8 ways to support children with ADHD in learning

So often, when talking about children with ADHD we hear words such as ‘daydreamer’, ‘distracted’, ‘absent minded’ and in the worst case scenarios words such as ‘lazy’. However, ADHD is, at its heart, an aversion to boredom.

Long periods of sitting, listening, with no action create heightened levels of boredom, and in doing so further reduce dopamine and norephedrine levels which subsequently create sensory seeking behaviours. Norephedrine is associated with attention. With already low levels dropping further, an increase in inattention, struggles to organise and impaired executive functioning exasperate. This can be seen in behaviours (symptoms) such as inattention, distraction, restlessness, fidgeting, becoming boisterous, emotionally dysregulated or volatile or argumentative. So often, this is labelled as ‘poor behaviour’ and therefore, the cause not identified or the need met.

So, how can we support children with ADHD in their learning?

 

1. Reframe your perspective – Children with ADHD are frequently creative thinkers, able to see outside of the box and incredible problem solvers. They have a heightened level of awareness and observation and more energy in their brains. Sitting still for long periods of time
2. Body Double – Body doubling is the practice by which, when the person with ADHD has a challenging or frustrating task, which may lead to procrastination to complete, a trusted person sits with them to support them to remain grounded. The person may be supporting or helping, or may provide sensory input, or may be working on their own activities and simply be present to help the young person stay focussed.
3. Help get things on paper – Many young people with ADHD will tell you that they struggle with getting their ideas started, or recalling instructions. Providing these in writing so they can refer back to them, supporting them to get started, and being creative with how things are recorded all help them to be more successful (also provide homework written down for them). Where we create excitement about learning, and opportunities for success, young people are less likely to associate the lesson with boredom and therefore engage further.
4. Increase engagement – Telling someone with ADHD to sit still invariably leads to failure and frustration. Building in fidget breaks, or engaging the young person in activities such as handing out resources, writing on the board and completing small jobs to allow them to move with permission can reduce the challenge.
5. Think about the stimulation – Often, classrooms can become busy, colourful spaces. However, this also creates heightened distraction. When there is large quantities of art work or materials hanging from walls, ceilings and notice boards, children’s brains have to process all of the sensory stimuli, which can lead to further distraction. Considering the environment and identifying whether there is too much going on can be vital to supporting young people. This same factor is important where we have young people with ASD in our classrooms.
6. Provide a stimulus – In the absence of something to engage with, children will find something. Where we provide something to create sensory input we can better support young people, and reduce fidgeting which can become a challenge. Stretchy bands around chair legs, fidget cushions, fidget toys are all options, but finding something that best works for that child is vital.
7. Reduce overwhelm – Where we give multiple tasks we can find that the young person with ADHD loses focus and begins to procrastinate or disengage. Where we provide one task at a time, with positive reinforcement and support children are more able to achieve and feel a sense of accomplishment.
8. Focus on the behaviour you do want – So many young people with ADHD spend much of their time being reprimanded for the behaviours (symptoms) that are a response to under stimulation. This can often exasperate the symptoms. Instead, providing positive feedback focussing on the behaviours that you do want has a greater benefit. Rewarding the behaviours with immediate feedback creates motivation and a dopamine hit. Be descriptive in the feedback ‘I loved your creative writing piece, the detail you gave was really enticing’ is more effective than ‘well done’.

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