Abstract
Disability remains a widely analyzed issue in the fields of child development, health, and education. Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the common developmental conditions capable of triggering externalizing behaviors. In the learning environment, teachers can combine various strategies to meet the need of the affected learners. The relevant ones include the reduction of distractions, introduction of visual aids, and simplification of classroom tasks. Parents can promote routine behaviors and reward acceptable practices. Continuous collaboration is essential to ensure that all strategies are personalized and capable of meeting the educational needs of the targeted beneficiaries.
Introduction
Teachers and instructors should be aware of individuals with various learning problems and support them accordingly to develop positive outcomes. Different conditions are known to present themselves in the form of externalizing behaviors, such as disruption, aggression, reduced concentration, and inattention. Most of the affected individuals can rely on physical and verbal methods to exhibit their behaviors. The selected condition known to trigger different externalizing behaviors is attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Teachers and educators need to collaborate, introduce visual aids, offer favorable environment, and promote routine activities that resonate with the individual needs of learners with ADHD.
Disability Overview
ADHD remains a common disorder affecting neurodevelopment in children and adolescents. The rationale for choosing this form of learning disability is that it presents externalizing behaviors in the affected children. Analysts and psychologists present a number of attributes or characteristics associated with ADHD. For instance, Ogundele (2018) indicates that most of the affected children would exhibit one or more symptoms, such as reduced attentiveness, acting without a second thought, and hyperactivity. Additional characteristics associated with this learning disability include excessive talking, fidgeting, unable to remain in quiet environments, continuous movement, and interruptions during conversations (Ogundele, 2018). Teachers need to be keen and on the lookout for most of these attributes.
Researchers are yet to present conclusive findings regarding the possible causes of ADHD. However, Thomas and Karuppali (2022) believe that the condition could arise from brain injure, exposure to carcinogenic compounds during pregnancy, genetics, and premature or low-birth weight. In terms of prevalence, CDC estimates that the prevalence rate for this condition is around 9.8 percent for individuals aged between 3 and 17 years (DuPaul et al., 2020). In terms of placement, professionals need to consider a number of options before making their decisions. For example, Ogundele (2018) supports structured environment since they have the potential to help individuals who could be struggling with memory. General environment learning classes would be recommendable for affected learners to increase their chances of success.
Strategies for Teachers
Externalizing behaviours associated with ADHD have the potential to disorient the learning process and make it impossible for students to record positive results. Teachers should be keen to combine several strategies to ensure that the beneficiaries receive the intended instructions or content (Thomas & Karuppali, 2022). Most of the available options are informed by the idea that some of these individuals possess unique strengths, interests, and abilities that can be utilized in the learning environment.
Minimizing Distractions and Promoting a Routine
The first strategy for helping learning with disabilities is that of reducing distractions and establishing a clear routine. This initiative means that the teacher will have a daily schedule for learning activities and reduce all forms of distraction. The individuals will develop a sense of belonging, remain prepared, and be aware of what they will do. Quietness, concentration, and positive language are some of the major strategies for reducing possible distractions (Strelow et al., 2021). This effort is practical and applicable to learners aged 6 to 8 years. Educationists can measure progress by examining whether the learners are able to concentrate, complete class activities, and liaise with each other. Teachers can use checklists for the individual students to ensure that they have mastered the intended content or instructions.
Visual Aids
Learners with ADHD and other externalizing behavior disorders tend to respond positively to visual images or cues. In the classroom, teachers dealing with these students could integrate videos, charts, colors, and pictures. This approach is essential since it increases chances of absorbing and understanding the intended information. In terms of implementation, the selected visual aids should be combined with the intended class content (Thomas & Karuppali, 2022). The approach would be appropriate for learners of all ages in grades K to 12. The most important approach is for the teacher to tailor or customize the visual materials depending on the anticipated content. In the classroom, teachers will measure progress using personalized questions or assignments in relation to the presented content material.
Simplification of Tasks
Some complex subjects require teachers to consider additional measures to support learners with ADHD. The simplification of activities in the classroom for such learners amounts to an evidence-based strategy. Strelow et al. (2021) encourage educators to breakdown most of the tasks into smaller ones depending on the overall level of complexity. The professional will allow the students to complete each task while providing additional time. This approach could be appropriate for learners in grades 1 to 8. Throughout the process, teachers will measure progress by monitoring the performance of the students for each activity. Brief questions and grading systems could be applied as proper strategies for monitoring progress.
Strategies for Parents
Students with ADHD require timely support from both parents and teachers if they are to overcome the effects of the disability and achieve their maximum potential. While at home, the involvement of guardians and parents is essential since it helps in the realization of personal developmental goals (DuPaul et al., 2018). This approach is critical since learners will spend more time at home with their parents and relatives. The adopted strategies should be implemented in such a way that they augment the ones applied by their respective teachers.
Rewarding Positive Behavior
The first strategy for parents and guardians to take into consideration is the process of rewarding acceptable practices and behaviors. ADHD compels individuals to remain hyperactivity or unfocused. By assigning tasks and providing rewards, the individuals would become more involved and ready to repeat them. The model could be replicated by providing simple learning activities while at home. Such an approach promotes a sense of positive reinforcement (DuPaul et al., 2018). The involved parents will go further to offer additional skills to the learners depending on their grades or competencies. This strategy will ensure that the beneficiaries are involved and capable of managing their external behaviors.
Establishing Consistent and Structured Routines
At the home setting, parents can create strict routines that are intended to improve the comprehension levels and abilities of their children with ADHD. For example, a culture of reviewing learning processes and homework every night could help the students become more involved (DuPaul et al., 2020). The parents should be supportive, offer timely support, and introduce visuals for learning during the weekends or when the beneficiaries are at home. A defined routine for domestic activities, sports, and interacting with others is essential. This strategy will make it possible for the targeted learners to start managing time and their external behaviors more efficiently.
Critique of the Strategies
The selected two interventions for parents to apply for their children while at home are plausible and capable of delivering positive results. These tactics are behavioral in nature since they guide and encourage the children to establish positive relationships and benefit from adult encouragement or influence. The models would be in tandem with the learning efforts and approaches implemented in the class setting. The promoted routine would encourage the individuals to remain committed, identify gaps in learning, and be keen to manage their external behaviors (DuPaul et al., 2020). The provision of rewards will encourage the individuals to become more involved and consider how they can replicate most of the activities. They will be willing to replicate similar activities, thereby increasing their chances of recording positive outcomes.
Rrewards and clear routines are essential strategies capable of promoting healthy relationships between parents and their children with ADHD. The approach will maximize the memory and sensory abilities of the targeted individuals. The emerging ideas would guide them to voice their challenges and be ready to provide additional insights for guiding further interventions (de Milander & Schall, 2020). The proposed initiatives could be streamlined or customized in such a way that they augment the ones implemented in the class setting. Parents relying on the approaches should consider the necessary adjustments depending on the overall outcome or progress of the learners.
To deliver positive results, parents and guardians should be keen to liaise with the teachers of such students. A collaborative model would emerge whereby the two would share their observations and customize the available instructions and content. These key stakeholders would be keen to identify emerging ideas and apply solve most of the exhibited challenges or gaps. The ultimate aim would be to meet the changing needs of the ADHD learners and ensure that they succeed both in class and at home (Ogundele, 2018). Additionally, there is a need for parents to consult widely and introduce additional strategies depending on the capabilities and expectations of the targeted children with this learning disability.
Implications
Children with ADHD and other conditions capable of triggering externalizing behaviors will encounter a wide range of challenges in the learning environment. de Milander and Schall (2020) indicate that majority of the individuals tend to experience impaired working or short-term memory. This situation makes it impossible for them to complete certain tasks if concentration is needed. They might have problems when remembering key requirements, assignments, or roles. Teachers and guardians can mitigate this problem by implementing evidence-based approaches that have the potential to develop sustained or long-term memories (Ogundele, 2018). This guiding principle is informed by the understanding that ADHD tends to make it hard for individuals to put the necessary effort in class and household activities. They will tend to be associated with reduced listening, attention, or focus abilities.
The outlined five strategies are designed in such a way that they examine the holistic needs of people with ADHD. Specifically, the three efforts available to teachers are intended to increase routine activities, encourage concentration, and promote the use of visual aids. For instance, the proposed tools result in visual enhancement, thereby maximizing long-term memory. Favorable environments, rewards, and routines appear to converge and make it possible for the learners to understand the presented content. Such measures allow the beneficiaries to remain involved while maximizing their chances of developing long-term memories (DuPaul et al., 2020). The ones available to parents and guardians helped ADHD students to appreciate the importance of routine activities and consider efforts that will eventually be rewarded.
As described above, ADHD results in reduced concentration levels in most of the affected learners. The individuals will have difficulties in developing short-term memories, thereby being unable to receive the intended content. In the teaching of Mathematics or comprehension, teachers can rely on the suggested strategies and share the same with their respective parents. They can consider individuals who could be in need of behavioral therapy and support in additional to the strategies. These efforts are essential since the focus should be o the overall long-term impacts on the students (The Council for Exceptional Children, n.d.). Parents and teachers will need to collaborate to identify the most appropriate strategies and personalize them depending on the exhibited behaviors and challenges the students might experience throughout the learning process. The stakeholders will streamline their strategies in such a way that they contribute significantly towards mitigating the challenges associated with ADHD.
Conclusion
The completed discussion has identified ADHD is a challenging condition that producing externalizing behaviors. The outlined strategies are evidence-based and could work synergistically to help more children to improve their short-term memories. The proposed efforts present a unique opportunity for teachers, guardians, and parents to collaborate and consider how they can support the beneficiaries. As a professional in this field, the presented content would be useful and capable of supporting the development of a powerful philosophy for empowering more ADHD students. The inclusion of behavioral therapy is recommendable in learners with extreme behaviors that could disorient the learning process.
References
The Council for Exceptional Children. (n.d.). CEC releases two new sets of standards. Web.
de Milander, M., & Schall, R. (2020). Prevalence of ADHD symptoms and their association with learning-related skills in Grade 1 children in South Africa. South African Journal of Education, 40(3), 1-7. Web.
DuPaul, G. J., Evans, S. W., Mautone, J. A., Owens, J. S., & Power, T. J. (2020). Future directions for psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents with ADHD. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 49(1), 134-145. Web.
DuPaul, G. J., Kern, L., Belk, G., Custer, B., Hatfield, A., Daffner, M., & Peek, D. (2018). Promoting parent engagement in behavioral intervention for young children with ADHD: Iterative treatment development. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 38(1), 42-53. Web.
Ogundele, M. O. (2018). Behavioural and emotional disorders in childhood: A brief overview for paediatricians. World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, 7(1), 9-26. Web.
Strelow, A. E., Dort, M., Schwinger, M., & Christiansen, H. (2021). Influences on teachers’ intention to apply classroom management strategies for students with ADHD: A model analysis. Sustainability, 13(5), 2558-2577. Web.
Thomas, N., & Karuppali, S. (2022). The efficacy of visual activity schedule intervention in reducing problem behaviors in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder between the age of 5 and 12 years: A systematic review. Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 33(1), 2-15. Web.