Support for Students with Hidden Disabilities in Universities: A Case Study

More students with disabilities are accessing the tertiary sector with many disabilities not easily observed (or hidden), because there are no physical indicators. These “hidden” disabilities affect a variety of cognitive processes and may be developmental or acquired. To ensure students with hidden disabilities can enrol, engage in and benefit from tertiary education, universities generally provide a range of supports. Typically these supports and any reasonable adjustments are negotiated with students taking into account a number of factors including, where available, any supporting documentation that they might be able to provide. This case study reports efforts within one large Australian university to support higher education students with hidden disabilities on campus. Perceptions on the use of and barriers to support available were collected from seven undergraduate students who self-identified as having hidden disabilities and from eight support staff. Results indicated that students found their informal networks to be their most effective supports, closely followed by clear, caring and flexible lecturers and tutors. There were mixed positive and negative perceptions reported on the universal and disability-specific supports available. Implications and future research directions are discussed.     

注意缺陷/多动性障碍儿童教育训练的个案报告

近年来 ,国际特殊教育领域内儿童期被诊断的行为障碍中最普遍和最具争议性的是注意缺陷 /多动性障碍。大约 3- 6%的学龄儿童患有注意缺陷 /多动性障碍。本文对一例注意缺陷 /多动性障碍儿童的教育训练过程进行了分析研究 ,探讨了多种训练方法的过程和效果。并结合国内外最新文献 ,分析了造成注意缺陷 /多动性障碍的原因     

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Underlying Deficits in Achievement Motivation

This South African study aims at contributing to the debate regarding the processes underlying the core deficits of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by investigating the motivational factors underlying the symptoms of ADHD. It investigates the difference between adolescents with ADHD (combined type) and adolescents without ADHD regarding their achievement motivation. The results add to previous knowledge regarding the motivational deficits demonstrated by ADHD children and provide a valuable insight into their achievement motivational patterns, especially regarding negative fear of failure and the motive to achieve. Recommendations are suggested regarding educational and therapeutic strategies to improve the ADHD child's motivation at home and at school.     

Deaf children and children with ADHD in the inclusive classroom: working memory matters

This study compared the working memory functioning of deaf children, children with ADHD and typically developing children. Working memory is involved in the storage and mental manipulation of information during classroom learning activities that are crucial for the acquisition of complex skills and knowledge. Thus, it is important to determine how these groups compare in this regard as this has implications for teaching them together in an inclusive classroom. Simple and complex visuo-spatial and verbal working memory were assessed in 24 children with ADHD and 20 control children with no diagnosed ADHD, to determine whether any differences existed between these groups. A second comparison occurred between the simple and complex visuo-spatial working memory of the latter two groups, as well as 24 deaf children, all matched on age, gender and home language. The control group scored significantly higher than the deaf children and the children with ADHD on all components of simple and complex working memory. The implications of this finding are that children with ADHD and deaf children may share similar working memory profiles, making it easier to accommodate both sets of children together in the inclusive classroom. Suggestions are given for how educators could assist these children by reducing the demands on working memory.     

ADHD as a classroom diagnosis. An exploratory study of teachers’ strategies for addressing ‘ADHD classroom behaviour’

ABSTRACT

This study scrutinizes strategies that teachers deploy when confronted by behaviour related to the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Over two years, ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in two inclusive classrooms in Denmark, and all instances of teacher initiatives addressing ADHD-related classroom behaviour were recorded. Six basic strategies recurred across teachers and classrooms. To maintain the instructional flow with the rest of the students and not continually stop, the strategy of ignoring the disruptive conduct of a diagnosed child is often used. This strategy has not previously been explored in classroom research on ADHD. This is probably because previous research has primarily focused on the singular child and the singular teacher, thus leaving the whole-class interplay and complex orientations of teachers unexplored.     

Medicus interruptus in the behaviour of children in disadvantaged contexts in Scotland

The medicalisation of the behaviour of children is a phenomenon that is attracting growing attention, with particular concern about the increased likelihood of children living in disadvantaged contexts receiving a medical diagnosis, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and treatment. This paper reports on a study of professionals involved with children experiencing behavioural problems. The professionals interviewed in this study articulated their own reservations about the medicalisation of children’s behaviour and revealed a number of strategies for interrupting the process towards diagnosis. These interruptions, analysed using Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of deterriorialisation, took place along linguistic, visual and affective planes and were successful in encouraging teachers and head teachers to see alternatives to the medical route. The findings have implications for existing practice in the response to, and support for, behavioural problems and for teacher education.     

Inattention and Response to the ABRACADABRA Web-Based Literacy Intervention

Abstract

Inattention is often associated with reduced response to reading intervention. This study explored attention as a predictor of individual variation in response to a free-access Web-based literacy intervention, ABRACADABRA (http://abralite.concordia.ca) in typical Grade 1 children. A randomized control design was used to contrast two interventions, a phoneme-based Synthetic and a rime-based Analytic Phonics approach, against a regular classroom control condition. Attention measured by parent ratings and a sustained attention task, was correlated with reading. Attention also predicted growth in blending and reading comprehension for students receiving only regular classroom teaching. However, in the most successful intervention, Synthetic Phonics, attention no longer predicted reading outcome. An omnibus analysis of effect sizes that combined all attention measures across all areas of literacy attainment improved by ABRCADABRA confirmed that there were significant differences between the regular classroom teaching control and the synthetic phonics intervention: Attention predicted significantly more variance in attainment in the control condition. These results suggest that the computer-based literacy intervention, ABRACADABRA, can influence the associations between literacy and attention and may support students at risk of reading and attention difficulties.     

Recognizing and Treating Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in College Students

Traditionally diagnosed in children, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is now regarded as a life span condition. The academic difficulties experienced by children and adolescents with ADHD have been observed to continue into young adulthood. Treatment outcome studies demonstrate that behavioral and pharmacotherapeutic interventions can be beneficial in improving ADHD symptoms such as inattention, and so facilitate academic performance in young adults with ADHD. This review discusses how ADHD leads to academic underperformance, the warning signs of undiagnosed ADHD, and the potential impact interventions can have on adult academic impairment.     

学校环境与注意缺陷儿童研究的历史与现状

从"学校环境与注意缺陷儿童"的角度回顾了国内外研究的相关文献,揭示了与注意缺陷儿童关系密切的学校环境主要是:教师的知觉、班容量、教师的干预策略、儿童与教师的个性特征以及教师是否具有特殊教育实践等.