Teaching strategies
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) are two of a number of behavioural and developmental disorders that affect young children. Many children with ADHD say they do not understand why they sometimes feel out of control or very lonely. The condition is not the child’s fault. The exact cause is still unknown.
ADHD is not an illness
ADHD is a behavioural disorder, not an illness or a sign of low intelligence. With understanding, care and medical treatment, the ADHD child can live a normal life. A child with ADHD has three main problems:
Inattention - difficulty concentrating, forgetting instructions, moving from one task to another without completing anything.
Impulsivity - talking over the top of others, having a 'short fuse', being accident prone.
Over-activity - constant restlessness and fidgeting, have difficulty waiting their turn in games, in conversation or in a queue
Inattention - difficulty concentrating, forgetting instructions, moving from one task to another without completing anything.
Impulsivity - talking over the top of others, having a 'short fuse', being accident prone.
Over-activity - constant restlessness and fidgeting, have difficulty waiting their turn in games, in conversation or in a queue
There are some steps you can take to help manage the behaviour of students in your class with ADHD:
- Develop consistent routines.
- Keep rules clear and simple, and give reminders calmly.
- Get physically close to the child and make sure you have the child’s full attention when you talk.
- Be specific. Give an ADHD child specific action messages and instructions. Give instructions one or two at a time.
- Praise the child and look out for when they do something good. A reward system can shape positive behaviour.
- Try to ignore minor irritating behaviours.
- Demonstrate behaviours that you want the child to follow like not speaking when others are speaking, putting equipment away after using it, talking in a polite quiet voice and not being overly critical.
- If a child is struggling with learning or remembering a skill, partnering him with a responsible peer buddy can be very helpful.
- Count your feedback. Try keeping track of the amount of positive and negative feedback you are giving an ADHD child in class. Although much of the feedback is negative, actively look for areas to praise so you don’t come across as mean or nagging.
- Speak pleasantly. If you want an ADD child to listen to you, try speaking slowly, quietly and briefly. It also helps to make eye contact before beginning to speak so you know you have the child’s attention
- Use a "when-…then" sentence.If a child is not performing a specific behaviour like sitting still or practicing quietly, try using a “when…then” sentence like “When you sit down and stop talking, then I’ll explain the rules of the game we’re going to play etc.
- Allow pupils to make mistakes and repeat unsuccessful experiences
- Help pupils set realistic goals
- Be clear about discipline for behaviour you find unacceptable and apply logical consequences.
- Identify problems in the class environment. Look at the way you treat the child. Are you overly harsh? Do you “expect” the child to misbehave and punish him more quickly than others behaviours?
Remember the child does not mean to be difficult.
The behaviour problems associated with ADD and ADHD tend to lead to other problems. Children who are disruptive in school are quickly labelled troublemakers. Children at the other end of the ADD spectrum can be labelled lazy, stupid, or underachieving. To make things worse, these children often have trouble understanding why their behaviour is wrong. This explains the ADD child’s tendency to look genuinely shocked when he gets in trouble and why the ADHD child is inclined to be argumentative!