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| Attention Deficit Disorder |  ADD is frequently diagnosed as secondary to other learning difficulties which may range from learning disabilities to emotional disturbance. It is very important to diagnose it early and begin remediation to avoiding these other complicating difficulties.
Attention skills will need extensive work as indicated by the name of this disorder. Attention is a significant prerequisite for all learning and success in school. Children will need to learn to finish work once started. Children will need to learn to listen and be helped to have as few distractions as possible. Besides, they should be programmed to build up their length of attention span
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Another area needing remediation is impulsivity. Children will need to stop and think before they answer or begin work. Much supervised remediation is required at first but this control must eventually become self-controlled on the children's part. Plans and activities for working with impulsivity are available.
An inability to control movement or hyperactivity, if present, can interfere with attending and learning. Teaching children how to slow down and become aware can include activities such as "The Turtle Imagery Procedure"; this activity teaches children to say they will go slow, like a slow turtle, in a structured program that includes more inclusive exercises. Modeling of appropriate behavior by adults, self-confrontation with videotape, role playing, biofeedback, and relaxation are other helpful methods.
One great problem children with ADD will encounter is in the area of effective socialization with peers. It is an important part of a cycle that when children fail to make friends and get along with others, the children then also have negative feelings about themselves.
Other particular skill deficits in perceptual and conceptual areas will also need attention. A lot of the work in this area concentrates on the task to be taught and uses a strong behavioral approach emphasizing incremental learning steps.
ADD seems to affect reinforcement response. Parents and teachers will need to find out what would be potentially reinforcing for a student, and then a reinforcement schedule can begin to be planned, it will help any remediation program to succeed. Success for those students is crucial.
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