It seems more and more children are diagnosed with ADHD these days. LaForett, has an article that reviews the research literature on psychosocial treatments for preschool-aged children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the context of the developmental and contextual needs of this population (e.g., increased parenting demands, differences in classroom structure, and the child's emerging developmental capacities). Discussion of the findings and limitations of existing studies is provided for parent-training approaches, classroom management strategies, and multimodal treatments. Although the empirical base is quite small for ADHD-specific samples, parent-training interventions have the greatest overall support for improving behavioral outcomes, with a variety of different approaches having shown effectiveness" (LaForett, 2008) .
I had several 3 year old students that was diagnosed and they were given medicine. These babies seemed like zombies, some would have accidents on themselves and did not realize they did. The medicine was obviously too strong. Prior to the medicine, the children did well in my classroom. I made them the boss of different jobs in the class and they did well. As teacher helper they had a boost of confidence and felt important in the class without having to be in trouble by messing with others. They were busy with their task and completing projects standing up utilizing an easel that they did well.
Reference:
LaForett, D. R., Murray, D. W., & Kollins, S. H. (2008). Psychosocial Treatments for Preschool-Aged Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 14(4), 300-310.
Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great topic you chose for making improvements! We see so many children with apparent ADD and ADHD. Luckily, as far as I am concerned, the doctors in Williamsburg will not give medication for it to three and four year olds. Of course, for the teachers it makes it more difficult. We try to give them as many opportunities as possible to do physical things in the classroom like taking down the chairs when the children first come in and being a student who goes to get things for the teacher. Encouraging our parents to allow the children to get physical activity has helped also. Parent training intervention seems like a good idea.
Continue to research and post on this important topic. Let us know what you find out!
Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteSo what do you think comes first... the media addiction or the ADHD? According to Rich (2010), studies show that children who spend a lot of time in front of the screen have more difficulty with attention and focus. On the other hand, there is also research to show that children with ADHD tend to use much more media than children without ADHD. It is difficult to know which came first, the ADHD or the media addiction.
Media addiction is not yet recognized in the U.S. like it is in Asia and Europe; though it has certainly become a debilitating issue for many young people. Regardless of where the issue originates, it is wise to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that children under two should not be in front of the screen at all and children over two should not be exposed to screened media for more than 1-2 hours a day (Rich, 2010). Limiting media is a medication free intervention that families might find helpful in tackling ADHD symptoms.
Rich, M.(2010, July 10). Are attention disorders connected to technology addiction?[Discussion group comment]. Retrieved from http://cmch.typepad.com/mediatrician/2010/07/are-attention-disorders-connected-with-technology-addiction.html
Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteADHD affects a lot of children and their ability to learn. As a result, I think that a research project that looks at more effective learning strategies for children with ADHD would benefit early childhood education.
Every child is different and undergoes things differently. They have different learning styles and so forth. Having a child with ADHD, it was hard for us to understand why. Not only does he have a hard time focusing in school but with extracurricular activities as well. Things he love to do such as Basketball, Karate, Soccer and more, he still has distractions. He gives his all with everything he does. We ensure we stay on top of everything he does, support and love him for him. I was so thrilled when my baby graduated from 5th grade with the B honor roll. People I encountered assume because he has ADHD that he is suppose to be a trouble maker, make bad grades and so forth. Again, I cannot stress as you mentioned Debra, effective learning strategies and self skills come into play when helping your child.
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