Pay Attention! Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder : Facts and Myths Faculty & Staff Information Session by Disability Services at RACC Fall Semester 2014

 Located in Berks Hall, room 209  Tomma Lee Furst: Director of Disability Services and Student Behavioral Intervention  Kym Kleinsmith: Adaptive Technology/Educational Support Specialist  Lori Corrigan: Academic Support Specialist Disability Services

How did you do? What if this were your student? First, here’s a brief video (there will be a quiz at the end)

 ADD/ADHD= about 18% to 20% of all DS students  Many have co-occurring issues:  Autism  Psychiatric issues (half)  Learning Disability  Chronic Health Issue Current Statistics at RACC

Let’s examine some common myths about ADHD

 It is a real, neurobiological, “valid disorder, with severe, lifelong consequences.”  Who says?  The National Institutes of Mental Health  Surgeon General of the US  The Centers for Disease Control  American Medical Association  American Psychiatric Association  Mayo Clinic, and others Myth #1: ADHD is not a real disorder

 Precise causes still not 100% certain  Much evidence suggests:  Heredity  Prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco  Premature delivery  Significantly low birth weight  High body lead levels  Postnatal injury to the prefrontal regions of the brain Myth #2: ADHD is caused by poor parenting, TV, and sugar

 According to the NIMH, causes are brain- based:  Brain imaging studies  Brain development delayed by about three years  Delay effects brain regions involved in thinking, paying attention, and planning Myth #2: ADHD is caused by poor parenting, TV, and sugar (cont’d)

 Not causes of ADHD:  Excessive sugar intake  Too much TV  Poor child management by parents  Poverty  Family chaos  However, these factors exacerbate the problem and complicate treatment Myth #2: ADHD is caused by poor parenting, TV, and sugar (cont’d)

Three types of ADHD: 1.ADHD Predominantly Inattentive (ADHD-I) Difficulty w/attention, careless mistakes, not listening, struggles to follow through, lack of organization, dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort, loses things, forgetful 2.ADHD Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive (ADHD-HI) Fidgets or squirms, runs, climbs, moves a lot, can’t stay seated, talks excessively, difficulty being quiet, blurts out answers, interrupts, hard time waiting or taking turns 3.ADHD Combined Type (ADHD-C) Individual meets both Inattentive and Hyperactive/Impulsive criteria Myth #3: All ADHD is the same

How many children have been diagnosed with ADHD?  APA in the DSM V: 5% of all children  Studies in multiple peer-reviewed journals: 5% to 8%  CDC National Survey of Children’s Health: 8% to 11%  Boys are twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with ADHD Myth #4: ADHD is not that common

 Symptoms typically arise in early childhood  Some symptoms continue into adulthood and present life-long challenges Myth #5: ADHD is a disorder of childhood

True—There is no single test for ADHD, but there are criteria and a process for diagnosis:  Licensed professional observes behavior, gathers information  Persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.  Symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning  Six or more symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity for children up to age 16, or five or more for adolescents 17 and older and adults  Symptoms present for at least 6 months  Symptoms/behaviors present in multiple situations Myth #6: There’s no test for ADHD, so it is over-diagnosed

Two types of medications: Stimulants: Adderall, Concerta, Focalin, Vyvanse Non-Stimulants: Intuniv, Strattera Many students do not take prescribed meds, but self- medicate with alcohol, marijuana, etc. Difficulty when out of medication Myth #7: Stimulants are the only medication for ADHD

You heard the myths, now how can we help?

Typical accommodations include:  Extra time for tests  Quiet place to test  Use of recorder in classroom  Use of quiet fidget item in classroom (this is a recommendation, not accom) How can Disability Services help students with ADHD?

Academic Coaching includes:  Weekly check-ins  Time management strategies  Creating habits of checking , Angel, etc.  Study strategies  Monitor use of planner/calendar  Processing syllabus with student  Breaking assignments into parts How can Disability Services help students with ADHD?

Consider:  Allowing fidget items, stress balls and doodling  Use dots, lines on board, index cards to curb questions  Tap overly-fidgety student on shoulder  Chunk information in smaller bits  Advise accordingly: no 3-hour classes How can faculty or staff help students with ADHD?

We cannot take for granted that all students perceive our information or instruction the same way, can we? Remember this video? Can you pass the quiz this time?

Questions?

National Institute of Mental Health: deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtmlhttp:// deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml NIMH Booklet: hyperactivity-disorder/adhd_booklet_cl508.pdfhttp:// hyperactivity-disorder/adhd_booklet_cl508.pdf ADD Association: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Children and Adults with ADD: National Resource Center on ADHD: Resources for More Information