ADDitude magazine, a publication for people with ADHD, recently posted an informative slideshow showing teachers just how they can approach some challenging moments with students who have ADHD.

Among the dozen tips shared are the following: 

• Be specific
• Model and write down what good behavior looks like
• Provide “clear routines”
• Lessen distractions
• Provide nonverbal redirection
• Offer praise
• Let students move around

Let kids know where they are in the day. Write the day’s schedule on the blackboard, and erase items as they are completed. Alert the class in advance if there are revisions. Use a timer to help transitions between activities, and give five- and two-minute warnings, so ADHD kids have time to stop doing one thing and start another. This gives ADHD students a sense of control over their day.

“Approximately 11 percent of children 4-17 years of age (6.4 million) have been diagnosed with ADHD as of 2011,” according to the CDC. With diagnoses on the rise, most teachers will have at least one student with ADHD in their classrooms.

Movement helps ADHD kids hit the reset button and focus. Ask a child to perform a task, like cleaning the blackboard or straightening a bookshelf. Or allow her to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom. If this is not practical, the student can play with small objects—a squeeze ball or rubber band—that can be manipulated quietly. Don’t punish her by taking away recess. Many ADHD children have a harder time concentrating without a break.

View the entire slideshow.

Corrie Kerr, EducationWorld Editor