e Learning Disabled or Behavioral Disorders
categories of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed by the United States Congress in 1990 (PL 94-142) (Reid, Maag, Vasa, & Wright, 1994). Those
children, who do not qualify under IDEA, should be able to receive services under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under the current provisions of this law, anyone with a physical or mental impairment that limits a "major life activity," which includes learning, is eligible (Diller, 1998). However, ADHD is not strictly a special education problem. In fact, most ADHD students spend the majority of their time in regular education classrooms (Reid, Maag, Vasa, & Wright, 1994).
The most widely accepted treatment approach for ADHD children has traditionally included four major areas in which interventions are addressed: (a) educational accommodations, (b) promoting appropriate behavior, (c) medical management, and (d) ancillary support services (e.g. counseling and parental support groups) (Barkley, 1998; DuPaul & Stoner, 1994). Researchers agree that early intervention is crucial in the prevention of academic underachievement, and that too many ADHD students do not reach their full academic potential because schools are failing to properly address the needs of this population (Schwiebert, Sealander, & Dennison, 2002). Specific academic accommodations should be written into each ADHD student's IEP or 504 plan. The goal is to alter the environment in the classroom in ways that will better fit the child's needs.
While there is widespread agreement about the need for educational accommodations in the treatment of ADHD students, there has been little evaluative research examining the success of these accommodations.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of some of the standard educational accommodations commonly used as intervention treatments with ADHD
App...