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Looking at ADHD, SEL and my classroom practices always make me reflect. One thing I know is that having a safe evironment for all students is very important. This allows for students to have comfort and to feel at ease with their peers, learning environment and with me. As all disabilities there is no one size fits all approach. A person with ADHD experiences and views the world in a differnet way. With that said some things thta have worked for me in my classroom are having scheduled breaks, providing clear routines. An example of a clear routine is that my agenda is usually the same starting with a Do Now, conversation, mini-lesson, activity and independent learning and ends the last minutes with an exit ticket or reflection. If there is a change in the agenda I try to let students know. A recent way to mark my transitions that I have started is "un aplauso, 1, 2, 3) as this lets mt students know we are transitioning and I need their attention. I have noticed that marking these moments allows for my students to focus and pay attention to the following instructions. Kids behaviors are not out of control for no reason usually it is because of lack of expectations and movement of the class. I have noticed with these small changes and consistency this allows for students to feel comfortable, ready and prepared for what it is to come.

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I teach in a highly behavioral room and find that often multiple interventions and accommodations are needed. Behavioral/Psychiatric needs coupled with other disabilities can make for complex intervention and support needs. When reflecting, my students in particular often need modified and reimagined versions of tried and true interventions. Oftentimes, things that work for other classrooms will not work in mine if used in the exact same way. This is due to different ability levels, but also, due to their behavioral needs.

In the slides/lecture both medication and visual schedules were mentions, both things used in my classroom. However, I believe that many people may think that medication can be a cure but in actuality it needs to be coupled with different strategies and interventions. My students need their medication but I also have to be aware of the side effects and how they can cause different symptoms. Taking into account extra sleepiness or possible discomfort, etc. is key for student success. Regarding the visual schedules, I find these to be a vital piece of our routine, used daily. With my students I know that the visual schedule has to actually be interactive and hands on. So, I do not just use one big schedule on the board or one made for the students, in the morning each student has their own binder that has velcro images of each activity. Then they place their schedule in order and have access to the binder all day. I have found that for behavioral students, this gives a sense of independence and choice in their day. Additionally, I had to modify this even because I know that one of my students gets upset when symbols are used because he can read and write. He knows he has outgrown the use of symbols. SO for his binder he has a blank schedule where he is able to actually use a pen to write what his day looks like. These little changes help with all of my students so much. It is so important that we remember that all our classroom tools are modified and tailored to our actual students!

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Diagnoses such as TBI and ADHD are huge factor's in a child's day to day functioning, but often can be overlooked or hidden. Common behaviors that correspond with both diagnoses can be easily attributed to personality or circumstance instead of an actual reflection of executive functioning. In my previous school, an interventionist and I suggested to a parent that she should consider looking more into her son's attention challenges. She completely attributed all of his symptoms to personality, calling it "a guy thing"-- not hearing that her son's attention challenges were not typical for his age. It can be really hard to explain the difference between developmentally appropriate behaviors, vs. what may be an indicator of ADHD. Similarly, TBIs can easily go undiagnosed. Kids can experience head trauma/concussions in their everyday lives-- playing, sports, etc. The effect of these TBIs can truly remain a mystery to families if the TBI goes undiagnosed.

In the classroom, I think it is really important to be explicit with directions, and to add scaffolding to support our students. Visuals can be really helpful, even for seemingly more straightforward tasks. One of my pervious students used to sit backwards on the rug, so I would show him images of how he should be facing when on the rug. Truly, in my experience, the more explicit the direction, the better. Students can slowly start to fade these scaffolds, but the extra bit of support can be a huge factor in their success.

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This week’s lecture really made me think about how often we focus on a student’s behavior before we understand what’s behind it. Whether it’s ADHD, TBI, or another psychiatric or neurological difference, so many of the “behaviors” we see are really just communication. I kept thinking about the kids I’ve worked with who get labeled as distracted or defiant when, in reality, they’re overwhelmed or trying to regulate. One thing that stood out to me was how important it is to slow down and look for patterns. When a student has trouble sitting still or finishing a task, my first question should be what’s causing the discomfort, not how to fix it in the moment. I’ve seen that sometimes a small change (like giving a student more movement breaks or adjusting how transitions happen) can make a huge difference in how they engage.

I also liked the idea of viewing supports as things we build with students, not for them. Instead of just handing them a tool or strategy, we can involve them in deciding what works and what doesn’t. It gives them ownership and builds their confidence in managing their own learning.

As a future teacher, I want to get better at seeing behavior through a lens of compassion and curiosity. No one benefits when we only look at the surface. When we take the time to understand the why behind what we see, we can respond in ways that actually help kids feel capable and understood.

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When reviewing this week’s content, it made me think about how important it is that our instruction is fluid and flexible to meet the needs of our students. This includes our supports that we give to students who may need to access them in the classroom. I think often when we consider a calm corner in a classroom, we think of a calm space with some pillows and some fidgets that students can sit in. For students with ADHD for example, this calm corner may not be as effective for them. Students with ADHD may have difficulty sustaining attention for long periods of time and may experience hyperactivity. For these students, it can be really difficult to sit still and complete academic tasks for long periods of time. As a result, these calm corners may need to involve movement to help them regulate and be able to return back to a task. For example, I have deep breath visuals, but they all include movements beyond just breathing. For example, I have a jellyfish breathing visual, which means students breathe in, and out, and then wiggle their arms all around like a jellyfish. Movement can be key to allowing students who need to move their body to regulate. We need to make sure we aren’t projecting a stereotype of what a calm corner would typically look like, and instead ensure our students' needs are central to the creation of a calm corner. In summary, my idea is for students with ADHD, having calm corners that incorporate movement to help them regulate.

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When I look at ADHD, SEL, and behavioral disabilities, I see that a lot of the strategies we discuss are often used in a lot of educational environments now just as concepts of good practice. This could mean things that our lecture mentioned like visual schedules, using graphic organizers, as well as medication.

In my experience, something I have often enjoyed is making room for group based interventions to address some of the struggles that my students face. This is more of a tier-2/3 concept but frequently in my public school career we used buddy groups as an intervention. In these groups, I'd often have multiple of my students who have ADHD or SEL needs along with some strong peer buddies. We would talk openly and honestly about ADHD and elements of social-emotional help. Typically we'd focus on a specific skills within that (organization, interpersonal relationships) and do an activity that connects. Often we'd end with group discussions and the opportunity for my students to ask questions without judgement. I found that building community and students seeing that they aren't struggling alone can really impact one of the elements we've talked about in our course-intrinsic motivation. I think peer motivation can sometimes be stronger than adult provided motivation.

Groups also provided students with more ownership of their interventions because they can often guide the topics we want to cover. (If many students are struggling with executive functioning, organizing and completing work on time we could do that). Buddy groups also gave some of my students in special education more inclusive opportunities and build relationships with students in the general education setting. Overall this was just a vessel to be able to deliver many different intervention strategies, while helping my students feel more apart of something greater than themselves/building positive self confidence.

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Reflecting on this week's lecture and readings on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), ADHD, and behavioral/psychiatric needs, I've been inspired by the shared ideas that comment on interventions. These are inclusive intervention frameworks that build on executive functioning supports, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and visual tools while addressing socio-economic barriers and accessibility. This approach aims to create a proactive classroom environment that doesn't single out students but fosters resilience and self-regulation for all.

Drawing from the emphasis on not mistaking changes in executive functioning for laziness, especially amid ongoing mental health challenges and pandemic-related learning losses, I suggest integrating adaptive weekly SEL check-ins with interactive visual trackers. These could evolve from the proposed inclusive worksheets into a digital or low-tech "Wellness Dashboard" app or board, where students anonymously log their emotional states using emojis, color-coded sliders (e.g., green for "focused and motivated," red for "overwhelmed"), and short prompts like "What helped you stay on track today?" or "How did transitions feel this week?" This builds on the idea of prompting communication, but adds a new layer: data aggregation for teachers to spot class-wide trends (e.g., anxiety spikes before tests) without invasive probing. For students with TBI or ADHD, this indirectly supports memory and organization by normalizing routine reflection, reducing the stigma around "deviations from normal." In marginalized communities, where economic instability can exacerbate dysregulation, consider incorporating community-sourced elements, such as free printable resources or partnerships with local food banks, to provide nutritional tips. This reinforces that the focus begins with basic needs, such as balanced meals, for optimal brain health.

Extending the preference for Tier 1 UDL supports that benefit undiagnosed students (as referenced in the Jake Brackstone TED Talk), visual schedules can be reimagined as dynamic, co-created routine maps. Instead of static charts, consider creating interactive flip-books or digital slides where students contribute icons or stickers representing their day. These colorful and engaging elements can grab attention, making them ideal for visual reminders. This addresses TBI challenges with memory and transitions by providing concrete predictability. At the same time, for ADHD, it targets motivation through ownership (e.g., checking off tasks for a sense of control and independence). For behavioral/psychiatric needs, where pharmacotherapy isn't always accessible, embed SEL elements like "feeling zones" on the map (e.g., "How do my words affect others here?") to promote emotional awareness and positive reinforcement. In my view, this enhances the ABA classroom example by making it participatory, helping all students build self-regulation without the need for pull-outs, and it's adaptable for home use to bridge school-family gaps.

Overall, this intervention prioritizes prevention over reaction: by combining SEL embedding, visual interactivity, and socio-economic sensitivity, we create environments where executive deficits are addressed with empathy and tools, rather than assumptions. It ensures every child, diagnosed or not, feels supported, reducing frustration and boosting engagement. I'd love to hear how others might adapt this for specific grade levels!

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Although ADHD is a disorder of executive function, other mental health diagnoses also entail a deficit in a child’s ability to perform executive functioning behaviors, both internally and externally. For example, both anxiety and depression might make it difficult for children to focus, have self-motivation, and manipulate how they feel at a developmentally appropriate level. Because we are still in a mental health crisis, as the 60 minute video emphasizes, changes in children’s executive functioning should not automatically be seen as a lapse in effort or acquiescence to laziness, no matter the child’s status of a pre-existing diagnosis/IEP. A change in executive functioning or deviation from normal may be a sign that there is more going on at home or there is a developing psychiatric concern. Especially considering how children have lost two years of education and social-emotional learning, and may struggle to communicate how they’re doing with teachers unless prompted, it might be beneficial to have weekly check-in activities with students which assess their mental wellbeing using ~inclusive~ worksheets. This is a preventative intervention to address the mental health symptoms underlying what may be presenting as external behaviors or drops in overall performance.

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A student in the classroom with ADHD can present a challenging case for the teacher. Many times, in my experience, the student with ADHD is very capable of doing good work, they just have some difficulty getting there. Since ADHD is not a “learning disability” the student typically doesn’t need the same type of academic scaffolding that a student with Specific Learning-Disability might need. Instead, an intervention or supports that directly address the aspects of ADHD which are disrupting learning are going to deliver the best outcome for the student. As a teacher, I personally prefer classroom supports for students with ADHD that can be provided during Tier 1 curriculum, as that is when I can ensure their implementation, and adjust them as needed. I also prefer this to a pull-out Tier 2/3 type intervention because many times there are students who may have undiagnosed ADHD, TBI, and/or Behavioral/Psychiatric needs that can also benefit from more “UDL-esque” classroom supports that aren’t necessarily IEP dependent. Also, when taking a UDL approach to classroom accommodations no one is singled out. Jake Brackstone’s Ted Talk from this week’s lecture touched on the idea of what is “normal” or “ordinary.” When Jake was at a school with students like him he felt normal, yet when he went to an “ordinary” college he felt like he had to change. UDL practices create an environment where all students can feel normal.

For example, one way I try to reduce sensory overload in class is by having a corner station facing away which has noise-blocker headphones. This provides a quiet space for a student during independent work times. Movement and brain breaks are other ones I like to build into the lessons. I have found that the most seamless way to incorporate movement breaks into a lesson is by utilizing “stations.” I like to set things up so students have to get up and walk across the room either to a different table, or perhaps a white board or poster board to work on. These can be mundane work-time activities such as filling out a note catcher or graphic organizer, but simply making the students do it somewhere other than their seat breaks up the monotony and makes them move. I am a big fan of “jigsawing” activities which then allows me to set up unique stations that the students can then rotate through. I see “breaks” not as periods of doing nothing, but periods of doing something different.

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This week’s lecture really made me think about how Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and specific supports can work together to create stronger classroom environments. SEL benefits every student by promoting emotional awareness, self-regulation, and a sense of belonging. When it’s embedded into daily routines, it helps create a classroom that feels consistent and supportive for all learners.

In the video lecture, visual schedules were mentioned as a helpful support for students with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). This makes a lot of sense, since students with TBI often experience challenges with memory, organization, and attention. A visual schedule gives them something concrete to refer back to, which helps them remember what’s next, manage transitions, and feel more in control throughout the day. Having that predictable structure can also reduce frustration and anxiety, allowing them to focus more on learning and emotional regulation.

What stood out to me, though, is how I’ve seen visual schedules be just as beneficial for all students. In my ABA classroom, every student. regardless of ability, relied on the schedule to understand the flow of the day. It created calm, consistency, and independence across the group. It really showed me how supports originally designed for specific needs can end up improving the learning environment for everyone. It also had me thinking about UDL as a whole and how it serves to make the classroom a more inclusive place overall. The unexpected benefits of integrating a support for all students makes it worth the hassle.

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After this weeks lecture and readings and thinking about ideas for support and interventions for TBI, ADHD and Behavioral/Psychiatric there are many things that I believe we can take into consideration for guiding children through accommodations and interventions. Focusing in Behavioral/ Psychiatric disorders from the lecture, many times the treatment is pharmacotherapy . Some medications include (antidepressant’s , antihypertensives etc) These medications are used but at times may not be accessible to all children. Some supports would be focusing on social emotional learning in the classroom and implementation of positive learning environment . As well as students who are actively engaged in their plans in the classroom. Some overall ideas for ADHD , TBI and Behavioral/ Psychiatric needs could be visual reminders. This not only helps the children stay on track with their learning and daily routine but also can be engaging. It can be colorful, something that can grab the child's attention as well as interactive. This allows the child to feel like they are in control if that is an area of concern and if the child wants to feel independent. Having a child create check lists and encouraging them to want to create their own is helpful as well. This can be in a school setting or even at home. For example a checklist before leaving for school (Backpack, water bottle, homework, etc). Focusing on social emotional learning as well is huge part of creating a positive and safe learning environment for all students. Implementing check in's, calming corners etc can also be super beneficial for students.

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Discussion Post:  EDUC-Human Development and Human Disabilities (9/30)pm (Mohoniqua L.Pierre-Louis) 

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Discussion Post:  EDUC-Human Development and Human Disabilities (9/30)pm (Mohoniqua L.Pierre-Louis) 

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Based on the readings, and lecture on TBI, Behavioral/Psychiatric needs and/or ADHD, ideas of implementing additional or modified support for these children/students, were all based on addressing social-economic design and functioning within the child’s average community and or environment (such as school, home, work, and/or sports).  The reasoning behind this is because I personally do feel that many marginalized children struggling with adequate financial resources and economic stability, are more likely to become dysregulated, emotionally unavailable or restrictive, and/or easily dissociative within a mainstream classroom.  Specifically, in a classroom setting with mild-moderate students working with ADHD & or behavioral/psychiatric needs, the importance typically relies on nutrients and positive reinforcement. However, focus and support should also focus on the teachings of social-emotional awareness (how do words make you feel and how do they make others feel?, where are one’s feelings during these vigilant moments? how can one respond to others in similar situations or fashions?). I feel creating these safe spaces around feelings helps the child to support themselves, peers, and family members within the classroom setting and out of the reigns of academic vulnerability.

Though I have worked with two children with traumatic brain injury (myself included), a practice I feel has not been developed nor matched to provide sustainable amounts of correction in a child’s capabilities. Although many may attempt to rebuild knowledge and academic skills, the struggle relies heavily on the environment. Consistency is an important social-emotional skill to implement within the classroom, more of, consistency should  not be expected to be blended with regulatory or repetition activities or actions with the attention to academic development or community support, [ anything too boring is mean]. Working with children with moderate disabilities, I find that some have felt disabled within their disorder due to lack of engagement and realistic classroom expectations, and social engagements.

Medication- is a highly thoughtful and motivating experience. Although, it may also be deemed as inappropriate, impractical, distinguishing, and humiliating– to some families (speaking only on the ideas of cultural Relevance). Maintaining a psychological stimuli enriched space, while also adhering to classroom safety is challenging; however, some strong supports I’ve seen are additional seating, headphones, rugs, and fidgets, pencils, pen, paper, and marker ! all strategies that assist the special education teacher and teaching assistance(s), to implement rigorous and intense curriculum geared towards adaptive learning environments – (classroom subjects that are really deep, really emotional, and sometimes way too hard to grasp on the first try)-- Who needs an imagery of an apple in the third grade? We do I guess…. (Why not)-- may I add the addition of a classroom fridge (mini -of course).

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One idea for a support for a young student with ADHD would be physical checklists and schedules throughout the day. While most elementary classrooms post a daily schedule, a student with these needs would most likely benefit from a personal schedule that goes through each subject or period and a checklist for transitions or tasks that may seem obvious to some students but are difficult for others. The lecture powerpoint explained the associated impairment of executive functioning that comes with ADHD which handles memory, attention, organizing, and self-regulating. By providing a schedule for each class and a checklist of everything to be done (including the little things like putting away a folder or getting out supplies) these students can be reminded of what needs to be done, refocus their attention to the task, and self-regulate by turning to their lists. This support might not be beneficial to every student, but if it becomes a routine, it could be very effective in helping control the academic impairment faced with verbal memory and language, as students don't have to sit in confusion or frustration about what comes next. Alleviating, or at least reducing, this burden on students at any age could help boost their cognitive load by minimizing extraneous factors on their memory and focus.

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In the slides, Dr. Mason mentioned that ADHD is a developmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In my classroom, I have students who exhibit these same behaviors, but they have not yet been diagnosed or evaluated. One strategy that helps me is to praise students more frequently for doing something right or for good behavior, rather than reprimanding them for misbehavior. This motivates them to continue behaving better because they want to please me. We also have a calming space in the classroom, called the peace corner. This space is for one child at a time, and they use it when they need to calm down or relax. We also use self-regulation skills for children, including strategies for managing emotions, such as deep breathing, taking breaks, talking to a trusted adult, or using sensory tools like stress balls and fidget toys. Other crucial skills include recognizing and naming feelings, problem-solving, goal-setting, and consistent practice with adult support and modeling. Developing these skills takes time and involves a child's ability to monitor their thoughts, feelings, and actions to achieve the desired result. One thing I like to implement is creating a private cue with students, either visual or verbal, that helps them recognize when their behavior borders on inappropriate.

Also we can help students to seat the student in an area with fewer distractions where they can focus on the lesson. For example, near the teacher, away from windows and the door, or in another area with few distractions. Seat them next to a role model who won't distract them and will help them focus.

Another helpful approach is breaking long assignments into smaller chunks. This allows students to see both the beginning and end of the assignment and offers breaks.

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For a student with psychiatric needs, I think that an appropriate support (that should always be incorporated in the classroom) is social-emotional learning. As mentioned in the lecture, anxiety disorders are extremely common and it is important to be proactive about them to make your students feel safe. Social emotional learning for students with an anxiety disorders involves implementing daily practices in the classroom that teach emotional regulation, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills. By doing so, students are more equipped with the skills to identify triggers, manage overwhelming feelings, build their confidence, and foster empathy. SEL isn't only beneficial to students with psychiatric needs, but to ALL students. One example of an intervention I would include in my classroom routine is mindfulness exercises, such as guided grounding exercises as breaks throughout the day that could help improve self-regulation and increase their attention. I also think incorporating positive affirmations and positive self-talk into your classroom daily routine is a simple yet beneficial practice to reframe negative thoughts and to help form a positive habit. Exercises like this can be easily integrated into the school day daily and supports children with or without psychiatric needs. Overall, SEL can help students understand and manage their emotions, enabling them to cope with stress and anxiety more effectively.

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For a primary-grade student with ADHD, I think an appropriate support could be a color-coded visual schedule that corresponds with color-coded folders, notebooks, and other subject-specific materials. As discussed in the lecture, common impairments seen in individuals with ADHD include executive functioning impairments and academic impairments. With these come difficulties with organization, following routines or schedules, and time management. Providing a student with a visual schedule that they can carry with them or have on their desk can help them keep track of their day, know what to prepare for, and transition from subject-to-subject or class-to-class. Having colors that coordinate with their materials can help the student organize their belongings and know what to bring with them or prepare according to their schedule. This provides the student with a sense of organization and clarity in terms of what they are supposed to do. This support could be coupled with any other support, such as using timers when completing work or transitioning, preferential seating, checklists or planners for work and tasks, taking breaks, and also medication. Anything to help the student feel better about themselves, their mind, and their body is of the utmost importance. Having a conversation with the student to see what they need as well as what type of support they prefer is important in making sure the student feels like they are a part of the process. Additionally, these supports can be changed or modified as needed to support the student, they are not permanent.

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When evaluating proper supports and interventions for TBI, ADHD, and Behavioral/Psychiatric needs, the primary takeaway from this week's lecture is the incorporation of both medication and therapeutic approaches. Positive behavioral supports that aim to teach individuals with behavioral needs how to develop adaptive coping strategies, while decreasing target behaviors, are incredibly beneficial. Though medication is responsible for reducing a high percentage of negative or unwanted symptoms, the side effects can yield additional unwanted symptoms. With this logic in mind, including the child in the planning and implementation of the intervention is imperative to overall success and safety of the treatment. Putting children's voices at the forefront of treatment administration ensures that all adverse responses to medication or therapy are communicated and taken into account. Additionally, this allows the child to feel in control of their treatment and develop a sense of self-determination and accountability for their overall well-being.

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For an individual with behavioral needs, a support/intervention that could benefit them is therapy to teach them coping skills as well as the use of medication. As stated in the lecture, the individual should be actively involved in the creation and implementation of the plan. This therapy should focus on providing the individual with tools to adapt to stressful or triggering situations. They should be able to voice which skills feel the most useful for them. Further, many individuals receive both positive behavioral therapy/supports in tandem with medication. The professionals overseeing the child's therapy and medication should be continually collaborating and sharing data to best support the child's progress. Again, the child should feel a sense of ownership over their treatment plan and feel like their voice is being heard and valued throughout the process.