The Different Types of ADHD

ADHD is both incredibly common and incredibly complex. It is a disorder that impacts nearly 1/10 kids, but its symptoms vary a great deal according to age and gender. And while ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and many of us hear the label and think of the child who can't sit still or focus, the name and stereotype don't always apply to what ADHD actually looks like in children or adults. That's why we were so excited for Mara to speak with pediatric neuropsychologist Dr. Matt Pagirsky of Growing Minds Psychology about the three most common types of ADHD and how they are expressed in children.

Key Takeaways

• The name “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” implies that ADHD means that there is a deficit in attention, however that is often not the case. Many times, kids with ADHD are great at paying endless attention to things that they find interesting. However, they struggle to regulate their attention and focus on less interesting tasks. That’s why they can build Legos, play video games, or read their favorite book for hours, but have such a hard time getting through a math worksheet or reading their textbook.

• There are three main types of ADHD with two distinct dimensions of symptoms - inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.

  • ADHD Inattentive type is what doctors used to call ADD. Common symptoms of this type of ADHD include difficulty with attention and concentration, frequent daydreaming, and struggles with organization, planning, and execution.

  • ADHD Hyperactive and Impulsive type is characterized by restlessness, difficulty sitting still and regulating one’s body, and impulsivity.

  • ADHD Combined Presentation is characterized by six or more symptoms from the two categories of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.

• ADHD Sluggish Cognitive Tempo is a fourth potential type of ADHD that is less common.

• These different types of ADHD tend to be more commonly diagnosed at different stages in a child’s development.

  • ADHD Hyperactive and Impulsive type is frequently identified in younger kids because they struggle with behavior. These children have a hard time regulating their body and following directions. Their symptoms are obvious and negatively impact their experience at home and in school, which is why parents often have their child evaluated at an early age.

  • ADHD Inattentive type is more commonly diagnosed later in elementary school, middle or high school as children struggle to become more independent and adapt to increased academic expectations. Difficulties with attention and focus lead to gaps in understanding of academic material. Plus, struggles with executive function skills make it more difficult for students to manage their increasingly complex responsibilities.

• ADHD also tends to be expressed differently according to gender.

  • Boys tend to show more signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity.

  • Girls with ADHD typically show more inattentive symptoms and struggle with executive function skills.

• Ultimately, ADHD boils down to difficulty with self-regulation. Kids with ADHD have a hard time regulating both their minds and their bodies. This in turn impacts their life inside and outside of the classroom. Not only do children with ADHD struggle with focus and attention in class, they also have a hard time with the executive function skills they need to learn and manage homework; and their impulsivity and difficulty with regulating their bodies and emotions impacts their ability to establish positive relationships with peers and family.

If you are concerned about your child’s development, we are here to help! Dr. Matt Pagirsky is a neuropsychologist who can help to evaluate whether or not your child is struggling with ADHD. And you can always get in touch with us to help support your child in any of their academic needs!

Understanding Writer's Block

It can be hard to know how to help students who feel “stuck” in their writing. As students progress through the grades, writing demands grow more and more challenging. Many students are able to keep up, whether with or without extra supports, like sentence starters. But sometimes students who have been doing just fine so far suddenly find themselves struggling with writing. So how can we tell if a student is experiencing writer's block or something more concerning? 

Writer’s block can look very different from one student to the next. It can last varying amounts of time, from a few minutes to several weeks. Therefore, it can be difficult to identify the root cause. Plus, writer’s block can sometimes resemble a writing disability in that they both result in the student feeling stuck. And while students with disabilities can be more susceptible to getting writer’s block, the two things have nothing to do with each other. 

What To Write Vs. How To Write

When a student suffers from writer’s block, they are unable to decide what to write. Sometimes they are unable to come up with any ideas at all, and sometimes they just can't choose one. While this can be a very frustrating experience for any author, especially for an amateur writer, there are ways to tell when this type of roadblock is due to a lack of creativity or a lack of understanding.

While true writer’s block comes from being stuck on what to write, difficulty that stems from a writing disability exists because the student may not know how to write what they are supposed to be writing. Sometimes a student is stuck in their writing because something about the task or writing purpose feels too challenging. This is when a teacher will need to intervene with some explicit teaching in whatever it is the student is struggling with.

Signs of a writing disability

When a child experiences writer’s block for one day, then it will be clear very soon that that’s all it was. But if the student is dealing with a long-term struggle, the best way to determine whether it’s just writer’s block or a writing disability is to carefully observe the student’s habits in other areas of writing. How does he perform when writing for other academic purposes? Is his writing more proficient or does he experience more or less the same struggles? How does he appear to feel about writing for other purposes? If he is motivated and confident in other areas but struggles when it comes to informational writing, then it’s probably writer’s block. But if you notice the same struggles across classes or subject areas, and/or the student’s feelings about writing have gotten more negative and stay that way, it might be worth a preliminary evaluation.

Understanding Dysgraphia

While many learning challenges can be difficult to define, dysgraphia is especially tricky. That’s because at its core, dysgraphia is an issue with transcription that includes difficulty with handwriting, typing, and spelling; however, because these skills are closely related to so many facets of learning, dysgraphia is often hard to identify. If a child struggles with handwriting, is it because of a learning issue or does he just need more practice? If a student has a hard time writing an essay, is it because of dysgraphia or does she just need more support structuring her ideas?

It’s a fascinating topic, and one that Smarten Up CEO and Founder, Mara Koffmann, was lucky enough to discuss with Dr. Beth King of TREAT NYC, an expert in the field. Dr. King, a psychologist, highlights the many ways in which this learning difference presents itself, and the best resources and strategies for supporting children with dysgraphia.

Key Takeaways

• Dysgraphia is a low incidence learning difference, and it is not one that can be overcome. It impacts a combination of visual-spatial, verbal, and fine-motor skills. This complexity also means that dysgraphia tends to affect a lot of different areas of learning which makes it hard to diagnose.

• Dysgraphia is highly comorbid and often impacts those with dyslexia and/or ADHD.

• Dysgraphia can be considered a failure to develop automaticity with a range of skills, especially those related to writing. Relatedly, kids with dysgraphia struggle to develop fluency with letter formation which makes writing difficult. And because just about every part of school requires writing, from note taking and in-class assignments to homework and test taking, dysgraphia can lead to generalized difficulties in school. For this reason, assistive technology is a crucial tool for those with dysgraphia. It allows students to focus on content rather than handwriting.

• Some warning signs of dysgraphia include:

  • Significant discrepancies between a child’s verbal and written abilities

  • Random use of capital letters in words

  • Inconsistent spacing between words and letters

  • Difficulty with alignment of letters on lined paper

  • Knowledge of writing mechanics and spelling rules that does not translate to written work

  • Complaints about hand discomfort when writing

• Important resources and supports for students with dysgraphia:

  • Access to a keyboard for all written work. Younger students can learn to type on an Alphasmart, while older kids can use computers or tablets with an attached keyboard.

  • Adaptive typing techniques rather than standard keyboarding skills. This is because students with dysgraphia struggle to achieve automaticity with fine-motor skills. Accordingly, it is better for them to be able to look at letters as they type using whichever finger is most comfortable. And it should be noted that adaptive keyboarding is preferable to speech-to-text technology. This is because speech-to-text can lead to a lot of inaccuracies and errors in writing. Plus, it cannot be used to take notes in the classroom, nor can it help with math or science.

  • Co:Writer, which is a predictive typing resource

  • MathPad and ModMath are incredible math resources to help students write and solve a wide range of problems on an iPad.

  • Efofex is a free tool for students with disabilities to write, solve, and organize more advanced math and science work.

The Value of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

When it comes to what students are learning, the spotlight is always on core academics like reading and math. This is especially true now, since many students risk falling farther behind as the pandemic prevents a return to normalcy. But we should all be just as concerned, if not more so, with students’ social-emotional wellness and development. Not only are SEL (social-emotional learning) skills crucial in any year, this year’s altered educational landscape has made students especially fragile and in need of support beyond academics. So, it's more important than ever that students learn these crucial life skills. There is strong evidence that shows the impact SEL has on students’ short- and long-term academic and personal success. Here are just a few examples of how SEL impacts students:

1. Improves interpersonal skills

SEL lessons teach students how to cooperate, resolve conflict, and communicate clearly and with empathy. This helps students strengthen their friendships, relationships with family members, as well as interactions with teachers. Later in life, these skills manifest in successful job interviews and healthy personal relationships.

2. Teaches healthy responses to failure

Everyone experiences failure, rejection, and disappointment at some point. What matters is how you handle it. SEL programs also help transform students’ thinking about themselves. If a student experiences a lot of negative self-talk, then any sort of failure or setback is likely to send them into a spiral of negative thinking. SEL can help these students develop a growth mindset. They can learn to adopt an “I’ll get it next time” mentality, instead of letting shame or disappointment lead them off course.

3. Helps develop resilience and grit

How we respond to life’s hardships not only affects what will happen in the short term, but it shapes the path our decisions will lead us on. If we grow up dealing with life’s obstacles in unhealthy and unproductive ways that won’t help us move forward, but are soothing in the moment, we are likely to make these coping mechanisms a habit. SEL teaches students alternative coping mechanisms, which lead to an increase in resilience.

4. Teaches students to calculate risks wisely

The confidence students build from the skills taught in SEL allows them to feel comfortable putting themselves a bit outside their academic comfort zone. When students are more self-assured, they are willing to risk being wrong in their pursuit of learning. At the same time, they are less likely to take physical risks or to engage in dangerous behavior.

5. Instills a desire to learn

Finally, the most obvious argument in favor of SEL: if students learn to value themselves, have compassion for others, regulate their strong emotions, and face challenges with a solutions-oriented mindset, they’ll begin to love school. They’ll want to attend every day. They’ll start actually doing their homework and studying, not because they want good grades, but because they genuinely want to learn.

How to Develop Students' Phonemic Awareness

When we think of teaching a child to read, most parents and many teachers probably think of letter activities, flash cards, and lots of books. Yet, the first step in a child's journey to becoming a reader begins with sounds not letters. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, differentiate, and manipulate sounds in words. And this skill is one of the best predictors of a child's ability to read fluently. That's why we were so excited to explore strategies for building phonemic awareness with Tami Morrison, an expert educator and reading guru! Listen to the interview below and read on for key takeaways.

Key Takeaways

• Phonemic awareness falls under the umbrella of phonological awareness. Whereas the former relates to knowledge of words and word parts, phonemic awareness is all about sounds. Phonemic awareness is the ability to understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds called phonemes, and it’s one of the best early predictors for reading success. Building phonemic awareness involves learning to isolate, blend, segment, add, remove, and change the sounds (aka phonemes) in words.

• Building phonemic awareness is the first step in a child’s journey to becoming a reader. Our brains aren’t hardwired to read, but they are programmed to pick up on sounds and language. With this in mind, if we can teach students to better understand the sounds in words, we are setting them up to successfully make the connection to letters so they can master the written code of language (aka phonics).

• It’s never too early to help kids build phonemic awareness. Games that focus on rhyming and beginning sounds are a great way to help young children become more aware of the sounds in words.

• There are endless possibilities for how to work phonemic awareness practice into the fabric of the day for kids. It can be done sitting in the car, waiting in line, or walking down the street. It can fit into morning meetings or classroom breaks. And best of all, it can be paired with movement to make practice fun for kids. Tami’s students especially love the frog jump and roller coaster to highlight medial sounds, the cheerleader punch to point out rhymes, and chopping tools to segment sounds. This combination of listening and movement makes for a powerful (and fun!) learning experience.

• Some basic exercises to promote phonemic awareness include the following:

  • Word chains - Manipulate the first sound in a word, i.e. change the first sound in "bar” to “f” —> “far”, then change the beginning sound in “far” to “j” —> “jar".”

  • Onset - Identify the beginning sound in a word, i.e. for the word “star,” kids would say, “st.”

  • Medial sounds - Identify the sound in the middle of a word, i.e. for the word “top,” children would say, “o.”

  • Ending sounds - Identify the ending sounds in a single word, i.e. for the word “said,” kids would say, “d.” Or children might also identify the ending sound in a group of words like “church, birch, search,” kids would say “ch.”

  • Blending - Kids have to blend sounds together to make a word, i.e. if they hear “c-a-t,” children would say, “cat.”

  • Segmenting - Kids have to segment the sounds in a word to identify each phoneme, i.e. for the word “black” kids would say, “b-l-a-ck.”

• While there are many resources out there for building phonemic awareness, Tami’s two favorites are Heggerty and Kilpatrick’s Equipped for Reading Success. Both offer a multi-sensory, systematic approach for building phonemic awareness in students and include a range of quick and simple activities that can easily be woven into the fabric of any day inside or outside of the classroom!

Food and the Brain

We’ve all been told to eat our vegetables since we were young. And most of us have probably nagged our own kids about it. No one doubts the health benefits of eating a balanced meal with a focus on fresh produce, whole grains, and lean protein. The effect foods have on the health of adults has been studied extensively. However, beyond eating a balanced diet consisting of foods we know are healthy, there has been little research into the effects specific foods have on children’s brains. One such study, conducted in 2019, made some interesting, yet unsurprising, findings. Students who consumed a higher level of sugary, salty snacks (aka, “junk food”) performed worse on standardized tests in ELA and Math. Another study looked into how hydration levels affect student performance. Spoiler alert: students who were better-hydrated (with water only) did better.

Fueling for Test Day

There are a number of foods that are considered “brain fuel.” These foods have been linked to improved concentration, memory, and focus. But regardless of what’s for breakfast on test day, the most important thing is that breakfast happens! When students skip breakfast, claiming they aren’t hungry or their nerves won’t let them keep food down, they are not likely to make it very far into their test without a significant crash in energy, focus, or both. Here are the best foods to eat the night before and/or the morning of:

• Anything with omega-3 fatty acids like fish, avocado, and nuts;

• Eggs, which contain vitamins and minerals that not only improve memory in the short term, but also slow long-term cognitive decline later in life;

• Berries, which contain important antioxidants, crucial for healthy brain function;

• Oats, also for their antioxidants in the form of Vitamin E;

• and Dark chocolate. In addition to being delicious, it also contains flavanoids (another type of antioxidant). BUT, it does need to be real dark chocolate (not milk), and only a small amount. No, we do not recommend eating a chocolate bar for breakfast.

Caffeine and the Developing Brain

Many adults rely on caffeine for brain functioning, and caffeine in moderate amounts does have some brain benefits. However, caffeine is a stimulant that has no place in a child’s regular diet. The small amounts found in any foods containing cocoa are fine, but children and adolescents who are still growing should wait a few years before making coffee part of their routine. The increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety can cause some long-term health problems.

The Bottom Line

Make sure your kids are eating a balanced diet. Limit junk food to special occasions (or bond over making your own together!). Never let them skip breakfast, and include eggs and oats on the menu regularly. Don’t worry too much about small amounts of caffeine in their diet, but don’t let them drink cups of coffee quite yet!

Foundational Reading Skills

Here at Smarten Up, we are big believers in the Science of Reading, and good reading habits begin with foundational reading skills. For that reason, our reading tutors place a strong emphasis on phonemic awareness, phonics, and multi-sensory instruction. Unfortunately, though, that's not the case in all classrooms. As a result, it's all the more important that parents and educators learn more about the science of good reading instruction.

Would you like to learn more about how to build foundational reading skills with your readers? We are so excited to share a conversation between Smarten Up and Braintrust CEO and Co-Founder, Mara Koffmann and Haly Samuels, a NYC-based reading specialist and Braintrust tutor, as they discuss resources and strategies to support early reading.

The Many Paths to Success

School is hard for so many students, and especially for children with learning differences like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or ADHD. However, academic challenges aren't necessarily an indicator of a child's potential for success. Unfortunately, this is a message that these students (and their parents!) don't hear nearly often enough! Richard Branson struggled his way through school, as did Barbara Corcoran and Henry Ford. Thomas Edison and Andy Warhol had dyslexia, just like George Washington and Nelson Rockefeller. The list of incredibly accomplished people with learning disabilities is endless. The reality is that a diagnosis of a learning disability is only evidence of learning differently, and that is certainly true of chef Marc Murphy.

You might know him from Chopped on the Food Network. Or maybe you’ve eaten at one of Murphy’s restaurants or use his cookbook in your own kitchen. He’s built a successful career based on incredible experiences in kitchens around the world, and his dyslexia was an instrumental part of his path. This week, we’re sharing Mara’s conversation with Chef Murphy, covering his journey from the classroom to the kitchen and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

How Speech, Language, and Learning Are Connected

Any student’s experience of school is filled with words. There are the words a child hears or sees each time a teacher gives a direction or delivers a lesson. And there are the words he hears from his peers during class discussions or out on the playground. Then, there are the words that make up the spoken and written responses in class, on assignments, and during downtime. Each day is filled with endless words! So how does that impact the academic experience of a student who struggles with speech and language skills?

Of course, that’s a question best answered by a speech-language pathologist, which is why we were so excited for Mara to speak with Elizabeth Doherty. She is the founder of Manhattan Speech, Language, and Literacy, and Elizabeth has experience supporting learners of all ages with language skills. Listen to the conversation below or read the key takeaways to learn more about the work of a speech-language pathologist and the endless ways in which speech and language skills impact a child’s academic experience.

Key Takeaways

• A speech-language pathologist supports students with receptive and expressive language. One can think of the former as the input – the words that we are hearing, processing, and that we have to make sense of. Expressive language, on the other hand, is the output. These are the words we use to express our thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

• Receptive language is a huge part of the school experience for any child. From the moment a student enters elementary school, he is expected to follow spoken directions, make sense of the books his teacher reads, and learn from explanations. And as a child advances through school, the language demands only become more complex. In the end, if he struggles to process information from teachers, a child is sure to have a hard time in school.

• Similarly, a student will use his expressive language to communicate with his teachers and classmates. A child will want to share ideas and communicate understanding. Plus, he needs to be able to formulate questions if and when he needs support. These expressive language skills are central to a child’s academic success.

• And because language is made up of words and sounds, speech-language pathologists also support students with articulation and phonemic awareness. They teach kids how to not only formulate sounds but also how to segment and blend the individual sounds in words. They will also help kids learn to match those sounds to letters in order to build a strong foundation in phonics.

• Many of the challenges that younger children have with articulation are developmental. Lisps or difficulty with r-sounds are common and something that most kids simply grow out of.

• However, other difficulties with language-based skills are more concerning. If a young child is late to talk, late to use words, or late to learn to express himself, a speech-language evaluation can help to identify appropriate intervention if necessary. Similarly, it’s also helpful to speak with a speech-language pathologist if a child is struggling with reading, writing, and language processing in academic classes. Proactive, early intervention is always the best solution, and an excellent speech-language pathologist like Elizabeth is only an email or phone call away!

Learning to Love Learning

This Valentine’s Day, let’s all remember that a love of learning is the most important ingredient in student success. Okay, it’s corny: so is just about everything else about this holiday! Nevertheless, the value of nurturing a genuine sense of curiosity in our students cannot be overstated. We all want to see our students full of confidence, eager to take on challenges, undeniably passionate about the material they’re studying; if you’re a teacher, it’s likely that you yourself feel a deep passion for the subject you’ve chosen. But while the thrill of discovering new parts of the world and how it works is an inherent part of childhood, that thrill doesn’t always translate into the classroom. 

Instead, it’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing school as a job, defined by boring homework that keeps us from what we’d rather be doing, or frustrating difficulties that lead to anxiety and avoidance. Most unfortunately of all, this perception can lead to a downward spiral, since a lack of motivation can make mastering new material a foot-dragging, mind-numbing process that leaves students further behind and even less likely to engage the next day. 

Breaking out of this cycle isn’t easy. Sometimes an extrinsic motivation (i.e., a reward that creates a reason to finish the activity or invest in schoolwork) might be required to get over the hump. Whenever possible, though, it’s worth putting in the effort to encourage students to find intrinsic motivation—that is, a desire that comes from within themselves. Here are some tips for building this kind of motivation, and the love of learning that can accompany it:

• Teach students how to set achievable, relevant personal goals and help them to track their growth

• Offer students more control by providing options, so that they can have a sense of ownership over what and how they learn

• Give students simple access to the resources and support they need to overcome challenge without being burned by shame or anxiety

• Promote a growth mindset that celebrates challenge and rewards effort