ADHD in the Classroom: John’s Interrupting Behavior Analysis

Introduction

The focus learner selected for this project is John, a 15-year-old Hispanic male. John is in the ninth grade, and he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) several years ago. The focus learner is sociable, friendly, and high-skilled, but he is inclined to interrupt other students when they respond to teachers’ questions. John usually provides answers to questions prior to other students, and he also provokes students’ reactions. Still, he does no interrupt teachers, and his behavior is rarely observed at lessons in mathematics.

The focus learner’s target behavior and its definition are the following:

• Interrupting: John interrupts or speaks over other students when they provide answers to questions.

The dimension that was assessed for the target behavior was the frequency with which John interrupted other students when they provided answers to teachers’ questions. It was important to assess the frequency of the observed behavior in order to understand in what situations John did not interrupt other students. Therefore, the frequency of interruptions was measured at different lessons and under various circumstances. It was important to determine factors which could influence the discussed behavioral pattern. The data were collected with the help of such procedure as partial interval recording in order to document the number of times when Jon interrupted students and prevented them from answering teachers’ questions.

Assessment & Analysis

Procedure

Twelve observations were planned to be completed during lessons in mathematics, English, and history on March 6, March 10, March 13, and March 17, 2017. The time periods for partial interval recording during lessons were determined with the help of the teachers and with reference to their lesson plans. This approaches helped become prepared for observing the target behavior during the question-answer sessions and discussions.

In order to observe the class and record the behavior, I chose to be seated in the back of the room. I used my tablet and the protocol (MS Word) to record the frequency of the target behavior at different lessons during the set time intervals. I observed John’s behavior during twenty minutes at each lesson, and this period was divided into ten two-minute intervals. I was interested in noting when John interrupted other students while preventing them from providing answers to teachers’ questions. In order to indicate the presence of the behavior, I used “x” as a mark, and to indicate the absence of the behavior, I used “0”, as it is recommended in the literature on partial interval recording (Dombrowski, 2015).

Collected Data

The following protocol was used to collect the data on John’s behavior:

Data Analysis

The analysis of the collected data indicates that the percentage of time when John demonstrated the target behavior is different with reference to lessons in English, history, and mathematics, and it is slightly different depending on week days. Thus, John interrupted students during 48% of the observed time at the English lesson. He demonstrated the target behavior during 42% of the observed time at the lesson in history. The lowest percentage (25%) was observed for the lesson in mathematics. The difference depending on week days was insignificant: 43% of interruptions on Mondays and 33% on Fridays.

It is possible to assume that the subject, setting, and the personality of a teacher influenced John’s behavior. There were no differences in his behaviors observed at lessons in English and history. The atmosphere at these lessons was friendly and lively, and students were encouraged to participate in discussions and express their opinions. At these lessons, John interrupted students, and other learners also called out answers.

The atmosphere at the mathematics lessons was different, the teacher was focused on classroom management and discipline, lessons were well-structured, and students were involved in a variety of activities. John and other learners were not inclined to misbehave because of time restrictions and their involvement in studying the topic. From this point, John’s behavior can be discussed as influenced by settings and the teacher’s approach to managing the class.

Instruction/Intervention

Task Analysis

The behavior to develop in John is the attention to other students’ answers provided to teachers’ questions without interrupting them. The following steps or sub-actions should be completed in order to demonstrate the desired behavior:

1. Listen attentively to the teacher’s questions.
2. Stay silent and focused on the teacher’s words.
3. Listen attentively to answers of those students who were asked to respond to questions.
4. Stay silent and focused on the students’ words.
5. Write down any comments (or additional information) you have in relation to questions and students’ answers.
6. Raise your hand when students have provided their answers.
7. Ask the teacher to allow you to add some comments on the provided questions and answers.

It is important to inform teachers regarding the practice proposed for John, and they are expected to reinforce his positive behavior.

DR Procedure

According to Dr. McIntyre, Differential Reinforcement Procedures that can be applied by educators in their work with students include Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behaviors (DRI), Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors (DRO), and Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates of Behaviors (DRL). In order to address John’s problem, DRO and DRL will be ineffective because they are associated with the partial changes in the focus learner’s behavior.

Therefore, it is reasonable to concentrate on DRI. It is important to provide John with opportunities to demonstrate such opposite behavior as the careful attention to students’ answers without interrupting them, but writing down comments which he wants to share. While referring to the steps listed for the task analysis, John will stay silent when other students speak, and he will write down all his ideas to share with the teacher and other learners when responses are discussed. The replacement behaviors in this case are silence and the focus on writing comments. Rewards will include praise and bonuses (extra credits).

Self-Monitoring/Recording

In order to guarantee that John works on changing his undesired behavior, it is necessary to make sure that he is concentrated on self-monitoring and recording activities when he demonstrates the appropriate behavior. In this case, the appropriate behavior is making notes on students’ answers instead of interrupting them. It is recommended to write notes in this form in order to monitor situations when John should pay much attention to his behavior. The recording form which should be used by John at lessons in English and history is the following one (with examples):

A-B-C Analysis

The target behavior was observed on Monday, March 13, 2017. John’s behavior was monitored at the history lesson (11:32 AM).

Setting events: The class discussed the topic of slavery abolition in the United States and answered the teacher’s short questions in a chain as a part of the formative assessment. Each student had only 20 seconds to answer the question.

1. The teacher asked N about the descent of Robert Purvis’s mother in the abolitionist movement, and N hesitated to answer the question.
2. John did not wait for N to provide her answer, and when she started to speak, he interrupted her while calling out “She was of the mixed race.”
3. The teacher said that John’s behavior was inappropriate, and his answer was not absolutely correct. The teacher noted that she would lower John’s grade for his inappropriate behavior and incorrect answers to questions for other students.

Student’s response to the consequence: John smiled and said: “It’s unfair, ask me another question.”

Behavior Change

While referring to the A-B-C analysis, it is possible to state that John does not view the teacher’s actions discussed as “consequences” in the analysis as effective to influence his activities or behavior. In order to guarantee the behavior change, it is necessary to alter the “antecedents” and “consequences”. The Behavior Replacement Plan should be used to plan activities for modifying John’s behavior (Appendix A).

The replacement behavior for John is when he stays silent and makes notes if the boy wants to add something to students’ answers. While changing antecedents, it is necessary to pay attention to discipline at the lesson and explain how to make notes and how they can be used to improve John’s grades. According to Shepherd and Linn, the teacher should control the situation and make sure that the student is focused on questions without being much excited to interrupt other learners. It is also necessary to change consequences and guarantee that the teacher cuts points when John demonstrates his inappropriate behavior and adds extra points when the positive behavior is observed.

Mistaken Goals Analysis

Children misbehave when they seek attention, seek power, seek revenge, or demonstrate inadequacy. While referring to the case of John, it is possible to state that he seeks attention. While being involved in active discussions or other similar activities, John can feel confident and energetic. These activities can be interesting to John because of his ADHD and his inability to stay calm during a long period of time. Furthermore, John can seek attention to make sure that his achievements are known and praised. The goal of John’s behavior in this case is not to interrupt others, but to demonstrate his knowledge. For instance, John avoids interrupting other students and calling out answers when he is not sure that his answer is correct. It is important for him to be praised and compared to other students.

Plan to Change Behavior

The plan to change John’s behavior will be based on the task analysis and the provided Behavior Replacement Plan. John should be informed about possibilities to express his opinions and be graded for correct and appropriate answers using extra credits. These points should be discussed as reinforcers for all students in the class, but it is important to involve John in these activities. In addition to making notes, John should be taught to develop counterarguments to other students’ answers if he thinks that they are incorrect. For this purpose, John cannot interrupt students when they speak, but he should concentrate on listening to their responses.

The Focus Learner’s Parents/Guardians

According to Taylor’s ideas presented in his The Survival Guide for Kids with ADHD, those students who suffer from ADHD usually demonstrate inattention, they can seek adults’ and other children’s attention with the help of different means, and it is rather problematic to make them concentrated on activities which can be uninteresting to them. John is one of “popular” students in his school, he is good at both studies and sports, and his parents stimulate him to focus on higher achievements.

In spite of living separately, John’s parents pay much attention to upbringing their son. He knows that his successes are important for his parents. Even if John’s active behavior and stories about his achievements are praised at home, it is important for John’s parents to understand that his self-oriented behavior is inappropriate in a classroom. It is possible to propose them to initiate a conversation with John to discuss his successes at lessons.

Parents should accentuate the following moments in their conversation:

1. John’s friends in the class should also have opportunities to express their ideas without being interrupted;
2. John’s parents are sure that their son is smart and creative, but he should not prevent other students from receiving good grades in order to demonstrate his knowledge;
3. John’s teachers also know that he can be good at presenting correct answers to questions, as well as arguments and counterarguments;
4. John’s teachers expect that his creativity, willingness to participate in discussions, and knowledge will contribute to improving lessons and developing debates.

These points are based on some recommendations presented in the sources on the work with students who have ADHD (Gallagher, Abikoff, & Spira, 2014). Much attention should be paid to demonstrating how John’s opinion is important for his parents, friends, and teachers when it is expressed appropriately and according to certain rules.

References

1. Dombrowski, S. C. (2015). Psychoeducational assessment and report writing. New York, NY: Springer.
2. Gallagher, R., Abikoff, H. B., & Spira, E. G. (2014). Organizational skills training for children with ADHD: An empirically supported treatment. New York, NY: Guilford Publications.