Why does Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) matter in our school system and why should you care? ADHD is a very prominent thing in today’s school system and it’s important that people learn about it and know about how it can affect themselves and other students.
ADHD is a disorder that develops in someone’s brain, typically at a young age. It is usually diagnosed when someone is a child and it will last until they’re an adult. ADHD in some people can be seen by inattention or a short attention span, hyperactivity and impulsivity. In some people, inattention can be stronger than hyperactivity. ADHD in boys and girls can be different, not always, but there are common patterns. Girls can show ADHD differently than what most think ADHD is, and boys will commonly show what people know as ADHD. With boys, ADHD can tend to make them more hyperactive, which people think is the main sign of ADHD. Girls with ADHD can tend to be more inattentive and most dismiss it and call it “laziness” rather than ADHD.
The question here is why does ADHD matter? And why does it matter in school especially? Students with ADHD typically have a harder time focusing in school, getting along with other people or making decisions. Between the ages 12 and 17, around 3.3 million students have some sort of ADHD and between the ages of 5 to 19, about 129 million students have ADHD. Hence, a somewhat large percent of the student body at schools have ADHD.
ADHD can affect people in a lot of ways, it can be very difficult to do simple tasks that others can complete easily.
- Needing reminders often
- Easily distracted
- Can be “absent minded”
- Trouble sitting still
- Can rush through things and be careless
- Can be hypersensitive
- Can be very quiet or very loud
- Shifting focus between activities frequently
- Little self control
- Trouble paying attention
These are all symptoms of ADHD and how it can affect someone with ADHD and even the people surrounding them.
So is there anything you can do to help or make things easier? In the grand scheme of things, not entirely. Since most people aren’t an admin, teacher or really anyone who could actually do something about the school system, there’s not many huge things someone could do. However there are some things that are set in place to help like special classes and 504 plans. You can help by just being accommodating to people who do have ADHD and try understanding where they come from and some of the issues they have. It’s important to be considerate to everyone and being thoughtful about others is a very easy way to help people in a small way.
