Helping Children With ADHD Characteristics: What Works

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Helping Children With ADHD Characteristics What
Works?

• Christine Merrell
• www.cemcentre.org

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Definitions

• 3 ADHD sub-types in the DSM-IV
• Predominantly Inattentive sub-type
• Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive sub-type
• Combined sub-type

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Inattentive sub-scale

• Makes careless mistakes
• Difficulty sustaining attention
• Does not seem to listen
• Does not follow through instructions, fails to
  finish work
• Difficulty organising tasks and activities
• Reluctant to engage in tasks which require
  sustained mental activity
• Loses equipment necessary for activity
• Distracted by extraneous stimuli
• Forgetful in daily activities

4
Hyperactive sub-scale

• Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
• Leaves seat in classroom or in other situations
  where remaining seated is expected
• Runs about excessively in situations in which it
  is inappropriate
• Difficulty in playing quietly
• Often on the go as if driven by a motor
• Talks excessively

5
Impulsive sub-scale

• Blurts out answers before questions have been
  completed
• Has difficulty awaiting turn
• Interrupts or intrudes on others e.g. pushes into
  conversations or games

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Theory of Underlying Causes of ADHD
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PIPS End of Reception Behaviour Assessment
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End of Reception behaviour scores
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End of Reception behaviour scores
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Frequency of symptoms
Least frequent

• Loses equipment
• Cant sit still, runs around/ always on the go
• Leaves Seat
• Forgetful
• Cant play quietly/ talks excessively/
  interrupts/ blurts
• Cant wait
• Doesnt listen
• Fidgets
• Difficulty organising
• Doesnt follow instructions/ doesnt finish work
• Reluctant to engage in sustained mental effort
• Makes careless mistakes
• Difficulty sustaining attention
• Easily distracted

Most frequent
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Achievement Reading
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Achievement Maths
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How to help?

• Does screening help or hinder?
• Does giving advice make any difference?
• Sample
• 2040 schools
• Pupils started school in year 2000

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Research
Start PIPS BLA
End PIPS BLA
Year 2 PIPS KS1
Interventions
Teachers records behaviour
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Interventions

• Randomly assign to schools

Booklet
Identification
No Identification
No Booklet
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Interventions

• Randomly assigned to LEAs

Conference packs
Nothing
Information packs
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Results

• LEA Interventions
• No impact on any of the outcome measures
• Schools
• Pupils
• All
• Just those with ADHD characteristics
• Teachers
• Quality of life

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Results All Pupils

• Identification
• No impact
• For booklet
• Higher Y2 reading scores
• Associations with increased book use

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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

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Teachers Quality of Life
Your perception of work
Relaxing
Stressful
Unpleasant
Enjoyable
On top of things

Overwhelmed



The behaviour of the pupils in your class



No problems
Challenging








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Teachers Quality of Life
Your perception of work
Relaxing
Stressful
Unpleasant
Enjoyable
On top of things

Overwhelmed



The behaviour of the pupils in your class



No problems
Challenging




Teachers more positive if given information books