ADHD: Strategies and Interventions That Work

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a very common condition that affects millions of children (Mayo Clinic). If you are a classroom teacher, it’s very likely that you’ve come across a student with ADHD before. And if you haven’t, you probably will at some point. As teachers, we want to feel equipped to handle these situations and know that we can provide every student with a comfortable learning environment. It is key that we understand what ADHD is, how it can affect a child, and what you can do to support them in the classroom.

What Is ADHD?

ADHD is a condition that can cause a wide variety of symptoms, most often inattention and hyperactive-compulsive behaviors. ADHD frequently impacts an individual's executive functioning skills — these can include working memory, self-monitoring, planning and prioritizing, controlling impulsivity, staying organized, and task initiation, to name a few.

The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but scientists believe it can be caused by a combination of genetics, the environment a child grows up in, and possibly problems with the central nervous system at key moments in development (Mayo Clinic). ADHD is thought to occur more often in males than in females — although some argue that females are just underdiagnosed, as they tend to exhibit more inattentive, less overtly hyperactive behaviors (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). Symptoms of ADHD can be mild, moderate, or severe, and may continue into adulthood. 

ADHD can be predominately inattentive, predominately hyperactive/impulsive, or combined (a mix of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity). 

A child with inattention ADHD patterns may often: 

• Have a difficult time staying focused on a task or while playing
• Appear to not be listening
• Make careless mistakes in their schoolwork
• Struggle to follow through when given instructions
• Leave schoolwork or chores unfinished
• Have trouble organizing tasks, activities, etc. 
• Avoid activities that require focused mental effort, like homework
• Lose items (such as toys, pencils, and school assignments)
• Be very easily distracted

Hyperactivity and impulsivity can cause a child to: 

• Fidget, tap their hands, bounce their leg, or have difficulty sitting still
• Seem like they are constantly moving and always on the go
• Run, climb, jump, or otherwise roughhouse in inappropriate situations
• Struggle to complete a task or play quietly
• Be perceived as “talking too much,” interrupting others, or blurting out answers
• Have a hard time waiting for their turn

You may be reading the above lists and thinking, “Wait a minute…that sounds like my son!” or “I wonder if my niece has been evaluated for ADHD?’ and before you jump to those conclusions, it is important to remember that most children will display these behaviors from time to time. Who among us hasn’t made a careless mistake, lost an important item, or had occasional difficulty sitting still? ADHD should only really be considered seriously if a child is exhibiting these types of behaviors more extremely than their same-aged peers and if these behaviors are causing serious difficulties in at least two settings — for example, at school and home (Miller). ADHD should be formally diagnosed by a licensed health professional, such as a psychologist or pediatrician. 

Treatment for ADHD often includes behavior therapy and medication, depending on the child's age and severity of symptoms (American Academy of Pediatrics). Schools may offer special education services for ADHD, but it is not always necessary. Schools may also offer behavioral classroom management and various classroom accommodations to help meet the needs of students with ADHD. Within a classroom, there are many things that a teacher can do to set the student up for success. 

Tips to Ensure Your Classroom Is Set Up for Student Success 

Accommodations can be made to help students with ADHD access the content and to minimize misbehavior related to ADHD symptoms (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). Accommodations are most productive when they are tailored to the individual student and are adjusted according to their individual needs, but there are a few general accommodations you can think through when determining how to support your students, including those with ADHD.

Seating 

Consider where and how the student is seated. Would you prefer they were seated in the front near you so you can redirect them as needed? Could they benefit from sitting near a positive peer? Are they seated near the windows or doors, where they can be easily distracted? If possible, it can be really helpful for students to have space to move around, with options for standing, sitting on the floor, or moving between desks or tables. Students with ADHD often move or fidget to stay engaged, so it can be important to accommodate this need while avoiding disruption to the rest of the class. 

Behavior

It is important to provide options to help your students learn to self-regulate and monitor how you respond to misbehavior. If it is a minor misbehavior, consider ignoring it. As mentioned, some students with ADHD find that it’s much easier for them to focus if provided with fidget toys, stress balls, or flexible seating options. All students can benefit from occasional breaks, and those who are especially fidgety can be given a role or a task to do when they need to take a movement break. These can include handing out materials, passing back assignments, sharpening pencils, collecting trash, etc. 

When considering options for behavior plans or brainstorming ways to help students focus on their schoolwork, one question to ask yourself is whether or not the student is able to take adequate breaks throughout the day. Some research suggests that “kids who have recess display an improved ability to stay on task,  are less fidgety in the classroom, and are better behaved” (Silver, M.D.). On top of that, unstructured outdoor time can foster creative play, increase social-emotional development, and help regulate bodies and minds in preparation for learning (Hanscom).

Classroom Routines

It is essential to set your classroom routines and expectations from the beginning of the year and reinforce them frequently and consistently. This is especially true for students with ADHD, who may need extra reminding and practice. When possible, allow your students with inattentive ADHD symptoms to complete their assignments on a computer or tablet. These devices are visually stimulating, allowing students to engage more easily and making it easy for them to organize their thoughts. Praise students for positive and appropriate behaviors, such as raising their hands and waiting to be called.

Instruction

When planning your instruction, consider options for students to respond with multiple modalities. If you want to take it a step further, consider allowing students to choose how they would prefer to demonstrate understanding. For example, when I taught middle school ELA, we did a unit about Greek mythology, and students could choose how they wanted to present their end-of-unit assessment. They had a choice between writing a paper, giving a presentation, illustrating a comic strip, or creating a short video of themselves answering questions. All options required them to answer specific questions and provide certain evidence of mastery, but students felt more confident and proud of their work when given that choice.

You will also want to be sure to review previous lessons, as students with ADHD often have a difficult time with their working memory. You will need to ask open-ended questions to check for understanding as you go through the lesson, to be sure the student hasn’t fallen behind or gotten lost. Open-ended questions can sound like “What have you learned so far?” “How did you get that answer?” and “Why is this information important?”. 

Assignments and Tests

Think through whether the class assignments are accessible for your students. Are they able to break large assignments into smaller, more manageable parts? The instructions should be clear and provided in writing, as well as explained verbally. You can ask the student to repeat back the directions to double-check that they understand the expectations. You may want to avoid repetitive assignments, especially for skills the student has mastered. Are the assignments at an appropriate level of difficulty? Can the student have extended time to complete assignments? During test-taking, students with ADHD can greatly benefit from being allowed to take their test in a separate room that is quiet, free of distractions, and provides them space to move around without distracting others. 

Suggestions for Helping Students With Combined ADHD Symptoms

While it is important to consider each student’s individual needs and behaviors, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) provides the following suggestions for students who exhibit a combination of inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behaviors: 

• The student is constantly moving in their seat. → Try giving them options for how/where they can do their work and provide breaks.
• The student’s attention wavers, but when focused, they blurt out answers. → Try consistent praise for raising their hands and seating them in an area with minimal distractions.
• The student has trouble completing assignments and tests in the allotted time because of distractions. → Try an alternative test setting or break up assignments and tests into smaller sections. Allow extra time to complete tests. 
• The student taps a pen constantly, which distracts other students. → Let the student know privately that tapping their pen is a distraction. Ask them if they have other suggestions for how they could focus. You might offer that they could wave their pen in the air, wiggle it between their fingers, or replace the pen with a soft object to tap that won’t make noise.

In Conclusion

While all of these things — providing testing accommodations, carefully planning your seating chart, reinforcing your classroom routines, providing options for self-regulation, etc. — can make a huge difference to students with ADHD, keep in mind that these accommodations can also be useful to all of your students. As you think about your class list or look ahead to your class next year, try to keep these strategies in mind, and you will be able to ensure that your classroom is a welcoming and comfortable environment for ALL students!

Want to learn more about teaching and guiding your students with ADHD? Looking for more tools that will serve ALL learners? Check out our Executive Functioning Toolkit for plenty more tips and tricks!

Key Takeaways:

• ADHD affects millions of children and can either present as inattentive behaviors, hyperactive-impulsive behaviors, or a combination of the two. 
• There are many things you can do to help your students with ADHD in your classroom, but it is important to tailor these accommodations to each specific student. 
• Many students without ADHD can benefit from these supports as well.