Problems in task-related situations

WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT MAX ?
It’s first period and the students were given a math problem to think about.
They have 10 minutes to calculate the solution for his math task, but Max is
not working on it, but instead he is drawing something. Even when the
teacher tries to encourage him nicely to work like the others do, he gets
angry and upset saying he will not do it and lies down on the desk. The
teacher knows that Max is very good student in different subjects, but he
really struggles with mathematics, he usually has problem to complete any
task given in the class and it makes him upset and uncertain about himself.
The kids are starting to make fun of him, because he never knows the
answer even for really easy math problems.

1. Stages of building a
strategy for working with a
student with specific
learning disabilities (SLD)
ERASMUS + 2019-1-PL01- KA201-06486

CAUSES OF SPECIFIC
LEARNING DISABILITIES
Factors that might influence the development of specific learning
disorders include:
• Family history and genetics. A family history of learning disorders
increases the risk of a child developing a disorder.
• Prenatal and neonatal risks. Poor growth in the uterus, exposure
to alcohol or drugs before being born, premature birth, and very low
birthweight have been linked with learning disorders.
• Physical trauma. Head injuries or nervous system infections might
play a role in the development of learning disorders.
• Environmental exposure. Exposure to high levels of toxins, such
as lead, has been linked to an increased risk of learning disorders.
• Psychological trauma. Psychological trauma or abuse in early
childhood may affect brain development and increase the risk of
learning disorders.

SYMPTOMS OF SPECIFIC
A) Dyslexic manifestations
-children may have difficulty with the following skills:
• Reading at a typical pace
• Understanding what they read
• Recalling accurately what they read
• Making inferences based on their reading
• Spelling
B) Dysgraphic manifestations
• illegible writing despite sufficient time and attention to the task,
• slow and labor-intensive handwriting
• handwriting that's hard to read
• difficulty putting thoughts into writing
• written text that's poorly organized or hard to understand
• trouble with spelling, grammar and punctuation

SYMPTOMS OF SPECIFIC
C) Dyscalculic manifestations
• Understanding how numbers work and relate to each other
• Calculating math problems
• Memorizing basic calculations
• Using math symbols
• Understanding word problems
• Organizing and recording information while solving a math problem

CONSEQUENCES
• Language processing disabilities can make reading and writing
slow and challenging, and memory issues can result in a student
having to reread a piece of text or listen to spoken instructions
many times.
• These students also may need more time to process information
before answering questions or replying when spoken to, which
can result in difficulties contributing to classroom or group
discussions.
• Organization and planning can also be impaired, resulting in
difficulty keeping track of assignments or supplies and submitting
work on time.
• Because of frustration of not being able to read/write or do math
properly, students may purposefully misbehave in class to
disguise SLD.

INTERVENTIONS
What you should do? How to do it?
1. Supply regular, quality feedback Constant feedback and opportunities to employ the strategies you
taught in your lessons.
2. Define expectations
Clearly define classroom expectations for work and behavior. Making
your requirements a part of the classroom or homework routine will help
the student meet expectations.
3. Make sure the other students
don’t feel disadvantaged
Explain in a suitable way to other classmates a different approach to
the assessment of an individual with a specific learning disability.
4. Individual approach Do NOT compare them with others, evaluate them individually, try to
understand and respect their problems. Allow them to experience a
sense of success, providing them with opportunities that reveal their
strengths. Make changes in assgnments or task, if needed.

INTERVENTIONS
5. Be patient When a student asks a question that requires you to repeat something you
already said or was already in the reading you assigned, repeat the information
patiently
6. Help with reading
problems
Provide guided notes for each chapter. The notes should contain a summary of
the main points and key terms listed in sequential order. Student may benefit
from using different colored highlighters- organize.
7. Help with writing problems Grade written assignments for ideas only or provide two grades: one for
content and one for technical skills. Make sure student understands what is
being asked in a written assignment.
8. Help with problems in
math
When lecturing, use concrete examples similar to student's experiences.
Learning may also be improved if a concept is introduced first and numbers are
added later. Encourage student to use color coding in order to visualize a
problem better.

WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT OLIVIA?
Olivia is late for school again, because she forgot her books at home
and then she missed the bus. She usually has a lot of trouble “getting
organized” for school. At school she has a lot of difficulties in “sizing
up” the demands of school assignments and applying the proper
amount of effort to tasks. She usually thinks that assigned tasks are
much easier than they really turn out to be, that the amount of
effort expended was sufficient when, actually, it was much less
than needed and often believing that she did well on a task when she
did very poorly. Also her sense of time is poor when working on
academic tasks.

student with executive
function disorder (EFD)
ERASMUS + 2019-1-PL01- KA201-06486

INTRODUCTION
• Executive functions are necessary for goal-directed and
problem-solving behavior in all aspects of life, whether
academic, vocational, or social.
• Executive function skills help people complete tasks and
interact with others. They include a range of skills, such as:
 planning and organization
 concentrating and controlling mental focus
 analyzing and processing information
 controlling emotions and behavior
 remembering details
 managing time
 multitasking
 problem-solving.

CAUSES OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
DISORDER
• Specialists are not sure why some people have executive function
disorder (EFD).
• Executive functions impairment may be heritable, or passed from
parent to child, so a parent with EFD may have a child with EFD.
• Executive dysfunctions could be also the result of differences in the
specific part of the brain.
• A variety of conditions can impact executive function. These conditions
can include:
 depression
 obsessive-compulsive disorder
 schizophrenia
 fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
 learning disabilities
 autism
 drug or alcohol addiction
 stress or sleep deprivation

SYMPTOMS OF EFD
Symptoms of executive dysfunction can vary, so not everyone with this
condition will have the same exact signs. Symptoms can include:
1. misplacing papers, homework, or work or school materials,
2. difficulty with time management,
3. difficulty organizing schedules,
4. trouble keeping workplace or bedroom organized,
5. constantly losing personal items,
6. inability to solve problems
7. sometimes can include trouble with speech/motor control,
8. difficulty dealing with frustration or setbacks,
9. trouble with memory recall or following multistep directions,
10. inability to self-monitor emotions or behavior etc.

CONSEQUENCES OF EFD
• Executive functions are essential for regulating targeted
behavior and include processes such as working memory,
concentration of attention, inhibition, switching between
tasks, and motivation to perform.
• Their deficits can significantly hinder the quality of life.
For example, deficiencies in concentration of attention can
hamper academic and work performance, while impulsivity
can lead to increased risk-taking and associated
consequences.
• Poor EF skills put children at risk for ineffective interactions
with people as well as the environment, leading to
significant and lasting cognitive and social difficulties

INTERVENTIONS
1. Allow time -kids with slow processing speed are not lazy, they
just process at a slower pace. This means they
need more time to understand lessons, take
quizzes and complete tasks.
2. Give verbal and written
instructions as well
-make sure that the student has understood the
assignment. If multiple repetition of instructions
are needed, you should stay calm.
3. Talk to them, ask if
they need help
-ask if you can help them to get started (but not do
the work for them!).
4. Give grades for
knowledge not
performance
-A child with slow processing speed may not be
able to complete the same amount of work as his
or hers peers. That’s why it’s important to evaluate
him based on what he/she has learned vs. how
much he can do.

INTERVENTIONS
5. Help w/ planning,
organizing and
prioritizing
-learning to use and maintain a daily schedule,
planner, or calendar is very benefitial.By using an
phone app can make it more interesting or rewarding
for students.
6. Altering task,
provide outlines and
summaries of lessons
-altering the task can include making the task shorter,
making the steps more explicit, making the task
closed-ended, building in variety or choice and
providing scoring rubrics.
7. Increase home-
school communica
Teachers who post homework assignments, test
scores and the results of other assessments online
where parents and students can access them
increase home-school communication and as a result,
make it easier for parents to assist with executive
function cueing as needed

WHAT DO I KNOWABOUT
ANDY?
Andy is very nice 12 years old boy, but he has
sometimes problem with moodiness and self-control,
always fidgeting, never pays attention. A lot of teachers
think, that he is a bad student, cause he always
interrupts his classmates and the teachers while
explaining curriculums. His desk is always messy, he
often forgets his assignments and books at home. He
usually doesn’t focus on anything lesson related for
longer than few minutes.

WHAT DO I KNOWABOUT
ANDY?
On today’s science class, he was constantly standing up
with no real purpose, moving from chair to chair,
talking aloud and interrupting his classmates with his
talking. He is constantly demanding attention of the
teacher or his classmates with this behaviour. He
basically ignored the instructions given by Mrs. Rose.
Even when he finally sat down, he was still clicking
with pen or kicking into chair and standing up and
down.

student with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD)
ERASMUS + 2019-1-PL01- KA201-06486

INTRODUCTION
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD and
Attention Deficit Disorder -ADD are multifunctional
neurodevelopmental disorders because they involve genetic,
biological and psycho-social factors.
• They are most common developmental disorders in childhood.
• The disorder is chronic with a significant impact on child’s
quality of life, prevents the use of intellectual abilities, limits the
achievement of potential academic and social success, and
often provokes negative reactions in the environment.
• One of the most impairing aspects of childhood ADHD is the
robust relation with prolonged academic underachievement.
characterized by lower seatwork completion and accuracy, on-
task behavior and homework performance than their peers.

A) Predominantly inattentive type.
 Inability to concentrate for the necessary long time in school work, in the
elaboration of tasks, work activities or in play.
 Significant difficulties in following the instructions.
 Inability to complete schoolwork or homework smoothly.
 Significant difficulties in organizing own activities, planning work/games.
 Rejecting tasks and activities that require concentration or increased
mental effort (listening to fairy tales, writing homework).
 Frequent loss of things needed to develop tasks or perform activities.
 Easy diversion of attention - concentration is excessively often distracted by
external influences.
 Fast and inconsistent work on the submitted assignments is characteristic
etc.
SYMPTOMS OFADHD/ADD

SYMPTOMS OFADHD/ADD
B) Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type.
 Excessive psychomotor restlessness - constantly running around the class
(during class) or room, constantly fidgeting in a chair, permanent pointless
kicking, swinging, frequent getting up from the chair etc.
 Rapid changes in the subject of interest.
 Excessive verbal activity - constant talking, jumping into speech, asking
questions, snorting answers before teacher completes a question. Often gives
ill-considered, impulsive answers.
 Difficulties with self-control and regulation of one's own behavior.
 Inability to postpone the satisfaction of one's need, intensive demand for its
immediate fulfillment. Thoughtless, impulsive action, regardless of the
consequences or risks.
 Affective instability, frequent significant affective breakdowns, especially
outbursts of anger and crying.
 Significant difficulties in complying with instructions, orders, school rules,
non-respect of authorities etc.

CAUSES OFADHD/ADD
While the exact cause of ADHD is not clear, research efforts continue.
Factors that may be involved in the development of ADHD include
genetics, the environment or problems with the central nervous system
at key moments in development.
Risk factors for ADHD may include:
 Blood relatives, such as a parent or sibling, with ADHD or another
mental health disorder.
 Exposure to environmental toxins — such as lead, found mainly in
paint and pipes in older buildings.
 Maternal drug use, alcohol use or smoking during pregnancy.
 Premature birth.

CONSEQUENCES OF ADHD/ADD
 Impairment in cognitive functions and selective selection -– impaired working
and verbal memory, spatial imagination, reduced ability to perceive perspective, to
solve geometric problems, inability to choose the essentials from the information.
 Failure of sequencing and implementation of the plan - inability to divide the
task, plan gradual steps, work towards the result.
 Moodiness - rapid mood swings, unpredictable emotional reaction, gets angry
easily, is immediately ready to act aggressively, prone to negativistic reactions.
 Intolerance - chronic aggression towards some people, destructive behavior etc.
 Inability to submit to authority and rules -children get angry, they are
deliberately annoying, they argue with adults (opposition behavior)
 Less resistance to failure, criticism, insult
 Low self-esteem - children have problems realizing their own value, they feel
insecure, they have unpleasant feelings, they experience embarrassment.
 Avoiding homework - due to a concentration problem, writing homework is often
a problem, the more children are forced into homework, the greater the resistance.

INTERVENTION
1. Changing of seating
arrangement of the
student
-if student is more inattentive, place him in the front,
with calm and patient classmate. If there is more
hyperactivity, consider placement in the back of the
class, where he can move without interupting others
so much.
2. Give verbal and written
instructions as well
-make sure that the student has understood the
assignment. If multiple repetition of instructions are
needed, you should stay calm.
3. Individual approach -give more time, modify task (e.g. Shorter, but
elaborated in form and content correctly). Gradually
increase the demands.
-Divide the larger task into more separate units,
4. You have to be able to
deal with emotional
reactions
-estimate and avoid situations, which can cause this
behavior
-if it already happened, remain calm, dont use
threats and let it go away. Student calms down
quicker if he sees, you are calm.

INTERVENTION
What you sould do? How to do it?
5. Support student
individually
-Encourage the child if he has problems with task,
praise them, make sure they know, if they did
something correctly/ on time/ by themselves without
help etc.
6. Create management
system for the class
-For examle a board with „smiley faces“ (in lower
grades), kids are getting everytime they help with
tools, they do something correctly, finish tasks
properly so students do not feel disadvantaged in
comparison with students with ADHD.
7. Help with organization
of work
-arranging school supplies and learning space,
writing down assignments, creating lists, sorting
activities according to importance, knowing what to
take away and bring from home etc.
8. Communicate with
parents
-the better the interaction of all professionals,
teachers and parents, the sooner we can expect to
overcome or alleviate the difficulties in raising and
teaching a child with ADHD.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ALICE?
• Alice and she is transfer student from different school.
Although Alice always earned good grades at her old
school, her grades have steadily dropped. She has
made no friends and tends to spend her extra time at
school with a few select teachers. She whines often, is
extremely shy, and does not embrace interests
common to teenage girls. She is no table to focus or
complete any task she starts to work on. She has lost
interest in most daily activities, cries often, and has a
difficult time being focused on anything.

student with internalizing
problems
ERASMUS + 2019-1-PL01- KA201-06486

INTRODUCTION
• The concept of ‘internalizing behaviour’ reflects a child’s emotional or
psychological state and typically includes depressive disorders, anxiety
disorders, social withdrawl or somatic complaints.
• Depression is a serious medical condition in which a person feels
very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a
normal way. Children who are depressed may pretend to be sick,
refuse to go to school, cling to a parent etc.
• Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically
about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
Anxiety disorders also often co-occur with other disorders such as
depression, eating disorders or ADHD.
• Social withdrawal is defined as separating or isolating oneself from
others. Social withdrawal is fear of, or withdrawal from, people or
social situations.
• Somatic/Physical complaints is the tendency to experience and
communicate somatic symptoms that are unaccounted for by
pathological findings, attribute these to physical illness, and seek
medical help

CAUSES OF INTERNALIZING
PROBLEMS
• Some research suggests girls /women may be especially
vulnerable to internalizing disorders.
• Familiality is considered one of the most highly implicated
factors in the development of depression and anxiety.
• Negative life events in the social environment, particularly
violence, poverty, abuse, bereavement/loss of loved ones,
or parental separation, trauma or big life changes are
thought to increase the risk for depression, anxiety and
somatic complaints.
• Interpersonal relationships and social interactions appear
to influence development of anxiety and somatic
complaints as well.

SYMPTOMS OF INTERNALIZING
PROBLEMS
Depression:
• depressed mood,
• loss of interest in activities,
• sleep disturbance,
• fatigue,
• feelings of worthlessness,
• excessive guilt,
• difficulties with concentration
• difficulties with decision making,
• irritability,
• thoughts of death and dying beyond expectations for developmental stages.
Anxiety
• tends to include subjective feelings of discomfort, fear, or dread,
• overt behaviors such as avoidance of stimuli or withdrawal,
• and physiological responses such as sweating, nausea, and general arousal

CONSEQUENCES OF
INTERNALIZING PROBLEMS
• Internalizing behavior problems are result in poor academic grades and
students with sever problems like this are less likely to graduate from
high school.
• Depressed students often give up more quickly on tasks they perceive as
daunting, refuse to attempt academic work they find too difficult, and
quickly doubt their ability to independently complete academic tasks or
solve problems.
• Memory, speech, physical and motor activity, and the ability to plan may
also be affected.
• Many depressed children and adolescents are lethargic, speak
laboriously, and have difficulty completely expressing thoughts and ideas.
• Behaviors children may show include limited social contact, avoidance,
needing excessive feedback and reassurance, their activity and
expressions are limited.

INTERVENTIONS
1. Communicate emotions -once students learn about emotions and positive
ways in which they can communicate them, they can
learn to engage in activities that can distract them or
alleviate uncomfortable feelings.
2. Give explicit
instructions and provide
notes
-depressed students benefit from teacher-developed
study guides for tests that enable them to focus on
the most important material.
3. Develop modifications -develop modifications and accommodations to
respond to the student's fluctuations in mood, ability
to concentrate, or side effects of medication.
4. Allow breaks -allow them to leave quietly for a break in quiet part
of the claassroom/outside the classroom if they need
to. Make sure they use this advantage just when they
really don’t feel good. Keep an eye on them always

INTERVENTIONS
5. Changing of seating
arrangement of the
student
-Because of these breaks, make sure they are
seated close to the door, so the do not interupt the
rest of the class while leaving.
6. Break schoolwork into
discrete tasks
-chunk assignments into smaller pieces, help develop
and manage a time line for when to complete each
task. Create chcecklist to highlight the task they
completed
7. Promote social
interactions
-Include cooperative group activities in the classroom
and carefully select in which to put student with
internalizing behavior signs. It can increase the
likelihood that they would enjoy some positive
interactions
8. Help them experience
success and positive
thinking about themselves
-Teachers can help by matching social and academic
tasks to children’s skill levels or just beyond so that
they experience success repeatedly and with high
rates of accuracy.

WHAT DO I KNOWABOUT ZACH?
Zachary is often late for school, he seems very inattentive
and doesn’t really have much friends, because his classmates
think he is „weird“. He usually needs to check homeworks or
shoolwork multiple times after he is done, what makes him
often submit it past due. Same thing happens after the school
is done, he usually returns few times to check he took
everything. He asks to go to the bathroom multiple times
during class, what is interupting his classmates, and if Miss
Samantha forbids im to go, he gets nervous and even more
unfocused.

student with obsedant-
compulsive disorder (OCD)
ERASMUS + 2019-1-PL01- KA201-06486

INTRODUCTION
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neurological disorder
affecting approximately 1 percent of school-age children.
• OCD is characterized by recurring, involuntary obsessions and
compulsions that provoke anxiety, consume time, and interfere with
typical school functioning.
• Obsessions are persistent thoughts, feelings, or images that
enter a student’s head and are experienced to an unreasonable
and excessive extent. They are involuntary, recurring, and
unwanted thoughts that cause feelings of anxiety or dread.
• Compulsions are ritualistic, repetitive behaviors that are often
associated with an obsession and are executed to relieve anxiety
caused by the obsession. Sometimes there is a clear connection
between the obsession and the compulsion (e.g., contamination
and washing), but this may not always be the case (e.g., counting
behaviors may be used to prevent harm to others).

CAUSES OF OCD
• The cause of OCD is unknown, but research suggests that it may
relate to a biochemical imbalance that interferes with the way the
brain processes information and causes the brain to send false
messages of danger.
• OCD may be a learned response to reduce anxiety or may be
triggered by a stressful event.
• The potential causes of OCD, involving one of or a combination
of either are:
• neurobiological,
• genetic,
• learned behaviours,
• pregnancy,
• environmental factors,
• specific events that trigger the disorder in a specific individual
at a particular point in time.

SYMPTOMS OF OCD
Common obsessions in OCD individuals:
• Washing and Cleaning (e.g., excessive showering, hand
washing, house cleaning).
• Checking (e.g., locks, appliances, paperwork, driving routes).
• Counting (e.g., preferences for even or odd numbers,
tabulating figures).
• Repeating Actions or Thoughts (e.g., turning lights on/off,
getting up/down in chairs, rereading, rewriting).
• Need to Ask or Confess (e.g., asking for reassurance).
• Hoarding (e.g., magazines, flyers, clothing, information).
• Ordering and Arranging (e.g.,need for things to be straight,
sequenced, or in a certain order).
• Repeating Words, Phrases, or Prayers to Oneself (e.g.,
repeating “safe” words prayers).

CONSEQUENCES OF OCD
• Students with OCD typically perform well below their potential in areas of
academic achievement.
• This decline in schoolwork often occurs because symptoms of OCD are
interfering with concentration and productivity.
• Some students may not be able to finish their homework because they
are frequently erasing, redoing, and perfecting their work.
• Some students may have anxiety attacks during tests or become too
depressed to attend school.
• Students with OCD tend to have more learning disorders—specifically,
nonverbal learning disabilities—than those without OCD.
• Students with OCD may have trouble paying attention in class because
they have a hard time disengaging from their own thoughts or are
involved in mental rituals in response to their obsessions.
• Students with OCD often have problems initiating and completing
assigned tasks, paying attention in class, and focusing on classroom
activities.

INTERVENTIONS
1. Try to maintain a stress-
free and supportive
environment.
Create a positive enviroment by making sure
students know, they are allowed to make mistakes
etc.
2. Establish predictable,
clearly stated rules and
expectations
Provide structured routines for students to follow.
Provide the student with as much notice as possible,
if the routine must change
3. Be aware of triggering
events, try to prevent them
It’s very important for teachers to know what kind of
things might trigger the symptoms.
4. Allow extra time and re-
check
Allow a student with OCD who feels compelled to
check and re-check work to submit homework after
the due date when feasible and fair to others. Allow
extra time to complete tests if they need.

INTERVENTIONS
5. Make communication
system
If the student feels symptoms coming on, he/she can
signal to you and leave the classroom, or go to a
protected place in the classroom, without interrupting
the class. It can prevent an embarrassing and
disruptive blowup of symptoms in the classroom.
6. Educate classmates
about behaviors
associated with OCD
Help peers understand the importance of individual
differences and necessary modifications.
7. Implement and maintain
regular communication
with the student’s parents
Inform parents of the student’s positive behavior,
rather than only contacting the parents when the
student has misbehaved.
8. Be flexible and willing to
adjust expectations
Realize that once a student with OCD begins a ritual
(i.e. checking, counting, arranging, performing
perfectionistic behaviors) in the classroom, he/she is
unable to stop until it is completed.

Problems in task-related situations

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