How Do I Tackle ADHD Children As A Primary Teacher

A child with ADHD, in a primary school, tends to talk too much, fidgets frequently, might never be still on his/her seat, cannot await his/her turn to do something, and finds it difficult to concentrate in the classroom. Further, he/she refuses to follow instructions and interrupts you while you might be teaching in the class. Such children can badly disturb the ongoing class. However, you should understand that this all is the outcome of a medical condition, instead of bad intention. Therefore, such children need special help and support in their learning and overall development.

The key condition to tackle ADHD is to build a good relationship with the parents, as they are the ones who can help the child every now and then. Even during the treatment days, communicate to them about the improvement in the child’s behavior and what is still wrong in the behavior. If you need anytime help, SENCO is there for you.

Remember, you are there not to remove the child, but its problematic behaviors. So, with this point in mind, let’s go through the problems that are caused by ADHD in the classroom and their solutions.

Special Education Needs (SEN) Code of Practice

From 1 January 2002, a revised SEN Code of Practice has been implemented, which undertakes a graduated approach. It states that SEN must be offered in the school and all teachers are SEN teachers. The goal of this code is to provide fast help to the children suffering from ADHD.

According to the code, the school has the right to demand for a statutory assessment of a child and talk to parents about the special educational provision to be given by them for their children.

Steps Prior to SEN

You can create an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a child if you feel that he/she is finding it difficult to manage in the classroom. An IEP is necessary for SEN and must be discussed with the parents for their approval. An IEP contains the listed below information.

• The child’s goals as to what you want him/her to do or any behavior that needs to be changed
• The strategy you are going to implement to aid the child in achieving the set goals, for instance, rules and rewards
• Frequency at which the child will obtain this help and support
• Help that parents can provide at home for the child to cope up with the problem
• The day when the goals will be reviewed
• Conclusion to be filled on the date of review

Now, you might not recognize the importance of IEP and feel that this is an unnecessary step. However, IEP will be the upcoming support if there is no improvement in the child.

School Action

This is the step wherein you consult a School Special Educational Needs Coordinator to seek guidance. The SENCO will discuss with you about the different techniques to help the child and other education equipments that will support our goal. SENCO then assesses the child’s performance by physical examinations and reviews, while you end up with delivering IEP.
The need of a SENCO arises when the child is suffering from the following difficulties.

• No or slow progress below the acceptable levels
• Cannot develop skills
• Behavioral problems that do not improve by classroom behavioral management
• Communication problems
• Physical problems

School Action Plus

This comes into action when the needs of a child suffering from ADHD are not fulfilled by School Action, In School Action Plus, the SENCO contacts medical ADHD specialists such as language therapist from external health services for further examination of the child.

If even this cannot fulfill the child’s needs, the SENCO requests the LEA to provide a Statement of Special Educational Needs wherein it specifies what help the school should provide to the child in his/her education and development.

Marking the ADHD Symptoms

A teacher is mostly the primary one from among the people close to the child to spot his/hers behavioral problems. On marking an unexpected behavior for some few days, talk to the child’s parents about the problems noticed by them at home. Check whether the child is suffering from the hearing or sight problems. In addition, you can talk to the child’s playschool or nursery to check whether the child had behavioral problems before.

There can be many disorders that co-exist with ADHD and their symptoms overlap the symptoms of ADHD. So, it is difficult to distinguish between the core ADHD symptoms and other symptoms.

Caring for Medication

Legally, it is not mandatory for the teaching staff to supervise a child taking medicine. However, at your own will, you can do so. But, daily decisions regarding this will be the responsibility of the head teacher as per the DfES.

At first, if you are told by the child’s parents that he/she needs to take medicines at school, you must know about the medicines to be given, time on which medication is to be given, and who will take care in giving the medicines to him/her.

Next is to look for a way to send the child for his/her medication without opening this fact to the rest of the class. This is because this is something that a child always fears about taking medications at the school. An example to do so is to ask him/her to visit the staffroom for some work and in between to visit the school secretary or nurse for taking medicines.

Talk to parents or SENCO for your any queries or concerns. Currently, the new medicines are work until long in a day and therefore, can be given only once at home. This actually removes the above issues.

In the Classroom

A child suffering from ADHD cannot concentrate properly and has a low attention span. Therefore, he/she needs your help in learning and organizing tasks in the classroom. The catchy solutions to this problem are routine, repetition, and regularity, which can be implemented in the following ways.

• List and display clear and simple rules on the classroom wall.
• Set a daily schedule such as fixed time for stories and class work.
• Write down/List the day’s topics to be taught on the blackboard.
• Provide timetable and deadlines.
• Remind the class about what is to be done the next day and review the instructions when the day is about to get over.
• Set a place for a ADHD child where there are least chances of distraction, such as:
  • at the front of the classroom
  • besides the wall
  • close to the blackboard
  • close to you
  • away from windows
  • away from bright or colorful items
• Specify a clear system of tracking he work. For example, use a different color for various subjects or label the work done as ‘finished’ or ‘pending’.
• Inform the child with ADHD about any changes that might take place, as he/she finds it difficult to adjust with the change.

Excessively Talkative and Disruptive

At primary, chitchatting and interrupting the teacher frequently when he/she is teaching the class is the most familiar problem of an ADHD child. A major cause of sudden interruption is the medication taken by the child in the school. So, check whether the child has taken medication. Actually, a sudden interruption is the indication that the child has taken his/her medicines. However, it is believed that these two tend to fade as the child grows in age. Listed below are some tips to deal with these two problems.

• Set a limit to what each child can speak when discussing in a group. For example, use a timer to do so and ensure that the ADHD child is not allowed to speak beyond a limit.
• Instruct all the students in the class to speak just a sentence, and not more than that before you ask them to respond/answer/speak.
• Instruct all the students to lift their hands before speaking and wait until the teacher asks to speak.
• Make your students learn to always think and then speak. To do so, give 20 seconds to the class before listening to the answers/response. In this way, you can aid the ADHD child to talk less, but meaningfully.
• Set standard rules of interrupting and inform all the students about them. Remind them about the consequences of not following the rules – possibly list them on a wall where children can see. Do not pin point towards the ADHD children while speaking about these rules.
• Establish and implement a reward system, which is apparent to the child. For example, use color-coded cards wherein an ADHD child needs to get through the session devoid of the red card. On doing so, he/she is rewarded a star; or else, he/she is aware of the consequences.

Lack of Attention/Concentration

This symptom causes problems such as difficulty in listening to what is being said, working at the desk, solving a math problem, and following the instructions. To summarize, an ADHD child with lack of attention or concentration finds it difficult to perform a task or stick to it. Listed below are some tips to deal with these two problems.

• Divide big actions into small chunks, as this works well with a child with low attention span. This requires planning and attention from your side.
• Let the tasks be very short in duration or a set of tasks that can be completed faster to boost the ADHD child’s confidence. For example, getting crayons and drawing book from the cupboard or writing the some proverb everyday on the blackboard before the class starts.
• Stand near to the ADHD child and with the eye contact, provide shot and simple instructions.
• Make the child with ADHD to restate the instructions to ensure that he/she has understood what to do and how to do.
• Ask questions to the child in between the session to maintain his/her attention.
• Use visual aids such as images.
• Create checklists and jot them down on the blackboard.
• Monitor the child’s progress during the execution of the assigned task.
• Be with the child and work together – Assign tasks that are more challenging if you observe that the child with ADHD finds it difficult to concentrate as the day passes.
• Provide handouts that contain a summary of key concepts or terminologies before starting a lesson. Following are certain guidelines on preparing a handout:
  • Write in large font size.
  • Use a simple page.
  • Restrict to 1-2 activities on a page.
  • Try to provide images that depict the action or are related with it.
  • Underline core directions and vocabulary.
  • Draw borders to organize and highlight blocks of text.

Problems Related to Homework

Homework issues include not doing the homework at all, forgetting about it, or doing it partly. Listed below are certain guidelines to deal with this problem.

• Provide a home-school diary wherein the homework is noted down along with the deadlines.
• Inform the parents about the homework.
• Motivate the child to show even a part of the homework done, even if he/she has not finished it.
• Confirm that the child with ADHD has submitted the homework. This is the secondary problem wherein when you ask for the homework and due to low attention, the child might not have submitted it.
• Tell the students to check their homework always after completing it. This becomes a habit and gives them a chance to rectify their mistakes, if any. This is because children with ADHD hardly have a habit to check their work.
• Talk to the parents for any concerns.
• See if you can provide another set of textbooks for home if within the budget.

Problems Related to Learning

These problems include reading and writing problems, which needs a specialist such as language therapist and the SENCO’s help. Listed below are certain guidelines to deal with this problem.

• Make use of visual signs.
• Provide sequential instructions.
• Provide a quite area or extra time during the exams to the child with ADHD. You can also take the test when his/her attention level is good.
• Talk with the SENCO regarding what help is available in the school, such as access to speech and language therapy programmes.

Problems Related to Peers

Peer difficulties include acting silly, overreacting, fighting, or fear of teasing and bullying. Listed below are certain guidelines to deal with this problem.

• Maintain a playtime diary that contains information about play, reactions, performance, problems, and alternatives to the displayed behavior.
• Mix the child with a kind friend with whom he/she can play.
• Arrange for a ‘Circle time’. Here, for around 40 minutes, children settle themselves in a circle and discuss about the matters to understand each other views in you presence.

Problems Due to Difficult Behaviors

A teacher might be annoyed or frustrated while dealing with an ADHD child due to his/her intolerable behavior. You should understand that this is all due to a psychiatric disorder and should not deal with him/her harshly.

• Set unambiguous rules and display them in the class regarding conduct and interruption.
• Control the behavior in the classroom by taking a walk around the desks and acting upon the actions. For example, if a child is putting effort in doing a task, smile at him/her or move your hands on his head.
• Praise or reward the child in front of the class on observing such behavior that you want more and more. Avoid using generalisms like ‘good work’ or well done’, instead say – “I am happy the way your are showing interest in your work”.
• Avoid punishing the whole class just because of the behavior of the ADHD child.
• Give some more minutes to the child to think about the refusal of the punishment, if he/she tells so. Further, tell him/her that now also if he/she refuses, there will be a more serious unavoidable punishment.

Sources of Support

For you, the SENCO is the first contact point for any advice or help on dealing with the difficult behavior of an ADHD child. SENCO will be with you from the stage of creating IEP until the statementing process. Further help will depend on the type of support specified in the statement. If this specified help of the statement is not sufficient, discuss with the SENCO for a review as early as possible.

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