by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare
Center for Learning and Attention Disorders
Contents
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Portsmouth, New Hampshire
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Skip directly to the area of difficulty:
Organization | Planning | Remembering | Following Directions | Written Production | Problems With Test-Taking | Social Skills | Cognitive Style
Skip directly to Resources
Areas of Difficulty |
Possible Interventions |
Organization |
|
| Doesn’t do homework | Homework Survival Guide (Communiqu?, June 1994) |
| Incentive system | |
| Supervised study hall | |
| Alternative homework assignments | |
| Self-designed homework | |
| After school homework sessions in school | |
| Loses homework/possessions? | Daily check-ins (home/school) – monitoring system |
| Organizational aids (checklists/reminders/routines) | |
| Targeted incentive system | |
| Doesn’t come to class prepared | Case manager or other monitoring system |
| Spare materials in classes students can borrow/rent | |
| Targeted incentive system | |
| Disorganized notebooks | Monitoring system (e.g., daily notebook check) |
| Don’t penalize (e.g., grading modifications) | |
| Messy work? | Computer access |
| Specify clear criteria – have student redo if work doesn’t meet criteria | |
| Incentive system | |
| Modify expectations | |
Planning |
|
| Prioritizing | Students with attention disorders need assistance in these areas and cannot be expected to perform these skills without adequate instruction and practice. This could occur in planning periods built into the student’s day. Instruction may follow a sequence such as: 1) define skill to be learned; 2) model skill; 3) have student engage in verbal rehearsal; 4) guided practice; 5) independent practice with follow-up. A second option is the use of a coach (described in Hallowell & Ratey, Driven to Distraction). |
| Breaking tasks down | |
| Setting goals | |
| Planning steps | |
| Time management | |
Remembering |
|
| Handing in assignments | Case manager to monitor |
| Home/school daily check-in | |
| Incentive system | |
| Knowing when things are due | Case manager to monitor |
| Home/school daily check-in | |
| Incentive system | |
| Bringing materials to/from school | Case manager to monitor |
| Home/school daily check-in | |
| Incentive system | |
| Math facts/other rote memory tasks | Memory aids |
| Allow use of calculators | |
| Reduce demands/expectations | |
| Sequence of steps to follow (e.g. math) | Construct personalized instructional manual with templates, directions, examples of problems, models, etc. |
Following Directions |
|
| Verbal | Provide study partner |
| Repeat directions individually | |
| Written | Check-in with student/clarify as necessary |
| Highlight directions for student/have student highlight | |
Written Production |
|
| Poor fine motor skills/motor impersistence | Allow to dictate written responses |
| Allow the use of tape recorders | |
| Access to computers for writing assignments | |
| Reduce writing requirements | |
| Discrepancy between thinking/writing speed | Access to computers/recorders |
| Opportunity to respond orally | |
| Difficulty organizing thoughts | Assistance with prewriting activities (e.g., brainstorming, mind mapping, outlining) |
| Writing ideas on post-its, rearranging to outline | |
| Problems with initiation/word retrieval | Brainstorming vocabulary, key concepts |
| Helping getting started | |
| Close-ended writing tasks | |
| Proofreading problems | Use spellcheck |
| Have another student/adult proofread | |
| Use proofreading checklist to cue for specific errors | |
Problems with Test-Taking |
|
| Careless mistakes | Allow test re-takes |
| Supervise checking work | |
| Can’t finish within time limits | Allow extra time |
| Break testing into several sessions | |
| Writing problems | Oral exams |
| Short answer/multiple choice vs. essay | |
| Reduce demands/allow extra time | |
| Distracted during testing | Let student take test in quiet room |
| Anxiety | Teach test-taking strategies |
| Teach relaxation strategies | |
| Let student take test away from other students | |
| Difficulties with retrieval | Multiple choice tests |
| Open book tests | |
| Provide sample items/templates | |
| Cues to aid retrieval during test | |
| Teach test-taking strategies | |
Social Skills |
|
| Impulsive | Consider the following for all social skills problems:
Incentive systems |
| Disruptive | Negotiated behavior contract |
| Match student with teacher | |
| Apathetic | High rate of personalized positive feedback |
| Alternative curriculum | |
| Discouraged | Credit for out-of-school learning |
| Work-study programs | |
| Depressed | Hands-on learning |
Cognitive Style |
|
| Fast and sloppy | Assign shorter tasks with criterion for accuracy |
| Teach self-evaluation/goal-setting re accuracy or quantity | |
| Problems with initiation? | Assign close-ended tasks |
| Provide templates | |
| Help student get started (e.g., walk through 1st few items/brainstorm ideas, etc.) | |
| Assign study partner | |
| Use cooperative learning | |
| Assign shorter task/break tasks down | |
| Obtain verbal commitments (e.g., re start times) | |
| Low frustration tolerance | Modify assignments |
| Ensure high rate of success | |
| Frequent reinforcement | |
| Provide individual help | |
| Self-designed assignments (brainstorm ideas) | |
| Processing speed/simultaneous processing problems (e.g., can’t listen and take notes)? | Provide individual help |
| Tape lectures | |
| Provide note-takers or access to teacher notes | |
| Present material in organized, sequential fashion | |
| Reduce assignments/allow extra time | |
| Craves novelty/hates repetition | Avoid lecture style classes |
| Avoid classes with heavy rote learning or worksheet requirements | |
| Computers/technology | |
| Use cooperative learning | |
| Use hands on learning/discussion format | |
| Self-designed assignments | |
| Individualized work contracts | |
| Assign to high energy teachers | |
| Avoid needless repetition | |
| Build in breaks/opportunities to move around | |
| Vary formats within/across class periods |
Resources
Barkley, R. (1990). Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. ?New York: Guilford Press.
Dawson, P. (1994, June). Homework survival guide. Communiqu?, 22 (8). (National Association of School Psychologists.)
DuPaul, G., & Stoner, G. (1994). ADHD in the schools: Assessment and intervention strategies.
New York: Guilford Press.
Gordon, M. (1993). I would if I could: A teenager’s guide to ADHD/Hyperactivity. GSI Publications.
Gordon, S. , & Asher, M. (1994). Meeting the ADD challenge: A practical guide for teachers.
New York: Research Press.
Hallowell, E., & Ratey, J. (1994). Driven to distraction. New York: Pantheon Books.
Hallowell, E., & Ratey, J. (1995). Answers to distraction. New York: Pantheon Books.
Nadeau, K., Dixon, E., & Biggs, S. (1993). School strategies for ADD teens. Chesapeake Psychological Publications.
? 1998 National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda MD 20814 phone 301-657-0270.
