| Thank you to all of our professional educators | | | | four students can help your student to develop |
| who dedicate themselves to our children! We | | | | more effective social skills. These groups are |
| know how difficult it can be working with ADHD | | | | most effective if socially competent peers are |
| children, so here are your teacher tips for the | | | | willingly included in the group. The group should be |
| week, brought to you by the ADHD Information | | | | focused on activities that stress interaction and |
| Library and This is a sampling of over 500 | | | | cooperation. Board games, building projects, and |
| classroom interventions for your use at Here are | | | | sessions that promote frequent verbal interactions |
| some tips on Improving Social Skills: Provide a | | | | provide the greatest opportunity for learning |
| safe environment for the child. Make sure the child | | | | appropriate social skills and controlling impulsivity. |
| knows you are his friend and you are there to | | | | Your student would benefit most when the target |
| help him. Treat him with respect. Never belittle | | | | social skills are identified and practiced with them |
| him in front of his peers. Both he and the other | | | | prior to the activity and processed after the |
| children know that he stands out, and if the | | | | activity. |
| teacher belittles the child, then the rest of the | | | | Many students lack friends to be with outside of |
| children will see that as permission from the | | | | the school-setting. It can be beneficial to |
| teacher to belittle the child as well. | | | | strategize with your student and his parent on |
| Students with attentional problems experience | | | | developing a "friendship plan" for the home setting. |
| many difficulties in the social area, especially with | | | | Sometimes the goal of establishing one special |
| peer relationships. They tend to experience great | | | | friendship is ambitious and sufficient. This could |
| difficulty picking up other's social cues, act | | | | include steps of identifying friend possibilities that |
| impulsively, have limited self-awareness of their | | | | might be available/accepting, practice in making |
| effect on others, display delayed role-taking ability, | | | | arrangements using the phone, planning an activity |
| and over-personalize other's actions as being | | | | or sleep-over that is structured/predictable, and |
| criticism, and tend not to recognize positive | | | | tips on how to maintain friendships over time. A |
| feedback. They tend to play better with younger | | | | subtle way for your student to learn social skills is |
| or older children when their roles are clearly | | | | through the use of guided observation of his |
| defined. These students tend to repeat | | | | peers on the playground. Accompany them on to |
| self-defeating social behavior patterns and not | | | | the playground and point out the way other |
| learn from experience. Conversationally, they may | | | | students initiate activities, cooperate in a game, |
| ramble and say embarrassing things to peers. | | | | respond to rejection, deal with being alone, etc. |
| Areas and time-periods with less structure and | | | | For many students, thirty minutes on the |
| less supervision, such as the playground and class | | | | playground is beyond their capability to maintain |
| parties, can be especially problematic. Enlisting the | | | | peer relationships successfully. If necessary, break |
| support of peers in the classroom can greatly | | | | up the recess into ten minutes of activity, a ten |
| enhance your student's self-esteem. Students | | | | minute check-in with the teacher/playground |
| with good social awareness and who like to be | | | | supervisor, then another ten minute activity |
| helpful can be paired with him. This pairing can | | | | period. |
| take the form of being a "study buddy", doing | | | | Restricting the area available for your student |
| activities/projects, or playing on the playground. | | | | during recess can increase the contact with adult |
| Cross-age tutoring with older or younger students | | | | supervision and lessen the complexity of social |
| can also have social benefits. Most successful | | | | decision-making. This can be done privately with |
| pairing is done with adequate preparation of the | | | | your student prior to recess. Many students |
| paired student, planning meetings with the pair to | | | | welcome this manner of simplifying their social |
| set expectations, and with parental permission. | | | | interactions during this period of low structure. It |
| Pairing expectations and time-commitments should | | | | is helpful to meet with your student prior to his |
| be fairly limited in scope to increase the | | | | lunchroom/playground period to review his plan |
| opportunity for success and lessen the constraints | | | | for recess activity and with whom he will sit |
| on the paired students. Students with attentional | | | | during lunch. Have him ask peers in advance of |
| problems tend to do well in the cooperative group | | | | the recess block to do a certain activity with him. |
| instructional format. Small student groupings of | | | | Process the activity with your student after |
| three to five members, in which the students | | | | recess and make suggestions for the following |
| "sink or swim" together to complete assignments | | | | day. Hopefully these will help the ADHD students |
| projects, encourage students to share | | | | in your classroom to be more successful. You can |
| organizational ideas and responsibilities, and gives | | | | learn more about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity |
| an ideal setting for processing interpersonal skills | | | | disorder at the ADHD Information Library. |
| on a regular basis. Small "play groups" of two to | | | | |