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Teacher Tips: Improving Consistency of ADHD Student's Performance

Author: Douglas Cowan, Psy.D.

Thank you to all of our professional educators who dedicate themselves to our children! We know how difficult it can be working with ADHD children, so here are your teacher tips for the week, brought to you by the ADHD Information Library and ADDinSchool.com. This is a sampling of over 500 classroom interventions for your use at http://www.ADDinSchool.com.

Here are some tips on Improving Consistency of Performance:

Computers are great for 1 on 1 work and immediate feedback. Use them whenever possible.

Establish routines and notify the child well ahead of time if there are to be changes in the daily routine. This will help the child to focus better. Report any significant changes in behavior or school performance to parents, school administrators, or school psychologist.

Your student may need a place to unwind and reduce stress during the school day. Often times this can be simply providing a place for sitting alone, using the computer, taking a short walk, drawing, or modeling with clay. After ten to fifteen minutes, your student will likely be able to access the energy needed to attend to the classroom.

Students using medication to treat attentional problems will have their optimal attention effects for methylphenidate 45 minutes to 2 2 hours after medication. Other medications differ, and it is best to check with the physician about the time of maximum medication effects. If possible, it is best to schedule the most attention-demanding tasks for the student during this medication window.

Tasks can also be modified to improve opportunities for optimal attention.

Students with attentional problems can benefit greatly from behavioral interventions that are sensitive to their processing style. An individualized plan that emphasizes stimulating reinforcers on a consistent basis has a good chance of success. Consequences and reinforcement should be as immediate as possible. Changing the reward periodically is usually necessary. A major consideration in forming an effective behavioral plan is assessing what is workable for the classroom teacher on a regular basis. Some plans that require extensive charting do not succeed because the teacher can not follow through effectively within the context of the daily classroom demands. Keeping the plan simple and flexible is the key to success.

Students with attentional problems generally respond poorly to institution-wide classroom behavioral systems. Programs such as Assertive Discipline usually provide difficulty in that rewards/consequences are delayed and not tailored to the individual student's needs. Whether or not there is a formal behavioral program for all students, your student's benefit from an individualized approach, in which target behaviors are specifically identified and rewards/consequences are fairly immediate.

Rewards and verbal praise on a continual basis will change the attentional problem the most effectively. One suggested system is the "point system."

Feedback that is delayed or variable is problematic in that your student may have difficulty in correlating delay and gratification. Your student may begin to make faulty behavioral connections in these situations.

Students respond well to rewards that they experience as highly-stimulating.

Hopefully these will help the ADHD students in your classroom to be more successful. You can learn more about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder at the ADHD Information Library.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.

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Teacher Tips: Improving Compliance in the Classroom with ADHD Students

Author: Douglas Cowan, Psy.D.

Thank you to all of our professional educators who dedicate themselves to our children! We know how difficult it can be working with ADHD children, so here are your teacher tips for the week, brought to you by the ADHD Information Library and ADDinSchool.com. This is a sampling of over 500 classroom interventions for your use at http://www.ADDinSchool.com.

Here are some tips on Increasing Compliance in the Classroom:

Listen to the child. They want to be heard too. Provide a safe environment for the child. Make sure the child knows you are his friend and you are there to help him. Treat him with respect. Never belittle him in front of his peers. Both he and the other children know that he stands out, and if the teacher belittles the child, then the rest of the children will see that as permission from the teacher to belittle the child as well.

Give him a break once in a while. Know the difference between big things and little things, and don't confront him on each little thing. It is hard for these children to control themselves all of the time.

Be alert to how much movement they may need. Allow for some extra trips to the restroom, or to run some errands. You may want to allow him to run around in a designated spot in the play yard.

Help the child find his areas of strength so that he can build his self-esteem.

It is important to pair verbal praise with a reward. This will facilitate "weaning" from a concrete reward structure to an internalized system. Encourage your student to also write or say self-affirmations. A simple nod, wink, smile, or touch on the shoulder can carry tremendous recognition power.

Instead of confronting your student continually on activities/behaviors that are inappropriate, point out the alternative choices that are available. This will make the expectations clearer to him and avoid the negativity inherent in what he would perceive as criticism.

Some students respond to a prearranged cuing system with the teacher. In this system, the teacher gives a visual signal (touching the ear) or verbal phrase ("Remember, I'm looking for good listeners") when a targeted inappropriate behavior occurs. The cue can remind your student to correct behavior without direct confrontation or loss of self-esteem. It can involve the classroom teacher or any support personnel available to the student.

Encouraging your student to monitor his own behavior has many benefits. It can provide an opportunity for discussion when your student and the teacher agree/disagree on the ratings. It also prompts movement toward your student's internal frame of reference in evaluating his behavior.

It is important to pair verbal praise with a reward. This will facilitate "weaning" from a concrete reward structure to an internalized system. Encourage your student to also write or say self-affirmations. A simple nod, wink, smile, or touch on the shoulder can carry tremendous recognition power.

Instead of confronting your student continually on activities/behaviors that are inappropriate, point out the alternative choices that are available. This will make the expectations clearer to him and avoid the negativity inherent in what he would perceive as criticism.

Hopefully these will help the ADHD students in your classroom to be more successful. You can learn more about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder at the ADHD Information Library.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.

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