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Andrea Stevenson spch-s 121 Martinez 10/4/10

Informative Speech Preparation Outline Introduction


Attention Material: Imagine youve just had a child. Everything seems to be going well until they hit toddler years. The child wont listen, throws fits often, and never sits still. You think that theyll grow out of it; its just the terrible twos. But they dont grow out of it. You finally go to a specialist and find out your child has ADHD. Preview: ADHD is defined by several things, and causes many struggles, especially in learning. However, there are ways to help a child cope with the disorder.

Body
I. 5 million children in the United States have ADHD, and the children as well as their families are affected by many things due to this. A. ADHD is a brain disorder, and its cause is still somewhat mysterious although recent research is leading to the idea that it may be genetic. The ADHD Parenting Handbook describes the disorder as being [] characterized by inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity, distractibility, and/or hyperactivity [] With this, the children will act younger than they are, throw tantrums, typically have problems sleeping, telling them no will have absolutely no affect, and negative reinforcement will never work. They can have trouble sleeping, and often have restless leg syndrome, although it has not been proven to be directly attached to ADHD. B. Due to the childrens disability to control themselves, they sometimes develop depression. Also, siblings of children with ADHD are often ignored because of how much attention is devoted to the disabled child. I can definitely attest to that. Parents sometimes feel hopelessness and a loss because of the child they will never have. Learning is the largest challenge for children with ADHD. A. These children have trouble focusing and difficulties sitting still, so a long day at school is a nearly impossible task for them. Sometimes other problems will also fall into play, such as developmental coordination disorder, which affects writing ability. Another factor that impairs learning ability is an inability to sequence, which means that the child doesnt know where to begin- literally. B. Teachers also may have trouble dealing with ADHD students. Sometimes it is unrecognized that the child has a disorder, and they are just labeled as troublemaker. Teachers can have a huge impact on a childs ability to learn, especially where ADHD

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children are concerned because of their need for extra work and attention. For example, my brothers teachers will give him tests orally so that he doesnt have to write out answers, and then the teachers can understand the response which makes his grades significantly better. C. Also, ADHD children have problems at school interacting with peers. They do not recognize body language or other forms of feedback, and tend to be very egocentric. This usually leads to the problems of a child becoming a bully or victim from feeling as though they do not fit in. Both cases can sometimes lead to acting out in ways that will also get them labeled troublemaker There are ways to help a child with ADHD. A. Therapy is the first and most obvious way to help a child with ADHD. There are specialized therapists that will know the best ways to cope with a childs unique situation, because no case of ADHD is exactly the same. There is also behavioral management therapy which is suggested for children which have emotional management issues. B. Medications are the largest help in dealing with ADHD. There is a night and day difference between whether or not an ADHD child is on medication. Some medications used are Ritalin and Focalin which my brother is on. C. Team sports are a good way for ADHD children to learn to relate to others, expend their hyperactive energy, and stay healthy. Team sports work so well with these children because typically methods of positive reinforcement are instilled to make the child want to obey. My brother plays soccer, and when he is out on the field, he always works well with his teammates and does exactly what the coach tells him. D. Vitamins are believed to help as well. Omega 3 is the one that most parents swear by. For troubles with sleeping though, there is a natural extract, melatonin, which already exists in the body and regulates the sleep cycles, and when taken causes the child to fall asleep. My brother takes this and it has definitely worked. Hes gone from being awake until 2am to falling asleep at 9pm.

Conclusion
Summary: Hopefully you now understand what ADHD is, how it affects the child and their family, how difficult learning is for the child, and how the child can be helped if the disorder is recognized. Closing remarks: If you ever have the slightest suspicion that you or someone elses child has ADHD, it is important to get it out into the open so the child can be treated for their own and their familys sake. Denying the problem will not make it go away.

Bibliography
Testimony from Jeanne Stevenson, a mother of a child with ADHD Testimony from Joseph Stevenson, a child with ADHD Alexander-Roberts, Colleen. The ADHD Parenting Handbook. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1994. Brady, Susan. Study Raises Possibility that ADHD is Genetic. Health News. 30 Sep. 2010. <http://www.healthnews.com/hnprint/4484>.

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