Teaching ADHD Students
Kristen Kerwood
CM107-33

Professor Joanne Ray
July 13, 2013

ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, is a disorder that affects many students. These are the students that we see in class that can't seem to sit still, who lose focus easily, and who struggle with math. ADHD affects a student's ability to follow rules and expectations as well as the ability to interact with teachers and other classmates. The ADHD student will also have trouble with certain subjects such as math, reading and writing, not because the student is incapable of learning subjects but because their brain doesn't do a good enough job comprehending what they've learned. (A.D.A.M, 2012) Students with ADHD may have trouble concentrating. Their minds are pulled off the main topic by other actions. This can lead to attention deficit of ADHD. They may also experience Hyperactivity ADHD which means the student has trouble sitting still for long periods at a time. Another form of ADHD is impulsivity, which means the student may have trouble acting on their thoughts and unable to deal with frustrations and over-reactions. Despite these serious effects, ADHD is treatable and does not have to prevent a student from reaching academic excellence. Doctors will often prescribe a medication, such as Ritalin or Vyvanse, to help control the symptoms of ADHD. (A.D.A.M, 2012) Therapy is sometimes recommended to help the students deal with stress and anger management, but this treatment alone will not solve all the problems the student may encounter. Some problems that therapy may not solve is the inability to sit still, to listen and to follow directions, as well as having trouble with their studies. Parents of children with ADHD may also need to change their parenting techniques, such as to avoid yelling and other techniques that do not work on ADHD children. Some examples of ways for parents to change their parenting techniques, they should know the difference between discipline and punishment. Discipline is preferable because it teaches the child how to behave. It includes an explanation of the inappropriate behavior and redirection of acceptable behavior. Punishment on the other hand, uses fear and shame to force the child to behave. The best way to discipline an ADHD child is via a simple program of behavior modification by defining age-appropriate, attainable goals and then systematically rewards each small achievement until the behavior becomes routine. By rewarding positive behavior (rather than punishing for negative behavior), you help the child feel successful. Because children with ADHD may have trouble staying focused, they don't always complete tasks they start and often demonstrate a lack of self-control. Having a child with ADHD can cause a great deal of stress and frustration within the family and requires great patience. ADHD students still need the help of knowledgeable teachers who will adjust their teaching methods to meet their needs. Some ways for teachers to adjust their techniques to suit the needs of an ADHD student is to seat them near the teacher’s desk, encourage peer tutoring, avoid distracting stimuli such as high traffic areas, and last but not least, avoid transitions. Children with ADHD do not handle change as well as others; therefore, you should try to avoid a change in schedules. Because ADHD students do better in one-on-one situations rather than in a large classroom setting, although it isn't always possible, the teacher should try to create an opportunity to work individually with the student. If the teacher isn't able to do so, the next best thing would be to find a tutor to help out. This will increase the students learning abilities. Assignment modification is also an idea that teachers may try. For example, if the homework assignment is to complete 15 math problems then the teacher might reduce the number of problems to 10 to adjust to the needs of the ADHD student.