by Lokemun Magar

Created on: June 18, 2009   Last Updated: August 22, 2009

In order to have effective ways to engage ADHD students in school classrooms, teachers must first correctly identify the traits that make ADHD students. ADHD students are students who have exhibited at least six symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity, symptoms of impulsivity by the age of seven, either in the home, the school or both. The symptoms must occur over a period of more than six months and there must be clear evidence that the students are significantly impaired in social, school or work setting.

Symptoms of inattention include not being able to be attentive to details and hence making careless mistakes in school work and other activities, not being on task in play or work, not seeming to listen when spoken to, not being able to organize activities, not being able to focus for long periods of time, often loses things, forgets routine in daily activities and often easily distracted.

Symptoms of hyperactivity include often being fidgety and not being able to keep still in the seat, squirming in the seat or getting out of the seat when others are able to be seated, running around or climbing or feeling extremely restless, not being able to enjoy activities quietly, is often 'on the go' as if activated by a motor and talking excessively.

ADHD students are also seen to be impulsive, answering before the question has been completely presented, not being able to wait for their turn and interrupt or intrude on others.

ADHD students are often either predominantly inattentive or hyperactive, both predominantly inattentive and hyperactive or both hyperactive and impulsive.

It is interesting to note that the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can be displayed by non-ADHD students at one point or another in school classrooms. This gives teachers a clue on what can be done to effectively engage ADHD students in school classrooms without purposefully isolating them from others by giving them 'special treatment' but working in a classroom system that will apply to the rest of the students in the same classroom. This way, the ADHD students will not feel singled out or treated unfairly by the teacher because they will thus be measured by the same yardstick as other students. Although by nature of the fact that ADHD students are inattentive, hyperactive and/or impulsive and will often stand above the crowd in so-called misbehaving in class, the very idea of them being given the same yardstick of measurement as the rest of the students and

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