5 Common Misinterpretations of ADHD Behavior
April 5, 2013
by Sandra Rief
Even when we are fully aware that a child/teen has ADHD – a neurobiological (brain-based) disorder, it is easy to misinterpret the behaviors we observe. Here are 5 common behaviors of students with ADHD, the incorrect assumptions often made by teachers, and the reality of what is most likely the underlying cause(s) of these behaviors in students with ADHD:
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1.Difficulty working independently. When teachers give an assignment for students to work on after instruction, and the child just sits there not doing the work, it is often interpreted as the student being lazy or apathetic. This issue is more likely due to:
- Working memory weaknesses – Students with ADHD often forget what they are supposed to do by the time they get back to their seats (unless they have some tangible visual prompt to remind them – like a checklist, task card, or written directions).
- Lacking the prerequisite skills to do the assignment. Because of attention being in and out during the instruction, the student may have missed some of what has been taught to enable him or her to do the assignment without assistance. It’s important for teachers to check for understanding before giving independent work to do.
- Distractibility – Difficulty blocking out internal and external distractions to focus on the assignment and stay on-task. Structuring or ‘engineering’ the classroom environment to minimize distractions is important for all students, particularly those with ADHD.
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2.Doesn’t follow directions. When teachers give a direction and a student with ADHD appears to ignore or disregard what is being asked, that may easily be viewed by the teacher as deliberate noncompliance. Instead, this is often an issue related to:
- Difficulty being able to interrupt and stop what he or she is currently doing (particularly if it was something of interest and motivating to the student) to switch gears and do something else (the teacher request/command). Transitioning from one activity to the next is often problematic for kids with ADHD.
- Inattention – with thoughts elsewhere, not hearing or attending to the direction(s).
- Poor working memory – not recalling the full direction(s).
- Difficulty with activation – translating those directions into action.
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3.Repeatedly making the same mistakes. When a student continues to demonstrate the same problematic behaviors (e.g., classroom disruptions) over and over – even though those behaviors have resulted in the past with negative consequences, it is easy to assume the child is doing so deliberately. Teachers often assume the child’s behaviors are willful, and not realize that these kids are “repeat offenders” in spite of the consequences because of:
- Self–regulation weaknesses (neurobiological/physiological). The misbehavior is typically not intentional.
- Poor inhibition– ability to stop, put on the brakes, and think before acting. These kids often respond too quickly to refer to past experience.
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4.Poor work production – accomplishing tasks. Teachers can easily view this issue as laziness, goofing off, lack of effort or caring about work. Instead, this common problem (which is a hallmark characteristic of ADHD) is a result of a number of executive function weaknesses:
- Poor organization and time management
- Difficulty initiating and getting started on tasks
- Resisting distractions
- Sustaining attention, focus and effort
- Poor working memory – forgetfulness
- Goal-directed persistence
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5.Being chronically late – missing deadlines/due dates. Teachers often view students with these issues as being lazy and apathetic. Instead, these issues for students with ADHD are direct results of:
- Executive function weaknesses. These students have impaired sense of time (time awareness), and commonly under-estimate by far how long tasks will take to complete. They often have significant difficulty judging and managing time, and staying on top of long range projects without reminders, monitoring, and assistance.
Note: I have a lot more information about this topic and a wide range of practical, effective strategies for helping with these behaviors in my books and other resources.
Tags: ADD/ADHD, ADHD, behavior, executive function, misbehavior, misinterpretation, students
