Group leadership of children with ADHD, learning difficulties and
behaviour difficulties in Pedagogical and Psychological Counselling Centres
according to the FIE programme
Marta Pokorná & Miluše Ustohalová
Educational and Psychological Guidance Centre, Třebíč, Czech Republic
Abstract
Group leadership of children with ADHD, learning difficulties and behaviour difficulties in
Pedagogical and Psychological Counselling Centres according to the FIE programme
a. Organisation
b. Work with instruments
c. Application of the principles in the teaching and education process:
Grammar in the system, work with oral tasks
Elimination of stress factors – assessment, comparison, competition
Acceptance of the logo “Just a moment, let me think”, working with errors,
self-control, presentation of personal opinion
d. Additional activities
-------Organisation of leadership
Work with instruments
Experience from work – observance of rules, the necessity of a different approach to children
with ADHD – hyperactive form, leadership efficiency, subjective assessment of children and
trainers
Organisation of leadership:
Number of children per group – 8 (4 girls, 4 boys)
Age – pupils from the 3rd and 4th class (when the group leadership is commenced)
Form of education – according to the primary school curriculum, registered as integrated
pupils, in some subjects educated in accordance with an individual education programme
Diagnosis – by psychological examination in Pedagogical and Psychological Counselling
Centres, diagnosed with learning difficulties (more serious), from that 3 children with
learning difficulties on the basis of ADHD
Schedule of group leadership:
April – June 2003 – meetings once a week 2 lessons (45 minutes)
September 2003 – June 2004 – meetings twice a week 1 hour (60 minutes)
September 2004 – June 2005 – meetings once a week 1 hour (60 minutes)
Work with instruments – Arrangement of Points Part I, Spatial Orientation, Comparison,
Arrangement of Points Part II - V
Trainers – 2 special education teachers, completed course of FIE January – February 2003
Team cooperation:
Psychologist – initial examination or control examination
Special education teacher – diagnostics of deficits of partial functions, individual and group
re-education
Neurologist – specialist neurological examination, ADHD diagnostics, physiotherapy
Parents – cooperation on individual leadership (training of deficient partial functions, use of a
suitable learning style – incorporation of the right hemisphere abilities, maps of thoughts
(creation, interiorisation), group practice of the grammar system, participation in group
leadership – exercises for the development of gross motor output and coordination of
movements
Teachers – continuous consultations of re-education procedures, visits in the group, training
of the grammar system (individually or participation in the seminar for teachers), mediation of
matters concerning work with children with ADHD, with learning difficulties and behaviour
difficulties in the form of a cycle of seminars (participation of the total of 65 teachers) – it
included general information, corrective methodology as well as informing about FIE, based
on their interest, the cycle continued in the form of a supervision.
Complex attitude:
Apart from work with instruments, the more serious learning difficulties of the children
required a need to include also other re-education activities:
Figure 1: Work with Instruments
:
Exercise for the development of gross motor output and coordination of movements
(with impacts on the cooperation of the brain hemispheres and on the development of other
partial functions – fine motor output, graphic motor output, visual motor output, articulation
skills, speech, perception of body scheme and spatial orientation, seriality)
According to the original methodology of V. Kleplová – annotation:
The programme DEVELOPMENT OF CHILD’S SUCCESS (Kleplová) is a complex
system that is based on the physiological DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT, psyche,
coordination abilities, emotions and social feelings of an infant. It has a number of
interconnected components.
The application of this knowledge, where the basis is assessment and training of the
correct DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT, can help a child of any age to correct or to
eliminate the school problems that have already been diagnosed or possible future school
problems. As regards healthy children, it will help a faster development and application of
their abilities. An essential condition is an interest and love of the family. MUDr.
Věra Kleplová, a paediatrician and doctor in the field of physiatry, balneology and medical
physiotherapy.
Grammar in the system – key words as carriers of meaning, importance of the position
of a consonant allowing both “i” and “y” in the word, strategy, application of the “Table for
Pupils with Spelling Disorders – Dysorthography II.“ (author - Mgr. S. Emmerlingová)
Exercise for the development of attention concentration – worksheet of the author V.
Rezková used in a mediated form with emphasis on three levels of cognitive functions (input,
elaboration, output)
Community Circle – sharing of feelings connected with school, work in the group,
experienced among friends, in the family, understanding of the initial position
Figure 2: Community circle
Experience gained:
Form of mediated learning enables to develop better the abilities of the children who
find it difficult to express themselves in the common teaching style
Style of work influences manifestations of behaviour disorders – absence of negative
assessment and competitive environment, formation of a feeling of competence, satisfaction
of the child with himself/herself prevents the occurrence of so-called “vicious circle” of
learning difficulties and behaviour difficulties
Overcoming of stereotypes gained in the normal school environment – impulsiveness,
tendency to superficiality when processing a verbal instruction, efforts to be the first, nonreadiness for self-control, need of control by the teacher
Programme logo was interiorised gradually, only for children with ADHD the
tendency for impulsiveness continued, in certain stages – especially at the input level, the
individual work with instruments seemed to be more advantageous (the hypothesis of lower
efficiency of leadership with impulsive children was not proved – see an example of the
standard of written expression – writing according to dictation in 2004 and in 2005)
Figure 3: Written Expression – Spelling, 3rd – 5th Year of Primary School
Rules: Advantage of creating own rules and their acceptance – improved
communication – they started talking, did not interrupt each other, lost their fear to express
their opinion, respected the opinion of the others
Bridging - feedback – advantage of experience gained during the work with
instruments, especially in the subjects – Geometry (basic geometric figures were interiorised),
Geography (improved orientation on surface, in space), Czech language (words as carriers of
meaning)
Dyslexics – a hypothesis of a barrier for a reading text was not proved (during control
examination approximately 5 months after the leadership was finished, a significant
improvement in perception of visual details, standard of reading aloud and understanding of
the reading was found out)
Serial deficit – difficulties when working with a dictionary, encyclopaedia (the
feedback shows overcoming of these difficulties)
Feedback from children
They answered the question:
“What has the work with instruments brought to us, what have we learnt?”
I have learnt to be more attentive
I am not afraid to put my hand up
I am not afraid of tests
I can better concentrate on learning
I have learnt to wait
I notice even small details
I am not afraid of saying my opinion
I have learnt to be patient
Faster in arithmetic
I am more self-confident in dictations
I have better orientation in space
It was easy for me to learn geometric shapes
Feedback from parents as regards schoolwork of their children
Improvement of communication with teachers
Improvement of logical thinking – oral tasks
Overcoming of fear of tests
Better results in Czech language
Better orientation on the map, in the telephone directory
More responsible approach to learning
Not afraid of going to school and writing tests
Better integration in the group
They are less afraid to answer questions that might make them look stupid
Higher self-confidence
Not to see a task only superficially and thus to be satisfied with the first solution that does not
have to be the correct one
Improved independence of learning
Feedback from trainers
Enrichment in the style of work – creation of the re-education system
Preparation of methodologies in partial steps, change of the form of lectures for teachers –
e.g. creation of the grammar system in a mediated way
Overcoming of own stereotypes – not to ask so-called “guiding questions”, refrain from
reactions like “No, it is not correct. It is wrong.” Instead try to think: “What is the
child’s idea, what are his/her contemplations, what is his/her strategy?” Start from this
when asking questions and mediating information.
Understanding of initial position (colleague, client and his/her parents)
Not to be afraid of mistakes – both in professional and private life
Understanding of everlasting dilemmas in education – relief in the role of the mother
Figure 4: Re-education Sequence
Conclusion
Work in accordance with the FIE method is difficult as regards the preparation of
trainers but it brings great pleasure when working with children. On the basis of our
experience, the application of this method in school environment in the process of teaching
and education seems to be optimum as prevention of learning difficulties and behaviour
difficulties.
As regards children, their attitude to work was influenced to a certain extent by their
existing experience with school teaching – sometimes they showed negative attitudes, fear
and anxiety, fear of failure. During the work with instruments they learnt to be competent and
to experience pleasant feelings and happiness from cognition and understanding of a problem,
task.
With regard to the fact that the group leadership lasted 2.5 years, we decided to finish
it even though we had not completed the work with instruments (analytic perception). The
leadership will continue in an individual form according to the current needs of the child.
For the next group leadership in accordance with the FIE method we are preparing a
new group of children from the clients of Pedagogical and Psychological Counselling Centres.
We also continue organising of seminars – currently for secondary school teachers, we
are planning seminars for educational advisers.
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ppptr.pokorna@volny.cz, ppptr.ustohalova@volny.cz