ADHD is a chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. There are primarily two types of behavior- inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive. A child diagnosed with predominantly inattentive behavior may exhibit symptoms such as being easily distracted and having difficulty organizing tasks whereas the latter would show symptoms such as constant fidgeting or interrupting others constantly.
It can make a child overly active, have poor focus or be impulsive in their actions. It can manifest as a child who disrupts others in the class with their behavior, shows fidgety behavior, or taps a pencil against the desk multiple times, in your class. A student with ADHD can adversely affect their ability to get the most out of the class. As a teacher, there are ways to facilitate their learning, while satisfying their needs.
Importance of movement
Letting the children in your class move will boost productivity, especially for ADHD kids. Let them move around now and then, whether it’s a quick walk around the classroom or a quick stretching exercise. It is also beneficial to give them tasks that require them to move around. Giving them responsibilities like cleaning the board or watering the plants will give them a source of importance and will also promote movement. ADHD kids also tend to have a lot of anxious energy. It might be helpful to give them a discrete tool to deal with it, such as a stress ball.
Adequate content
It is important to engage neurodivergent kids meaningfully. Make sure the content is not too long or too short, which may lead the child to lose interest in the material. Also, ensure that it is not too difficult or too easy for them and is just the right amount of difficulty for them to be engaged with it for a reasonable amount of time. It also helps to provide them with choices in the material. For example, a math test can involve either making a graph or an arithmetic question. It is also important to provide brief, concise instructions in the classroom, with your expectations being clear and consistent. This provides the student with a set of rules and also understanding your intentions for your class.
Bringing in the senses
Incorporating different senses in the classroom may prove to be very efficient. Rather than providing pages and pages of text, switch it up by providing colorful charts and pictures. This will pique the interest of your children, especially the ADHD ones. Using auditory cues is also fruitful. Try using a small bell to indicate the end of reading time or a clap to gather attention.
Reducing disruptions
As a teacher, it is possible to arrange things to reduce the potential disruptions of ADHD. Giving the kids longer time for the assignment or test may be helpful for them. Making the content shorter or breaking it down into sizable chunks which can be attempted separately can also help. ADHD children typically struggle with time management, so it will be helpful to provide a timer at times of a test. It can be used to signify the last half an hour or last ten minutes as well as the end of the test. Sometimes, the student can even be placed in a less distracting room, with calmer stimuli.
Removing distractions
Placing the child in another room may be unlikely to work out, but distractions can be reduced in the classroom itself. Make sure the child is not placed near windows or doors, which can be a source of attention-grabbing stimuli. Also, make sure to keep them seated away from other distractions like talkative students or the pencil sharpener corner. It also helps to remove any unnecessary visual stimuli, such as clutter in the classroom space.
Although dealing with an ADHD child may seem daunting, it is possible to bring out their inner learner and provide them with an optimal environment to grow every day. Although many of these tips seem very simple, they can make things a lot easier for neurodivergent kids and also benefit your other students.
HOW TO INCLUDE CHILDREN WITH ADHD IN YOUR CLASS
ADHD is a chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. There are primarily two types of behavior- inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive. A child diagnosed with predominantly inattentive behavior may exhibit symptoms such as being easily distracted and having difficulty organizing tasks whereas the latter would show symptoms such as constant fidgeting or interrupting others constantly.
It can make a child overly active, have poor focus or be impulsive in their actions. It can manifest as a child who disrupts others in the class with their behavior, shows fidgety behavior, or taps a pencil against the desk multiple times, in your class. A student with ADHD can adversely affect their ability to get the most out of the class. As a teacher, there are ways to facilitate their learning, while satisfying their needs.
Importance of movement
Letting the children in your class move will boost productivity, especially for ADHD kids. Let them move around now and then, whether it’s a quick walk around the classroom or a quick stretching exercise. It is also beneficial to give them tasks that require them to move around. Giving them responsibilities like cleaning the board or watering the plants will give them a source of importance and will also promote movement. ADHD kids also tend to have a lot of anxious energy. It might be helpful to give them a discrete tool to deal with it, such as a stress ball.
Adequate content
It is important to engage neurodivergent kids meaningfully. Make sure the content is not too long or too short, which may lead the child to lose interest in the material. Also, ensure that it is not too difficult or too easy for them and is just the right amount of difficulty for them to be engaged with it for a reasonable amount of time. It also helps to provide them with choices in the material. For example, a math test can involve either making a graph or an arithmetic question. It is also important to provide brief, concise instructions in the classroom, with your expectations being clear and consistent. This provides the student with a set of rules and also understanding your intentions for your class.
Bringing in the senses
Incorporating different senses in the classroom may prove to be very efficient. Rather than providing pages and pages of text, switch it up by providing colorful charts and pictures. This will pique the interest of your children, especially the ADHD ones. Using auditory cues is also fruitful. Try using a small bell to indicate the end of reading time or a clap to gather attention.
Reducing disruptions
As a teacher, it is possible to arrange things to reduce the potential disruptions of ADHD. Giving the kids longer time for the assignment or test may be helpful for them. Making the content shorter or breaking it down into sizable chunks which can be attempted separately can also help. ADHD children typically struggle with time management, so it will be helpful to provide a timer at times of a test. It can be used to signify the last half an hour or last ten minutes as well as the end of the test. Sometimes, the student can even be placed in a less distracting room, with calmer stimuli.
Removing distractions
Placing the child in another room may be unlikely to work out, but distractions can be reduced in the classroom itself. Make sure the child is not placed near windows or doors, which can be a source of attention-grabbing stimuli. Also, make sure to keep them seated away from other distractions like talkative students or the pencil sharpener corner. It also helps to remove any unnecessary visual stimuli, such as clutter in the classroom space.
Although dealing with an ADHD child may seem daunting, it is possible to bring out their inner learner and provide them with an optimal environment to grow every day. Although many of these tips seem very simple, they can make things a lot easier for neurodivergent kids and also benefit your other students.