Date of Award
1-1-1992
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Child and Youth Care Administration
Advisor
Mary Staggs
Keywords
ADD, ADHD Adult with Attention Disorders, Attention Deficiency, Drug and Alcohol Risks, Failure, Hyperactivity, Implications of Untreated implications ADD or ADHD Impulsivity Inattention Parent Education Parent Influence Parent Participation, Parent Right' School Drop-out’ ‘Social Problems School Skills Training School Failure, Teacher. Training untreated ADD, ADHD
Abstract
The practicum addressed the need to educate school staff and professionals on attention disorders and develop a state-of-the-art referral process system. Untreated students with attention disorders exhibited poor study habits, academic failure, unacceptable behavior. and were subsequent high-at risk of completing high school The implications of untreated moderate-to-severe ADD/ADHD are that the taxpayers cannot afford the high com of failure. The project was designed and developed by the writer to help students suspected with attention disorders. ADD ADHD, to become identified hy school staff and professionals who referred them for a multimodal assessment. It aimed at helping such students who were experiencing behavioral difficulties and school failure to improve their overall general functioning in the school setting. To help undereducated parents, teachers, and professionals regarding attention disorders, the writer authored a book. entitled Attention Disorder (ADD and ADHD) Their Identification and Implications. Over 1100 copies were disseminated throughout the school district as well as Throughout the county and across the state. She conducted teacher Inservice training sessions within the targeted school district. She disseminated martials addressing attention disorders throughout the targeted population as well as outside the school district on a countywide and statewide basis. She was a presenter at the annual state school social workers conference and spoke to both local CH.A.D.D. chapters. Printed information was widely circulated among both of the aforementioned. The writer, on a weekly basis. began working with students with attention disorders indirectly by conducting social skills training in the regular education classrooms with the teacher present. In addition, the practicum implementer facilitated two evening groups of children and youth with moderate-to-severe attention disorders on a countywide basis through the CH.A.D.D. local chapter. The parents accompanied their child or adolescent, together they worked as a team with the parent as the coach. Twenty-seven hundred newsletters, the MERRY-GO-ROUND, were authored and published by the writer. The MERRY-GO ROUND was a newsletter designed for winners. Winning behavior was differentiated from those who help and those who hurt. The newsletters, which contained analogies and behavioral modification model techniques that were based on positive reinforcement, were designed to promote peer affiliation (esprit de corps) among students The outcome of the practicum was that the targeted population of school staff made notable gains in their ability to identify the characteristics of attention disorders and began to refer students suspected of having ADD or ADHD for further assessment. Because students with significantly interfering attention disorders were identified, evaluated. and treated, their school adjust mental problems were successfully ameliorated and their overall general functioning improved.