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How Can Teachers Help Students With ADHD?
When teachers understand the struggle of a student with ADHD, they can better help that student in the classroom. Because children with ADHD do better when their lives are ordered and predictable, the most important things teachers can do for those children is establish a calm, structured classroom environment with clear and consistent rules and regular classroom routines.
Display classroom rules. Classroom rules must be very clear and concise.
Provide clear and concise instructions for academic assignments.
Break complex instructions into small parts.
Show students how to use an assignment book to keep track of their homework and daily assignments.
Post a daily schedule and homework assignments in the same place each day. Tape a copy on the child's desk.
Plan academic subjects for the morning hours.
Provide regular and frequent breaks.
Seat the child away from distractions and next to students who will be positive role models.
Form small group settings when possible. Children with ADHD can become easily distracted in large groups.
Find a quiet spot in the classroom (such as a place in the back of the room) where students can go to do their work away from distractions.
Train the student with ADHD to recognize "begin work" cues.
Establish a secret signal with the child to use as a reminder when he or she is off task.
Help the child with transitions between other classes and activities by providing clear directions and cues, such as a five-minute warning before the transition.
Assign tutors to help children with ADHD stay on task. Tutors can help them get more work done in less time and provide constant reinforcement.
Focus on a specific behavior you wish to improve and reinforce it. Teachers can reinforce target behaviors by paying attention to the behavior, praising the child, and awarding jobs and extra free time.
Offer more positive reinforcements than negative consequences.
Explain to the student what to do to avoid negative consequences.
Reward target behaviors immediately and continuously.
Use negative consequences only after a positive reinforcement program has enough time to become effective.
Deliver negative consequences in a firm, business-like way without emotion, lectures, or long-winded explanations.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues148c.shtml