How To Manage ADHD In The Classroom

By Timothy Taylor


Attention deficit - hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, affects a large number of children. Only in the USA, it is estimated that up to five million kids suffer from this unpleasant brain disorder that affects their life, their success in school and their behavior. They usually have difficulties controlling their emotions and actions, they have poor concentration and ADHD in the classroom might be difficult to handle.

It is not hard to recognize some of the early symptoms, such as forgetting things, misplacing toys, switching interests and activities all the time, talking non-stop or the lack of emotional control. Such kids get distracted too easily and sometimes have some really serious problems with their behavior. When they need to finish a task, it might become a real problem to them, even when this is not something too complicated to do.

Kids suffering from ADHD have no patience, and this might affect their success in school, even if they are highly intelligent, and most of them are. Different treatments are used for suppressing and easing their symptoms, including medications and psycho social therapies, but there is no real cure for this disorder. In any case, combining these two treatments might be the best answer for some kids.

Anyway, there are some things the teacher can do to make their learning more successful. Creating positive, calm and predictable environment in their classrooms is something that will certainly have a very good effect on such children. Ordered environment and the teacher who is aware of their needs and provides clear and understandable rules and instructions, this can make a great difference.

The next thing any teacher should do is to get to know every child. Individual approach could make wonders, especially when the teacher knows exactly which approach worked the best for this child before. Talking to both the child and the parents, understanding child's needs and special characteristics, all these require time, but results with better understanding and easier interaction.

There are different methods that can be used for inspiring your students. If you recognize and reward their skills, efforts or talents, or a good behavior, maybe with a star, or an extra point, this might affect child's behavior. Pleasant environment, calming music, all this can additionally improve the quality of learning.

If the teacher notices that some children simply cannot stay concentrated any longer, it might be a good idea to make a pause and involve any kind of a physical activity. A simple exercise will be a welcome distraction, but it is highly important to explain this to the children. This way they will be able to understand that there is a time for doing something, and why is it so.

Children should never be yelled at, or blamed for something they didn't do correctly. Every teacher has to be gentle and kind, and rewarding good things is always better than punishing. Dividing lessons into smaller segments children can easily understand is much more productive. Asking simple questions every once in a while will keep children concentrated. At last, if some child simply has to move, send it to take a message to another teacher, for example, just to satisfy this need.




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