Understanding ADHD:
Imagine a lively, vibrant, busy classroom filled with the sounds of delighted students doing an end-of-unit project. Among the groups of students, one child, Jimmy, walks away from his group to jump on the trampoline in the classroom sensory area. He has to get constant reminders from his teacher to return to his group and engage in his group’s discussion. Meanwhile, at another table, another student, Julia, stares blankly out the window, adrift in a daydream, not hearing the conversations of the peers in her group. Both children, though vastly different in their behaviors, share a common diagnosis: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
ADHD is when an individual has a pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. There are three different types of ADHD or different ways that ADHD manifests itself in an individual. As educators, it is imperative that we are able to understand these differences in order to better understand and support our students.
ADHD affects approximately 3.5% of individuals in the United States. For students with ADHD, the standard classroom may be a challenging experience. Children with ADHD often struggle with staying focused, following instructions, and managing their impulses, which can hinder their academic performance and social interactions. As teachers, we need to be able to think of different strategies to support our students in their ability to grow and thrive in our classroom environments. It is important to remember that no two students with ADHD will have the exact same behaviors and, therefore will likely require differentiated supports. A student like Jimmy, who is hyperactive and impulsive and therefore may disrupt the lessons, will need a different support than a student like Julia, who is often inattentive, which might cause her to miss important instructions and fall behind in her learning.
Observations of ADHD in Students:
ADHD in children and adults typically presents in three forms: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined. Inattentive students may appear disorganized, struggle to follow instructions, and have difficulty sustaining attention on tasks. Hyperactive-impulsive students often exhibit excessive fidgeting, interrupt others, and have trouble staying seated. Students with combined ADHD display symptoms of both inattentiveness and hyperactivity-impulsivity.
When thinking about ADHD, it is important for teachers to remember the three different ways that the disorder manifests itself and to recognize that ADHD may look different in every child. Oftentimes, when adults think about or talk about ADHD, it is overwhelmingly thought of as a child being very hyper, frequently leaving their seat, talking excessively, calling out answers without raising their hand, becoming physically restless, or interrupting the class with outbursts.
Although these are common signs of ADHD, they are typical of individuals with hyperactive/impulsive ADHD. Often, students with inattentive ADHD may be forgotten or fall through the cracks in our classrooms as they may be more quiet and reserved. These children may be daydreamy, forgetful, or easily distracted by external stimuli. For example, during independent work time, a student might repeatedly lose track of their materials or become absorbed in irrelevant activities, such as doodling or playing with objects on their desk.
Impact on Student Learning:
A student who stands out to me is a kindergartener I taught three years ago. This student was incredibly sweet and a great friend, but she was also very shy. It took a lot for her to warm up to someone new, whether that be a peer or an adult, and she was extremely quiet in class. This child refused to raise her hand, and I would often find her daydreaming in class or sitting and staring at her paper during independent work time without writing anything on it.
Although I began pulling this student for my small group intervention and giving her extra support in reading and math, she started falling behind in most of her subjects. By the end of kindergarten, while most of the students in the class were able to read short sentences and books, she was still working on learning all of her letters sounds. In math, while other students were starting to do addition within 10, she was still learning to identify numbers and match them to their quantities.
During her yearly physical with her pediatrician, the pediatrician suggested an evaluation with a pediatric psychiatrist. After going through the testing, the parent let me know that her child was diagnosed with ADHD and was prescribed medication to support her.
Strategies for Supporting Students with ADHD:
Within the next two years, I saw my students flourish and learn many new skills. Although doctors prescribe medication to support individuals with ADHD, it is important for teachers not to rely solely on this intervention. Many parents decide against having their children take medication. Regardless of whether or not our students are taking medication, it is crucial that we use strategies in our classroom to support their academic and social success.
Structured Routines and Clear Expectations
Students with ADHD benefit from predictable routines and clear expectations. At the beginning of each year, I sit down with my students, and we work together to create expectations for the school year. I then print out those expectations and visual cues to go along with them and put them up at the front of the classroom. We start each day by reviewing our classroom expectations. We make sure to frame these expectations in a positive light to empower students. For example, some of our classroom expectations are “respect our peers,” “safe hands,” and “walking feet.” If we notice that we or our peers are not following the expectations in the classroom, we stop what we are doing, review our expectations again, and take some calming, deep breaths before continuing with our lesson.
I establish and maintain a consistent daily schedule, which helps reduce anxiety and improve focus. After we review our expectations, we go on to review our daily schedule. I use visual aids in the form of picture cues next to each of the activities on the schedule to support students in their understanding and make our schedule as readable and accessible as possible. As we finish each activity, before starting a new one, I bring my students back to the schedule, check off the activity we have completed, and remind students of what is happening next. This allows students to have constant and consistent reminders of what to expect throughout the day, which helps them stay focused and on task.
Positive Reinforcement and Behavior Management
Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for encouraging desired behaviors in students with ADHD. I use token boards as my system of rewards and incentives to motivate and reinforce desired target behaviors. A token board is a simple and effective tool to reinforce positive behavior and promote choice-making skills in individuals, especially those with neurodiverse needs.
On each student’s token board, there are ten boxes where students need to place their tokens to earn a desired reward. Students can earn tokens by completing desired tasks. For example, if a student is struggling with completing math problems because they tend to become unfocused and prefer to do a different activity, I might give a token to the student for each math problem they complete. Once they have received all their tokens, they can engage in their preferred activity as a reward. This system not only helps in promoting task completion but also empowers students by allowing them to work towards a goal they value.
Behavior management strategies are essential for maintaining a conducive learning environment. I set clear, consistent expectations and ensure that these are communicated effectively to all students. For impulsive behaviors, I use non-verbal cues, such as pointing to where a student is supposed to be or using a specific hand signal, to remind the student to stay on task without disrupting the class.
Accommodations and Modifications
Accommodations and modifications can make a significant difference for students with ADHD. Oftentimes students who have ADHD may have accommodations provided to them that are detailed in a 504 plan or Individualized Education Plan (IEP) which are two types of documents that support students with special education services to get the correct support for them in their school environment.
Oftentimes these supports include providing extra time for assignments and tests which allows for students to work at their own pace without feeling rushed or being in a private space to take tests or complete assignments to allow for better focus. I also allow for movement breaks, understanding that some students need to expend physical energy to maintain focus.
It is also important to think about seating arrangements with students who have ADHD. It is important that students with ADHD are seated in a location where they can be close to the teacher and within close distance of visual supports such as their visual schedule or token board.
I love to use timers with students who struggle with focus. Timers help create a sense of structure, making tasks more manageable and time-bound. For students with ADHD, timers can break down larger tasks into smaller, more achievable segments. For instance, if I set a timer for 10 minutes of focused work, students will understand that they will get a 3-minute timed break afterward. This supports students in feeling engaged without feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand. Additionally, visual timers can be particularly effective, providing a clear visual representation of the passage of time, which aids in keeping students on track and aware of how long they need to maintain their focus.
Collaboration with Parents
In order to truly support our students, it is crucial that we, as teachers, have open lines of communication with parents. One way that I maintain communication with parents is through a daily communication journal. In this journal, I tell parents what happened with their children throughout the day. I can let the parents know accomplishments for the day as well as let them know challenges that were faced. Parents can write to me as well and let me know if there have been any changes at home. This also allows both myself and the parent to ask and answer quick questions that each of us might have about the child’s progress, behavior, or needs as a whole.
I make sure that I call each parent at least once a month to talk about different supports that are currently being put in place in the classroom. I might tell them about how their child is doing with their token board, maintain focus, or ask any questions I may have about what the parent is seeing at home. In addition, I allow parents to ask me questions that they might have about their child’s progress. By having these phone calls at least once a month, I make sure that I do not go too long without checking in and conversing with parents about their child’s progress.
Our Role As Educators:
As educators, it is important that we have a clear understanding of ADHD in order to support our students. It is important that as teachers, we understand the signs of ADHD. We must also have a clear understanding of the supports that we can use within our classrooms to support our student’s success. Each of our students have different strengths, challenges and needs. One of the most beautiful pieces of teaching is being able to see each child for who they are and help them rise to their greatest potential.