Children With ADHD In The Classroom

By Timothy Taylor


ADHD is, as well as ADD, a well-known brain disorder that affect a great percentage of children between six and eighteen years. In the USA, there is probably around five million children suffering from attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder, and this might be a real problem in schools, because these children have problems controlling their emotions, concentration and behavior in general. ADHD in the classroom presents a real challenge to any teacher.

It is not hard to recognize some of the early symptoms, such as forgetting things, misplacing toys, switching interests and activities all the time, talking non-stop or the lack of emotional control. Such kids get distracted too easily and sometimes have some really serious problems with their behavior. When they need to finish a task, it might become a real problem to them, even when this is not something too complicated to do.

The lack of patience is another thing common to kids suffering from ADHD. All these things greatly affect their school success, and this really is a pity, because a great deal of these children might be highly intelligent. Their medical problems affect their success, and there is no cure for this. There are certain therapies, yes, and there are medications, but there is no cure. Combining different therapies is considered to be the best.

On the other hand, a great progress can be achieved using appropriate teacher's approach to such children. The most important thing is to have a teacher who understands the problem, and have an adequate knowledge of ADHD. There are several things the teacher can do to make it easier for children suffering from this disorder, and one of these things is providing a safe, ordered environment. Explaining simple and clear rules is also really important.

Getting to know each and every kid and understanding any specific need is essential for any teacher. This includes talking to the parents as well. Every kid is unique, and it is good to know which methods were successful earlier. This approach is highly efficient, although it does require more time. Anyway, more time spent in the beginning will result with less problems in the future.

Recognizing child's talents or skills and rewarding every effort adequately could be a big step ahead in animating children with similar problems for learning. Using various methods, such as stars or point system, for reinforcing appropriate behavior and for rewarding efforts could also improve the quality of classroom environment as well as this child's success in school. A nice calming music background could also be of a great help.

Sometimes children simply need something different, some kind of physical activity, a few stretches, or a simple pause from learning. This will keep them motivated, especially if their teacher makes them understand that there is a time for a pause, and there is a time for something else. Explain all that you do and why, and it will have effect on the child. If there is a good reason for a rule, it is easier to accept this rule.

Children should never be yelled at, or blamed for something they didn't do correctly. Every teacher has to be gentle and kind, and rewarding good things is always better than punishing. Dividing lessons into smaller segments children can easily understand is much more productive. Asking simple questions every once in a while will keep children concentrated. At last, if some child simply has to move, send it to take a message to another teacher, for example, just to satisfy this need.




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