ADHD in the Classroom

Helping African American students with ADHD succeed

in the classroom

Pre/Post Test Link:

http://goo.gl/forms/krE6LTPmas

Professional Development by Jessica Hockham, Alexandra Armor, Alexandria Johnston, Daria Johnson,
Susan Pizzolato and Erin Hottle

Learning Objectives

After this presentation I will be able

to . . .
Describe ADHD and identify key behavior both in and out of the
classroom
Understand why we, as school counselors, are advocating for
African American students with ADHD
Identify strategies I can use with African American students
with ADHD in my classroom
Understand how certain types of classroom management and
effective consequences that can help this particular population
List the positive attributes of African American students with
ADHD

NC Teaching Standards
Standard 1: Demonstrate Leadership
Take responsibility for all students learning
Advocate for positive change in policies and practices affecting student learning
Participate in implementation of initiatives to improve education

Standard 2: Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of

Students
Embrace a diversity in the school community and in the world
Recognize the influence of culture on a childs development, personality, and
performance
Adapt teaching for the benefit of students with special needs

NC Teaching Standards
Standard 4: Facilitate Learning for Your Students
Know how students think and learn
Keep abreast of evolving research
Adapt resources to address the strengths and weaknesses of students
Respond to cultural diversity and learning needs of students

Standard 5: Reflect on Your Practice

Actively investigate and consider new ideas that improve teaching and learning

ADHD
Behaviors and
Definition

What are typical ADHD

behaviors you see
exhibited in classrooms?

What is ADHD?
Diagnosed by a professional and adhering to the DSM-V
Inattentive, Hyperactive, and Combined types
mild, moderate or severe
Occurs across settings and environments
Affects daily functioning
Is a developmental or brain functioning disorder
Executive functions
Does not change from day to day and persists into adulthood
(Hill-Chandler, 2009)
(DSM V)

Typical ADHD Behaviors

Inattentive:
Fails to give close attention to details or
makes careless mistakes
Has difficulty sustaining attention
Does not appear to listen
Struggles to follow through on instructions
Has difficulty with organization
Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring sustained
mental effort
Loses things
Is easily distracted
Is forgetful in daily activities
(DSM-V)

Hyperactive:
Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in
chair
Has difficulty remaining seated
Runs about or climbs excessively in
children; difficulty engaging in activities
quietly
Acts as if driven by a motor
Talks excessively
Blurts out answers before questions have
been completed
Difficulty waiting or taking turns
Interrupts or intrudes upon others

In class, African American students

with ADHD may:
Demand attention
Talk out of turn and move around the room
Have trouble following instructions
Especially in list form
Forget to write down, complete, and turn-in assignments
Lack fine motor control
Effects note taking and handwriting
Have trouble with operations that require steps
ex. long division
Have problems completing long-term projects
Have trouble contributing to group work
(helpguide.org)

Since learning can be frustrating, African

American students with ADHD may also. . .
Act out
Withdraw
Give up
Become angry
Experience mood swings
Have a range of emotions
(Hill-Chandler, 2009)

Rationale

Raise your hand if you

believe that African
American students are
diagnosed with ADHD
more frequently than white
students.

Rationale for ADHD Advocacy Workshop

This workshop aims to address two questions:
1.Why should we, as educators, be invested in advocating for African American
children exhibiting ADHD behaviors?
2.Why should we, as educators, be invested in advocating for African American
children with ADHD?
After addressing these questions, we will discuss ways that teachers can help
both of these students in the classroom.

(Rowland, Lesesne, & Abramowitz, 2002)

Why should we as educators be invested in advocating

for African American children exhibiting ADHD
behaviors?
Black children in the United States were 70% (1 OR of .30) less likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than
otherwise similar White children (Morgan et al., 2013)
Black parents may also be reluctant to seek medical treatment for ADHD due to less favorable attitudes, including
toward mental health illness generally (Leslie et al., 2003) and pharmacological treatment for ADHD specifically
(Dosreis et al., 2003)

Less likely to seek help for their symptoms because of prior negative experiences. (Koro-Ljungberg et al., 2008)
There is a need for greater culturally and linguistically sensitive screening efforts at early ages to ensure that
racial/ethnic minority children are appropriately diagnosed and treated (Morgan et al., 2013)

Why should we as educators be invested in advocating

for African American children with ADHD?
ADHD affects up to nine percent of all children & approximately four percent of adults (Children and Adults with
ADHD, 2015)
High correlation with poverty and ethnicity (Davis, 2012)
African-American and Latino children diagnosed with ADHD increased at a record rate between 2001 and 2010;
the incidence of ADHD increased by 90 percent in non-Hispanic African-American girls. (Townes, 2013)
Educators often mistakenly label children with ADHD as "a behavior problem," "unmotivated," or "not intelligent
enough" (Children and Adults with ADHD, 2015)
Failure to treat minority children with ADHD may partially explain long-standing racial/ethnic achievement gaps
(Basch, 2011).

Strategies for
Teachers
How to help your African
American students with ADHD

"If a child can't learn

the way we teach,
maybe we should
teach the way they
learn." Ignacio Estrada

What Teachers can do to help African Americans

with ADHD behaviors
Advocate by instituting programs targeted to help
African American students with ADHD learn.
Accommodations: what you can do to make
students with ADHD more confident in their
ability to learn: extended time/read aloud
Instruction: the methods you use in teaching.
Intervention: How you head off behaviors that
disrupt concentration or distract other students.
Your most effective tool, however, in helping a
student with ADD/ADHD is a positive attitude.

Information Delivery
Give instructions one at a time and repeat as necessary.
If possible, work on the most difficult material early in the day.
Use visuals: charts, pictures, color coding.
Create outlines for note-taking that organize the information as you deliver it.

helpguide.org

Student Work
Create a quiet area free of distractions for testtaking and quiet study.
Create worksheets and tests with fewer items.
a. give frequent short quizzes rather
than long tests.
Reduce the number of timed tests.
Test the African American student with ADD/
ADHD in the way he or she does best,
such as orally or filling in blanks.

Show the student how to use a pointer or

bookmark to track written words on a
page.
Divide long-term projects into segments.
a.

Assign a completion goal for each

segment.
Let the student do as much work as possible
on computer.
Accept late work and give partial credit for
partial work.

helpguide.org

Classroom Management for supporting

African American students with ADHD
Structured:
Post rules, Use charts, Schedules
Organization:
Provide Lists, organizers, color coded containers\storage bins,
Re-organize times in schedule
Focusing:
Verbal signals, Use of sounds or games, quiet, use of lights,
Focus times teachers says cue word

Strategies Continued
Seating:
Seat the student away from windows and away from the door, proximity to the teacher, small groups

Helpful materials:
Play-doh in a balloon, Rubber bands on chairs, Wrist-bands

(helpguide.org)

Effective Consequences
Daily Behavior Report Cards were found to the most helpful intervention for
African American low-income students with ADHD
for example, smiley faces were crossed off contingent on misbehavior in the
classroom

(Palcic, Kelley, & Jurbergs, 2009)

effective
intervention for
low-income,
African
American,
elementary
students with
ADHD
(Palcic,(Kelley,(&(Jurbergs,(2009)(

Effective Consequences
Behavior charts should be out on the students desk - teachers should
reprimand the student by instructing the student to mark himself/herself down
and provide the exact reasoning
Together, the teacher and student should determine if a reward has been
earned
a note should be kept of when the student earns a reward

Students should be rewarded for satisfactory behaviors

Commonly provided consequences included preferred activities such as computer time or to
choose a prize from a mystery box

(Palcic, Kelley, & Jurbergs, 2009)

Effective Consequences
Effective teacher consequences can help improve academic performance and classroom behavior for African
American students with ADHD
Results are seen fast when teacher consequences are partnered with parent consequences
immediate parent contact is an important step for improving student classroom behavior - positive and
negative
A delay between the behavior and parental consequences reduces the effectiveness
not all parents will be receptive at first, but consistent and open communication is important
teacher consequences were found to be equally effective for improving academic performance and
classroom behavior for African American students with ADHD, but together the results will likely be
seen faster
be factual in informing parents; for example In the classroom, ... are the behaviors we are seeing
from your child
(Palcic, Kelley, & Jurbergs, 2009)

Dont Forget the

Positives!

Energetic
The
children who need love
Spontaneous
the most will always ask for
Creative
it in the most unloving
Exciting
ways
Imaginative
Inquisitive
Empathetic

Russel Barkley

Gregarious

Positives: Typical Personality Traits

Outgoing

Highly Verbal

Humorous

Energetic

Willing to take a chance

Spontaneous

Inventive

Creative

Risk-taker

Inquisitive

Can think on their feet

Empathetic

(Reif,1998)

References
Adapted from: Reif, Sandra (1998) The DDD/ADHD Checklist Prentice Hall Publications
Hill Center ADHD workshop
Morgan, P. L., Hillemeier, M. M., Farkas, G., & Maczuga, S. (2014). Racial/Ethnic Disparities in ADHD Diagnosis by Kindergarten Entry. Journal Of
Child Psychology And Psychiatry, 55(8), 905-913.
Davis, L. K. (2012). The relationship between race/ethnicity, SES, usual source of care, parental involvement and the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD in
african american children (Order No. 1515104). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1034462985). Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1034462985?accountid=14244
DeRuvo, S. (2009). Strategies for Teaching Adolescents with ADHD : Effective Classroom Techniques Across the Content Areas. Hoboken, NJ,
USA: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

References Continued
Koro-Ljungberg, M., Bussing, R., Williamson, P., Wilder, J., & Mills, T. (2008). African-American Teenagers' Stories of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder. Journal Of Child And Family Studies, 17(4), 467-485.
Germer, K. A., Kaplan, L. M., Giroux, L. N., Markham, E. H., Ferris, G. J., Oakes, W. P., & Lane, K. L. (2011). A Function-Based Intervention to
Increase a Second-Grade Student's On-Task Behavior in a General Education Classroom. Beyond Behavior, 20(3), 19-30.
Home and School Collaboration for ADHD Students. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2015.