The affect of mentoring on academic achievement in a child with attention-defi cit hyperactivity disorder: Case study

Attention-defi cit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a syndrome of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. ADHD is defi ned as a neurobehavioral developmental disorder, which is characterized by the presence of both attention problems and hyperactivity. Sources have estimated that ADHD affects approximately 5-15% of school aged children. Unfortunately, traditional classrooms and academic activities often make the symptoms and signs worse in children with untreated or improperly treated ADHD. There may be persistent social and emotional adjustment problems. With an increase in age and the obvious display of symptoms, children are often poorly accepted by peers and loneliness and isolation increases. Child A was a hyperactive student prone to sudden outbursts in class exacerbated by a lack of attention. This behavior needed rectifying, and techniques used were seating the student in close proximity to the teacher, rewarding appropriate behavior and showing the student how to gain other’s attention appropriately. He was also given one-to-one mentoring sessions with his teacher in order to encourage the child and to determine any problems or issues he had and then attempt to rectify them. These techniques when used with Child A showed positive effects in improving his overall behavior. Child A was not receiving any medications, so the mentoring sessions alone can be credited with his improved behavior and performance. ADHD can have serious affects on a child’s social and academic development. There is a serious need for intervention in order to try to overcome these developmental obstacles. Further study, involving the use of other cognitivebehavioral techniques is recommended.