ADHD and Learning Disabilities

Kiran of KarmicKids came up with the idea of dedicating March as a "Learning Disabilities Month" in our little corner of the blogworld. I am writing about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), how it is related to Learning Disabilities and how it is different from them.

Disclaimer: I have put together this post with help of online research. I am NOT an expert on the matter. These are just my personal views. If you have any concerns that your child might have a learning disorder, please voice them to your child's doctor immediately.

ADHD: What is it?

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is the name of a group of behaviors found in many children and adults. Kids and adults who have ADHD have trouble paying attention to anything they do and are more impulsive and/or active for what is usual for their age.

ADHD is characterized by presence of one, two or all three groups of behaviors - inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Based on the symptoms that a child shows, his/her ADHD can be categorized into

1. ADHD, Inattentive type,

2. ADHD, Hyperactive-Impulsive type and

3. ADHD, Combined Type. According to the Learning Disabilities Association of America following are the symptoms and signs of ADHD, and also strategies to help children with ADHD:

Symptoms and signs

1. Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes
2. May have poorly formed letters or words or messy writing
3. Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
4. Does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork or chores
5. Avoids or strongly dislikes tasks (such as schoolwork) that require sustained mental effort
6. Forgetful in daily activities
7. Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
8. Loses things necessary for tasks or activities (pencils, assignments, tools)
9. Shows difficulty engaging in leisure activities quietly
10. Acts as if “driven by a motor” and cannot remain still
11. Blurts out answers to questions before the questions have been completed, often interrupts others

Strategies

1. Allow a child to change work sites frequently while completing homework or studying
2. Assign tasks involving movement such as passing out papers, running errands, watering plants
3. Use music as a tool for transitioning, song = task
4. Vary tone of voice: loud, soft, whisper
5. Stage assignments and divide work into smaller chunks with frequent breaks
6. Teach students to verbalize a plan before solving problems or undertaking a task
7. Permit a child to do something with hands while engaged in sustained listening: stress ball, worry stone, paper folding, clay
8. Use inconspicuous methods such as a physical cue to signal a child when she or he tunes out
9. Provide opportunities for student to show divergent, creative, imaginary thinking and get peer recognition for originality
10. Employ multi-sensory strategies when directions are given and lessons presented

Another site I recommend for getting more information about ADHD is FamilyDoctor. According to this site, here are the strategies to help a child who has ADHD:

1. Make a schedule.
2. Make simple house rules.
3. Make sure your directions are understood.
4. Reward good behavior.
   
5. Make sure your child is supervised all the time.
6. Watch your child around his or her friends.
7. Set a homework routine.
8. Focus on efforts, not grades.
9. Talk with your child's teachers.
   

Come to think of it, these strategies will help ANY child, won't they? Please visit the above link to see the detailed description of these points. It is easy to confuse ADHD symptoms with the normal childhood behavior. Many children are hyperactive, younger children typically have a shorter attention span and not to act on an impulse is sometimes a learned habit instead of being an inborn trait. So the mere presence of these symptoms is not an indication of ADHD. There are some other criteria for confirming a diagnosis of ADHD, which include (but may not be limited to) the following:

1. The symptoms have been present for at least six months,
   



2. They began before the child was 7 years old, and
   



3. They are causing an impairment in more than one setting, like both at home and in school.
   

Though it is natural for a parent to worry, but in this case dagnosis is best left to a professional. ADHD is NOT a learning disability but it can cause learning problems in a child. It is very important to get a proper diagnosis AND to understand how it can affect a child's learning process.

How is ADHD different from Learning disabilities?

A common misconception about ADHD is that it is a learning disability. The confusion occurs because ADHD can affect learning and as many as 30% of people suffering from ADHD also have a learning disability. There is, however, a difference. A student with a learning disability will be deficient in one or two areas while performing at or above average in other areas. ADHD, on the other hand, affects learning globally and affects all cognitive functions instead of just one or two. A student with ADHD should always be tested for learning disabilities because an undiagnosed learning disability can mimic the symptoms of ADHD. During my research on this I realized there is TONS of material out there. My post is in NO WAY comprehensive on the topic. In fact, it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of it. It is aimed at merely creating an awareness. To find more information on it, ask your child's doctor AND Mr. Google. Here are links to the websites I took help from in compiling this post:

Learning Disabilities Association of America
Wikipedia
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute of Mental Health

Family Doctor


Here are the other posts on this topic around the blogworld -


Kiran wrote how parents can help their child if he/she has Learning Disabilities.


Tharini has written on the different types of Learning disabilities.

Lak wrote about learning disabilities and their impact on a child's self-esteem.

Priya has written about her daughter's struggles with speech and language delay.


Girl Next Door has written about how to treat/manage Learning Disabilities.