Swetland,+Lauren,+ADHD



These are two of my nephews. On the left is Carson Zane, and on the right is his older brother Braxton. Unfortunately I don't get to see my two nieces and other two nephews very often, but I get to spend alot of time with these two!

Something that you want us to know about you or something about you that is interesting; I am the youngest of my family. I have three older brothers, all of whom have children. I am a total daddy’s girl, and I love being an aunt of six wonderful nieces and nephews! Explain your education & career goals; After graduating high school I attended Shasta Community College in Redding, CA where I am originally from. There I got my AA in liberal studies, and afterwards decided to come to SOU on a volleyball scholarship. I am currently working towards getting my Masters in Elementary Education and possibly minoring in Special Education. I hope to become a first grade teacher back home in California after I finish school here. What brings you joy?: There are many things that bring me joy! First and foremost comes my family, they mean the world to me. I also have a lot of close friends who have helped shape me into the person I am today. I enjoy playing sports, from volleyball to basketball to a fun game of backyard horseshoes. In the summer time I enjoy being outdoors; I love camping and going to the lake. Another thing that brings me a lot of joy is working with children! I love kids and helping a child in any aspect of life, it brightens my day! What is your greatest fear about being a teacher?: One of my biggest fears when it comes to teaching is that I will fail my students. I want to be able to reach out to every one my students and their specific needs and knowing that that might not happen worries me. I also fear that when I do become a teacher I will not have the resources and proper knowledge that I need to teach my students what they need to learn and answer all of the questions that they will have. Did you ever experience a time when something was extremely difficult to learn? Explain that time and how it made you feel: Ever since I was in grade school I have struggled with reading comprehension. It is very frustrating to read something and only be able to remember a small amount of it. I still continue to struggle with this to this day, and I usually will have to read something two or three times to retain the information. When I was younger it was hard and sometimes embarrassing when I would be asked a question in class about something that was read and I wouldn’t know the answer because I could simply not remember. How might this piece of your history help you connect to students with learning differences?: From my own experiences with reading comprehension, and seeing other students struggle in my own classes and classes that I have observed I have a very compassionate heart for students. I know that all students learn differently, and they all learn at different rates and levels. Knowing this not only reassures me that I have the room to be human and make mistakes but it also reminds me that my students need to be respected for who they are as people, not ignored or viewed differently for the struggles they may face. What do you want to gain from this course?: I am very excited to take this course because I don’t have a lot of background knowledge in Special Education, yet I might want to teach it in the future. The main goal I have for myself is to learn if Special Education is an area I could see myself teaching. I hope that I learn things that I can apply to my prior knowledge that would benefit my students in the regular classroom as well.

Introduction of Topic

ADHD is a chronic disorder that exists in children and adults. It includes many complications which can be in combinations of difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. I chose to research ADHD because it has always been interesting to me, and I took this opportunity to learn more about it by doing my own research. I have had a few family members who were diagnosed as children and have grown up to live very happy and successful lives as adults; one of those family members is my older brother. Previous to choosing this topic I have never known much about ADHD accept for what the acronym stands for; attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. I believe that ADHD is often times over diagnosed, and many people do not have the proper background knowledge to teach and control students who have been diagnosed with ADHD.

Top Resource [] : 5 out of 5 stars!

This is by far the best website I found to access information about ADHD. It contains dozens of articles regarding ADHD, as well as instructional and informational videos. Some of the article topics include; symptoms and behavior, treatment, questions to ask your doctor, top ten myths, medication benefits and complications, and many more. Some of the articles inform parents on how to manage their children who have ADHD, while some are directly related to adults with ADHD. When one article is chosen, the website takes you to that specific article where there is sometimes videos related to that specific topic. The videos are my favorite part of this site because I am a very visual learner and watching the videos helps me to solidify the information that I have already read. The videos are very informal and are quick and to the point.

Additional Resources

[] : 4 out of 5 stars! Within this site you can find information related to the causes and symptoms of ADHD, the testing and treatments of ADHD, and also specific links to the many types of medications that can be prescribed for ADHD. I like the information on this website, but I feel like some of the information is too broad and could be elaborated on in much better detail.

[] : 4 out of 5 stars! This website is so helpful for all types of people. There are pages for children to access, teens, and parents. I like that this site has those options, and describes the information provided towards each different perspective. This website can be especially helpful for children, as it talks about the information in ways that young children can comprehend. Also, as a teacher this can be a helpful tool to use with your students who may have ADHD. My favorite thing about this site is that it has information on ALL kinds of helpful topics including; emotions and behavior, nutrition and fitness, first aid and safety, and many other things, and of course ADHD. [] : 4 out of 5 stars! What I really like about this website is the section about the causes of ADHD. It describes each cause in great detail and gives specific examples within each categorical cause. Also, there is a section that gives parents tips on how they can help their children with ADHD and also how they can work with the schools.

[] : 4 out of 5 stars! This video gives a historical overview of ADHD and how it has evolved over the years. Also included in this video are statistics on children and ADHD; including percentage of students who are diagnosed with this disability. My favorite part of this video is the scenarios and suggestions section. Scenarios of what could happen with a student with ADHD in the classroom are described, and suggestions are offered about what could be done to help the student.

[] : 4 out of 5 stars! This website is mainly statistics of ADHD prevalence. It has statistics of the ratio of boys to girls diagnosed with ADHD, how much diagnosis of people in each state, medication usage, and many other statistics related to ADHD. Also, many of the statistics also have a link to articles that explain the statistic in much greater detail. [] : 5 out of 5 stars! A fifth grade teacher is interviewed and asked questions pertaining to how he deals with students with ADHD in the classroom. He gives many examples of strategies that can improve the overall environment of the classroom which helps the students' learning. This video can be beneficial for any general education classroom teacher as it gives ideas of how to accommodate in the classroom for these specific students.

[] : 5 out of 5 stars! Although this video is very short, the people who speak and the message they convey is SO powerful! ADHD is a disability that affects many people including; children, adults, boys, and girls. However, these people can and do accomplish things that can be rather challenging for them. This video shows that people can do extraordinary things when they believe they can.

[] : 5 out of 5 stars! This website is a great resource for general education teachers. It points out ways in which you can accommodate for students with ADHD in the classroom. Some of the tips this website gives include; modifying behavior and self-esteem, giving instructions, giving assignments, and recommendations for other educational resources for the student.

 Top 5 Things I Have Learned 1. The three main symptoms of ADHD are; distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

2. In order for a person to be diagnosed with ADHD they must exhibit many symptoms and have had those symptoms for up to six months.

3. Up to 30% of children with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder, and up to 70% of people with ADHD will be treated for depression at some point in their lives.

4. Research shows that ADHD is both highly genetic, and a brain based disorder.

5. Many types of treatment are available including; medication, psychotherapy, behavioral interventions, and numerous types of educational support.