ADD/ADHD Alternatives in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong

Author:Thomas Armstrong
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780871203595
Publisher: ASCD
Published: 1999-11-30T22:00:00+00:00

ADD/ADHD ALTERNATIVES IN THE CLASSROOM

68

Studies on the efficacy of cognitive approaches have produced

mixed results in whether one can train the minds of children labeled ADD/ADHD to attend, remember, focus, or “think” more effectively (Abikoff, 1985; Fehlings, Roberts, Humphries, & Dawes, 1991). One reason for the mixed results may be that researchers are artificially imposing specific cognitive procedures on kids labeled ADD/ADHD

without seeking to discover how these children actually think. We need research on the actual subjective experience going on inside of the minds of children with attentional and behavioral difficulties. Do these kids think in words, numbers, pictures, music, physical sensa-tions, or in other ways? With the advent of new models of thinking and learning we now have more ways in which to contextualize the different ways of thinking in kids labeled ADD/ADHD (Gallas, 1994; Houston, 1982; Samples, 1976; Schwartz, 1992; Taylor, 1991).

Strategies like self-talk, visualization, and biofeedback may tap the natural cognitive assets that kids labeled ADD/ADHD have to help them succeed in and outside of the classroom.

Self-Talk

The use of words to help direct the mind toward specific goals is one of the central features of verbal activity in human beings. Young children organize much of their thinking through private speech, or the process of talking to themselves or to no one in particular (Vygotsky, 1986). Gradually as we develop, this stream of words becomes internalized as inner speech. The parallel chatter of youngsters at play is replaced by the “silent mind chatter” of adults at work.

The ADD/ADHD field has directed much of its attention in cog-

nitive therapy to approaches that seek to train kids identified as ADD/ADHD to use “self-talk” strategies. Recent research suggests, however, that many kids with attentional and behavioral difficulties may already possess the ability to use task-relevant self-talk in the

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.