A.D.D/A.D.H.D.

What does it look like?

• Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes
• Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or even play activities
• May have poorly formed letters or words or messy handwriting
• Does not follow through with instructions – fails to complete schoolwork or chores
• Avoids tasks that requires sustained mental effort
• Forgetful in daily activities
• Loses things necessary for tasks (books, pencils, assignments)
• Has difficulties organizing tasks and activities

Hyperactivity type:

• Acts as if “driven by a motor” and cannot remain still
• Blurts out answers to questions before the question has been completed, often interrupts other

How to help?

• Where possible, allow student to change work sites frequently while completing a task or studying or take movement breaks (ESPECIALLY A.D.H.D. KIDS – i.e., let them run a lap)
• Assign jobs that involves movement – passing out papers, running errands
• Vary tone of voice, loud, soft, whisper, to sustain attention
• Employ multi-sensory strategies when instructions are given – visual (write on board), auditory (read it aloud)
• Divide assignments into smaller chunks with frequent breaks
• Have student verbalize a plan for completing the task or solving a problem before attempting it
• Permit student to do something with hands during sustained listening – stress ball, clay, paper folding
• Work out an inconspicuous cue to signal the student when he/she tunes out

DYSLEXIA

What does it look like?

• Reads slowly and painfully
• Has decoding errors, especially with the order of letters
• Shows wide disparity between listening comprehension and reading comprehension of text
• Has trouble with spelling
• May have difficulty with handwriting
• Has difficulty with recalling known words
• Decodes real words better than nonsense words
• Substitute one small sight words for another: a, I, he, the, there, was, on, in
• Has difficulty with written language
• May even have trouble with math computations

How to help?

• Provide a quiet place for activities like reading
• Use books on tape
• Use books with large print and big spaces between lines
• Allow alternative forms for book reports
• Provide study guides and lecture notes
• Test for knowledge – don’t count spelling on history, science or other such tests
• Allow the use of word processing tools
• Use logic rather than rote memory in teaching
• Present materials in small units/chunks

VISUAL PERCEPTUAL/VISUAL MOTOR DEFICITS

What Does It Look Like?

• May have reversals: b for d, p for q, or inversions: u for n, w for m
• Has difficulty finding his/her way around campus
• Complains eyes hurt and itch, rubs eyes, complains print blurs while reading
• Turns head when reading across page or holds paper at odd angles
• Closes one eye while working, yawns a lot while reading
• Cannot copy accurately
• Loses place frequently
• Does not recognize word if part of it is shown
• Holds pencil too tightly/frequently breaks pencil point/crayons
• Struggles to cut or paste
• Messy papers – letters misaligning, colliding, irregular spacing, letters not on line

How To Help?

• Avoid grading handwriting
• Allow students to dictate creative stories
• Experiment with different paper types, pastels, graphs, embossed raised line paper (now available at Office Depot)
• Provide tracking tools: rulers, text windows
• Use large print books where possible
• Provide alternatives for written assignments or a scribe
• Suggest use of pencil grips and specially designed pencils or pens

C.A.P.D. (Central Auditory Processing Disorder)

What Does It Look Like?

• Has trouble processing and remembering language-related tasks, but may not have trouble with environmental sounds, music
• May process thoughts and ideas slowly and has difficulty expressing/explaining them
• Misspells/mispronounces similar-sounding words or omits syllables; confuses similar-sounding words (celery/salary, three/free)
• Often distracted by background sounds – can’t tune them out
• Have student constantly verbalize concepts, vocabulary words, rules, etc
• Has difficulty staying focused on or remembering verbal presentations
• Has difficulty with complex sentences
• Says “What?” a lot, even when he/she has heard much of what is said

How To Help?

• Show rather than explain
• Teach to other senses – use visual cues, signals, handouts, manipulatives
• Avoid asking student to listen and write at the same time
• Vary pitch of voice, alter pace, stress key words
• Ask questions as you teach to check for understanding
• Allow for thinking time (5-6 seconds) when questioning
• Have student constantly verbalize concepts, vocabulary words, rules, etc
• Reword or help students decipher oral and/or written directions