Adhd In The Classroom

aJody Sherman, Carmen Rasmussen, and Lola Baydala
Jody Sherman is graduate student, Department of Psychology, Carmen Rasmussen is Research Associate, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, and Lola Baydala is MD, MSc, FRCP, FAAP, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Thinking Positively
How Some Characteristics of ADHD Can Be Adaptive and Accepted in the Classroom

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ttention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has received much attention over the past several years in both the scientific literature and the popular press, yet confusion still exists with respect to the origin of the disorder, factors that trigger or aggravate it, the trajectory of symptoms, and treatment options, particularly for young
Most, if not all, sources describe ADHD as a “disorder,” and list the various deficits and difficulties that children with ADHD experience. Parents, teachers, health care professionals, and the children themselves can become discouraged as they learn about the negative aspects associated with a diagnosis of ADHD. This article reviews the challenges associated with ADHD, as well as more recent discussions that center around a positive view of this “disorder.” ADHD occurs in 3 to 5 percent of school-age children (MTA Cooperative Group, 1999), making it the most common psychiatric disorder among children (Sciutto, Terjesen, & Bender Frank, 2000). ADHD’s characteristics can be broken down into specific subtypes that capture differences in children who display predominantly hyperactive and impulsive behaviors, inattentive behaviors, or a combination of both (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Because some children will exhibit mainly inattentive behaviors and some children will exhibit mainly hyperactive behaviors, not all treatments work equally well
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