ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) affects up to 11 percent of American children aged 3 to 17. As ADHD diagnosis rates rise, more children receive help for the challenges they encounter in a school environment.
Parents and teachers alike may feel overwhelmed when helping children navigate the challenging aspects of ADHD. This blog explains the condition and provides concrete strategies that teachers and caregivers can adopt to make school less stressful and more productive.
What is ADHD?
Three primary types of ADHD occur in children:
- Predominantly inattentive presentation.
- Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation.
- Combined presentation
Children exhibiting symptoms of inattentive ADHD experience challenges in attention, social interactions, and executive functioning, like time management and prioritizing tasks. When children have these symptoms, adults may overlook them until the teen years, when schoolwork requires more attention and executive function.
The second type, hyperactive/impulsive ADHD, is considered the "classic" definition. Most adults associate these symptoms with ADHD. Counselors often diagnose this variation in young boys, but girls can also exhibit these symptoms.
Strategies to Help Children Succeed in School
Teachers:
- Ensure assignments have a clear presentation and that the child fully understands the requirements
- Be aware of transitions and routine changes
- Be mindful of hyper-focus and be prepared to help children shift their attention to a new task
- Be sensitive to children's emotional regulation and self-esteem when giving feedback or managing classroom behavior
- Minimize long, repetitive assignments
- Give children breaks from time to time; ADHD can make seemingly simple tasks quite challenging
- Make use of organizational tools like homework folders and classroom setup
Parents:
- Avoid putting too much focus on grades and achievement at home
- Understand that your child may act out when returning home for the day due to the pressures of "masking" their ADHD at school
- Provide warm and caring support, including meeting regularly with teachers and counselors
- Be aware of children's emotional needs
- Provide structure and organization in any homework space, including keeping distractions away
Explore School Accommodations
Parents should find out what accommodations their children can receive in the classroom and ensure the school meets the requirements. Some examples include choosing the method of demonstrating mastery of knowledge, like a project, paper, poster, or oral presentation. Others include extra time and a quiet, distraction-free space to take tests and quizzes. The child's IEP or other state-required school documents should outline the accommodations and how the school plans to help your child use them.
Contact South County Psychiatry
Parents and teachers of children with ADHD need patience most of all. Our psychiatric and counseling teams are ready to help children learn coping skills and manage their emotions to support their academic success further. To schedule a consultation, please contact us at one of our Southern New England offices today.