how they view themselves. Even if the teach didn't say this to the child, it is how the teacher probably treats the child in class, as the noisey, "i need attention" kid. glad you brought this up because my brother had a similar experience as a child and it still sticks with him that he was viewed as the bad kid even though he just simply could not sit still.
may.hsueh@... said
at 11:38 pm on Apr 9, 2011
As a parent with a kid with special need, I would very much to be kept informed about my son's behaviors and learning at school. But I would be uncomfortable if the teacher made any recommendation or suggestion about medication. I think teachers should leave the discussion of medication to parents and the child's physician. Stimulants were found overprescribed for kids with behavior issues in classroom. Therefore, it is crucial for a teachers to keep a thorough behavior observation record of a concerned student to provide credible reference for proper diagnosis.
Marissa said
at 6:05 pm on Apr 16, 2011
I was just talking to my mom last week (she works in the SpEd department) about my anxiety of IEP meetings when I'm a SpEd teacher. That's the one thing she said. "Never suggest a student should start medication."
Erika Westby said
at 3:13 pm on Apr 10, 2011
Are most people with ADD or ADHD diagnosed in elementary/middle school or are there a lot that are diagnosed in high school or (like yourself) in college? Like others have mentioned, I'm also wondering how teachers come into play with this disorder. What kinds of things have to happen before you approach a parent about a possible problem? Or do you first raise your concern to the administration? I guess it seems like there's a fine line between 'just being a kid' and having ADD/ADHD. How do you know when the line has been crossed?
David L Zuck said
at 1:26 pm on Apr 16, 2011
We starting noticing stuff real early and got our boy on an IEP, I think in first grade. Every year we have to have conversations with the school and the teachers to make sure they understand his situation. My guess would be that without diagnosis a teacher might think they kid didn't care to learn or was just misbehaving.
Katherine Buhr said
at 1:29 pm on Apr 16, 2011
Why do you think the diagnosis or the label helps teachers?
Richard S. Russell said
at 12:23 am on Apr 17, 2011
In my fanciful ideal world, EVERY kid would have an IEP. I keep hoping modern computer technology will make it possible.
Lindsey Krawchuk said
at 10:31 am on Apr 18, 2011
We noticed issues with our daughter years ago too, but I was afraid to get her diagnosed if it wasn't a big issue. It became a big issue this year when she started falling behind in reading because she wasn't able to focus on the teacher and what she was saying. She was always able to figure out school before without needing to pay attention. I talked to lots of people who gave me horror stories of kids on meds- it was scary. But our daughter is on a very low dose of meds and it has worked wodners for her. She isn't getting yelled at to stay on task all day, she is able to concentrate on her work and has greater self-esteem. It has not changed her personality at all, and that was a big deal for me. I wish we would have done it sooner. I wish that people would keep their negative opinions to themselves. Parents are stressed out enough without hearing all the horror stories.
Brenda Mattei said
at 3:14 pm on Apr 13, 2011
Do you think that going undiagnosed with ADD could lead to a depression problem as an adult?
greg hillman said
at 7:51 pm on Apr 13, 2011
Hi, I am Big Joes "authentic voice". I have had ADD, that I have known about, for 20 years or so. I am 58 years old and I teach a 2nd grade class, and I have also had experience as a special educator. This is my last year teaching....Praise the Lord!!!! I have seen a lot of kids and a lot of crazy things happen throughout my career, but its nothing a seasoned teacher can't handle. I'm not sure what else I need to say at this point, so I hope that I can contribute to your education as future teachers.
Dan Morrison said
at 3:40 pm on Apr 15, 2011
I am having the pleasure of working with a student with ADHD at my karate school as a Black belt buddy (Every Black belt takes on a mentorship to help students prepare for their Black belt test). There are days he is a challenge. I even had a special education teacher come to the school to help with understanding children with ADHD both to get suggestions on how I could help my Black belt buddy, but also to help the other people on the leadership team (there are a large number of kids with ADHD in our school). The teacher said that sports like karate are excellent for these kids because it teaches routine and discipline as well as helping with balance and coordination. Does the guest have any further suggestions or personal experiences that would help both in a karate school as well as a classroom.
David L Zuck said
at 1:31 pm on Apr 16, 2011
Love your video selection too, Joe!
Katherine Buhr said
at 1:32 pm on Apr 16, 2011
Thank you for sharing, I would like to know what the best class structure is for a student with ADHD? Does more routine help?
Joe Lakeberg said
at 3:38 pm on Apr 17, 2011
Yea, routine is a good thing for children with ADHD. Structure is also very important.....From my own experience, having a set schedule and structure makes things move more smoothly and I don't become so easily distracted while having a schedule.
Marissa said
at 6:09 pm on Apr 16, 2011
If it student comes to school not medicated (you can usually tell by some point in the day, can't you?), is it appropriate for the teacher to call home about it? Can they ask the parent if they forgot to administer the meds or ask why didn't give them to the student?
Barbara Bridges said
at 6:52 am on Apr 24, 2011
Joe,
You have contirubed important experiences to our class. I am impressed that you were willing to "out" yourself. As I have mentioned many times...chemical imbalances are nothing to be ashamed of!!! (I AM wondering about the devil eyes photo you provided...JK).
On the topic of sustained play on video games. That is the ultimate multitasking activity...no problem for ADHDers. If you know any Uber techhies...they will have three windows open at once and a running conversation with 6 people on IM! Re: The reading online ... get software which will turn the text into voice!
1. Research your topic. 5 refs-2 hard copy 25 points
2. Synthesize 200-400 words 25 points
3. Respond to peers. 25 points
4. Introductory statement from guest. Attend 25 points
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