Successful Test Taking and ADHD   Frank Barnhill M.D.
 

Unfortunately, most ADHD children are not detected until late in the school year when it’s difficult to do something to salvage that grade.  Please refer to my notes on ADHD and the third grade for further information. Of course we must always remember that the purpose of education is to successfully teach a child to grow both academically and socially, such that they can integrate into society, be productive, and earn a living.  The purpose of testing should not be to fail those who don’t quite get it.  Testing should be used to identify levels of skill and ability, so that everyone can learn effectively.

So now, let’s discuss how successful test taking tips for the ADHD’er.

Should the testing area be quiet and isolated?

In 70 to 80% of ADHD’ers, a quiet area free of all distractions is perfect for testing.  This allows them to concentrate and focus without distraction.  If such an area is not available, the use of earplugs, earmuffs and facing away from windows, bright objects, bulletin boards and the class may be helpful.  The other 20 to 30 % will actually do worse in quiet surroundings.  Recent research has shown these children do better when it is noisy or the television or radio is playing.  Apparently, these ADHD’ers have learned to discriminate with sound.  They may do well with music playing through earphones.  How do you know? You just have to try.  Parents may have noticed that they tend to study better with the TV on, even when not watching it.  One elementary teacher I had made everyone turn their desks away from the windows before test taking. All instructions for testing should be written on a board at the front of the class, for easy quick reference if the child becomes confused.  Likewise the same instructions should be written at the top of each section of a test and read aloud at the start of the test.  The teacher should ask if there are any questions about the instructions before testing starts.

Some experts have shown that the average student loses focus at about 40 to 45 minutes into a test.  The ADHD student tends to lose focus at about 25 to 30 minutes into the test.  How can you help avoid loss of concentration? At research centers, it has been found that concentration on testing improves dramatically when the test is broken up into clearly identifiable topic related sections.  For example, a comprehension test may normally be comprised of six paragraphs, followed by twelve content questions.  Grouping the test into three sets of two paragraphs with the questions pertinent to each set immediately following definitely help modify the ability to focus and allows the child to complete a task in stages instead of as one big seemingly impossible glob of text.  I’ve heard arguments that this is unfair to the other children and may be seen as a form of cheating.  I usually respond, “If you have a child whose vision is very poor even with glasses, do you print larger text? Or maybe put him as close to the board as possible?  That child with poor vision is no different a future asset to be molded and nurtured, than the ADHD child.

In math testing, studies have shown that children perform and learn faster when permitted to use a calculator to reach a final answer, after they outline the steps to the answer in the margin.  After all, it is the math mechanism that a child needs to learn to be successful.  How many adults do you know who don’t use calculators?

Any test can be made more interesting and sticky (stickiness is defined by something’s inherent tendency to maintain one’s attention) by including graphics, pertinent designs, and key colors associated with the content.  For example, it’s easier to remember an octagon is used for a stop sign, if the symbol is colored red. ADHD’ers definitely do better at verbal testing.  Most experts feel that the ADHD’ers inability to focus leads to poor written expression, as the child is struggling to verbalize what he thinks and write concisely.  Some teachers now split testing into verbal sections and written sections.  This is very easy to do.  In my sixth grade, our teacher gave us notes on the verbal sections to be covered on the next test.  Then after the written part was completed, we drew questions to be answered before the class associated with the verbal sections.  Key words were always underlined, and your credit for the question depended on your use of those key words.

A few advanced teachers have started permitting all of their students to write anything they wish on one side of a 3 by 5 note card, before taking a test.  The theory is that if they realize that some formula or something is so important as to need to be on the card, then it’s unlikely that they will forget it anyhow.  For the ADHD’er, this alleviates some of the performance pressure they feel before every test.  Performance pressure and lack of organization are the two most common reasons that students cite for getting started slowly on a test.  Teachers have told me that they purposely place three or four of the easier questions at the start of each test, in order to get the student rolling into the main body of text without feelings of doom and despair.  Remember, the purpose of testing is to teach and assess, not to fail.

I’m sure there are many other tips that the teaching profession uses to help students succeed.  It’s a hard, but very rewarding profession I’ve been told.  So, teachers have my respect.  It’s hard to get an MD degree without them. Please e-mail any little tricks you have used in the classroom and let me know what age group you feel is best served with your creative efforts. Then, we can share with everyone.

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