Download Correction of Behaviour and Cognitive Activity of Children with AD

Piscalkiene Viktorija Ph.D. candidate Institute of Educational Studies, Kaunas
University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania
Braziene Nijole Doctoral of Educational Science
University of Siauliai, Siauliai, Lithuania
Correction of Behaviour and Cognitive Activity of Children with AD/HD by Story
Telling: Case Study
Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University
College Dublin, 7-10 September 2005
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is a disorder of neurobiological origin that is met in
children and adults who are experiencing significant behavioural and cognitive difficulties in important
aspect of their lives in personal relationships and at school. These difficulties can be attributed to problems
of impulse control, hyperactivity and inattention.
Much concern lies in the fact that these children are often unsuccessful at school, their self-esteem is very
low, destructive relationships with their teachers, parents and other close relatives form most often than not.
This can stimulate an asocial behaviour and the formation of pathological behaviour. Due to the progress
and further development of this disorder later in life and psychological, social and health problems for
people having AD/HD, early evaluation of this disorder and pedagogical and psychological help in early
age and childhood is very important. The paper discloses the importance of the fairy-tales as the special
instrument of upbringing and training for the development of cognitive capabilities and behaviour
correction of children with AD/HD at primary school.
Introduction
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is characterized by symptoms
of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity at levels that are considered maladaptive
and inappropriate for a child’s age or stage of normal development. Abut 40% of them
show symptoms that persist to adulthood. Most children with AD/HD will exhibit
significant problems with academic performance, such as slow work completion,
inconsistent accuracy on seatwork, or homework, and poor study skills. Behavioural
features, exhibited with AD/HD, include low-frustration tolerance, temper problems,
persistence, emotional liability, depression, peer rejection, poor self-concept and poor
self-esteem.
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one of the most often stated behavioural
disorders among children and teenagers from 5 to 8 per cent of the general children
population. And it is systematically growing. Today, it is well known, that AD/HD
syndrome has a negative impact either on cognitive learning, or the development of social
sphere. As the above mentioned disorder may continue and even progress at the later age
by causing psychic, social and physical problems, early aid is advised at the youngest
possible age (Chris A., Zeigler Dendy, 2000; Cooper P. & Bilton K.M., 2002; Dupaul
G.J., Stoner G., 2003).
There is emerging research identifying cognitive correlates of AD/HD symptoms
in young children. Language, attention and memory problems may be present early.
AD/HD symptoms affect normal development and adjustment in many areas, including
attachment and bonding, self-control, cognitive development, social and emotional
development. The significant activity of a child, lack of attention, impulsive behaviour,
impatience, inability to fulfill the tasks etc. has the negative effect on learning.
Education of such children requires a lot of competence from teachers
(pedagogues and parents). In this context, sustaining of a positive emotional tone,
motivating merit system, development of child’s self-control capacities, organizing of
special learning environments are the most important tasks to be fulfilled.
In order to look for the particular means by which sort of correction for children
with AD/HD syndrome should be chosen, that would also help developing their selfcontrol, positive self-estimation, story-telling phenomenon was chosen (story-telling,
analysis and interpretation of fairy-tales, fantasy journeys while listening, re-creating and
dramatizing of fairy- tales, games, story-telling according to pictures and cards). A storytelling phenomenon, as one of the creativity development forms, helps to observe the
merits that stimulate harmonious development of a child. The following grounded
suppositions disclosing story telling advantages determined the choice of story-telling
phenomenon for children with AD/HD.
In the context of humanistic psychology, where creativity is understood as a
transformative force, strengthening the sense of a human value (Rogers, 1951), story
analysis and interpretation, individual story-telling are to help a child in acknowledging
oneself with own merits and deficiencies. Specifically, a main task here is to teach a child
how to discover oneself and develop self-control. C. Rogers idea that a child’s
harmonious emotions and will, inner development process and personality development
is determined by interrelations among members of educational process, educator’s ability
to create favourable conditions for a natural child’s self-expression, is discussed by
modern educators, (Jovaisa, 2001; Rajeckas, 2002). Narratives, such as story telling or
retelling, giving directions, or recounting a past experience, play a central role in daily
social interactions (Zinkevic-Jevstignejeva, Grabenko, 2002).).
Up to now the undisclosed importance of the story-telling phenomenon for
children with AD/HD allows framing the problem of the research with the following
question: what are the new opportunities of the story-telling phenomenon for pupils with
hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder for the development of their cognitive activity,
and formation of their behaviour. The object of this paper is to disclose the fairy-tales
genre as the special instrument of upbringing and training for the development of
cognitive capabilities and behaviour correction of children with AD/HD at primary
school.
Tasks are as follows:
1. To describe AD/HD and its impact on Cognitive Activity and Social Adaptation
with the help of reference literature.
2. To substantiate and validate the possibilities of experimental education
theoretically and hypothetically with the use of fairy-tale genre.
3. To present the project of a case study.
Keywords: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), behaviour, cognitive,
activity, experimental development.
AD/HD and its Impact on Cognitive Activity and Social Adaptation
For several decades the scientists of pedagogy, psychology, and medicine have
been interested in children and adults who are inattentive and unable to control their
behaviour appropriately. These characteristics enable to define the syndrome of attention
deficit and hyperactivity disorder. These are the following prototypes of attention deficit
and hyperactivity disorders: a) AD/HD Predominantly Inattentive Type, when a person is
inattentive but not hyperactive, b) AD/HD Predominantly Hyperactive Impulsive Type,
when a person is predominantly hyperactive and impulsive, c) AD/HD Combined Type,
i.e. combined classical type. In this case one can notice hyperactivity and impulsiveness
and attention deficit indications that are really problematic (DSM-IV, Diagnostic and
Statistic Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, ICD X International
Classification of Diseases).
Epidemiological studies show that there are about 5 – 7 % of children with
AD/HD syndrome (Barkley R.A., 1998; Barkley R.A., Fischer M., 1990; Dupaul G.J.,
Stoner G., 2003; Flick G.L., 1998; Ludwikowski K., 1998). This deficit is by 2 – 3 times
more peculiar for boys if compared with the girls (Barkley R.A., Fischer M., 1990; Pastor
P.N. & Reuben C.A., 2002).
Such percentage of prevalence practically shows that it is really difficult to find a
class at school with no children suffering from this syndrome. If we make the
presumption that the average statistical number of pupils in the classroom is 25 children,
then it is very expedient that every classroom would have from 1 to 4 children suffering
from AD/HD syndrome. Thus the discussed syndrome is not a rarity of some kind, but on
the contrary, this is a common phenomenon that school teachers have to shoulder and
endure practically every day. It should be mentioned that AD/HD syndrome very often
shows up especially at the school age and in the context of the school activity of the
child. The latter circumstance makes actual and significant, namely, the interest of
education and training from the point of view of the discussed syndrome. The long-term
tests show that the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder practically has been lasting the
whole life, as only 50% of children can be cured, the rest still suffer from it during their
adolescence (Barkley R.A., 1998; Barkley R.A., Fischer M., 1990; Pastor P.N. & Reuben
C.A., 2002; Flick G.L., 1998; Teeter P.A., 1998). Sometimes these symptoms may persist
to adulthood.
Today we know for sure, that AD/HD syndrome negatively affects the child’s
cognitive ability and the sphere of social development. Any particular irritant makes it
impossible to concentrate, to accept the information presented by the teacher and to fulfill
the tasks by oneself. Such a pupil suffers from the inner disorganization of schoolwork
activity and self-learning or slow work completion. In a way we can state that AD/HD
syndrome limits the possibilities of the mental and intellectual activity, but the paradox
lies in the fact that even the children with normal and even high intellect may suffer from
AD/HD syndrome.
Pupils with AD/HD syndrome more often than not leave the school or are
expelled from school. The coefficient of expelled children is higher (approximately 10%)
among the pupils with this syndrome if compared with general population (Barkley,
Fischer et al, 1990). Even at vocational schools students with AD/HD syndrome more
often met with learning and behavioural problems that can explain their retirement from
school (Beekhoven, Dekkers, 2005).
The differences between children with AD/HD syndrome and the healthy ones are
noticed in several cognitive spheres. First of all, children with AD/HD often met with
difficulties while doing various test tasks to fulfill which one needs the strategies of
complex problem solving and organizational abilities and efforts (Barkley, 1998; Rapport
et al., 2000). The language problems of children with AD/HD (unclear language, bad
pronunciation, difficulties while retelling the text, inability to answer the questions of the
text etc.), enable to understand the relation of this disorder with the cognitive sphere, i.e.
the language. The fact that 10 – 54 % of the children with AD/HD may have language
problems helps to understand this, if compared with 2 – 25 % of the healthy children
population (DuPaul J., Stoner G., 2003). Specific Deficits Associated with AD/HD are
memory, attentional, intellectual, reasoning and neuropsychological Specific Deficits:
Intellectual – low coding, IQ may be 7 – 15 points lower; Memory – low verbal fluency,
working memory; Attentional – poor sustained, poor selective, poor divided; Reasoning
and neuropsychological – decreased response inhibition; poor sustained effort; poor
complex problem solving; poor organizational skills (Teeter & Semrud-Clikeman, 1995).
The children with AD/HD syndrome are less successful at school than their intellectual
abilities could allow. They usually get lower marks than the rest classmates with positive
behaviour, besides their estimation in general standard tests are usually lower. It is
obvious that AD/HD is related not with the lack of capabilities and skills, but with the
insufficient fulfillment of the test tasks (Barkley, 1998; Forness and Kavale, 2001). But
the rest part of children with AD/HD can be attributed to the group with the higher risk
that meets with the difficulties while studying due to specific learning disabilities. The
empirical testimonies disclose that the learning disabilities (LD) and AD/HD are the
separate but interlaced dimensions. The fact that over 40% of the children with AD/HD at
the same time have learning problems – Learning Disabilities (Cantwell and Baker,
1991; Frick et al., 1991; Pastor & Reuben, 2002; Barkley, DuPaul & Murray, 1990,
Lerner, 2003). The rest authors, such as Mayes, Calhoun (2000) show that much more,
i.e., even 70% of the pupils with AD/HD at the same time suffer from learning
disabilities (LD).
It is obvious that the lack of the cognitive capabilities may cause learning
problems. The differences between the pupils with AD/HD and those who are healthy
may be noticed not in one learning sphere. These pupils may have speaking, reading,
calculating and writing problems (Barkley, DuPaul & McMurray, 1990; Zackheim,
Edward, Conture, 2003; Susan de La, 2001).
The solution of educational problems of hyperactive children most often depends
on the individual needs of the children with AD/HD. The teaching of such children is the
real challenge to the pedagogues. Only innovative teacher able to use new methods and
means can help such pupils achieve the best learning results.
The children with AD/HD often lack social capabilities. These children are
impulsive, authoritative, aggressive, and apt to create conflict situations while socializing
with their friends (Teeter, 1998; DuPaul & Stoner, 2003; Resourse for school and home,
2003). These children are unable to find friends and often are unable to retain friendship
for a long time, which brings to social isolation, sadness and depression (Guevremont,
1990).
Statistics shows that the pupils with AD/HD have low self-esteem (Weiss &
Hetchman, 1986; Sprich, 2002). They more often are diagnosed as the ones having the
socially unacceptable behavioural features. Even 40 % of the pupils of the primary
schools and 65 % of the adolescent pupils with AD/HD have the disobedient behaviour
(Jensen et al., 1997). 25 % of the pupils have the features of socially inappropriate
behaviour – they steal, are aggressive, and do not attend classes (Barkley, Fisher et al,
1990). The socio-metric measurements show that the children with AD/HD are less
valued from the point of view of socialization than the rest peers (Stormont, 2001).
The way to effective progress of this disorder – is the early statement of AD/HD
expression features and the employment of pedagogical means at due time. The
unnoticed disorder of attention deficit and hyperactivity creates the problems of social
adaptation, such as asocial behaviour and early use of the drugs, low self-esteem, failures
in professional activity, besides the greater risk of depression rise.
Theoretical-Hypothetical Substantiation of the Experimental Education with the
Use of the Fairy-Tales
Vygotsky’s causal-genetic method and its educational-correction abilities
Despite the fact that psychologists and educational researchers have recognized
AD/HD as the scientific problem, it is quite obvious that there are no theoretical methods
of psycho-pedagogical approach of the above mentioned syndrome. It has been
unnecessary to create new theoretical models the possibility to utilize some kind of
classical psycho-pedagogical theory should be discussed and attempt to try to make it
actual as the overcoming of the technological model of AD/HD syndrome should be
made. n our opinion the scientific heritage of Vygotsky and his followers has become
especially important.
The principal approach to the disability of any kind in childhood makes Vygotsky
the prominent initiator of special pedagogy and psychology. Vygotsky understood one
particular moment. According to him, more harmful is not the primary bio-medical
disability of a child, but inadequate approach of grown-ups or unfavourable and adverse
reaction to it. Thus with the help of the interiorization mechanisms the secondary “social
disability” has been created which because of the consequences limiting upbringing and
socialization is much more dangerous than the primary biological disability (Vygotsky,
1978). Vygotsky’s psycho-pedagogical approach to the child’s disability has been
especially absorbing and fundamental because of the fact that it incites not only to adapt
the education conditions to the disability by making them didactically more simple and at
the same time rendering them innocuous socially and culturally, but to strive to create
such socio-cultural and educational surrounding that would be oriented to the
emancipation of education and socialization of the disabled child.
Vygotsky in his cultural and historical theory distinguishes the most important
ontological outlines. Thus these outlines occupy the central figure in causal-genetic
method. First of all Vygotsky strives to show that there are great differences between the
elementary and higher psychical functions. The main difference lies in the fact that the
elementary psychical functions are inborn (i.e. typical to anthropoids), and the higher
psychical functions are exclusively peculiar to people. The higher psychical functions
note the following characteristics: they are meditative, i.e., indirect, disclosed through the
cultural features; they are self-manageable (taken deliberately); and managed
automatically (in later development stages). The higher psychical functions are “apt” to
be trained indirectly (via mediators). The most important thing in Vygotsky’s theory is
that the cultural symbols (signs, symbols) are attributed to the mediators, as well as
psychological instruments (e.g., language, action), and even grown-up people, especially
the teachers.
Vygotsky L.S has stated that training is good only when it surpasses the
development. The learning must activate, stimulate and motivate functions to act,
especially the functions that are participating in the process of maturity, i.e. in the Zone of
Proximal Development (ZPD). Vygotsky defines ZPD as “the distance between the
child’s present level of development, that has been determined by the independent
problem solving” and the higher level of ”potential development while solving the
problem” under the guidance of the grown-ups and collaborating with the more
intelligent peers. Thus it becomes obvious that Vygotsky has taken into account not only
the present level of the student development (the zone of his actual achievements), but his
potential as well, when a child is able to fulfill all actions and tasks by himself. Vygotsky
states that the zone of actual achievements has but insignificant influence to the child’s
development and his learning. When a child works together with a grown-up person we
can watch the possibilities to develop the child’s knowledge and recognition at optimum
conditions – studying with a competent, educating and training mediator (Vygotsky L.S.,
1978, 2000). Gradually the children in proximal development zone less and less depend
on the exterior help of people and things in developing their behaviour, because it has
been directed by their interior psychical process. Besides, the child’s cogitation processes
can proceed despite the external activity, actively manipulating by the exterior world and
striving to support the creative thinking. Paying attention to the opinion, that the same
processes stimulate both cultural and individual development, for Vygotsky the social
communication becomes very important in the context of development theory.
Any function in a child’s cultural development occurs twice or in two levels. First
of all, it occurs in social level (inter-psychological level), and later on in the child’s
personality (intra-psychological level). Thus, the social relationship creates the basis for
all the higher functions and their inter-relations. Very important is the interaction of a
child and a grown-up person, as the purposefully directed efforts to develop the child’s
intra-psychical functions via the inter-psychical interaction stipulates his development in
socio-cultural context (Vygotsky, 1986).
Interiorization is an indirect or meditative perception of higher psychical
functions or their personification through an individual (i.e. personality). With reference
to mediation (cultural features – signs, symbols; psychological instruments – the
language, an interior action, etc.)3, the higher psychical functions appear as the culturally
formed intra-psychical (interior) onthogenical reality. Exteriorization, if compared with
3
Vygotsky states that people are capable of learning the actions they fulfill and understand themselves
from “the interior” over the cultural and symbol systems. In the limits of these systems the meanings are
remembered and this helps to form the basis of “psychological means”.
interiorization, is the opposite action, because it means transition from internal (ideal)
mental actions to exterior actions using signs and things (Merkys G., 1998).
In Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory “Action/Activity” occupies an important
place in the process of higher psychical functions. The active action/activity of an
individual is understood as the basis of development of higher psychical functions. The
most important type of action and activity is: the productive work, games, and learning.
Every age group has its own the most important actions that are closely related with
psychical new derivatives of some individual age group.
In summary we can state that in Vygotsky’s works we can obviously notice the
possibilities of educational cultural-historic method. In the context of cultural-historic
theory the causal-genetic method has been described as an independent and adequate
method of pedagogical experimenting that retains the outline of ontological theory. Thus
the causal-genetic method coincides with the cultural-historic theory, in other words it
has been historically originated from the cultural-historical theory.
The genre of fairy-tales as the peculiar educational instrument of the primary school
pupils with AD/HD syndrome.
The psychologists (Bettelheim, 1976; Oklender, 1997; Zinkevic-Jevstignejeva,
1998, et al.) assert that the uniqueness of the fairy-tales has been related not only with the
concepts of fantasy, fiction, interesting history, but with the situation in which lifelike
problems and obstacles are discussed. The problems must be overcome despite fear, hard
feelings, suffering and pain or disappointment and frustration. Bettelheim B. (1976)
explains that the fairy-tales help to better understand one’s negative emotions and
positively solve psychological problems, enable to feel safe, because their visions rise
from the conscience things that could be hardly understood consciously. Fairy-tales
inducing new experiences and creative impulses awaken the subconscious of a child, help
to form his sense of self-independence, give the singleness to the life. Fairy-tales teach
how to overcome one’s personal desires and wishes, fears and passions, indicate the
possible answers to one or another impulses of subconscious. And this gives spiritual
equilibrium, and the completeness of psychical life.
The utilization of the fairy-tales has been described as “social curing” by the
scientists (Zinkevic-Jevstignejeva, 1998), because it helps to better recognize oneself,
stimulates self-control while correcting feelings of the children who are emotionally tired
or have some behavioural problems. “Curing with the help of fairy-tales” is one of the
oldest methods of psychology and pedagogy, i.e. psychogogy. The knowledge about the
world and the life philosophy has been transferred from lip to lip for ages. Every
generation of the listeners would understand and thing over these fairy-tales differently
and take over the important suggestions and recommendations. Today this process of
contemplation and reflection of the content of a fairy-tale, its understanding, and the
usage of the conclusions has been understood as the way to render the knowledge about
spiritual empathies of a person and social realization. That is why the “social curing”
with the use of fairy-tales has been attributed to the educational system that corresponds
the spiritual nature of a man. Thinking metaphorically the essence of “social curing” with
the use of fairy-tales is the victory of the good over the bad. These bad things in the lives
of children according to psychologists (Oklender, 1997; Zinkevic-Jevstignejeva, 1998),
can be expressed by fear, aggressiveness, hyperactivity, passiveness and other features of
the urbanized world that has been overcrowded by the stressful situations. Chernejeva
(2003) also states that the use of the fairy-tales in the educational process helps to solve
the following problems in children: low self-esteem, uncontrolled attacks of aggression,
the feeling of loneliness (alienation), incapability to understand one’s own feelings,
irresponsibility, weakness, conflicts with parents, and peers “adolescent riot”.
In the context of humanistic psychology where the development of the individual
has been understood as the power of transformative force that strengthens the feeling of
man’s value and personal maturity (Rogers, 1951). The analysis and the interpretation of
the fairy-tales, their self-dependent creation should help the children to understand
themselves, their advantages and shortcomings.
Fairy-tales have no direct moral, as, i.e. fables. They only present the scheme of
true-to-life situation, and figuratively give some moral that naturally emerges from the
retold events. Teaching without morals and no requests enables to avoid the child’s
opposition and the intention to do everything the other way round. The events of the
fairy-tale naturally and logically result from each other. In this way the young listener
perceives the relations of cause and effect and the laws existing in the world. The practice
shows that the metaphor of the fairy-tale creeps into subconscious of a person and makes
active his potential powers that in turn help to find the best way out of the problems. The
metaphor only gently reminds the listener and gives a tactful and discreet advice. This
metaphoric feature helps the child to create the aura of psychological safety, to forget all
the troubles, misfortunes, and to give a look on the outside, and to find out what makes
your life evil (Braziene, 2004, Karciauskiene, 1997).
In the faction of the fairy-tales situations and problems are hidden but we know
that in life every man comes across them. The life-like selection, responsibility, mutual
help and understanding, self-defeat, the struggle with the evil – all these have been coded
in the pictures of the characters of the fairy-tales. In wonder fairy-tales you can always
meet the antipode – the personification of the evil. According to the psychologist
Zinkevič-Jevstignejeva (1998), children do understand that a bad hero of the fairy-tale
will be punished, and the good character that surmounts all the obstacles and
demonstrates his best features will be rewarded. Here the lifelike law has been
personified and embodied: do as you would be done by. Of course, there are fairy-tales
where the evil “has” the mask of the good, or the good character has bad looks. But in
any case the justice and goodness will definitely win. Such understanding enables the
child to be psychologically safe. The challenges with which good characters had to meet
were necessary to make them still much cleverer and stronger.
The experiment fulfilled in the families enabled to understand that families as the
education medium where the members of the family had accepted the roles of the animals
have untapped possibilities. The identification of a child with one or other animal enabled
to express the controversial feelings and to find out the false believes about oneself and
other, to express one’s wishes, fears, aggressive feelings, and the fantasies in safe
surroundings. When you play fairy-tales the members of the family can better understand
each other. You can come across with labour metaphors that later become inseparable
part of the family therapy in the context of the solution of the child’s emotional problems
(Arad, 2004). The training of such kind enables the children “to release” their emotions,
express themselves orally, or using some symbols; to compensate the problems that arise
in reality; to find the methods for problem solving; and retell lots of situations that
children think about during their visionary games (Glover, 2002).
There are no impossible things in the fairy-tales and there are no mental
restrictions and limitations that are present in reality. There you would not hear the
negative answer – “no, I would not do this”. In fairy-tales you may dream, fantasize, and
draw the desirable picture of the future. In this way they arouse the man’s ability to act,
and make the inner powers more energetic. After the acquisition of the experience of the
problem solving by using various fantastic or mythic methods, the child will later transfer
it to the real situations.
The fairy-tales are the histories that the reader has to imagine. When you read
them or listen to them you begin to live in the imaginary world, where the imagery of the
fairy-tales revitalizes the images of the psyche. The appeal and fancy topics emotionally
excite more than exclusively informational content of the fairy-tale. And when emotions
are aroused one can more easily understand one’s own behaviour and change it
accordingly.
Thus the fairy-tales can be duly and deliberately used in the education process.
They stimulate intellectual, emotional, social development of the pupil, help him to feel
more safely, and maintain his balance of mind. The new approach of the teachers to the
fairy-tales should help emotionally unstable personality with socializing and motivation
difficulties, and to feel greater educational success.
The Project of a Case Study where the Pedagogic Experiment has been Utilized
The objective of this pedagogic experiment (further in the text experimental
education) is to empirically validate the possibilities of the fairy-tale genre to correct the
behaviour and develop the cognitive abilities of the children with AD/HD.
Participants and the methods of the pedagogic experiment. The experiment will be
fulfilled with 24 pupils of the primary school with AD/HD that would be randomly
divided into 2 groups. In order to substantiate the educational impact of the fairy-tale
genre for the improvement of behaviour and development of the cognitive abilities of the
children with AD/HD the fairy-tale methods will be used for experimental group. For the
second group –cognitive behavioural training will be given (by Mark Le Messurier,
2004). The duration of the experiment for all the groups will be the same – 6 months.
1. The organizational preparation for the experiment (01.12.2004 – 01.09.2005);
The experiment will be made with the group of the primary school children from 7 to
11 years old with AD/HD syndrome. One medium size town in Lithuania where no
experiments or tests have been fulfilled so far analyzing the psychological, pedagogical
and social problems of children with AD/HD and where no educational or intervention
means were used will be chosen for the experiment.
Because there were no actual data about the children with AD/HD, we had the help
from primary school teachers of all 5 schools of the town, as well as the assistance of
social workers, and the service of psychological help that coordinates the rendering of
psychological services in town. The latter have given information about the pupils they
train and who possibly may have AD/HD syndrome. With the assistance of primary
school teachers, social workers, and the service of psychological help the parents of such
children were informed about the pedagogical, corrective means that would be applied to
their children with AD/HD syndrome under suspicion. The place and location of the
meeting with the experiment organizers has also been stated.
The parents with the children having the suspected AD/HD syndrome came to the
meeting with the researchers voluntarily without the pressure or force from outside. The
meeting has been arranged in the office of the psychological help service of the town.
The lecture about AD/HD and its problems has been rendered for the parents whose
children had been suspected as having AD/HD syndrome because of their hyperactivity,
attention deficit or strange behaviour at school. The parents actively participated, asked
questions and openly discussed the problems. The parents had to answer the
questionnaire of one of the primary AD/HD diagnostic tests (AD/HD Rating Scale-IVHome Version. DuPaul, 1998*). It should be stated that all the parents had done it with
great interest and on a voluntary basis. The parents had given the consent that the
teachers will also fill in the same diagnostic instrument. The teachers were also interested
and answered the questionnaire enthusiastically. The parents were informed about the
organization of the objective group for the children with AD/HD. The work of this group
will be systematically organized at a special training school (studio) for a year. The
parents had expressed their opinion about the best day and time for the lessons in this
school (studio). The school for this studio has also been chosen. That was also important
to know for the researchers as the lessons in the studio had to be arranged during afterschool hours, thus parents should bring their children, or children themselves will have to
come to this school.
Because AD/HD syndrome is the neurobiological illness the consultation of the child
psychiatrist was obligatory in order to organize the objective group for the children. Thus
the children were informed about this visit to the doctor and the time and place of the
consultations had been arranged with this specialist. The parents voluntarily and without
the pressure from outside had taken their children for the consultation with the child
psychiatrist for final conformation of AD/HD syndrome diagnosis. Mention should be
made that 24 children out of 28 tested ones had AD/HD syndrome.
2. The preparation of the investigation methods for the experimental education
(01.02.2005 – 01.09.2005).
In order to estimate the impact of the fairy-tales to the behaviour correction, the
development of cognitive abilities, learning of the children with AD/HD, the tests were
prepared and standardized in normal population of the children of the same age. The
tasks in these tests were non-verbal (i.e. graphical-logical tasks) and verbal (the creation
of the fairy-tales). With the use of these methods all the children will be diagnosed before
and after the experimental development trying to substantiate the possibilities of the
fairy-tale genre for the correction of behaviour and the development of the cognitive
abilities of the children with AD/HD
Preparation and standardization of the stimulus material (project method,
*
This standardized diagnostic test has been chosen for the primary selection of the children with suspected
AD/HD, because this test has the features that help to define AD/HD and the dominating type (dominant
attention deficit; dominant interactivity-impulsivity; common type). This diagnostic instrument will also be
one of the testing instruments used for the evaluation of the experimental impact.
based on graphic-logical tasks) used for testing of non-verbal (cognitive) abilities of the
primary school children. The test tasks for 32 non-verbal abilities were prepared and
standardized in the group of 200 young children of primary schools. This age group has
been chosen on purpose to run the test with the children of the same age group having
AD/HD syndrome. These tasks will be given before and after the pedagogical experiment
with fairy-tales as one of the diagnostic means investigating the effect of the fairy-tales
on the non-verbal (cognitive) abilities.
The task content has been made of 32 test tasks of non-verbal abilities: 12
tasks to join the numbers (the time of the task execution and its correctness has been
tested and estimated), 8 tasks of form filling in accordance with the example given (time,
correctness and graphical culture has been tested and estimated), 2 tasks with figures that
had to be crossed out in stated series (time and correctness of the fulfilled task has been
estimated), mosaic colouring task in accordance with the given example (time, colour
adequacy, colouring roughness had been estimated in this task), the task with the setting
of the figures of “bugs or beetles” in accordance with the given example (time and
correctness of the fulfilled task has been estimated), the task to find 7 differences in the
pictures (the time of the search of the differences has been estimated), 2 tasks of mazes
and labyrinths (time and times where mistakes had been made were estimated).
The preparation of the verbal investigation method for experimental training. The
tasks for verbal ability tests were prepared and standardized in the group of 200 young
pupils of primary schools. This age group has been chosen on purpose to execute the test
with the children of the same age group having AD/HD syndrome. These tasks will be
given for all three groups before and after the pedagogical experiment. The estimation of
the fairy-tales created by the children will be fulfilled on the basis of the levels of the
cognitive complexity of the fairy-tales (Zelenkova T.V. according to Prop V.J.) and by
Zinkevic-Jevstignejeva, T., D. Tihconova, 2003.
3. Preparation of the estimation instrument for the characteristics of the child’s
behaviour and learning (in accordance with 40 close and 2 open type questionnaires). The
estimation will help quantitatively and qualitatively estimate the changes of these
characteristics during the experiment. Every teacher of the primary school twice a month
(on Fridays) will estimate the behaviour and learning achievements of the child with
AD/HD in accordance with the given questions. The data from the parents of these
children will be gathered by the same form accordingly. After the experiment these data
will be analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. This will enable to estimate the impact
of the used fairy-tale methods on the expression of AD/HD symptoms. The questionnaire
has been structured in accordance with the expression of AD/HD symptoms peculiar to
the younger pupils of the primary school. (AD/HD Rating Scale-IV-Home Version,
DuPaul, 1998; Cooper, P. & Bilton, K.M., 2002; Chris, A., Zeigler Dendy, 2000;
Barkley, R.A., 1998; Teeter, P.A., 1998; Wender, P.H., 1995).
4. The execution of pedagogical experiment with the children having AD/HD.
4.1. The selection and use of the models of didactic fairy-tales (O1.10.2005 –
01.04.2005). 12 children with AD/HD will be taught in the organized training school with
the use of fairy-tale methods. The following fairy-tale models will be used: telling of the
fairy-tales, their analysis and interpretation, the fantastic travels while listening to the
meditation fairy-tales, recreation of the fairy-tale, the creation of the end or the
beginning of the fairy-tale, “sand” fairy-tales, creation of the fairy-tales with the use of
“fairy-tale cards”, etc.
4.2. The preparation and use of the tasks developing cognitive abilities and
behavioural by Mark Le Messurier, “A How-to Guide for Successful Behaviour”
(01.10.2005 – 01.04.2006). 12 children with AD/HD will be taught in the organized
training school with the use of the tasks developing cognitive abilities and
behavioural by Mark Le Messurier.
Generatization
At present we know for sure that AD/HD syndrome has the negative effect both on
the cognitive and social development spheres. Any external irritant makes it impossible
to concentrate, to understand the teacher’s given information or to fulfill the tasks all
alone. Such a pupil usually can not finish the activity without the help of the others
because his attention has been attracted by some other things. Besides he often forgets to
bring something or loses his belongings. Interior disorganization of the learning activity
is peculiar to such a pupil. In a way we can state that AD/HD syndrome limits the
possibilities of the mental and intellectual activity, but the paradox lies in the fact that
even the children with normal and even high intellect suffer from AD/HD syndrome.
Children with attention deficit syndrome are often very impulsive their behaviour
provokes dangerous and awkward situations among the peers, teachers and parents.
Hyperactive children often differ from the “normally active” children because their
behaviour is often chaotic, less purposeful and hardly manageable.
The way to effective progress of this disorder – is the early statement of AD/HD
expression features and the employment of pedagogical means at due time, trying to find
the ways to overcome AD/HD syndrome or at least compensate it with the use of psychopedagogical means. According to Vygotsky the development of the child’s physical
functions in ontogenesis has been based by The Zone of the Proximal Development
(ZPD), energetic action/activity, the most important (leading) action/activity, the
importance of the mediators (symbols, signs) that help us to understand that with the help
of the phenomenon of the fairy-tales these measures will enable to strengthen the
development of training and socialization possibilities of the children with AD/HD.
The utilization of the fairy-tale genre in the process of the pedagogical rehabilitation
of the children with AD/HD is the timely and obviously useful method of pedagogical
intervention awaiting the scientific and practical application.
Seeking for the methods to correct the unbalanced or dysfunctional behaviour of the
children with AD/HD and their cognitive abilities the application of the fairy-tale
methods enables the child to optimally collaborate with the social surroundings and to
minimize or even overcome AD/HD symptoms.
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