ADD, or Attention Deficit Disorder, is characterized by impulsivity, hyperactivity, and difficulty focusing attention. It is a neurological condition caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain and has a strong genetic component. Symptoms include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In the classroom, students with ADD benefit from organizational strategies, minimizing distractions, varying activities, and frequent breaks. Educators should consider their lessons, seating, and social skills training to support students with ADD.

1. ATTENTION DEFICIT
DISORDERS
STANLEY MAPANDA
MASTERS OF EDUCATION IN
PSYCHOLOGY
GREAT ZIMBABWE UNIVERSITY

2. OVERVIEW
• What is ADD?
• Symptoms of ADD
• Classroom implications of ADD

3. WHAT IS ADD
• ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder is a neurological syndrome whose
classic defining triad of symptoms include impulsivity, destructibility and
hyperactivity or excess energy (Hallowell and Ratey, 1994)
• Simple definition: A.D.D. is a chemical disorder that is genetically based.
Not caused by any of the following: faulty diet, preservatives in food,
visual disorders, schizophrenia, childhood head injuries, inadequately
trained teachers, air pollution, or poor parenting (Swaab, 2014).

4. • The American Psychiatric Association in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) dropped A.D.D.,
changing the criteria to diagnose a person with A.D.H.D (Swaab, 2014).
• Those that do continue to distinguish between A.D.D. and A.D.H.D. recognize
the hyperactivity component as separating the two. It is a disorder involving
inattentiveness and hyperactivity-impulsivity.

5. • Inattentiveness is characterized by such behaviours as: carelessness,
forgetfulness in daily activities, inattentive children commonly lose
their belongings, easily distracted, cannot follow through on
instructions as well as difficulty organising tasks.
• Hyperactivity is characterized by fidgeting, restlessness, running about
inappropriately, difficulty in playing quietly and talking excessively.
Impulsivity is seen in individuals who blurt out answers, cannot wait
their turn, interrupt or intrude on others, etc. It can be detected early in
the child ‘s life as to whether he/she is hyperactive or not.

6. ADD vs. ADHD
• In the past, people who had attention deficit disorders but
no hyperactivity were diagnosed with ADD. However,
health professionals now feel that ADD is a form of ADHD,
without the hyperactivity (Rowh, 2014).

7. ADHD SUBGROUPS: WHERE IS ADD?

8. Possible Causes
 ADD is a neurological disorder, most likely caused by neurochemical
imbalance in the brain. It is caused by poor neural transmission
within receptive centres of the brain.
 Recent research has indicated that genetic links have a great deal to
do with ADD, more than any other cause. If a child has ADD, there is
much greater chance (30-40%) that brothers and sisters will have
ADD. (Eysenck and Keane, 2010)

9. Effects of ADD/ADHD
Physical (due to emotional stress, leads to):
• headaches
• stomach/back aches
• pains in the hands/ legs
Psychological:
• aggressive or violent behavior
• withdrawal, anxiety and depression
• low self-esteem

10. SYMPTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ADD
• INATTENTION
Lose interest faster
Have high level of distractability
Actively search for stimulation in boring environment
As a result, they:
• Often fail to complete tasks
• Fail to pay close attention to detail
• Appear not to listen or tune in
• Fail to follow through with instructions
• Can be forgetful and disorganised

11. Impulsivity
 Acting without thinking
 Blurting out answers
 Not waiting turns
 Interrupting talk
 Playing recklessly
 Talk incessantly

12. Hyperactivity
 Being on the go
 Being overly active
 Fidgeting, wriggling
 Rarely being still, wandering about
 Wanting to climb, run or crawl excessively
in situations where settled behaviour is
expected

13. CLASSROOM IMPLICATIONS OF ADD
• Classroom set up
• Lesson Presentation
• Teach organisation
• Increase on task behaviour
• Social skills

14. CLASSROOM SET UP
Minimize the student’s distractions
• Use desk dividers
• Keep away from high traffic area
• Sit close to teacher
• Use rows instead of tables
• Play white noise or soft music

15. LESSON PRESENTATION
• Provide outline prior to lesson
• Include variety of activities
• Use multisensory presentations (visual, auditory, and tactile)
• Make lessons brief
• Involve the student in the lesson

16. TEACH ORGANISATION
• Allow 5 minutes to organize desks and Reinforce organization by having a “desk
fairy” that gives a daily award for the most organized row of desks.
• Develop a clear system for keeping track of completed and uncompleted work such as
having individual hanging files in which each child can place completed work and a
special folder for uncompleted work.
• Develop a colour coding method for your room in which each subject is associated
with a certain color that is the that subjects textbook cover and on the folder or
workbook for that subject.
• Establish method for homework

17. INCREASE ON TASK BEHAVIOUR
• Provide an individual timer
• Give work in small doses
• Allow breaks
• Check on student often
• Reward wanted behavior

18. SOCIAL SKILLS
• Review his plan for recess activity
• Role play target social skills
• Keep close during unstructured activities
• Teach "stop and think" before talking

19. Conclusion
• ADD/ ADHD the difference which was noted and acknowledged was of
Hyperactivity as well as impulsivity
• Possible causes noted is genetics but environment, brain injuries also
were noted as well
• ADD/ADHD affected learners can still succeed in their education but
attention is needed from the educators to enhance their effectiveness

20. REFERENCE LIST
• Eysenck, M. W., & Keane, M. T. (2010). Cognitive Psychology. A Student’s
Handbook (6th edn). East Sussexx: Psychology Press.
• Hallowell, E, M. And Ratey, J. J., (1994). The international bestseller: Attention
deficit disorder; London; Fourth estate ltd.
• Rowh, M. (2014). Schools Learn to Outsmart ADHD. Retrieved from
www.districtadministration.com/article/schools-learn-outsmart-adhd
• Swaab, D. F. (2014). We Are Our Brains. New York: Spiegel & Grau.