Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder & Study Skills
Tools for Parents of ADHD Children
F. Russell Crites, L.P.C., L.M.F.T., L.S.S.P.
Crites Counseling & Consultation
972-506-7111
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
ADHD Defined
Inattention:
The inability of an individual to focus on a
given task for an extended period of time.
Hyperactivity:
The inability of an individual to sit or stay
still for an extended period of time.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Causes of ADHD
Only students who become ADHD as a result
of some Biological issue are ‘truly’ ADHD.
This can occur as a result of:
• Brain Irregularities (Neuroanatomic
abnormalities)
• Environmental factors, i.e., birth trauma
• Neurobiologic dysregulation
• CNS Damage
• Genetics
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Symptoms of ADHD
Inattention
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Short attention span
Difficulty completing tasks
Daydreaming
Easily distracted
Lethargy
Inattention
Failure to complete tasks
Forgets to write down assignments
Trouble following directions
Difficulty concentrating
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Symptoms of ADHD
Hyperactivity
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Excessive talking
Motor restlessness during sleep
Constant movement during day
Less need for sleep
Often needs to be center of attention
Irritates and annoys others
Argumentative
Easily forgets
Has trouble waiting turn
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Symptoms of ADHD
Impulsivity
• Poor planning ability
• Acting before thinking
• Excessive shifting from one activity
to another
• Disorganized
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Social Characteristics of
ADHD Students
• Often immature when compared to
peers
• Has difficulty developing and
maintaining relationships
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Behavioral Characteristics of
ADHD Students
• Seems to ‘find’ trouble
• More active (hyperactivity) than
peers
• More under-active (Inattention) than
peers
• More vocal (hyperactivity) than peers
• More quiet (inattentive) than peers
• Very distractible
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Emotional Characteristics of
ADHD Students
• Often in a state of frustration
• Has trouble living up to
expectations—anxious, angry, etc.
• Low self-esteem
• Often negative or emotionally
inappropriate in social interactions
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Differential Diagnoses
DSM-IV-TR Four Types of ADHD
• ADHD Predominantly Inattentive
• ADHD Predominantly
Hyperactive/Impulsive
• ADHD Combined Type
• ADHD NOS
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Possible Triggers for ADHD
• Biology
• Nutrition
• Ecology
• Learning Disorder
• Emotional Dysfunction
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Biological Look Alikes
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Prenatal Alcohol/drug exposure
Lead or Mercury poisoning
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Epilepsy
Auditory losses
Emotional Disorder, i.e., Depression,
Mania
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
ADHD Studies
• 80% of students who go on meds show
improvement.
• ADHD kids on medication have a 50% less
chance of having a car accident.
• 35% of childhood ADHD kids have ADHD as
adults.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Executive Functions
and ADHD
• Organizing Prioritizing and Activating to
Work
• Focusing, Sustaining, & Shifting Attention to
Tasks
• Regulating Alertness, Sustaining Effort and
Processing Speed
• Managing Frustration & Modulating Emotions
• Utilizing Working Memory & Accessing Recall
• Monitoring & Self-Regulating Action
See Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scales, Thomas E. Brown for more information on
Executive Functions and how to assess them.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Strategies
Timing and ADHD
Sit down with your child and determine a time that he
will focus on homework every day after school.
Homework should hot be the last thing done before
going to bed! Nothing short of an emergency should
change the time. If it is to be changed it is to be done
by you not the child.
1. Initially you should develop a homework schedule. If
your child is having difficulties with academics it is
imperative that homework come before piano,
athletics, dance or anything else that that matter.
Homework time should be seen as sacred. Due to
commitments made actual games should be attended.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Timing and ADHD
Continued
2.
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4.
It is best if the child has a specific time of the day
that he does his homework. Late at night should
not be allowed as a choice.
If your child does not have homework have him
spend at lest a short amount of time doing
something academically related during the
scheduled homework time. He could work on a
project, study material for a class he is struggling
in, etc.
Remember, if you develop your child’s study
schedule with your child’s help he is more apt to
cooperate.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Study Area and ADHD
You must decide on an area that can be
used for study at home. This should be
the area that is used for all homework
unless the type of homework requires
more space.
1. Initially you should develop a homework
schedule. If your child is having difficulties
with academics it is imperative that
homework come before piano, athletics,
dance or anything else that that matter.
Homework time should be seen as sacred.
Due to commitments made actual games
should be attended.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Study Area and ADHD
2. It is best if the child has a desk that
is dedicated to study time.
3. Have you child do homework in the
same spot each day.
4. Reduce the clutter around his study
area.
5. The desk should not be next to a
window, door, etc. due to the
probable distractions they might
cause.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Organization and ADHD
ADHD children need to be over-organized. Organization
helps them keep track of everything that is important to
maintain acceptable academic success. Without it they are
doomed to failure.
General
1. Every class should have a binder with a place for
homework, pens, pencils, note paper, etc.
2. The study are should be organized and everything have a
place and should be kept there.
3. Color code binders so that it is easy to find the one needed
for each class.
4. Develop daily checklists for homework, projects, chores,
etc.
5. Use desk/drawer/closet organizers. Everything should
have a special place.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Organization and ADHD
Forgetting assignments or Homework
1.
2.
Use a home/school assignment sheet (binder
reminder) that has all of the assignments listed on
it.
Have a special place in his binder specifically for
homework assignments.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Organization and ADHD
Forgetting to Bring Materials Home
1.
2.
If your child is behind in school it is important that
he understand that all privileges area suspended
until he catches up.
If he fails to brings materials home (this includes
homework) he must be disciplined. You might want
to send him to his room, sit at the kitchen table, etc.
for the evening. No privileges! He must
understand that there are significant consequences
when he does not bring his materials home.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Planning and ADHD
If your child has projects or assignments that are large, you
must break the assignments into smaller units. Put this
on a calendar or dry erase assignment board and have a
due date for each unit.
1.
2.
3.
Get a dry erase board and write down assignments for a
week. You can get boards that are a monthly calendar.
Add long term assignments on the side of the
board. Break down long term assignments into
smaller segments and set dates for each
segment to be accomplished.
Encourage your child’s teacher to break large
assignments into smaller units and grade each
unit in addition to the end result.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Homework and ADHD
Never assume that your child has written down all of his
assignments. Get a list of homework assignments form
his teachers or another trustworthy student. Try to get
homework assignments for one full week at a time if
possible.
General
1. Review assignment board each day. Make any changes
necessary. Begin work for the day.
2. As assignments are completed erase them from the board.
This reduces visual clutter and shows progress of the
child.
3. Allow a break between assignments or segments. Discuss
with your child what kind of ‘break’ he would like that
would be motivating.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Homework and ADHD
Lying about Homework
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If he is caught lying and you know (have proof) he is lying,
give him a strong consequence, e.g., loss of all privileges
for that night or the next day.
If you have a home school form that he has been told
must come home and he doesn’t have it, you should take
all privileges away for the evening.
If you press your child and he admits to lying, minimize the
consequences. Tell him that he would have lost all
privileges for the evening if he had been dishonest.
However, since he was honest you will only take, TVB,
Nintendo, etc. away for the evening instead of all
privileges.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Homework Segments and
ADHD
Take homework and break it into smaller units so
that it doesn’t seem to be so overwhelming to
your child. Do this for each subject area.
General
1.
2.
3.
Each night review your child’s homework.
Take each subject area and break the homework into
smaller segments.
Only the materials needed for that segment of that
assignment should be out in the study area.
Anything else just causes distraction and can cause
your child to be overwhelmed.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Homework Segments and
ADHD
Taking Hours to Complete Homework
1. Make sure that all needed supplies are
available in his study area. If he has to go
look for it little homework will get done.
2. Use a timer coupled with rewards or just see
if he can beat the timer to complete a
segment.
3. Non-scheduled breaks must be approved by
the parent. It’s amazing how many breaks
an ADHD child can take.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Helping With Homework
You are not to do your child’s homework. You should make sure
that your child understands how to do the assignment, help him
get started and then back off and let him do the work. You can
periodically check to see how he is doing.
General
1. Provide the necessary support to get your child going with
homework and then let your child work independently. He must
learn to work on his own.
2. Periodically check over the work to make sure that it is
being done correctly. If he was doing it right, praise
him and give him another segment to do. If he was
doing it wrong explain what he was doing wrong, start
it over with him and then back off so he can work on it
alone again.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Helping With Homework
Needing Constant Help
1. You should only act as a consultant, do
not do the work for your child. If you do
his work you will make him dependent on
you. Your child’s self-esteem and selfreliance is damaged.
2. Help the child answer his own question.
3. Make sure that the child can perform the
work that is assigned by himself. If he
cannot, then you need to get the school
to adapt or modify the material.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Motivation and ADHD
There are two easy things to do to help with motivation. First,
let your child have a predetermined reward, e.g., 5-10
minutes free time when a homework segment is completed.
Second, set a timer to go off about every 3-5 minutes. If
your child is on task when the bell goes off give him a
predetermined reward.
General
1. Review each segment and then let your child have a break
if he has completed his work in an acceptable way.
2. Rewards must be changed frequently to maintain a high
interest level.
3. Focus on positive more than you do negative
reinforcement.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Motivation and ADHD
The Timer
1. For each segment of homework your child does have him
race the timer. If he gets done before the bell goes off give
him a predetermined reward. NOTE: Make sure that he has
sufficient time considering his ability to get the work done,
but don’t make it too easy.
2. Set a timer to go off intermittently when your child is doing
homework. If he is on task and actually accomplishing
something when the bell goes off reward him. Use predetermined rewards for this also.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Giving Instructions and ADHD
Before you start you must be sure that you have
your child’s attention. Be calm, specific or to the
point and do not give more than one set of
directions at a time.
There are a few very important keys to giving instructions.
They are as follows:
1. Make sure that all distractions are removed before you
start. TV, computer games, music should be turned off
before you begin.
2. If necessary walk over to your child, touch him and tell
him to look you in the eyes.
3. Tell your child exactly what you want and when you
want it finished. Have your child repeat it back to you
until he can get it correct.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Giving Instructions and ADHD
4. Keep your instructions brief and to the point, repeat as
necessary.
5. It is usually wise to write down what you want on a dry
erase board that you keep in the kitchen, laundry room,
etc. If your child forgets he will always knows where to
go to get a reminder.
6. Follow-up to see if your child is completing the
assigned task. Praise a job that is well done. Make
sure that you are encouraging also or praise can
produce dependency.
7. If the instructions are concerning homework the child’s
study area should be cleared off except for the
materials that are needed for that specific subject.
8. Avoid multiple instructions. Simplify directions.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Study Skills that Improve
Reading and Retention
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Number paragraphs and pull out key
words.
Write a short paragraph using key words
from story.
Have student recite important facts about
what he has read into a tape recorder and
then listen to what was read over and over.
Turn headings & subheadings into
questions and than find the answers.
While reading identify key facts and
then write them on a 3x5 card with needed
information on opposite side.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
6. Use colored overlays to reduce reading
difficulty. It has been found that many
ADD/ADHD students have perceptual
distortions that make reading difficult.
7.
Have the students draw and/or
visualize what they have read. Let them
take turns telling a story about what they
read (develops summarization skills).
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Strategies to Improve
Math Skills
There are some basic techniques that can help your child improve
his math skills. Graph paper will help most students proper line
up numbers.
1. Have your child use graph paper instead of regular
lined paper. It helps them life up their numbers
properly. Try different sizes of graph paper to see
what works best.
2. If graph paper is not available let your child turn lined
paper sideways. This aids children line up the
numbers properly.
3. Teach Touch Math (Innovative Learning concepts).
4. Color or highlight processing signs for student who are
having difficulty identifying the proper operation signs
on a page. For example, you may wan to color
addition signs green, minus signs yellow, division
signs red, etc.
5. Use manipulatives and/or use visualization to enhance
learning.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Strategies to Improve
Math Skills
6.
7.
Encourage your child to use a calculator to check their work.
Make sure that he works every step of each problem. This
teaches the process. Don’t let him just put the answer on the
paper.
8. Get a card file and have your child keep information of
specific math skills such as, rules, key words, concepts and
give specific examples on each card that shows how a rule,
skill, etc. works.
9. Make sure that your child has a multiplication chart and/or
other tables that would be helpful.
10. Make math practical at home. Have your child help with
cooking (measuring), home improvement, or anything else
that might have measurements involved. Make the need for
understanding math real.
11. Purchase computer games that can be used for drill and
practice.
12. Work on times tables at home. Key publishers has a
mnemonics program called Time table the Fun Way.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Tips for Test Preparation
• Get a good nights sleep. Don't try to pull an all nighter…
study in advance ….always!!!
• Eat before a test. Having food in your stomach will give you
energy and help you focus but avoid heavy foods which can
make you groggy.
• Go over any material from practice tests, HW's, sample
problems, review material, the textbook, class notes...
• CARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Put the main ideas/information/formulas onto a sheet that
can be quickly reviewed many times, this makes it easier to
retain the key concepts that will be on the test.
• When possible, try to show up at least 5 minutes before the
test will start so you can relax and review.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Multiple Choice Questions
• Read the question and try to come with the answer before you
look at your options.
• Eliminate answers you know aren't right.
• Read all the choices before choosing your answer.
• If there is no guessing penalty, always take an educated guess
and select an answer.
• Don't keep on changing your answer, usually your first choice is
the right one, unless you misread the question.
• In "All of the above" and "None of the above" choices, if you are
certain one of the statements is true don't choose "None of the
above" or one of the statements are false don't choose "All of the
above".
• In a question with an "All of the above" choice, if you see that at
least two correct statements, then "All of the above" is probably
the answer.
• A positive choice is more likely to be true than a negative one.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
True-False Test Tips
• Usually there are more true answers than false on most tests. If
there is no guessing penalty, then guess. You have a 50% chance
of getting the right answer.
• Read through each statement carefully, and pay attention to the
qualifiers and keywords.
• Qualifiers like "never, always, and every mean that the statement
must be true all of the time. Usually these type of qualifiers lead
to a false answer.
• Qualifiers like "usually, sometimes, and generally" mean that the
statement can be considered true or false depending on the
circumstances. Usually these type of qualifiers lead to an answer
of true.
• If any part of the question is false, then the entire statement is
false but just because part of a statement is true doesn't
necessarily make the entire statement true.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Math Test Tips
• Repetition is important in math. You learn how to solve
problems by doing them so keep on practice problems but
don't do it blindly. Make sure you learn how to recognize
when/why you should use a specific method to solve a
problem. Work on practice problems for each topic ranging
in levels of difficulty.
• Make up a sheet with all the formulas you need to know
and memorize all the formulas on the sheet.
• When you get your exam, write down all the key formulas
on the margin of your paper so if you forget them when
you're in the middle of the test you can look back at the
formula.
• Read the directions carefully and don't forget to answer all
parts of the question.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
• Make estimates for your answers... e.g. if you are
asked to answer 48 x 12 = ?, you could expect a
number around 500 but if you end up with an
answer around 5000, you'll know you did
something wrong.
• Show all your work (especially when partial credit
is awarded) and write as legibly as possible.
• Even if you know the final answer is wrong, don't
erase your entire work because you may get
partial credit for using the correct procedure.
• Check over your test after you are done with it. If
you have time, redo the problems on a separate
piece of paper and see if you come up with the
same answers the second time around. Look for
careless mistakes.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
So…….
• Why is it important to address
these children’s needs?
• Why is important to channel
these children’s energies?
• Why is important to do what we
can to give them the best chance
for success?
BECAUSE………..
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
Untreated ADHD
Research Suggests
• 35% never finish high school
• 43% of hyperactive boys are arrested for a
felony by age 16
• Have significantly higher motor vehicle
accidents and speeding tickets
• They are five times more likely to die in
adolescence, secondary to their impulsive
behavior.
• 52% abuse alcohol and drugs
• 19% smoke at near twice the rate of the
general population
• Studies suggest that at least 50% of prison
inmates are ADHD
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
• Make estimates for your answers... e.g. if you are
asked to answer 48 x 12 = ?, you could expect a
number around 500 but if you end up with an
answer around 5000, you'll know you did
something wrong.
• Show all your work (especially when partial credit
is awarded) and write as legibly as possible.
• Even if you know the final answer is wrong, don't
erase your entire work because you may get
partial credit for using the correct procedure.
• Check over your test after you are done with it. If
you have time, redo the problems on a separate
piece of paper and see if you come up with the
same answers the second time around. Look for
careless mistakes.
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
That’s all
folks!
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
References
• Bipolar or ADHD by Russ Crites
• Executive Function Disorder by Russ Crites
• The Teacher’s Encyclopedia of Behavior
Management--Sprick/Howard
• The Tough Kid Book--Rhode, Jenson &
Reavis
• The Tough Kid Tool Box--Jenson, Rhode &
Reavis
• The Well Managed Classroom--Connolly,
Dowd, Criste, Nelson & Tobias
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.
References continued
• See ASCD home page for research
studies.
www.ascd.org/educationnews/eric/
manage.html
Brown
ADD
Scale
Information:
www.jhasim.com/htmlfiles/articles/
volume2/number25/910-914.pdf
Copyright 1998
F. Russell Crites, Jr.