Supporting Children with ADHD
In this blog we’ll run through a few great strategies for supporting children with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). It includes challenges posed for tutors and teachers who might have students with ADHD as well as tips for tutors and children who have ADHD.
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ADHD can present the following challenges for tutors and teachers
- Students require more attention than their peers.
- Students have trouble following instructions, especially when presented in a list.
- Students often forget to write down homework assignments as well as completing given work.
- Students may have trouble with operations that require ordered steps, such as long division or solving equations.
- Students usually have problems with long-term projects where there is no direct supervision.
ADHD can affect students in the following ways
- Low grades
- Teasing from peers
- Low self-esteem
So what can we do to help and aid these students with their studies?
Patience, creativity and consistency are three of the most important aspects to take into consideration when tutoring or teaching students with ADHD. As a tutor or teacher, our job is to evaluate each individual student’s needs and strengths. We then need to develop our lessons and strategies in accordance with these.
Additionally, one of the most effective ways of helping students with ADHD is maintaining a positive attitude. Make the student your partner and say, “Let’s figure out ways to help you get your work done together.” Reassure the student that you will be looking for good behaviour and quality work. When you see it, support it with prompt and sincere praise. Finally, look for ways to motivate a student by offering rewards (such as a longer break or less homework).
To read more about tutoring students with Dyslexia or Dyscalculia, follow the links!
Tips for the Student
- Sit away from windows and doors so as to minimise distractions.
- Move while you work. Constantly moving can help you focus better on the task at hand.
- Concentrate on certain words! Studies show that repeating anchor words like “focus” can block distractions.
- When studying, try some brain entrainment music to help you stay focused.
Tips for the Tutor
- Give instructions one at a time and repeat whenever necessary.
- Signal the start of a lesson with a cue and in opening the lesson, tell the student what he or she is going to learn and what your expectations are.
- Tell students exactly what materials they’ll need.
- Where possible, work on the most difficult material first. This can help to make the most of your session/lesson.
- Colour-code sections of material and make use of visuals!
- Test the student in the way he or she does best, such as orally or filling in blanks.
- Divide long-term projects into sections and assign a completion date/goal for each.
- Allow the student to do as much work as possible on a computer.
- Make sure the student has a system for writing down assignments and important dates and uses it!
- Establish eye contact.
- Vary the pace and include different kinds of activities. Many students with ADHD do well with competitive games or other activities that are rapid and intense.
- Allow for frequent (but short) breaks.
- Summarise the key points before finishing the lesson.
- Lastly, and most importantly – be patient and understanding.
At BrightSparkz Tutors we provide excellent one-on-one tutoring for all school-level subjects and are passionate about supporting children with ADHD. Get a tutor today!
This article has been adapted from the original here.
