Helping children with ADD/ADHD succeed in the classroom is dependent on several factors. Educators must understand the characteristics of these students and the instructional strategies that are most helpful with this group (Montague & Warger, 1997). Grouping in the classroom is an important factor for all children and it is of particular importance to ADD/ADHD children.
Characteristics associated with ADD and ADHD include inattention, distractibility, impulse control, over activity, and behavioral or social problems. These students may be noncompliant when teachers attempt to instruct them and they may be aggressive with peers. They may destroy property. Montague and Warger (1997) presented the example of a second-grade child with ADHD who was asked to return to her seat three times during a 20-minute independent seatwork assignment. The child presented with tantrum behaviors, crying, tearing up papers, stomping her foot, and running out the door. She refused to joint the reading group during the next lesson and instead sucked her thumb.
When determining optimal practices to deal with this type of child, assessment must consider the severity of the disorder, symptom duration, situational and temporal variances, educational characteristics and needs, and social adjustments required. Thus, to understand the type of grouping needed for this child, the educator must understand the characteristics present (attention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity), the severity of the symptoms since they vary among students, co-occurring disabilities, when and in what type of situations the child is likely to react negatively, and other educational factors. Medical and psychological evaluations help with the making of appropriate decisions regarding medication and counseling, which may be needed to assist classroom behavior (Montague & Warger, 1997).
Montague and Warger (1997) stated that when educating AD
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