When developing lesson plans and assessment criteria, educators must consider the challenges students with special needs face. Principally, it is not easy planning to accommodate their different needs when designing and implementing lesson plans and assessment methodologies. For example, students such as those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often struggle with testing situations because they cannot remain at one task long enough. Hence, it is challenging for a teacher to help them complete a given assessment. However, lesson plans and associated assessments are essential as they provide a student with ADHD with a structured way of gaining knowledge and later demonstrate the resultant skills and understanding. For a student with ADHD, a teacher must observe how the disability presents itself in the classroom to design a suitable lesson plan and testing criteria.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Learners
ADHD is a developmental disorder recognized under the American with Disabilities Act as a disability. The disorder often manifests in childhood and impacts a child throughout their life. ADHD's symptoms are not universal, but its key characteristics often revolve around difficulties in staying alert, keeping organized, and controlling body impulses ( Wilcox, 2017 ). Due to these general symptoms, a child may seem not ready or capable of school, mostly if the condition is not identified and treated. ADHD is classified into different types based on the severity of symptoms in a child. Predominantly inattentive presentation is characterized when a child finds it difficult to organize or complete a task, follow instructions and conversations, or their ability to pay attention to detail is not sufficient ( What is ADHD, 2020 ). One will find that such a child becomes easily distracted or has a tendency to forget daily routines. The second type is predominantly hyperactive-impulse presentation, whereby a child is hugely fidgety and talks a lot ( What is ADHD, 2020 ). A child with this type of ADHD is always restless and has difficulties managing their impulses; for instance, they may interrupt others. Because of their high impulsivity, such children are prone to more accidents than their peers. Last, a person with combined presentation exhibit symptoms for the other two in equal measure ( What is ADHD, 2020 ). Nevertheless, it is essential to note that ADHD symptoms can change over time, affecting the condition's presentation. For instance, a child with predominantly inattentive ADHD can show signs of combined presentation.
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Although widely researched, scientists have not been able to define the causes of ADHD. However, scientific literature available argues that genetic factors have a massive role in the development of the disorder. Other possible causes under investigation include brain injury, premature birth, alcohol, and cigarettes during pregnancy, among others ( What is ADHD, 2020 ). Researchers recommend behavior therapy and medication to be the most appropriate treatment for ADHD. For preschool children, behavior therapy, especially for parents, is recommended. Effective ADHD management comprises close monitoring, follow-ups, and effecting the needed changes in the treatment plan. In a class set up, there are different ways for a teacher to identify that a student has ADHD. These indicators may be some of the previously mentioned or their variants influenced by classroom demands. For instance, a student may have difficulty in note-taking, and their handwriting becomes a challenge to read. Such a problem is exacerbated by inadequate fine motor control. An elementary going child with ADHD may often forget to write down their assignments, complete them, or submit them for marking. Also, following simple instructions could be problematic to such a child mostly for activities requiring them to execute ordered steps, such as solving equations (Teaching Students with ADHD, 2020). Once a teacher singles out such a student, they must make special arrangements in lesson plans and testing criteria. The identified child is an elementary school-going child aged five years who exhibits ADHD symptoms.
Student’s Developmental Background
At the age of 5 years, one will note many differences between a typical child and a child with ADHD. A typical child can dress themselves, know how to establish relationships, and understand the importance of social skills. When in school, the five-year child is curious about their classmates and how the school environment works. A typical child will show immense interest in numbers, letters, reading, and writing. In the playground, the child will show confidence in their physical skills, and when socializing, they can aptly use words to express their feelings ( Ages & Stages Child Development Your Child's Growth and Development, 2020 ). However, the development of these attributes varies from one child to another.
For the child with ADHD, most of the above abilities were lacking. First, their social skills are not as advanced as that of a typical child. The child was not able to relate well with the rest of the students. At the age of five, an average child is expected to have the capacity to relate well; however, ADHD impairs this ability making it difficult for a child to socialize well. Although children with ADHD can be active, they often lack fine motor control, which affects their physical development milestones. The child's high activity rate and lack of fine motor control expose them to physical injury. A low level of social competence is also manifested in their emotional development, whereby the child could not express their feelings as expected. As a result, the child had behavioral problems that place other children at risk ( Cherkasova et al.,2013 ). Thus, teaching plans and assessment approaches for such a child will differ significantly with that of an average child.
Learning Needs of a Child with ADHD
A child with ADHD often lacks the skills needed in the real world. Such skills include problem-solving, time management, and communication skills, among others. The identified child had problems planning, organizing their work, control impulses, and complete their tasks as required and on time. Expressing themselves in class was an issue; thus, it was difficult to understand what they were saying or needed. Due to challenges in regulating their movements, the student could not sit still in class, affecting his concentration. The child always finds a reason to leave the classroom, making them miss essential instructions and lessons to complete their assignment. For a child to learn well, they must follow what the teacher is saying and, as such, minimize movements. This is not the case for a student with ADHD because they cannot control their movements. Second, the child portrays a gap in understanding what content is being taught because their thoughts outrun their bodies. Comprehending subjects such as mathematics and languages, among others, is always a challenge. Due to this, the child registers failed tests, trouble finishing homework, or writing their assignment. Besides affecting their learning, these challenges also seemed to affect the child’s self-esteem.
Performance in Classwork
As mentioned above, the child has challenges in understanding classwork, evidenced in their performance in tests. Mastering mathematical processes such as counting and calculating is a problem for this student. The child has difficulties memorizing simple math rules, facts, and terms, affecting how they perform in mathematical tests. When a new mathematical concept is introduced in class, the student will not remember it the next day. However, when a concept is repeated severally, the child can memorize it and apply it in a test. While mathematics appears difficult for the child, the students show some potential in science. Since science for students in the elementary school s taught in an observational way, they can remember what they have seen in each session. A fundamental weakness for the student is reading about things that are scheduled for an observation session. However, the child is curious when allowed to study different aspects of nature during a science. The child especially likes to play with plants and crawling animals, and they can remember seeing a particular thing in a past lesson.
Unlike science, the student exhibits a weakness when it comes to social sciences. As mentioned above, the child does not perform well in reading tasks, and since because social sciences require a student to read, then their performance is poor. The child's performance in art is particularly impressive because this seems his forte. When it is time for learning art, the student becomes immensely rejuvenated and dedicates their time handling different artworks. From clay to painting, the child cannot stop learning despite having poor motor control. The child shows good improvement every day in their art classes, and when it comes to assessing them on the same, they always post exemplary results factoring their ADHD condition. During an art lesson, the child appears relaxed, and one can recognize their creativity. Coloring a mandala is particularly their best art exercise, which has helped them improve their attention span. Physical education is another area that the child has significant strengths. While in class, the student is playful, and when it gets to physical activities lesson, the excitement increases. Playing football and jumping rope is some of the activities that the child excels in; however, due to his impulsivity, the student is exposed to the risk of getting hurt. In all these disciplines, a fundamental weakness is that the child does not follow directions as required, but they show the potential of improving if handled well.
Student’s Interests and Aspirations
As mentioned above, the subject child shows much potential, especially in physical activities. Their interests are majorly outdoor activities such as playing and observing the environment. Despite being born with ADHD, the child exhibits a lot of creativity and imagination. Individual sports form a significant part of the child's hobbies. Some of these sports include martial arts, running, and skipping ropes. Also, although the child does not have proper motor control, they like engaging in the artwork. Last, the student aspires to become a scout, as evidenced by their love for nature and animals.
Teaching Strategies
For such a student, the teaching plan and assessment should majorly focus on enhanced teacher-student interactions. According to Tegtmejer (2019), educators must tailor their teaching programs around singular ADHD diagnosed student and the teacher. This is because ADHD symptoms vary from one child to another, thus necessitating individualized teaching strategies. The first teaching strategy centers on active participation through individualized tasks and systematized interplay. From the child's assessment, it was ascertained that the elementary school student has difficulties in reading and doing mathematics, but they love engaging in various tasks and interpersonal interactions. Using this strategy, the teacher engaged in learning activities with the student with caution not to trigger constriction on the teacher's part ( Tegtmejer, 2019 ). This strategy worked well because it was possible for a cordial relationship to be established, which was favorable for disseminating knowledge to the child.
Learning games is the second strategy that was employed in helping the child benefit from classroom activities. The strategy was used in conjunction with the cooperative approach whereby the teacher joined the student in playing board games to enhance skills such as vocabulary, mathematics, and grammar ( Tegtmejer, 2019 ). An example of a board game used was Bingo that was employed to help the student review simple facts and concepts. Notably, this approach enhanced the students in remembering social science and mathematical concepts such as counting numbers.
References
Ages & Stages Child Development Your Child's Growth and Development . Ccrcca.org. (2020). Retrieved 3 October 2020, from https://www.ccrcca.org/parents/your-childs-growth-and-development .
Cherkasova, M., Sulla, E. M., Dalena, K. L., Pondé, M. P., & Hechtman, L. (2013). Developmental course of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its predictors. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry = Journal de l'Academie canadienne de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent , 22 (1), 47–54.
Teaching Students with ADHD - HelpGuide.org . Helpguide.org. (2020). Retrieved 3 October 2020, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/teaching-students-with-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder.htm .
Tegtmejer, T. (2019). ADHD as a classroom diagnosis. An exploratory study of teachers’ strategies for addressing ‘ADHD classroom behaviour’. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties , 24 (3), 239-253.
What is ADHD ? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Retrieved 3 October 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html .
Wilcox, J. (2017). ADHD in elementary school students: Impact of physical activity on ADHD symptoms.
