Students with ADHD
How a teacher can understand and help a student with ADHD
One of the areas where the impact of ADHD is most severe is in the academic environment and especially in the primary stage.
Boys and girls spend half of their days in a school where they must be exposed to multiple socio-emotional, personal, physical and academic challenges.
It is there where, faced with different situations, children with ADHD find it difficult to find support, solve problems, relate correctly, control their impulses, maintain appropriate behavior and degree of attention in the classroom, respond correctly to the objectives curricular and clearly express their needs.
Given these difficulties, the need for external support and help is essential so that these challenges do not become huge walls that differentiate them from others and leave them behind.
Ways of understanding and helping the student with ADHD by a teacher/advisor:
1.- Know the situation of the student
The teacher must be informed or show initiative to find out about a student who shows difficulties. Through meetings with the family, the teacher should be aware of the child’s functioning, their needs and their weak points, as well as how to help them.
Don’t hesitate in the diagnosis: Assume your role within the process and facilitate your help to the different agents to achieve the objectives.
It is important that the teacher is aware of whether the student is following any treatment, and whether there are specific medical indications.
2.- Increase the knowledge of the disorder
As a teacher, it is essential to assume the responsibility of being an educator of a student with difficulties. The teacher must be aware that her role in the classroom directly influences not only the student’s learning but also her emotional state, as well as her evolution and positive development. For this reason, they must have basic knowledge of how to act with a student with ADHD.
Taking courses, doing self-taught training, promoting courses for the teaching staff of the center, reading and researching on the subject and going to the guidance service for guidance and advice are some of the guidelines that a teacher who wants to give a good educational response to students with ADHD.
3.- Establish a teacher-student bond
Have a positive student-teacher relationship: More than any other child, students with ADHD need positive support, praise, and encouragement.
The teacher should show interest when the student is working at her desk. Approaching their desk regularly and asking them if they have any questions or need support is a way of reassuring the student and encouraging them to continue working.
It is also important in order to avoid attracting public attention, to communicate in a discreet way, almost invisible to the rest of the group. A snap of your fingers or placing your hand on her shoulder can bring her attention back. It is important that the teacher agrees with the student some signs that make the student understand that he must correct something or continue with her work.
4.- Focus on self esteem
Accept difficulties. Treat difficulties normally without giving them excessive importance, both for the student and for the group. Publicly remind that no one is perfect and that everyone has their rhythm.
Identify efforts. Remind the student, both privately and publicly, that their intervention has been very good, that their collaboration has been very positive for the result, that the effort is notable and visible, that the change in attitude and behavior is something that everyone is interested in evaluating very positively, etc.
Try to change the language. Try to express yourself in a more positive way by avoiding expressions like “Okay, but you can do better.” It is preferable to use expressions like: “Very good. Next time try to improve this.” Change negative messages for messages of encouragement for the future.
5.- Promote integration
The teacher should promote activities and tasks where the student with ADHD can stand out positively in the eyes of the group (highlight their skills).
It should also favor inclusion within the group with activities and group dynamics, giving it an important role within it. Thus, the student integrated into the group will collaborate to achieve joint objectives, sharing the success of the result with their classmates.
6.- Normalize difficulties
Promote reading aloud even if they have difficulties reading, make mistakes, run, etc. You have to give them time to be able to rectify, repeat, without pressing or buying, or instilling fear of error. Not only students with ADHD have difficulties when reading, so reading aloud will help to destigmatize that only students with ADHD have difficulties.
7.- Adapt to your needs
Seat him in such a place that we can supervise him without having to get up, also placing him away from distractions (windows, noise, door…) and together with colleagues who can be supported to copy or complete the tasks to be carried out or notes.
Instructions should be given with physical proximity and eye contact, one at a time, in a concise, clear manner and always making sure to ask for feedback (make sure they understand, asking them to repeat it).
If the teacher identifies that the student needs measures that go beyond her competencies in the classroom, he must inform the counselor to draw up a more specific plan.
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CADAH Foundation