How Schools Can Maximize Support for Children with ADHD – ScienceDaily

The study, led by the University of Exeter and involving researchers from the EPPI-Center (University College London), undertook a systematic review that analyzed all available research on non-drug measures intended to help children with ADHD in schools. Posted in Education Reviewthe paper found that interventions that included individual support and a focus on self-regulation improved educational outcomes.

About five percent of children have ADHD, which means that most classrooms will include at least one child with the disease. They have trouble staying still, focusing their attention and controlling their impulses much more than ordinary children of the same age. Schools can be a particularly difficult environment for these children, and their difficulties in waiting for their turn or staying in their seats have consequences for their peers and teachers. Research shows that medications are effective but do not work for all children and that some families do not accept them.

The research was funded by the collaboration of the National Institute for Health Research for Leadership in Research and Applied Health Care (CLAHRC) South West Peninsula – or PenCLAHRC. The team discovered 28 randomized controlled trials of non-drug measures to help children with ADHD in schools. In a meta-analysis, they analyzed the different components of the measures implemented to evaluate the evidence of what was most effective.

The quality of the studies varied, which limits the confidence that the team can have in their results. They found that the success of interventions to improve children's educational outcomes is based on targeted interventions that focus on self-regulation and individual sessions.

Self-regulation is difficult for very impulsive children who have trouble attracting attention. Children need to learn to recognize what they are feeling inside, to detect triggers and avoid them if possible, and to think before reacting. This is much more difficult for children with ADHD than most other children, but these are skills that can be taught and learned.

The team also found promising evidence for daily bulletins. Children are set daily goals that are reviewed via a card that the child wears between home and school and between classes at school. Rewards are given to achieve goals. The number of studies on this topic was lower and their conclusions were not always agreed. But using a daily newsletter is relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. It can encourage home-school collaboration and offers the flexibility needed to meet the individual needs of the child.

Tamsin Ford, a professor of child psychiatry at Exeter University's School of Medicine, said, "Children with ADHD are of course all unique.This is a complex issue and it's not a problem. There is no single approach, however, our research provides the strongest evidence to date that non-drug interventions in schools can help children reach their potential in terms of outcomes. The need for higher quality and better research to regulate their emotions – these approaches may work better for children with ADHD through individual delivery. "

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