Snapshot

ESE 656

Snapshot

Dave is a fifth grader who was recently diagnosed with ADHD and now receives general and special education. He mainly receives instruction in his general education class where they have provided accommodations to meet his needs. Dave says he likes his teachers a lot since he feels understood for the first time (Cohen & Spenciner, 2009). Dave is able to tolerate general education very well therefore he spends most of his time in general education but sometimes he goes to Mrs. Young, Dave’s special education teacher.

Dave is a very enthusiastic student who has recently shown his strength in geometry and sports such as soccer and hockey. “We have a lot of blocks and cubes that we can use, and each person sets up the problem. I’m learning a lot, and I think I’m getting really good with volume and area and stuff like this” (Cohen & Spenciner, 2009). Dave is able to recognize his advancement in his education and explains how he uses class material to solve geometry problems. His mother has mentioned that Dave joined hockey and soccer last year to burn some of his energy, fortunately Dave enjoys these two sports and is looking forward to joining the team again. Even though Dave is doing great in his academics and sports, he still needs some guidance in social skills. The mother mentioned that he has gotten in trouble during the bus due to him playing games and making several students upset for his behavior. Dave is not able to understand the reasons why the students are upset for his behavior during bus rides.

Typical characteristics of children with ADHD have inattention, hyperactivity, act impulsive, and get distracted easily. “Students both with and without disabilities have difficulty paying attention, at times, but for students with ADHD, this behavior is a regular occurrence. ADHD is characterized by persistent pattern of inattention that is more frequent and severe that is typically observed in children and youth at comparable levels of development” (Cohen & Spenciner, 2009). Some symptoms of inattention include making careless mistakes, fails to give close attention, doesn’t seem to listen when spoken directly, difficulty organizing, and easily distracted. Hyperactivity symptoms include fidgeting with hands, often leaves seat in classroom, run and climbs around excessively, has lots of energy, and often talks excessively. Some impulsivity symptoms include blurting out answers before finishing questions, difficulty waiting turns, and interrupts (Cohen & Spenciner, 2009). Dave presented hyperactivity since he cannot sit still during class or bus rides. The student also presents impulsive behavior since he does not think of consequences before his actions and has created issues among other students.

Dave’s behavior and social skills can impact his success in the classroom if they are not treated in time and appropriately. As it is mentioned by the mother, Dave has issues during bus rides because he gets in trouble often and gets other students upset. During the bus time Dave is not being supervised as he is during school, therefore conflict has arisen due to his inability to control his impulses and to understand why other students get upset for his rude behavior. Even though Dave is having trouble developing his social skills there are positive behavior support than can help him develop his social skills. “Thus, instead of focusing on ADHD symptoms, management should first directly target the specific problem behavior. Next, an alternative behavior, incompatible with the problem behavior, should be selected” (Helping the Student with ADHD in the Classroom: Strategies for Teachers, n.d.). It is important to teach students what behavior is unacceptable and the acceptable behavior, so they can apply their learned social skills to real life experiences. An effective behavioral intervention technique may include verbal reinforcement and praise. Even though praise can be very beneficial for students with ADHD it is important to know when to use praise. “Define the appropriate behavior while giving praise” (Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices, 2008). Praise needs to be specific and explain why the student is being praised, this can be used if the student is having desired behavior or completing a task. Students like to be praised therefore it is important to give immediate praise to the student so he/she can repeat behavior. Another technique to teach social skills to students with ADHD is to role-play. The student will act different roles in which it will give him/her the ability to understand different solutions, outcomes

Place an Order

Plagiarism Free!

Scroll to Top