ADHD Executive Function And School Success

I recently happened upon the following book: 100 Questions and Answers About Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Women and Girls, by Patricia O. Quinn, MD, who is the Director of the National Center for Girls and Women with AD/HD.

From this book I have learned that many girls with ADHD exhibit symptoms somewhat different from the classic patterns that I was familiar with until last week.  Also of note is the fact that girls with ADHD tend to have more problems with inattention than hyperactivity, that ADHD in girls is still very misunderstood, and that many girls go undiagnosed for years, because often a high IQ, extraordinary coping skills, and a supportive environment can mitigate its impact, for a while.  But the fact is that without the proper support and management strategies a student with ADHD will have difficulty living to his or her own potential.
 Many of our teenage girls with ADHD can become anxious, extremely moody, or depressed, suffer from organization problems, impulsive behavior, difficulty processing information or following directions, being spacey, and potential hypertalkative or hyperreactive behavior.  It is not uncommon for students with unadressed ADHD to suffer from migraines or stomachaches caused by their academic distress, especially in girls.  Seeing how difficult it is for them to complete tasks that others complete with seemly little effort makes them feel overwhelmed and super stressed.  The frustrating thing for students with ADHD is that, when left undiagnosed, it becomes increasingly difficult to cope with, particularly in college.

Therefore, what can we do as teachers to help?

• First and foremost, focus on strengths and not on weaknesses.  This does not mean that shortcomings should not be addressed, but the focus should be on accomplishments.
• We already know that students with diagnosed ADHD can get extended time on tests and exams.  It is also a good idea to divide long-term projects into segments with separate due dates and grades.
• Use paired learning.
• Help students develop mnemonics, such as acronyms or acrostics, if they need to memorize chunks of information.
• Use visual posting as well as oral instructions.
• Use color and graphic organizers to help students organize their thoughts.
• Shorten assignments, when appropriate.
• Increase the amount of supervision and monitoring for these students, if they are struggling.
• Use technology, when appropriate.

Hopefully, teachers and parents of today realize that ADHD is often a very complex condition.  It is much more than just a simple case of hyperactivity.  When deficits in executive function and related learning problems are also present, students can try their very best and still not succeed in school! (from the website of ADD Resource Center.)