Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a specific developmental disorder comprising deficits in behavioral inhibition, sustained attention and resistance to distraction, and the regulation of one’s activity level to the demands of a situation (hyperactivity or restlessness).

There are three types of ADHD:

• ADHD inattentive type: The student struggles to get focused and stay focused.
• ADHD hyperactive type: The student is very active and regularly acts without thinking.
• ADHD combined type: The student is inattentive, impulsive, and overly active.

Some scholars view ADHD as a disorder of self-regulation or executive functions rather than an order of disruption.

Here are ways to support students with ADHD:

• Provide scaffolding for organization and planning.
• Break assignments or tasks into smaller chunks with a set outcome or goal for each part.
• Allow students to “show their learning” in multiple ways, like oral reports, posters, models, and video presentations.

References

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Fact Sheet. LD Online. Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/Attention_Deficit/Hyperactivity_Disorder_Fact_Sheet

Brown, T. E. (2005). Attention deficit disorder: The unfocused mind in children and adults. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.