1. ADHD: Screening and Intervening in Schools
Peter Tymms

2. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Children with ADHD fall behind academically
Often unpopular
Social difficulties
Behavioural problems

3. Context
PIPS
Schools and authorities pay to join
Large scale

4. Frequency of symptoms Loses equipment
Can’t sit still, runs around/ always on the go
Leaves Seat
Forgetful
Can’t play quietly/ talks excessively/ interrupts/ blurts
Can’t wait
Doesn’t listen
Fidgets
Difficulty organising
Doesn’t follow instructions/ doesn’t finish work
Reluctant to engage in sustained mental effort
Makes careless mistakes
Difficulty sustaining attention
Easily distracted
Least frequent
Most frequent

5. End of Reception scores
Graph shows just how few children are meeting a high number of criteria.

6. A Dilemma Feeding names back to schools
One psychologist: “You must not do this”
Another: “You must take action”

7. Interventions Randomly assign to schools Booklet Identification
No Identification
Information booklet was written by Peter and me. It describes the latest thinking on the cause of ADHD (impaired executive functions) and research about effective classroom management and teaching strategies. It is called ‘Working with difficult children in Years 1 and 2: A guide for teachers, and is available at a cost of £4.50 now that the research is drawing to a close. Contact Lisa for an order form.
Identification was included in PIPS end of Primary 1 feedback highlighting children with high scores.
Some schools got nothing.
Some schools got feedback.
Some schools got the booklet.
Some schools got both.
No Booklet

8. Interventions Randomly assigned to LEAs Conference & packs Nothing
In addition to school level treatments, we have LEA treatments.
Some LEAs were invited to send 4 personnel to a conference where leading specialists talked about ADHD and managing children with these behavioural problems in the classroom. This was free of charge.
Some LEAs got information packs that included the behaviour book sent to schools and a further book written for LEA personnel.
Some LEAs got both of these.
Some LEAs got nothing at all.
We will be analysing the data this summer to see if any of the interventions have had any impact. We will be looking at achievement in terms of effect size so that comparisons for each group can be made with the earlier data.
Nothing
Information packs

9. Numbers 24 Authorities 2040 schools 60,000 pupils Over 2 years
Currently taking place. Tracking 1 cohort of children from reception to year 2. The children are currently in Year 2 and we have recently sent out questionnaires to teachers to follow their behaviour as well as collecting PIPS Y2 assessment data and End of KS1 results this summer.

10. Major Issue Implementation Getting authority people involved
Schools using the booklet

11. Results School Interventions LEA Interventions
No impact on any of the outcome measures
School Interventions
Pupils
All
Just those with ADHD characteristics
Teachers
Rating of pupils’ behaviour
Quality of life

12. Results All Pupils For booklet Identification Higher Y2 reading scores
Associations with increased book use
Identification
No impact
The best kind of rewards are things that the child can see such as stars on a chart that lead to a larger treat. If they can see their achievement, they don’t forget that they have behaved well/worked hard.
Reprimands have to be short and at the time of the incident. Children forget the point of the reprimand if it is too long or if it is given at a later time.
Time out is going to a quiet place to calm down and reflect on behaviour.
Productive physical movement is doing things like taking a note to the secretary, watering plants, going outside to take the air temperature.

13. Use of Books and Outcomes
The best kind of rewards are things that the child can see such as stars on a chart that lead to a larger treat. If they can see their achievement, they don’t forget that they have behaved well/worked hard.
Reprimands have to be short and at the time of the incident. Children forget the point of the reprimand if it is too long or if it is given at a later time.
Time out is going to a quiet place to calm down and reflect on behaviour.
Productive physical movement is doing things like taking a note to the secretary, watering plants, going outside to take the air temperature.

14. Results Pupils with ADHD characteristics
For booklet
More positive attitudes
Better behaviour in Year 2
For Identification
No impact
BUT book + identification
Negative impact on maths and reading
The best kind of rewards are things that the child can see such as stars on a chart that lead to a larger treat. If they can see their achievement, they don’t forget that they have behaved well/worked hard.
Reprimands have to be short and at the time of the incident. Children forget the point of the reprimand if it is too long or if it is given at a later time.
Time out is going to a quiet place to calm down and reflect on behaviour.
Productive physical movement is doing things like taking a note to the secretary, watering plants, going outside to take the air temperature.

15. Teachers’ Quality of Life
Your perception of work:
Relaxing
Stressful
Enjoyable
Unpleasant
On top of things
Overwhelmed
The behaviour of the pupils in your class:
No problems
Challenging

16. Teachers’ Quality of Life
Your perception of work:
Relaxing
Stressful
Enjoyable
Unpleasant
On top of things
Overwhelmed
The behaviour of the pupils in your class:
No problems
Challenging
Teachers more positive if given information books

17. Three More Issues
Validity of findings which were not part of the design
Publishing
Cost Effectiveness