5 THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND WHEN WORKING WITH CHILDREN WITH ADHD
BY : NIAMH KEEGAN
There is no doubt that teaching children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) can be challenging at times ; every child has their own individual needs and each child may respond differently to similar strategies that have been put in place . With this said there are a number of straight-forward strategies that can be implemented to help almost all children with ADHD . The key to these basic strategies are to ensure that a collaborative and consistent approach takes place between parents , support staff and teacher , which ensures the same uniformed tasks are implemented in both the class at school and at home . The following strategies can be a helpful starting point when working with children with ADHD .
Maintain a structured environment
If you have experience of working with a child with ADHD , you have most likely heard how important it is to ensure there is a structured environment in place . But what does this mean ? To put it simply , a structured environment is one that is predictable and organised for the child . When working with children with ADHD , it ’ s important that the predictable and organised environment is adapted to suit their needs . When there are routines in place , this creates structure in the child ’ s life . They then know what to expect which enables them to feel secure which in turn will help them to learn more effectively . An easy way to introduce structure without overwhelming the child is to have a now and next board in place .
Have clear & realistic expectations
All children with special educational needs require an Individual Educational Plan with realistic targets set specific to their needs and ability . Setting realistic targets must be a carefully thought out process with input from the child ’ s family as well as educational staff . These targets are typically informed by the most recent assessments and observations from the classroom teacher and the wider support staff . These targets are monitored over a term , and usually involve motivators , positive reinforcement and rewards to encourage their success .
The most desired changes when working with children with ADHD are normally related to their behaviour . In order for their behaviour to improve it is important that the desired behaviour is made clear to the child and that this behaviour is attainable for them .
Manage screen time
Most children have difficulty managing screen time and accepting when it
34 Term 3 Apr - Jun 2021
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