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ADHD In School: An Overall Strategy for
Successful Instruction.
The ADHD child’s school success is often dependent on his or her
ability to attend to tasks and teacher and classroom expectations
with minimal distraction. When a child exhibits behaviors
associated with ADHD, consequences may include difficulties with
school and with forming relationships with his or her peers if
appropriate instructional methodologies and interventions are not
implemented.
There are an estimated 1.46 to 2.46 million children with ADHD in
the United States, constituting 3 to 5 percent of the school
student population. It has been documented that approximately 25
to 30 percent of all children with ADHD also have learning
disabilities. Likewise, children with ADHD have coexisting
psychiatric disorders at a much higher rate.
When selecting and implementing successful school strategies and
practices for the ADHD student, it is imperative to understand the
characteristics of the child, including those pertaining to
disabilities. This knowledge will be useful in the evaluation and
implementation of successful practices, which are often the same
practices that benefit students without ADHD.
This
material, provided by the U.S. Department of Education, provides
an overall educational strategy
for successful instruction, academic instruction tips on
introducing lessons,
conducting lessons, providing
individualized
instructional
practices for math and
language arts,
organizational and
study skills, effective
behavioral techniques and techniques designed to
encourage
positive behavior,
along with
classroom
accommodation tips. To order a hard copy of this ADD teaching
report, e-mail edpubs@inet.ed.gov or call (877) 433-7827.
Because no two children with ADHD are alike, it is important to
keep in mind that no single school program, practice, or setting
will be best for all children. Teachers who are successful in
educating children with ADHD use a three-pronged strategy. The
three-pronged strategy, in summary, is as follows:
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Evaluate the child’s individual needs and strengths. Assess the
unique educational needs and strengths of a child with ADHD in the
class. Working with a multidisciplinary team and the child’s
parents, consider both academic and behavioral needs, using formal
diagnostic assessments and informal classroom observations.
Assessments, such as learning style inventories, can be used to
determine children’s strengths and enable instruction to build on
their existing abilities. The settings and contexts in which
challenging behaviors occur should be considered in the
evaluation.
-
Select appropriate instructional practices. Determine which
instructional practices will meet the academic and behavioral
needs identified for the child. Select practices that fit the
content, are age appropriate, and gain the attention of the child.
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For children receiving special education services, integrate
appropriate practices within an IEP. In consultation with other
educators and parents, an IEP should be created to reflect annual
goals and the special education-related services, along with
supplementary aids and services necessary for attaining those
goals. Plan how to integrate the educational activities provided
to other children in your class with those selected for the child
with ADHD.
Three Components of Successful Programs for Children with ADHD: The
three main components of a successful ADHD school strategy are
academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and classroom
accommodations. This guide outlines a series of strategies proven
successful in not only educating children with ADHD but all
children. By incorporating techniques from these three areas into
their everyday instructional and classroom management practices,
teachers will improve the academic performance and the behavior of
their students with ADHD.
Academic Instruction: The first major component of the most
effective instruction for children with ADHD is effective school
instruction. Teachers can help prepare their students with ADHD to
achieve by applying the principles of effective teaching when they
introduce, conduct, and conclude each lesson during the school
day. The discussion and techniques that follow pertain to the
instructional process in general (across subject areas);
strategies for specific subject areas appear in the subsequent
subsection “Individualizing Instructional Practices.”
Behavioral Interventions: The second major component of effective
school instruction for children with ADHD involves the use of
behavioral interventions. The purpose of behavioral interventions
in the school setting is to assist ADHD students in displaying the
behaviors that are most conducive to their own learning and that
of classmates. Well-managed classrooms prevent many disciplinary
problems and provide an environment that is most favorable for
learning. When a teacher’s time must be spent interacting with
students whose behaviors are not focused on the lesson being
presented, less time is available for assisting other students.
Behavioral interventions should be viewed as an opportunity for
teaching in the most effective and efficient manner, rather than
as an opportunity for punishment.
Classroom Accommodations: The third component of a strategy for
effectively educating children with ADHD involves physical school
classroom accommodations. Children with ADHD often have difficulty
adjusting to the structured environment of a classroom,
determining what is important, and focusing on their assigned
work. They are easily distracted by other children or by nearby
activities in the school classroom. As a result, many children
with ADHD benefit from accommodations that reduce distractions in
the classroom environment and help them to stay on task and learn.
Certain accommodations within the physical and learning
environments of the classroom can benefit children with ADHD.
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