Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders in children and most children show some of the symptoms at different times, but these could be age-appropriate characteristics.
A number of these characteristics show up consistently over many years in a child with ADHD when they are not appropriate at the particular age the child has reached. These are characteristics not caused by a specific situation and they generally appear before the child turns seven.
Characteristics of ADHD
The three characteristics of ADHD are:
Inattention
Children with ADHD find it hard to organize tasks and maintain the effort of staying on task, making careless mistakes because they’re not paying attention. They find it hard to stay focused and are easily distracted.
With difficulty prioritizing or transitioning between tasks, ADHD children struggle to follow instructions, complete projects, and school work, or remember daily activities. Losing or misplacing items is a common occurrence, as is looking like they are not listening when they are spoken to. Most ADHD children have difficulty planning ahead.
Hyperactivity
Easily distracted while reading, ADHD children constantly fidget and squirm around and have difficulty staying seated. Most ADHD children frequently leave their seats despite being expected to remain seated, often moving around and climbing or running inappropriately.
They talk excessively and battle to listen to what others have to say. Excessive talking makes it difficult for ADHD children to play quietly and they always seem to be on the go like a constantly running engine. Bouncing around between activities, these kids try doing several things at once. Becoming easily frustrated, children with ADHD may get aggressive.
Impulsivity
Experiencing problems with self-control, children with ADHD speak or act without thinking about the consequences, and blurt out answers without waiting to be asked. Some may be moody and overreact emotionally, leaving others to see the child as disrespectful, needy, or weird because they can’t keep their emotions in check.
This can also lead to temper tantrums or angry outbursts. ADHD children often interrupt conversations, disrupt other children while they’re playing, and answer questions not aimed at them.
ADHD Strategies
It is important to implement Behaviour management techniques that address the needs of the individual when developing strategies for home, school, and community settings.
By looking closely at a child’s specific problem behavior, understanding consequences that maintain the behavior, and identifying antecedents, Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans can be created, and strategies developed that increase desirable behavior and reduce inappropriate behavior in 4 key areas.
Inattention:
Seat the student at an individual desk rather than a table, front and center in the classroom surrounded by good role models and away from high-traffic areas. Pets should be in a different room or a corner while the student is working and the space should have few distractions. Things that distract from the task should be removed- some children do better in a “study tent.”
Where possible, incorporate physical movement into lessons and let the student move around the room at appropriate and assigned times. Let the student get comfortable while learning- study carrels or corners should be away from the group. Soft background music can be played and a simple question can be asked when attention strays.
Important information should be written where it can be found and easily read. The length of assignments or lessons could be reduced and big assignments reallocated into smaller ones. Stay close to the student and remind them where important information can be found.
Use a soft voice and make eye contact to give directions. Give simple, concrete instructions, always using the student’s name and then pausing for a few seconds to indicate attention. Have students repeat directions. Pick students to answer questions randomly to avoid students timing their attention and give a sign when questions will be answered.
Especially for young children, pictures can be used to make expectations clear and other students can be peer tutors, with students calling on others. The student’s interests should be part of lesson plans with some daydreaming time also included. Physical and seated activities should be alternated.
Self-monitoring strategies that indicate attention versus inattention are useful and involve signals to the student to see how much attention is being paid to a task, using a signal such as a timer, random beep, or cue given by the teacher. Rewards could be linked to self-monitoring techniques.
Hyperactivity:
Find ways for students to get rid of their energy by scheduling physical activity, asking them to run an errand, doing a job like sharpening pencils, and playing a sport. The classroom activities could include movement but the student should have access to recess and physical education classes.
Devise a way for students to use a small toy, stress ball, or other object at their workspace or allow them to do constructive doodling and add shape, color, or texture to a classroom activity. Clear, visual signals must be designated for areas for the student to sit (e.g. a colored spot) and stand (e.g. when waiting in line). Rather than letting students read alone, read with them and take breaks throughout a long or tedious task.
Impulsivity:
Using positive reinforcement, reward more than you punish and be specific with praise. Consequences should immediately follow misbehavior and include an explanation but reinforcer types could be varied. Students may be taught self-talk strategies but should get breaks every ten to twenty minutes. Social skills lessons improve peer relationships.
Clues and signals help maintain attention so give advance warning of when a transition is taking place and use a clock or timer to show students how long they have to work on an assignment. Lighting can signal an activity change.
A daily schedule works better when items are crossed off on completion and students need clarity on rules and expectations. A written behavior plan with one or two goals can be placed near the student and each child can keep a file of their completed work.
Lists, pictures, charts, calendars, and finished products in the classroom are useful, as are monthly calendars with assignment test dates. A procedure for collecting assignments should also be in place but assignments must be kept short.
Give as much positive attention and recognition as possible and stress accuracy over speed. Unnecessary stimulation in the classroom needs a limit and students should be asked to repeat the question before answering.
A student can be chosen as a “question keeper” and students can generate questions about a topic. Stories and writing tasks should be fact and fiction, while attention and listening games work well too.
Academics and Organization:
Extra or shortened reading time with “previewing” strategies are effective or stories can be acted out. Involve students by modeling predictions and asking what happens next. Stories can be acted out or orally recited as a chain story but use books-on-tape, if possible, and monitor loss of place and letter/number reversals.
Students should be helped organize their belongings daily and have a procedure for handing in homework. Crossed-off checklists and color-coded folders help but accommodations must be based on the needs of the student
A daily notebook for homework and a specific time and place for homework free from distractions) can be supplemented by a clock or timer to monitor homework. Just one task at a time needs to be given, and modified assignments that are less difficult help maintain similar learning objectives.
Reduced materials need specific locations and films, tapes, flashcards, or small group work can be used. Verbal and visual lessons are necessary but students need extra time and frequent breaks for some tasks. Peer tutoring and cooperative learning are good options but avoid multi-step instructions.
Make the student feel comfortable asking for help and use a notebook to communicate with parents
Being consistent with all daily instructions and repeating instructions calmly in a positive manner are good ways to get the message across.
ADHD falls under the category of “Other Health Impaired” (OHI) under IDEA. To help increase attention span and ability to focus- as well as to help control impulses and other hyperactive behavior, medication can be prescribed to a child with ADHD.
To be eligible under the category of OHI, and get access to special education services, the child’s educational performance must be adversely affected and the ADHD diagnosis has to be documented by a medical doctor.