ADHD

My knowledge of ADH/D is extensive. ADH/D is classified under three parts of the IDEA Act (Learning Disabilities, Behavioral Disabilities, and Other Health Impairments). The DSM-IV classifies Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder into three types: Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined. To be diagnosed, there must be 6 or more symptoms for at least 6 months straight that deters from the appropriate developmental level. The inattentive type symptoms (characteristics) are: * Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in study/work/activities * Difficulty sustaining attention in tasks/activities * Seems not to listen when spoken to directly * Lack of follow-through on instructions/school work/chores, or workplace duties (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions) * Difficulty organizing tasks/activities * Avoids, dislikes or reluctant to engage in tasks requiring sustained mental effort * Loses necessary things for tasks/activities * Easily distracted by extraneous stimuli * Forgetful in daily activities The Hyperactivity type symptoms (characteristics) are: * Fidgets or squirms with hands or feet or squirms in seat when sitting still is expected * Leaves classroom seating or other situations with “sitting still” expectations * Runs about or climbs excessively at inappropriate times (adults may feel very restless) * Difficulty quietly playing or engaging in leisure activities * "On the go" or as if "driven by a motor" * Talks excessively The Impulsivity type symptoms (characteristics) are: * Blurts out answers before questions completed * Difficulty awaiting turn * Interrupts or intrudes on others I personally understand ADH/D because I have Inattentive type as well as my children who have Combined type. Since the moment I received my diagnosis, I’ve spent 14 years researching. I’ve learned about the possible causes of ADH/D such as biological, psychological, and environmental. I’ve learned trigger factors (i.e. repetitive high pitch noise,

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a language processing disorder that causes difficulty in reading, writing and spelling. It occurs when areas of the brain do not interpret language correctly, but doesn’t interfere with the ability to think or understand complex ideas. Dyslexia might appear by itself or in combination with other learning disabilities and often is hereditary. Research shows that children with Dyslexia usually excel at problem solving, reasoning, seeing the “big picture”, and creative thinking. Dyslexia is the difficulty with rhyming and separating sounds that make up spoken words which are critical in the process of learning to read (separating sounds and matching letters). This difficulty in connecting sounds to the letters of words and recognizing the written words results in difficulty understanding sentences. I found two important factors play a key role in learning in general: time and interest. Reading in particular can be a difficult task for students with Dyslexia, so they need time to learn and learning needs to be interesting. Higher education only reiterated the importance of what I grew up knowing about Dyslexia from my brother. Taking turns reading aloud allows for increased enjoyment of lessons and helps students learn better by providing practice and feedback on vocabulary and comprehension skills. I find from working with preschool children with learning disabilities that reading aloud allows for greater opportunity for them to self-monitor their own ability through participation. As they get older, they learn fluency and expression which helps them make associations from the sound to the written word. I like to set the stage for reading or activities. This builds anticipation and excitement as well as helps students mentally prepare for what they are about to learn. It’s important to me to make what the students learns relevant to them which in turns helps them more eagerly internalize what they learn and retain it. Students with Dyslexia may experience difficulty in working memory (reme