Management of ADHD Children

Teacher Attitude

•  Your interest, attitude and temperament set the tone of the emotional environment in your classroom.  Is your classroom a fun, exciting learning environment for you and your children?  Remember, a child who has fun learning and who is successful, both socially and academically, is not generally a discipline problem.
  
  
•  Help each child feel that you have a special interest in him/her.  Take time, especially with problem children, to learn about their interests, activities and non-academic competencies.  To enhance your relationship woth an ADHD child, spend 5 minutes each morning for two weeks sharing "special time" with him or her.  Call the parent once or twice during the school year for 5 minutes to share "a cute saying" or a significant achievement.
  
  
•  Make a big effort to begin the day on a happy and pleasant note.  The tone you set may persist throughout the day.  Try to maintain the pleasant tone, especially at transition points, i.e., between lessons, before and after recess and lunch and at the end of the day.
  
  
•  Challenge yourself to like the most difficult child in your class - he or she may need you more than any other child.  Be honest about your feelings!  Children are very perceptive of your feelings.  They can sometimes read you better than you can read yourself.  The child who knows you don't like him/her will not try to control his/her behavior; in fact, he/she will probably begin to passively or actively frustrate you and others in the class.

Instructional Strategies

•  ADHD children generally learn better by seeing and doing, than hearing.  Find the child's preferred modality of learning and teach to his/her best modality, later reteaching in the weaker channel.
  
  
•  Teach the ADHD child at his/her success level and not his/her frustration level.  Consider using shorter assignments until the child can complete the curtailed assignment with good accuracy and then gradually increase the length of the lesson, with appropriate and abundant reinforcers.  Nothing succeeds like success!
  
  
•  Teach concepts in units the child can handle.  Break the concept to be learned into small parts, teaching each part in sequential order, until the whole lesson is learned.  Reward improvement, not error!
  
  
•  Give instructions, one at a time, have him/her repeat the instructions adn then check performance after completion.  Gradually train the child to deal with more and more complex instructions, completing instructions with only minimum supervision from you.  Teach kids to check their papers for accuracy and to record their progress.  Review progress recording every 2-3 days and reward improvement with praise.  It takes time to teach, but is well worth it.
  
  
•  Write work assignments on the classroom blackboard each morning.  This allows the children to check their progress through the day.  Initially provide the ADHD child with a daily assignment sheet and teach him/her to write down daily homework assignments.  Check homework assignment at end of day and homework completed the next morning.  Reward progress towards self control.
  
  
•  Touch and instruct!  When giving the instruction to an ADHD child, touch the arm or shoulder and begin verbal instructions when he/she is looking at you.  Abruptly stop instructions if the child looks away, continue to maintain physical contact until he/she attends again. &nsbp;Then, complete instruction calmly and without reprimand.  Ask the child to repeat instructions, clarifying any misunderstandings.  Let the child understand that you will not go away until he/she has heard and accurately repeated the instructions.
  
  
•  Teach problem solving!  Help the child to "stop, look, and listen" and most of all "think".  Teach the child to define the problem, generate alternative solutions, and evaluate potential outcomes.  Use skillful questioning to foster problem solving and self control.
  
  
•  Teach use of language and thinking instead of purposeless action.  Require the child to relate to you through use of complete sentences and development of "adjectival thinking".
  
  
•  Encourage group self monitoring and self control through evaluation of problems and development of good alternatives.  Enthusiastically reward any efforts at self monitoring and self control with ADHD children.  Begin self timing of 5 minute work periods, with performance charting and daily review procedures.