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Dieter Baeyens & Lotte Van Dyck

Supporting students with ADHD: Indications for and effectiveness of teaching and exam accommodations. Dieter Baeyens & Lotte Van Dyck. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Hyperactivity/ Impulsivity. Inattention. ADHD-IA. ADHD-COM. ADHD-HI. ADHD.

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Dieter Baeyens & Lotte Van Dyck

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  1. Supporting students with ADHD: Indications for and effectiveness of teaching and examaccommodations Dieter Baeyens & Lotte Van Dyck

  2. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Hyperactivity/ Impulsivity Inattention ADHD-IA ADHD-COM ADHD-HI Supporting students with ADHD

  3. ADHD • Worldwide prevalence in children +/- 7% • Between 2 and 4% of university students • More students with ADHD in higher education because of increased screening at earlier age and better diagnosis at primary school age • With increasing demands in secondary and postsecondary education, this group is primarily facing increasing problems with attention, planning and organization. • (Weyandt & DuPaul, 2006) Supporting students with ADHD

  4. ADHD If I really want to study efficiently, I get on the train. The ongoing noise seems to block all other stimuli. I don’t get distracted anymore and there is only me and my books. Supporting students with ADHD

  5. ADHD This is the third key of the house, the seventh key of my bike and my second mobile since January. I loose everything because I am not able to pay attention. Supporting students with ADHD

  6. ADHD My mother knows the telephone number of the bus company by heart to claim objects I have lost. They are really friendly people. Supporting students with ADHD

  7. ADHD • Important to know that • ADHD is best described in terms of “not being able” rather than “not wanting”  understanding • Symptoms are present in all settings  it is not personal • ADHD in childhood ≠ ADHD in adulthood  many people outgrow the typical DSM-IV symptoms but still show impairment Supporting students with ADHD

  8. ADHD • Important to know that • At the basis of the disorder lies a genetic vulnerabilitythat can be positively or negatively affected by environmental factors  through these factors we have a moderate impact on the disorder Need for evidence based diagnostics, treatment and support for each age group Supporting students with ADHD

  9. Evidence based diagnostics Diagnostics of ADHD Classification Assessment “Age and person specific” “Universal” Supporting students with ADHD

  10. Evidence based diagnostics Diagnostic process of ADHD Classification (1) • Number and peristence: ≥ 6 symptoms of inattention and/or ≥ 6 symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity • Age of onset: 7 years • Pervasiveness: present in ≥ 2 settings Developmental perspective Heterogeneity Supporting students with ADHD

  11. Evidence based diagnostics Diagnostic process of ADHD Classification (2) • Impairment: social, academic/occupational • Not only during the course of/better accounted for by other disorders Interpersonal variation Comorbidities Supporting students with ADHD

  12. Evidence based diagnostics Diagnostic process of ADHD Assessment (1) Heterogeneity Developmental perspective Recent, comprehensive assessment Interpersonal variation Comorbidities Supporting students with ADHD

  13. Evidence based diagnostics Diagnostic process of ADHD Assessment (2) • Identify the current cognitive processes responsible for the impairment • Clear indications of student’s strengths and weaknesses Supporting students with ADHD

  14. Evidence based treatment • Psycho-education • For the student with ADHD • For the context • Psychopharmacology • Cognitive behavioral therapy/techniques • For the student with ADHD • For the context Supporting students with ADHD

  15. Evidence based support • ADHD – students • Lowergrade point averages • More academicproblems • Higherchance of dropping out • … • As a result students with ADHD are encouraged to advocate for teaching and exam accommodations provided by Disability Services Offices (DSO). • (Barkley et al., 2008) Supporting students with ADHD

  16. Evidence based diagnostics • Students with ADHD could potentially benefit from teaching and exams accommodations (Harrison & Rosenblum, 2010) • However, little research available on effectiveness of accommodationsin secondary education (SE) and postsecondary education (PE) Supporting students with ADHD

  17. Aims • Thisstudy: • Overview of accommodations for students with ADHD in SE and PE  quantitative approach • Exploring indications for and effectiveness of accommodations  qualitative approach Survey Interviews Supporting students with ADHD

  18. Methods • Quantitativestudy A surveyonaccommodationsin 91 settings of PE (n=49) and SE (n=42)  Qualtrics(www.qualtrics.com) • Qualitativestudy 23 semi-structured interviews: • Students in PE and SE • DSO in PE and SE  Nvivo8 (QSR International, 2008) Supporting students with ADHD

  19. Outline results • Comparison ADHD – Learning Disorders • Teaching accommodations • Examaccommodations • Needs Supporting students with ADHD

  20. Results– comparison Survey • Significantly more accommodationsforlearning disorders (LD) thanfor ADHD (χ²(1)=3.82, p<0.05) Supporting students with ADHD

  21. Results– comparison • Possible hypotheses: • Are studentswith LD applying more oftenthanstudentswith ADHD? • More acceptanceforimpairmentscausedby LD than ADHD? • More knowledgeaboutaccommodationsin case of LD? More studentswith LD than ADHD in SE/PE? • More needforaccommodationsin case of LD? Supporting students with ADHD

  22. Results– comparison Interviews • DSO: • Knowledgeabout the disorder in adolescents/youngadults: LD > ADHD • Guidelinesabouteffectiveaccommodations: LD > ADHD Supporting students with ADHD

  23. Results– comparison Interviews • Students: • Fearsocial stigma • Refuse to accept support • Positive effect of accommodationsunknown • Option of applying foraccommodationsunknown Supporting students with ADHD

  24. Results – Teaching Survey Top 3 reported teaching accommodations: • Teaching staffreceivesinformationon ADHD  66% • Developingstrategies to coach the student  41% • Supportingself-management in students 40% Supporting students with ADHD

  25. Results – Teaching Survey * = p<.05 *** = p<.005 * *** Supporting students with ADHD

  26. Results – Teaching Interviews • DSO: • Little is knownabout ADHD in adolescence and youngadulthood • Psycho-education for the teaching staff could increase awareness of ADHD symptomatology • The teaching staff fears the additional effort Supporting students with ADHD

  27. Results – Teaching Interviews • Students: • Fear a lack of understanding by making use of accommodations - this is less the case for LD • Fear social stigma • Open communication between the student with ADHD, peers, teaching staff and DSO is needed Supporting students with ADHD

  28. Results – Exams Survey Top 3 reportedexamaccommodations: • Studentsreceives more time  73% • Option of (at leastpartial) oralexams 40% • Option of taking breaks duringexams 13% Supporting students with ADHD

  29. Results – Exams Survey * = p<.05 ** = p<.01 * * ** Supporting students with ADHD

  30. Results – Exams Interviews • DSO: • No guaranteethat the accommodationis effective • The teaching staff fears the additional effort • The teaching staff fears doing ‘too much’ for students with ADHD Supporting students with ADHD

  31. Results – Exams Interviews • Students: • Most accommodations are not effective • Taking exams in a separate roomis perceived as the most effective exam accommodation • Medication is perceived as the most effective treatment • A single typical accommodation profile for ‘the student with ADHD’ does not exist • Fear social stigma Supporting students with ADHD

  32. Results – Needs Survey • Needsaccording to DSO: • More information on coaching student  71% • A nationalpolicyonaccommodations 50% • Help fromexternalspecialists  37% Supporting students with ADHD

  33. Results – Needs Interviews • There are no clear guidelines from the government: • The selection of accommodations is made locally and on intuitive basis Supporting students with ADHD

  34. Results – Needs Interviews • Because of the heterogeneity in ADHD, a recent, comprehensive assessment is needed: • To identify the current cognitive processes responsible for the impairment on which to base accommodations • Reports from qualified specialists should provide clear indications of students’ strengths and weaknesses Supporting students with ADHD

  35. Conclusions • Extra effort, motivation and creativity often insufficient to deal with school and academic impairments of ADHD • If some specific conditions are met, teaching and exam accommodations are potentially effective to alleviate these impairments: Supporting students with ADHD

  36. Conclusions • Accommodations should be individually designed by the DSO based on recent comprehensive assessment of the students’ strengths and weaknessess, reported by a qualified specialist • Open communication and a better knowledge of ADHD will result in more goodwill on the part of the teaching staff, as is already the case for students with learning disorders. Supporting students with ADHD

  37. Conclusions • A clear (national) policy on accommodations for disabilities should guarantee sufficient and effective support for students with ADHD as well as adequate resources for SE and PE settings to organize these accommodations. Supporting students with ADHD

  38. Dieter.Baeyens@lessius.eu Lotte.VanDyck@lessius.eu

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