Thank you to all of our professional educators who dedicate themselves to our children! We know how difficult it can be working with ADHD children, so here are your teacher tips for the week, brought to you by the ADHD Information Library and ADDinSchool.com. This is a sampling of over 500 classroom interventions for your use at http://www.ADDinSchool.com.
Here are some tips on organizing your ADHD students. Remember, the best interventions are the ones that will help all of your students be more successful, not just the ADHD students.
Few ADD or ADHD kids are naturally well organized. Most are space-cadets. They are often well known for taking two hours to do a twenty minute assignment, and then forgetting to turn it in the next day (Hint: it really IS in their backpack). Please take the extra six seconds required to make sure that you ADD ADHD students have actually turned in their work.
Write schedule and timelines on the board each day. Provide due dates for assignments each day. Divide longer assignments into smaller sections and provide due dates or times for the completion of each section.
Your ADD ADHD students will function better when able to anticipate times requiring increased concentration. A visual representation of the day's schedule will provide another opportunity to internalize classroom routine.
Hopefully these will help the ADHD students in your classroom to be more successful. You can learn more about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder at the ADHD Information Library.
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.