Professional Development for Teachers of Students with ADHD and Characteristics of ADHD

Abstract

Inservice education has the potential to provide teachers with knowledge and skills that are necessary to manage challenging classroom behavior and improve academic and social/emotional outcomes. To assess the effectiveness of 3 inservice programs that focused on knowledge, understanding, and/or functional-assessment interventions, we identified 49 educators of students with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 196 of their students. Three months after implementing all programs we found improved teachers’ attitudes about and confidence in teaching students with ADHD and improved self-reported ability to provide accommodations. Our findings were documented differentially in a comparison of program type and by real changes in teaching practices and in ratings and observations of student behavior.