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Effective Assessment and Intervention for Children with ADHD in Rural Elementary School Settings

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Handbook of Rural School Mental Health

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorder of childhood, with current estimates indicating that almost one in ten children have been diagnosed at some point in their life. Symptoms associated with the disorder, including difficulty with sustained attention, impulse control, and activity modulation, are associated with a host of impairments in the school setting including social difficulties with peers and adults, academic underperformance, and classroom disruption. Due to these difficulties, children with ADHD present a significant need for school-based services and are at increased risk for negative outcomes such as grade retention, dropout, suspensions, and expulsions. This chapter discusses evidence-based assessment and intervention for children with ADHD in the school setting with a specific emphasis on considerations for common aspects of the rural context including poverty, mental health stigma, limited access to services, and limited providers.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In addition to reviewing literature, the recommendations and experiences included herein are written from the point of view of authors located in the Appalachian region (Southeastern Ohio) of the United States.

  2. 2.

    Links to download the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Impairment Rating Scale are available at http://www.oucirs.org/resources/educator&mhprofessional.

  3. 3.

    A target behavior interview template is available at http://www.oucirs.org/resources/dailyreportcard.

  4. 4.

    Resources can be found at http://effectivechildtherapy.fiu.edu/professionals.

  5. 5.

    American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommendations can be found at http://www.aacap.org/App_Themes/AACAP/docs/practice_parameters/jaacap_adhd_2007.pdf; also see http://ccf.fiu.edu/resources/printable-information/ as a helpful resource for caregivers.

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Holdaway, A.S., Serrano, V.J., Owens, J.S. (2017). Effective Assessment and Intervention for Children with ADHD in Rural Elementary School Settings. In: Michael, K., Jameson, J. (eds) Handbook of Rural School Mental Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64735-7_8

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