Teaching People with ADHD
Some simple strategies for teachers
1. Catch students doing well every time
People with ADHD “may experience difficulties demonstrating consistent behavior under conditions of partial reward or intermittent reward.”1 Instead, these individuals need more direct reinforcement of their behavior. Teach them how to be attentive, and when you see them doing it, issue lots of praise.
2. Communicate with families about medication
“As a whole, hundreds of studies indicate that these medications are safe and effective and can be of great help to those with ADHD.”2 I know at some point I’ll have to do a larger piece on medication. For now I’ll keep it simple. Communicate with families about what you’re observing; encourage them to pursue medication. Use the analogy that ADHD meds are like glasses: a proper prescription has few to no side effects.
3. Adapt the environment
Eliminate visual clutter—in a classroom or other workspace. Get a desk that can change configurations. Remove temptations like video games, TV, etc. from the room where they will be working at home. In the classroom, resist the urge to hang hundreds of colorful, loud anchor charts: instead keep it simple and use a pad of large paper, flipping through anchor charts as they are needed, or create digital anchor charts that you project when needed.
4. Work in shorter bursts (<20 minutes)
Working in bursts has proven effective for people with ADHD, based on my experience as a teacher. We never do one thing for more time than that, unless it’s completely engrossing, like a particularly exciting lab. Those different things should involve students changing from standing to sitting, from inside to outside, rearranging the classroom, or moving to a different area of the teaching space.
For more, please check out the first citation below, which I found especially useful.
DuPaul, G. J., Weyandt, L. L., & Janusis, G. M. (2011). ADHD in the Classroom: Effective Intervention Strategies. Theory into Practice, 50(1), 35–42. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23020735
Barkley, R. A. (2020). Taking charge of ADHD: The complete, authoritative guide for parents. The Guilford Press.