Major
Psychology
Minor(s)
Education; English
Advisor
Semnoski, Cathy
Advisor Department
Education
Date
4-2020
Keywords
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Tourette syndrome, Anxiety disorder, Autism spectrum disorder, ASD
Abstract
Helpful Hand is a website created as a tool for parents and educators to provide strategies and tactics to address specific challenging behaviors in the classroom. To develop the content of this website, I surveyed K-12 teachers to see which difficult behaviors they see most frequently in their classrooms, and which they feel the most uncomfortable addressing. The website provides a definition of each behavior so that all users have a common lexicon. The website provides parents and teachers with different methods and tips they can implement in their own classroom. These may be strategies that can be implemented for the class as a whole, or tactics for specific students and behaviors. There is also a section for parents to view for suggestions on things that may make school and home easier for their child. This section can help a parent better understand what their child, or a student in their child's class, may be going through. It is important to note that this website is not a tool to diagnose children with specific disabilities, but instead provides extra support for teachers and parents working with students that exhibit these behaviors. Sometimes students do not have a diagnosis, but if they exhibit these behaviors, these strategies can still help. Helpful Hand is an extra tool to provide teachers with the methods and confidence they need to provide supports to their students.