How To Deal With ADHD In The Classroom

By William Phillips


ADHD, also known as ADD, is a disorder of the brain, characterized by recurring moments of inattention, or impulsivity that impacts the normal development and functioning of a person. No wonder its name, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In class, some students show the signs of this disorder. Usually, their academic performance becomes affected. Being well versed about ADHD in the Classroom is critical, to enable a teacher deal with such students.

Noticing that your child is exhibiting the signs of ADHD is very sad, and a parent can at times feel like the burden is too heavy. Nonetheless, there are other parents like you facing the same situation. As a matter of fact, eleven percent of all kids in the United States aged between four to seventeen years were diagnosed with the brain disorder. That is according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In normal life situations, it is not uncommon to observe some elements of inattention, wandering motor activities and momentary impulsivity. Individuals with Attention Deficit Disorder, as it is also known, tend to exhibit these symptoms more severely, more frequently, and in some cases, can interfere with the quality of their social lives, either in the office or at school.

The nature of inattention as exhibited by individuals with ADD is varied but is signaled by ignorance, or a shrug to details, or the tendency to frequently make avoidable mistakes in school work. Moreover, a child often shows reluctance when asked to perform an assignment that calls for high mental engrossment. On the other hand, hyperactivity can is seen when a student causes a commotion in a situation where silence is expected, like in a meeting, or in a classroom setting.

Further research results have indicated that, compared to the students who had no ADHD, those with the disorder showed experienced persistent challenges with their academic work that had an adverse impact on their overall performance. It led to a plunge in their average grade scores, increased cases of school suspensions, or expulsion, high dropout rate. Eventually, all these challenges result to the child failing to complete their education to the required level.

Teachers are specifically the ones who are in constant contact with their students and are often the first parties to determine that a child has the mental condition. A teacher may recommend for diagnostic procedures to be done on a child when the sporadically loses focus after independently concentrating for a while on an assignment. This loss of interest may be elicited by a noise created by a classmate.

As a teacher, there are some means you can develop to curb the occasional disturbances from other students, making others fail to concentrate because of distraction from another classmate. You can conjure up some indicator signs to the child with ADHD, to recollect themselves and carry on with academic work. For instance, hand gestures, or body language. However, when speaking to the child, find a private area.

As a teacher, there is some modification you can do in the classroom to accommodate students with ADD while minimizing distraction. You may elect to change the seating plan, by placing the child with the tendency to fall in moments of fantasies away from the windows to avoid external, or interferences from outside.




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