Week 7 Post

    It looks as if Eddie is struggling with ADHD so there are many things Mrs. Potter can do to accommodate to his needs.  First of all, it has been proven through research that visual support is key when assisting students with autism, ADD, ADHD, developmental disabilities, etc.  Breitfelder states, "In a classroom setting this support could be for direction following, schedules, rules, and understanding instruction."  These visual supports can be anything from photographs to computer icons, and they are proven to help not only struggling students, but ALL students in the classroom.  Breitfelder states, "Students who have difficulty with verbal language can have: eased transitions, feeling of empowerment by having visual choices, clearly defined expectations through the use of pictures, longer attention span, reduced anxiety, concepts become more concrete, and the ability to help express his or her thoughts." One way Mrs. Potter could incorporate a visual support is through a large, daily schedule that displays the day's main events through pictures.  Studies have shown that these schedules increase on-task behavior and decrease the teachers need to prompt students from one activity to the next.  This alone could help Eddie in many ways.  By the tadpole example Mrs. Potter explained, Eddie clearly has a problem staying focused and on task.  Therefore, this schedule could increase his chances of staying on task and not becoming distracted.  Also, if daily schedules decrease the amount of time teachers need to prompt their students, that means there would be shorter/easier transitions overall; therefore, Eddie would be less likely to become distracted and/or hyper during transitions.  Another accommodation Mrs. Potter can consider is a behavior modification chart. Breitfelder states, "behavior modification charts help students understand the desired behavior and the reinforcer they can obtain from completing the behavior asked of them.  Behavior modification has been used to successfully treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, ADD/ADHD, and other disorders."  One way to create this chart is by displaying the desired behavior on one side and the reinforcer on the other.  The side with the desired behavior will say "First" on top and will be placed on a green background.  The side with the reinforcer will say "Then" on top and will be placed on a red background.  This way, students understand they need to complete the desired behavior in order to receive the reinforcer.  Furthermore, the different color changes show how students can "go" (green) to complete the desired behavior, but they must "stop" (red) once they receive their reinforcer.  Students will then know to listen for further instruction before moving on to another activity.