James has a condition called Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder. It is a real medical condition that doctors define as impairment to his executive functions (cognitive management system – which includes lacking the abilities to handle frustration, start and complete tasks, recall and follow multi-step directions, stay on track, plan, organise, and self-monitor) in his brain. That means that learning is hard for him. The part of his brain that manages these skills is like an orchestra conductor who tells all the musicians how to play together and on time to make beautiful music. His conductor has trouble communicating with the musicians, so he needs your help.
He is not crazy, lazy, bad, or stupid. In fact, his IQ score is most likely above average, and many people with ADHD are also gifted. But because his brain is wired differently than that of regular students, he sometimes feels stupid or bad. Sometimes it’s hard for him to admit that he needs help. Sometimes it’s easier and less humiliating to act like he understands or to act angry to distract you from finding out that he is having trouble and so that the other kids in the class don't know that he is struggling. He needs to know that you won’t make fun of him and shame him when he asks for help.
Another challenging thing about having ADHD is that one day he can do something really well but the next day, he can't. Please don’t make him feel bad by saying, "I know you can do this if you really try, you did it yesterday." Instead, show him how to get started just as if he were learning it for the very first time.
Because you cannot see his ADHD, you might have trouble remembering that he needs your help. When you look at him, pretend that he is a blind student and think about how you would feel about helping.
It is hard to tell by looking at him sometimes if you have his attention because he doesn’t always make eye contact or sit upright, but he is usually listening to what you are saying. If you’re not sure, ask him what you just said, rather than asking him if he is paying attention. If he responds correctly, he is paying attention. If he cannot repeat information back to you, gain his attention before you present it again.
It is a challenge for James to learn passively for extended periods of time. Sometimes all he needs is repetition, once you have his attention, to learn. The more senses you involve, the more engaged he will be. Don’t just tell him what to do, show him how, and then have him show you that he understands.
He has a lot of trouble controlling his behaviour sometimes. Being inside his head is like having several radio stations all playing at the same time, so it’s hard to just listen to one. It’s very stressful and frustrating, and so sometimes when you ask him to do something and he responds in a negative way, it’s because he can't handle any more stress.
Sometimes he doesn’t pay attention because he is distracted. Sometimes, he needs a distraction. A totally still environment can cause his ears and eyes to strain to find out where the distractions went. If he has something subtle to occupy him — two coins to rub together or a pair of earphones to muffle sounds or to listen to music with — he is neither distracted nor seeking out the distractions. He is relaxed and alert.
You can help him by pretending that you’re his coach. Good coaches get the best performance from their players by encouraging them, rewarding them, and praising them immediately, especially in front of others. Punishment for things that he’s not very good at only makes him feel worse about himself. And please don’t embarrass him in front of the class. Please talk to him privately about issues. He sometimes has trouble making and keeping friends and responding appropriately to social interactions. Please coach him on how he can do things better. Show him in detail; model it for him. He doesn’t tend to learn well if he is just told how to do something. And give him praise and encouragement when he tries. ADHD children often have little sense of how they're perceived by their peers, and will commit social blunders without realising it. Help him by discussing what went wrong, why it happened, and what he could (not should) do differently next time. Be as sensitive with him as you would be with a close adult friend -- too much negative feedback can hurt his self-esteem.
To help him remember the rules, please post them somewhere where he can constantly see them. He’ll need your help to know when he is breaking a rule and reminders and warnings to follow the rules. He needs practice to follow the rules. Let him know right away if he is breaking a rule, and let him know what he should be doing instead.
He’ll need your help to learn and practice:
organisation skills (things like writing assignments, planning them out, completing them, and getting them back to you when they're due)
note taking
study skills and
Test taking strategies.
When you mark his work, please look for areas that he is struggling with and show him how he can do better.
It’s hard for him to remember lots of instructions when you give them all at once. Please give him one instruction at a time. For assignments, it really helps if he has written instructions, so he doesn’t have to remember everything.
Ask yourself – are you teaching him or interrogating him? What he has learned in school is not always apparent, even to James. He needs you to help him show what he has learned. When he has to answer a question, make the answer be a goal that he will want to reach and will be proud of when he succeeds. But if you tell James that he isn’t trying hard enough or not cooperating, his motivation and mindset become that of a prisoner locked in an interrogation room. Being interrogated does not motivate James, but discourages him from wanting to try. He needs to feel like you’re guiding him toward finding the answers.
The medication that he is taking helps him to focus and calms his hyperactivity. But as he grows, his medication may need to be adjusted. You can help by letting us, his parents know if you notice that his medication is not working as well as it did.
Even with the help of medication, he still feels the need to move. Movement helps him to learn. Sometimes it helps if he can stand while you’re teaching. Sometimes he needs to work off the energy because it feels like he’s got high-voltage electrical currents running up and down his arms and legs. Why not develop a private signal that lets you know that he needs a break from sitting still. He could run something to the office for you, hand out or collect papers, or wipe off the board. Or you could involve the whole class in a stretch break, and no one would know that it’s really just to help him.
His attention span is tied to his energy levels. He knows he is supposed to get school tasks done while he is sitting at a table. But how is he supposed to go forward if his brain is always in neutral? If he cannot move while he thinks, his engine will stall. If a shutdown occurs, let him stand, move, or shift gears before returning to the target subject. Sometimes a movement break — a few jumping jacks — can jump-start his progress. This works better for him than trying to buckle down and not being able to move around until a task is completely done.
Do not take away recess, lunch or sports as punishments. He desperately needs physical activity several times a day to work off the excess energy that he has and relieve the stress of having to sit still for so long. Without this time to "blow off steam," he is more likely to have increased hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour.
The other thing that helps is if he has something to do with my hands. Clay, a stress ball, or even an elastic band helps his body get rid of the extra energy.
Finding a good seat in your classroom is important. He may need to sit at the front of the room, so that he isn’t distracted by the other students and sitting closer to you when he may need help. Or he may do better at the back of the room so that he is not always turning around to see what's going on behind him. Being at the back also takes away his "audience" and allows him to stand up if he needs to without distracting the other students. He also needs to sit somewhere away from other distractions like windows and pencil sharpeners and other students who are struggling. And it helps if he can sit beside a student who can help him when you’re too busy because when he needs help, it’s hard for him to wait.
If you see that he has lost his focus, please give him a private signal to get him back or walk by his desk and touch his shoulder. Or say something like, "Now this is very important, so please pay attention." Please don’t ever humiliate him by using sarcasm or sayings like "Earth to James."
Please remember that he wants to succeed. He is not acting this way to annoy you or to be disrespectful. His brain works differently, but it does work and he can tell when adults don’t like him. If you are on his side, he will know it and will work harder than if you are just putting up with him.
James can be sensitive to small noises and sensations like the hum of fluorescent lights, the temperature of the room, the tags inside his clothes or the sound of the kid behind him as he writes. Sometimes, he just can’t concentrate because these small things are so distracting. It helps if he has a quiet place to go to if he feels the need or if you see that he is having trouble concentrating, but please give him the choice to go there. Do not force him to go there because it will only humiliate him in front of his friends. If you offer this "quiet place" to the whole class, it helps him to accept the option without feeling separated out.
He has trouble making transitions from one task to another especially if he isn’t doing something that he enjoys. Sometimes he can hyperfocus, (the tendency to focus very intently on things that do interest them. At times, the focus is so strong that they become oblivious to the world around them) and it’s hard for him to stop and change tasks. You can help him by giving him advance notice that we will be starting something new in a few minutes. It gives him the time that he needs to work on putting the brakes on in his mind. Changing from doing something active to doing seatwork (coming in from recess or gym) is especially hard for him. Help James by slowing him down gradually and rewarding him when he settles quickly.
Handwriting is difficult for James. Please let him print if he wants to. Using a computer is even better, because he can think faster than he can write and a computer will help get his thoughts down without having to worry about mistakes and organization, which can be corrected later.
No comments:
Post a Comment