Program for

ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER

ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY

DISORDER

ARP INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Research indicates that two to five percent of elementary school children meet the diagnostic criteria for ADD/ADHD (Campbell & Werry, 1986). If these estimates are accurate, approximately one child in every classroom in Texas has ADD/ADHD symptoms. ADD/ADHD shows a gender difference, appearing in three times a many boys as girls.

Arp Independent School District has designed a plan which addresses guidelines suggested by the Texas Education Agency for identifying, assessing, and providing services for children with Attention Deficit Disorder. The plan outlines school-based intervention strategies which are flexible enough to tailor assistance to the unique needs of the child. Strategies include:

0. specific instructional strategies that modify and clarify student assignments and restructure the educational environment;

0. consultation services for classroom teachers who are implementing interventions;

0. the availability of professional support personnel to help the child with behavioral and emotional difficulties;

0. ongoing evaluation of the child's specific educational needs;

0. services to help the child's family members meet the child's needs;

0. access to other support programs, such as special education , compensatory education, or programs for at-risk students, for which the child may be eligible.

The diagnosis of ADD/ADHD is based on consideration of the list of symptoms taken from the American Psychiatric Association. The disturbance must have been apparent for at least six months in addition to which a majority of the symptoms must have been present at greater frequencies than one would expect of a child of the same mental age. The items are listed in descending order of discriminating power.

1. often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
2. has difficulty remaining seated when required to do so
3. is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
4. has difficulty waiting turn in games or group situations
5. often blurts out answers to questions before they have been completed
6. has difficulty following through on instructions from others (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to comprehend), e.g., fails to finish chores
7. has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
8. often shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
9. has difficulty playing quietly
10. often talks excessively
11. often interrupts or intrudes on others, e.g., butts into other children's games
12. often does not seem to listen to what is being said to him or her
13. often loses things necessary for tasks or activities at school or at home, e.g., toys, pencils, books, assignments
14. often engages in physically dangerous activities without considering possible consequences (Not for the purpose of thrill-seeking), e.g., runs into street without looking.

Diagnosis requires the presence of symptoms for at least six months in order to exclude children who may be reacting to stressful events such as parental divorce, death in the family or abuse. Inadequate, disorganized, and chaotic environments, including the classroom, may also exacerbate the presence of these behaviors. The behavior of a child with ADD/ADHD is not consistent across environment or task. For example, a child with ADD/ADHD may act differently from other children in a large group situation as compared to a small group or one-on-one situation. These considerations highlight the importance of a diagnosis based on multiple sources of information from multiple contests.

Do children with ADD/ADHD necessarily have deficits in cognitive functioning? No clear evidence to support this is available. In fact, many children with ADD/ADHD perform well on individual intelligence tests while performing poorly in school. Inferior classroom performance is partly a result of poor organization and ineffective problem-solving strategies arising out of attentional difficulties and poor impulse control. Sadly, children with ADD/ADHD experience frequent failure, leading to lower self-esteem and less motivation to perform well academically.

Children with ADD/ADHD function much better when tangible and positive reinforcement is consistently given (above and beyond what would be given to a child without ADD/ADHD) and is clearly related to a behavioral expectation. Performance deteriorates quickly when this is not done. Partial or gradual withdrawal of reinforcement is not effective for children with ADD/ADHD.

Many children with ADD/ADHD are awkward in interpersonal situations because they are impulsive and do not pick up on social cues from others. This clumsiness interferes with communication and compliance in the home and with sharing and turn-taking with playmates. Rejection by their peers and teachers is frequent, resulting in even fewer opportunities to develop effective social skills.

Identifying and diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not a simple matter, especially since other disorders may be present. Symptoms of ADD/ADHD are generally pervasive over time although they may not manifest themselves in every situation. Because of the complexity of the disorder and its potential effects on all aspects of a child's development, an assessment for ADD/ADHD should be cross-situational and multidimensional. Educators should ask: "How does the child function in different settings and in different areas of development?" Assessing all three dimension of ADD/ADHD (attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity) is also key. To be comprehensive, the assessment must of course involve parents and teachers as well as a multi-disciplinary team whose members are educated about child development in general and ADD/ADHD in particular.

A full assessment of children suspected of having ADD/ADHD and a determination of their needs should be guided by the following general questions:

1. Are psychiatric, medical, neurological, or other symptoms present?
2. What factors may have caused or may be perpetuating the problem?
3. What strengths does the child have to facilitate normal development?

Since the classroom is the most likely setting for ADD/ADHD manifestations, the school should play an important role in identification, assessment and intervention. A school-based assessment can help ensure that strategies are developed to meet the child's educational needs.

Specific to the educational setting, the following questions should also be asked:

1. Does the child have a disability in emotional, social, or behavioral functioning which adversely affects learning?
2. Are there family or home factors which adversely affect the child's learning?
3. Does the child have a disability in language functioning?
4. Does the child have a disability in intellectual and adaptive behavior functioning? Are there learning disabilities or other educational difficulties present?

The following steps have been taken to answer these questions in a full assessment for ADD/ADHD:

The school district has in place an overall regular education referral or screening system (19 TAC 89.232) which can be used for children suspected of having ADD/ADHD (STAR Program). School campuses are currently served by multi-disciplinary teams (STAR Teams serving at-risk students) who are available for ADD/ADHD assessment/intervention planning. The At-Risk Coordinator is designated as a facilitator of the ADD/ADHD identification and assessment process and will work closely with the STAR Team as the committee which reviews ADD/ADHD referrals.

The in-school referral and assessment process for ADD/ADHD should include several steps. A referral should be made to the STAR Committee containing demographic details, descriptions of particular behaviors, and an explanation of intervention attempts. A screening process is recommended before full assessment because some children exhibiting ADD/ADHD symptoms may be doing so for reasons other than the disorder. This process typically includes: a parent conference; behavioral observation in structured and unstructured settings; administration of rating scales; and a review of academic performance.

Following this initial review, information should be complied by the classroom teacher and/or the Counselor and presented to the STAR Team. At this point, strategies are suggested to use on a trial basis. A referral is made for a comprehensive individual assessment if evidence is presented indicating that the ADD/ADHD characteristics are severely interfering with learning. As in any Special Education referral, classroom modifications must have been tried before initiating a referral for assessment.

A comprehensive individual assessment is recommended when the STAR Team agrees that there is a strong possibility of the presence of ADD/ADHD which may be severely interfering with learning. Further assessment may also establish the presence of other factors such as intellectual deficits, learning disabilities, or emotional disturbance. This assessment builds on the screening evaluation by adding the following components:

0. an assessment of intellectual and language functioning;

0. a full assessment of academic functioning;

0. a full assessment of emotional, social, and behavioral functioning.

The educational team evaluates the child's needs in terms of providing an educational plan that will accommodate the child's educational needs. Identification of ADD/ADHD characteristics, their impact on the educational progress of the child, and an educational intervention plan are considered in an educational diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. A medical diagnosis of ADD/ADHD in a child is made under the direction of a licensed medical practitioner or licensed psychologist who are currently knowledgeable and experienced with developmental behavior disorders in general and ADD/ADHD in particular. Medical consultations are considered critical to the comprehensive management of ADD/ADHD. Licensed medical practitioners provide expertise in diagnosis and medical intervention strategies. It is the parent's responsibility to pursue all avenues of intervention for their child.

After investigation by the STAR team (and/or an ARD Committee, and/or other assessment teams), the Counselor will discuss the appropriate interventions with the parents. If a child identified as having ADD/ADHD characteristics has other handicapping conditions, he or she may be eligible for existing special education services and an individual education plan will be developed. If the child is not eligible for special education services, an intervention plan (Section 504 or a STAR Remedial Plan) for the child with ADD/ADHD will be formulated. This plan must also include monitoring and evaluation of interventions and an annual review. In either case, the specific attentional deficits of the child with ADD/ADHD will be addressed.

When a child who has already been diagnosed as ADD/ADHD enters or transfers into a school, it should be determined whether an intervention plan was in place at the child's previous school. If so, the appropriate personnel should review the plan to ensure applicability to the child's present circumstances and the resources available at the new school. When an intervention plan for the child is being implemented through a private or community agency, the school, with parental permission, should actively communicate and be in contact with that agency.

The techniques and measures that follow will assist in gathering the information necessary for a full assessment of the possibility of ADD/ADHD. While not a comprehensive listing, it is nonetheless intended to guide educators in assessing ADD/ADHD.

Observations

The most direct indicator of the presence of ADD/ADHD symptoms is an observation of the child in natural settings, such as the home and school, especially by a professional with training in ADD/ADHD. Needless to say, teachers and parents are valuable observers. When observations are planned, the evaluator should take into account different times periods, alternate activities (structured-unstructured), and diverse settings to produce as complete a picture of the child as possible.

Rating Scales

Rating scales are often used as supplementary tools in an ADD/ADHD assessment. They are usually given to parents and teachers to complement other measures such as observation and interviews. Rating scales consist of statements about behavior such as "Has trouble sitting still" while the rater uses a point scale to denote applicability. While parents may have more contexts in which to judge a child, they may be less objective than teachers who see a built-in norm group on a daily basis. An example of a rating scale is found in the Appendix. Rating scales are designed to help assess whether a child/student has ADHD or ADD, to what degree, and if so, in which area(s) difficulties are experienced.

Individual Assessment

Characteristics of ADD/ADHD may severely interfere with learning. Students who demonstrate attentional problems and who score below the 40%ile on the norm-referenced achievement test in reading, language arts, or math, failed to have demonstrated mastery on any section of the TAAS, or are currently failing 2 or more subject areas should be considered for referral to Special Education for a comprehensive individual assessment. Many assessment measures used in a typical psycho-educational evaluation can also assist in assessing ADD/ADHD. These include intelligence tests such as the Wechsler scales, the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition. A well-trained clinician can gain valuable information from these measures by gauging the child's impulse control, levels of frustration, attention and concentration and by observing the child's approach to problem solving. Individual assessment would also include achievement testing utilizing a test such as the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-educational Battery. Students who display characteristics of ADD/ADHD which significantly interfere with learning, but do not qualify for Special Education will be served by the STAR Committee (Section 504). Students with ADD/ADHD characteristics which are not significantly interfering with the learning process may be served by the Campus STAR Team using simple classroom modifications. Often it is the STAR Team which determines the need for further evaluation Section 504 or Special Education assessment.

A successful intervention plan involves the school and parents working together. Teachers of children with ADD/ADHD must be sensitive to the individual needs of these students and tailor their assistance accordingly. Moreover a successful intervention plan involves both school personnel and parents working together to meet the child's needs. Six general sets of services are identified below form which specific interventions can be developed.

Services for children with ADD/ADHD are multi-faceted and may include:

0. specific instructional strategies and modifications implemented by teachers (see Appendix)

0. consultation services through the STAR Team to classroom teachers;

0. direct services of professional support personnel (Counselor) to address the behavioral or emotional difficulties of students with ADD/ADHD who require counseling;

0. support programs for which the child may be eligible such as special education, compensatory education, and programs for at-risk students; (A child with ADD/ADHD who does not qualify for special education services may still be eligible for other programs.)

0. ongoing evaluation of the child's specific intervention needs, and modification of services;

0. support services to the child's family with special attention to helping parents meet their child's needs, to include consultation, referral, and access to informational resources through the Counselor's office.

Instructional Strategies

0. Teach concepts in smaller units when possible, review frequently. Seek alternate ways to present a concept.

0. Give the child instructions one at a time, and have him or her repeat them before starting work. Personally help the child get started on a task after the group has been given directions. Check periodically to see that the child continues to understand and is following directions. Make frequent unobtrusive contact with the student using "presence". Place yourself near the student consistently to keep his attention. Assign a peer helper to make frequent reminders to the student and to help him to remain on task.

0. CONSISTENCY. This is a principle of critical importance to the management of ADHD children. Consistency means three important things. Consistent over time -- an important corollary of this rule is not to up too soon when you are just starting a behavior -change program. It has taken years for the ADHD child's behavior to reach its present pattern. Common sense dictates, therefore, that it will not change overnight. Don't lose hope or give up just because a new method of management does not produce immediate or dramatic results. Consistency also means to respond in the same fashion in different places and settings.

0. DECREASING WORK LOAD. ADHD often manifests itself in school as a production deficit. That is, the failure of motivation and persistence of effort show up as an inability to complete the same length of assigned work as other children of the same age are able to do. An obvious solution to this problem is to decrease the work load to fit the child's handicapped attentional capacity. This can be done for ADHD children by reducing the length of the assigned work to the minimum needed to acquire the skill being taught and to demonstrate to the teacher that the child has, in fact, acquired it. The teacher of an ADHD child should ask, "What is the minimum number of problems this child needs to do to accomplish the educational goal?" Often the result is that the workload, can be reduced without a major loss of educational value to the child's instruction. If this is not possible, then parsing up the assignment into smaller quotas of productivity and permitting the child frequent breaks between shorter work periods can achieve the same effect of more closely matching the workload to the child's handicapped length of attention or persistence of effort. At this point teachers should concern themselves less with accuracy than with the number of problems completed. Only as the child's productivity improves should accuracy become a target for improvement. Most times this is unnecessary as many ADHD children can do most of their work accurately unless they also have a coexisting learning disability.

CLASSROOM INTERVENTIONS

School is where children with ADD/ADHD experience their most serious difficulties. Modifications of instructional approaches are often required for these children to succeed. Classroom interventions typically include instructional strategies, environmental structuring, and behavior management. Many of these interventions can be adapted for use by classroom teachers.

Materials and guides are available in this Appendix. The following guidelines are taken from Cobb (1987), Copeland (1990), Dupaul (1989), Goldstein and Goldstein (1987), Hallahan et.al., (1982), Kendall and Braswell (1985), Parker (1988), and Williams (1989).

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

0. Use learning aids such as computers, tape recorders, and calculators. Interactive computer programs can be especially useful in maintaining the child's interest and attention. (NOTE: There are some studies that suggest that some ADHD children can not tolerate quick moving, multi-tonal, and multi-colored, instructional materials. These children do better with "drab", plain, quiet "reading room" type environment. )

0. Whenever possible, experiment with cooperative learning approaches and other grouping arrangements. These approaches can foster better communication and social skills for children with ADD/ADHD.

Provide the child with direct intervention and/or modeling for improved organization and focus.

Specific techniques in mathematics include:

1. Utilization of multi-sensory strategies for computational tables (e.g. tactile, kinesthetic finger writing, visualization techniques, color coding of the tables, manipulative, kinesthetic air writing)
2. Circling all operational signs before working the problem
3. Checking strategies (e.g. individual subvocalization, group oral checking, peer helper checking)
4. Utilization of graph-blocked paper for all mathematics work, including homework and tests
5. Blank space graph paper for students with spacing/overlap problems
6. Strategies for work/story problems (e.g. 4-step system: GIVEN, PROCESS, COMPUTATION, SOLUTION; teaching linguistic markers, mapping or bubble charting word problems)

Specific multi-sensory strategies in language, reading, and spelling include:

1. Finger tracing of spelling words or vocabulary words on felt/velvet boards
2. Standing, closed-eye, visualization drills for spelling/vocabulary words
3. Standing oral recitation drills for spelling and/or vocabulary words
4. Group practice work with felt/velvet boards
5. Grammar lines (using students and illustrated cards to teach basic grammar concepts, beginning with noun-verb construct, then progressing systematically through adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections, in this order.
6. Syntax lines (using students and illustrated cards to form complete sentences and illustrate through movement appropriate word order and sentence construction).
7. Oral imitative reading (teacher reads a passage to the entire class or reading group, then, using an overhead projector or blackboard, the class group reads the passage.
8. Free-recording and transcription of dialogue.

Handwriting acquisition:

1. The brain processes of writing and reading are anatomically distinct. It is not necessary to be able to write in cursive to read cursive.
2. The kinesthetic motions required for print and cursive are quite dissimilar.
3. Acquisition of handwriting skills is kinesthetic and tactile, not primarily visual in nature.
4. The motor movements for print and cursive should be taught before any actual letter and numeral formations are taught. This principle means there should be very extensive pre-K through 2nd grade practice involving just drawing straight lines, circles, boxes, and loop and arc formations.
5. Letter and numeral formation should be first introduced at the tactile/kinesthetic levels. The letter and numeral shapes should be practiced on a multi-sensory surface with formations at least 18 to 24 inches in size. Walls, carpets, and felt/velvet tables should be extensively utilized prior to any handwriting workbooks.
6. For students who have any difficulty in handwriting acquisition, particularly those that have reversal, spacing or line flow problem, the teaching of print should be abandoned for cursive by the middle of the first grade year.

The teacher is the focus of the attention in the classroom:

1. The teacher uses positive eye contact as a motivational tool and negative eye contact as a disciplinary tool.
2. The teacher uses touch to maintain attention (proximity and light touch).
3. The teacher uses voice regulation to maintain attention.
4. Teacher movement is utilized to maintain attention. (Facial and hand gestures and teacher movement during written and oral work help to focus attention. Teachers should avoid gesturing which may cause confusion or take a students attention off the task.

Assignments modification

0. Break assignments into smaller units, and check completed work frequently. This may be done by a peer tutor or group.

0. Encourage accuracy and completion and discourage impulsive and hasty work habits.

0. Adapt work sheets so that less material is on each page. Being faced with a full page of text can be frustrating for a child with ADD/ADHD.

0. Give the child extra time to work on assignments.

0. Modify daily written assignments by asking the child to write a detailed outline about a subject rather than an extensive essay.

0. Allow older children to complete assignments with a word processor rather than by hand.

0. Alternate types of assignments to help maintain attention.

0. Provide multi-level material and use supplemental learning aids which allow for manipulation.

0. Organizing the child or student's homework assignments and his/her class and homework in an organized notebook (a three ring binder with three pocket folders). The three pocket folders are labeled: "Work to be done", "Completed work", and "Papers to save".)

0. Have an organizational period at the beginning of each class session:

1. Check for proper materials, books, etc.
2. Check that each student has necessary paper and writing utensils
3. Goals and objectives for that work period are recited and the approximate time frame for each is identified

0. Posting of a daily schedule with color coding by subject area or activity

0. All homework assigned at the beginning of the period, immediately after the organizational time.

0. Utilize strategies for tactile/kinesthetic learners for additional modifications.

0. End all class periods or sessions with a brief reminder of any assignments, homework, tests scheduled, or materials, needed for the next day. Take the last minute or two of each period for this activity. If periods end with a bell, have a class rule that no one may move or put away materials until you dismiss the class.

0. Give regular and specific feedback to the child about his or her work. Focus on success, concept learning, and application.

0. Modify testing to determine the child's mastery of content. Allow the child to demonstrate knowledge in ways other than by written tests such as discussion, presentations, and special projects.

0. Since children with ADD/ADHD may not do well on standardized timed group tests, results of such testing should be supplemented with other measures.

0. Place the child with ADD/ADHD in the least distracting location in the classroom. The child should also sit near students who will model on-task behavior and not reinforce inappropriate conduct.

0. Furnish the child with a place to work away from the group when independent seatwork is required. Since many children with ADD/ADHD are highly self-distracted, they must be monitored closely.

Provide as much structure, predictability, and regularity as possible, and set strong, consistent limits.

Structure or build in opportunities for the child to move around the classroom.

Limit visual distractions in the classroom

1. No mobiles
2. Aquariums, terrariums, etc. should not be placed within the children's visual field
3. Bulletin boards displaying student work only -- nothing "busy"
4. Activity centers are located outside or behind the child's visual field
5. Limit the wearing of distracting jewelry by the teacher

Limit auditory distractions in the classroom

1. No pencil sharpening during class periods
2. No timers, except, in rare cases digital ones
3. Use of low-level background music during seat work

Placement/arrangement of desks

1. Face desks away from windows and hall doors
2. Face student desks away from one another unless you want conversation and discussion (vertical rows, not circles, semicircles, etc.)
3. Face student desks toward one another during discussion periods
4. Move student desks one arm or leg length away from one another except during cooperative learning situations, etc.

Placement of the ADD/ADHD student in the classroom

1. Placements in the far back of the room are generally ineffective and frequently worsen behavioral problems
2. Placement nearest the teacher's desk are effective only if the teacher does not allow students to come back and forth to her desk during the class day
3. Placement near the middle of the room surrounded by hard-working students of the opposite sex are usually most effective
4. Never assign the ADD/ADHD student to a specific seat unless all students in the class have assigned seats

0. Provide structure, order, and predictability. Be firm, but fair and loving

0. Discipline in a calm, firm demeanor. Early intervention works best.

0. Use positive and negative consequences together, and make sure the child clearly understands what they are and upon what behavior they depend.

0. When using discipline, state an acceptable behavior, describe the consequence of unacceptable behavior clearly and simply, then apply the consequences promptly if they are broken.

0. Provide prompt and frequent positive reinforcement for desired behavior, including on-task behavior. Be careful to use a calm tone when giving positive reinforcement so as to not take student off task.

0. Utilize nonphysical punishment like loss of classroom rewards such as free time, visiting with friends, etc.

0. For inappropriate behavior, use mild reprimands and logical consequences, such as time-out from the group.

0. Some children with ADD/ADHD respond well to a "response-cost" approach to behavior management. That is, a child starts a given time period with a set of number of points and keeps that number by complying with task or behavioral expectations. Points are taken away for infractions.

0. Many children with ADD/ADHD respond well to a "daily goal-card" system. Parents, teacher, and the child develop behaviors or tasks that the child needs to improve.

0. Use reward, token, and contract systems with a reinforcement menu of activities that vary weekly.

0. Pay particular attention to the strengths and potential leadership qualities of the child with ADD/ADHD. Point out these attributes to the child, and provide opportunities to apply them in interactions with other students.

0. Emphasize strengths and competencies, especially those valued by peers, to offset the erosions of self that occur in school and other settings.

0. Teach and encourage the child to self-monitor assignments. Have the child use positive self-talk and monitor activity and progress at set times. Help the child to "stop, look, and think" by having him or her define a task, specify the steps, and evaluate possible outcomes.

0. Extend social-skills training to the classroom by reinforcing what the child has learned in counseling sessions. Social skills deficits can be as debilitating to the child's progress as academic deficiencies.

0. Observe the child's behavior when medication is used. Note changes or side effects, and report these to the child's parent. Avoid embarrassing comments about the medication and handle dispensing times discreetly and sensitively. Do not give too much credit or blame to the medication for the child's behavior.

Some children with ADD/ADHD may benefit from direct counseling services to supplement classroom-based interventions. The counseling must be applicable to settings pertinent to the child. For example, the child working on problem-solving or social skills should be able to practice in the classroom.

The Counselor may also make recommendations for services not furnished by the school, help communicate with parents and outside agencies, and act as a liaison between parents and teachers. The family with a child with ADD/ADHD has specific needs which should be addressed by joint planning between the professional and educational community. Not all of these needs can be met through school-based service programs, but the role of education professionals in their implementation is nonetheless vital including the need for professionals to provide empathy and support to the parents of the child with ADD/ADHD. An understanding by professionals of the parent's feeling and concerns is an essential element in the treatment of a child with ADD/ADHD.

The school counselor will plan, implement, and coordinate a parent service program in cooperation with parents. The following ingredients of a successful school-based parent service program will be included:

0. Provide a supportive atmosphere for parents by listening to and noting concerns about their child.

0. Encourage parents to become involved in planning for their child's education and behavior management.

0. Develop an information resource package for parents that includes materials about ADD/ADHD and local sources of assistance.

0. Identify the common concerns of parents and school personnel about children with ADD/ADHD and implement ways to address those concerns.

0. Refer parents to appropriate personnel who can provide assistance in such areas as behavior management training, communication skills training, and family therapy.

0. Inform parents about group training programs for parents.

0. Provide information about any support groups that may be nationally or regionally, or locally based.

0. Provide referrals to professionals who are knowledgeable about ADD/ADHD and medication. Encourage communication among the medical community, the family, and school personnel.

0. Actively offer information to school personnel about issues related to parenting a child with ADD/ADHD. Assist teachers in working with parents effectively.

0. Perform an ongoing evaluation of the parent services program itself to determine if the program has had a positive effect on the child's academic life.

The needs of children with ADD/ADHD are unique, and services to address those needs must be adapted to each child. They may require the services of professionals and agencies outside the school, while some of their needs can be met by school or district-based services chosen carefully through planning, coordination, and implementation for the optimum development and access to an appropriate education.

Teachers too, need better understanding of ADD/ADHD. They will benefit from an increased awareness of the symptoms and treatment of ADD/ADHD. Teacher have a dual role in referring students for assessment and in subsequently implementing appropriate classroom interventions to meet the needs of students with ADD/ADHD. Therefore, it is vital that training on ADD/ADHD be available for all teachers.

School personnel need to have a general awareness of ADD/ADHD, basic information about identification and assessment, and knowledge of accepted techniques for intervention. In addition, counselors and administrators must possess a more in-depth knowledge about the disorder in order to assess, intervene, and consult effectively with teachers who instruct children with ADD/ADHD.

Teacher training in behavior management techniques is effective in that it benefits the entire classroom, as does direct training in methods to raise children's self-esteem and social skills competence.

GUIDELINES FOR TRAINING

Direct inservice training needs for teachers include:

0. General knowledge about what ADD/ADHD is and is not, and what to expect from the student with ADD/ADHD;

0. Training in accurate identification of a student with ADD/ADHD including training in observation techniques;

0. Training in instructional strategies and modifications;

0. Training in effective classroom organization and interventions and behavior management techniques;

0. Training in communicating and working with parents of children with ADD/ADHD.

The delivery of inservice education can take several forms depending on local resources. Teachers may also utilize continuing education courses at colleges and universities.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

REFERRAL PROCESS

ADD/ADHD REFERRAL PROCESS

6. If the referral to the STAR Team or the Section 504 Committee is deemed appropriate by the teacher, the following steps are followed: a. Notify At-Risk Coordinator b. Section 504 referral follow the referral process outlined in the Section 504 Plan. For STAR referrals, teacher and parent complete the "Copeland Symptom Checklist for Attention Deficit Disorder" (or other appropriate rating scale). c. Gather information to present to the STAR Team * test scores * current grades * "Copeland Symptom Checklist for Attention Deficit Disorder" (or other scale) from teacher and parent * Information regarding strategies attempted, the length of the attempt, and the results of the attempted strategies.

7. The teacher becomes a member of the STAR Team which serves as a multi-disciplinary planning team. a. The STAR Team will involve parents in the planning process by discussing the findings of the STAR committee. The counselor will provide information regarding the intervention plan for the school setting, soliciting input from the parent about the child's educational plan, and consulting with the parent on an intervention plan for the home environment. b. Parents may be encouraged to pursue all avenues of intervention for their child, including appropriate professional consultation. c. At the parent request, the STAR Team will share information with professionals consulted by the parents. A signed release of information form will be obtained by the At-Risk Coordinator and/or the teacher.

8. The teacher will implement appropriate strategies and teaching methods developed in collaboration with the STAR Team.

9. The teacher maintains contact with parents, the At-Risk Coordinator, and other professionals, and notifies the STAR Team for review of the plan if the teacher does not deem the intervention plan to be successful.

10. Students who may have an impairment that significantly interferes with learning or other major life activities should be referred to the Section 504 Committee for evaluation.