Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD, is a neurological and behavioural disorder that can affect children, adolescents and can continue during adulthood. Within the UK, studies conducted of children ages 5 – 15 showed that 3.6% of boys and 0.0% of girls had ADHD (Holden et al). They are also often referred to as SEN (Special Educational Needs) students. The SEN Code of Practice 2014 states that all children with an identified SEN will have their needs met through mainstream schooling, and this includes many students with ADHD. This essay will set out to discuss key challenges students face in social and academic terms, and the challenges practitioners face with behavioural management and inclusion. It will also …show more content…
This section will discuss the advantages and drawbacks of medicating children as a result of being diagnosed with ADHD and it’s implications on a child in a mainstream school. Symptoms and behaviour patterns of ADHD children, differs widely as no two children are the same. Diagnosis of ADHD can be subjective varying from different medical professions. Due to the complexity of ADHD and other psychiatric behaviours that can mimic ADHD, it is often found that those taking medication do not require it and may only have mild symptoms. Many children diagnosed with ADHD are offered medication in a stimulant form as opposed to other drugs. This is often the preferred choice of medication as it has been used for a number of years by a variety of people and has shown little side effects when used correctly (Lougy, DeRuvo, and Rosenthal, 2007, p. …show more content…
LaVonne Kirkpatrick (2005) describes the negative issues this form of medication can bring. They say these medications are unhelpful around 25% of the time with the increase risk of consequences. A decrease in appetite is one of the side effects mentioned, which is harmful for not only academic development, but also their personal wellbeing. Within a school environment, it is often found to be a busy, fact paced environment that requires a lot from students that they may not be used to. An ADHD student who is in a mainstream environment may begin to feel weak due to their lack of appetite, and a as a result will not perform to their highest ability in class. Although their symptoms are under control, they lack self-efficacy and motivation to
“ADHD is one of the most common chronic behavioral disorders encountered by primary care physicians” (Ambalavanan and Holten 1). Many children across the world struggle with this disorder everyday, hoping for a sensible solution. ADHD develops to become most apparent in children during preschool and early elementary years (Ambalavanan and Holten 1). It is challenging for these children who posses this disorder to control the way they act or their ability to pay attention, especially for longer periods of time such as a school day. It begins to not only affect the child's physical and mental well being, but also the child’s ability to learn and complete their school work. It can also potentially hold a child back from being their best self, and living life to its fullest potential. This disorder often begins to
In this day and age, drugs are being prescribed without hesitation. In fact, many of these drugs are being prescribed for children with various disorders. One of these disorders is called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). An estimated five to ten percent of children are diagnosed with this syndrome (Taylor 11). One of the methods to treat this disorder is to use stimulants, specifically Ritalin. This method is controversial because it has many side effects and its long-term effects are unknown. It can also lead to addiction. Approximately two to three percent of elementary school children are taking some kind of stimulant to treat ADHD (Taylor 64). Since so many children are taking this medication, new problems have arisen.
When looking at medicating a teen fro ADHD it is important to make sure they will not abuse the medication and either give it to someone who does not need it or overuse it. A webMD article states, “ The survey also found that one in seven non-students of similar age also report abusing stimulant medications” (WebMD). This becomes a problem when so many people are doing it. They are overusing the drug instead of its sole purpose. When
Over the past couple of decades there has been a huge increase in the diagnosis and prescriptions given out for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. According to a news report done by USA Today over the past five years use of ADHD medications have risen 40% totaling 39.5 million individual prescriptions ("New findings," 2009). When statistics like this are seen it is only normal for someone to ask questions. People are becoming curious about the legitimacy of the disorder, and whether or not the treatments being given to individuals are appropriate. The argument seems to be strong on both sides of the fence, but the extensive research done on ADHD leaves it hard for one to believe that it is a made up disorder.
The trending topic of ADHD and the medication provided has been widely criticized and reviewed for its long and short term affects. Most commonly the concerns are raised from parents struggling to decide whether or not to place their children diagnosed with ADHD on the available prescribed medication. The persistent controversy stems around the long- term effects of stimulant ADHD medication and the development of substance abuse within kids and adults (Zheng, Lichtenstein, Halldner, D’Onofrio, Serlachius, Fazel, Larsson, 2014). Many claims surround the condition is not adequately recognized, while others claim once diagnosed medication is pushed too hard on the parents without knowing the possible hidden dangers or complete understanding
In the United States, 9.5 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 17 were diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD (Morris 1). ADHD is defined as a constant issue with hyperactivity, lack of focus, inability to control behavior, or a combination of these (Berger 1). In order to quell the difficulties caused by ADHD, parents will usually resort to sending their child to a physician to prescribe a specific medication. These medications serve a great purpose, but also include numerous unwanted side effects. As of 2010, 48 percent of 325 surveyed patients reported side effects caused by ADHD medications, the most frequent being loss of appetite, sleep problems and mood swings. About 21 percent of these side effects
Teachers say that they fit to the learning curriculum better while they take these ADHD medications. Children don’t need to fit to the educational system. The educational system needs to fit to the wide range of children. All children learn differently. Instead of using drugs, they need to use behavior therapies. Some schools think the more kids they have taking the medicine the better test scores will be. Education testing policy is to blame for ADHD diagnosis explosion. The number of children diagnosed with ADHD has doubled in the past two decades,some say the reason lies in educational
Most people have heard of the term Attention Deficit Hyperactive (ADHD) disorder. "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder that interferes with an individual's ability to attend to tasks (inattention), inhibits one's behavior (impulsivity), and may interfere with a person's ability to regulate one's activity level (hyper-activity) in developmentally appropriate ways (Barkley 19)". The most important job for teachers and parents is to separate fact from fiction, to clarify what we know and don't know.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a well-known problem across the world. The most controversial topics when it comes to ADHD are the drugs used to treat the disorder. It is commonly known that ADHD represents something along the lines of “one is too hyper and cannot pay attention”, but that doesn’t mean they should be forced to take a medication that will potentially affect their well-being for the rest of their life. The mind of a human being is a beautiful and fragile thing, drugs should not be used for those who struggle with ADHD. The school system does not treat those with ADHD in learning environments correctly. Those who have been
Over medicating students with ADHD can affect their mental health. The medications that are commonly used to treat the condition are considered as a stimulant. Stimulants are defined by drugabuse.gov as increasing alertness, attention, and energy as well as elevate blood pressure heart rate, and respiration. Although the child is appearing to be attentive during class, are they mentally healthy and stable? The side effects of the medications range from
The use of stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Adderall in children with the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continues to rise, albeit at a slower pace than in previous decades, a new study finds. The study authors tracked data on prescription in the US 1996 to 2008. They found that the use of drugs for ADHD was higher among children of 6-12 years and increased slightly from 4.2 percent in 1996 to 5.1 percent twelve years later. However, increase more pronounced occurred in older children, ages 13 and 18. In this group, the ADHD drugs increased more than double, from 2.3 percent in 1996 to 4.9 percent in 2008. The researchers said this reflects a greater understanding
When children are little and not feeling well, all it took for them to give that partially energetic smile was for either mommy or daddy to kiss where they were hurting, or give them a hug to make them feel better. In today’s times where feeling bad can be as simple as a cold to a lifelong ailment like ADHD, the usage of medication can help whether it is prescribed or over-the-counter. From the simplicity of an aspirin-a-day to help prevent a heart attack to being prescribed morphine to aid in extreme pain cases. When it comes to any illness, medication can be an essential factor in the recovery regiment or as the means to control the illness. ADHD is no exception. One of the most recognized medications
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common and most distressing disorders amongst school-age children, yet it is probably one of the least well understood. It has received a lot of awareness mainly because of the large numbers of children receiving drug treatment for the disorder. Where children have behavioural problems and parents are finding it hard to manage, it is expected that they will turn to teachers for guidance and help. ADHD can drastically affect children's development at school, not only their work but also their social progress and the relationships that they have with teachers and their peers. If not identified early, long-term
Excessive levels of hyperactivity and inattention can be extremely impairing for both the afflicted child and their caretakers. Children with ADHD can experience problems with cogni-tion, poor academic achievement, troubled peer relationships, and heightened household conflict (Barkley, 1997; Loe 2007; Bagwell, 2001; Harpen, 2005). These children often present with in-creased aggression that can result in a comorbid diagnosis of conduct disorder or other disruptive behavioral disorders (Jensen, 1997). The heterogeneous symptoms of this disorder can make se-lecting a treatment course particularly challenging. While prescribing stimulant medication has become the golden standard for dealing with an attentional system gone awry, there is growing concern over the use of pharmacological interventions for children since the side effects of such use during this period of development may not yet be fully understood. Additionally these drugs do not directly curtail aggressive and defiant behavior that many of these children display but they may improve a child’s ability to benefit from other psychosocial interventions.
As in any situation with any student that is special or gifted or that IDEA, IEP, and 504 Plans, have to be the first and foremost concern for all parties involved. “Education For All Handicapped Children Act Passed in 1975 Guaranteed and enforced the right of all children with disabilities to receive free and appropriate education Considered the foundation of special education in the United States; 1990- Law renamed to IDEA. What is an IEP? Individualized Education Plan Written plan that describes the program and special services a student requires to be successful Developed by parents and educators Individualized- plan specifically developed for a child’s special needs