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 not being treated specially gives them a sense of fairness and hence security in the classroom. They are hence more able to feel that they should toe the line as there will be clearer and more uniform expectations of them.
It is also helpful for teachers teaching ADHD students to have the same routines and expectations as this narrows down the seeming differences in expected behavior and helps ADHD students conform better to expected routines and behaviors. As external stimuli are stabilised from one class to another, ADHD students will feel less confused and will be guided towards exhibiting more acceptable behavior than ADHD students who are expected to behave differently from one teacher to another. Routines that can be uniform include classroom rules such as waiting in turn to leave the classroom for the washroom during individual seat work, having the same system of handing in work and giving out books, lining up in an orderly fashion and not talking when being dismissed after school and raising the hand and waiting for the teacher's acknowledgement before answering a question raised by the teacher or other students during discussions.
Imagine yourself as a super-hyperactive child. Imagine your mother's looks of disgust when she receives another complaint ten straight days in a row that you have not been attentive in class, that you have touched somebody's item again, that you have not been able to focus and complete the class assignment. You would probably give up trying to please anybody and live up to the false accusations that are thrown at you. You would also lose any self-esteem that you may have and decide not to bother about trying to be good anymore.
Closer communication between the school and parents of ADHD students on expected classroom behavior and routines will help ADHD students to know that their parents are aware and hence will understand when they have to be specially 'counselled' if they do not toe the line in class. Parents of ADHD students are thus more likely to cooperate with the school when they are called in to take their child home when they are especially disruptive in the classroom and not feel that their child is being victimised by the school teachers. They will also be able to advise and reinforce the expected classroom behaviors back home and give the teachers the necessary home support. The more highly intelligent ADHD students will also realize that they will not able to play their parents against the teachers as their parents and teachers have the same expectations of them in the classroom. When parents and teachers are able to work towards reinforcing the same goals for ADHD students through their developmental years, these students' improvement in self-control and self-regulation will be more evident than in ADHD students whose parents and teachers are fighting each other and fighting a losing battle on both sides.
Let us inspect the spectrum of stimuli that can attract ADHD students, thus distracting them from the lesson proper. If the chemical imbalance affects the sense of hearing in the students, you will find that every little noise will draw them away from yours. For example, if a few students start playing football and yelling their heads off, although other students will get temporarily distracted and then return to the lesson, the ADHD students will repeatedly be drawn to their sudden shouts. At times, the teacher's voice is the actual distraction. If the voice is too loud, harsh or shrill, the ADHD students will likely be affected. Some may even involuntarily echo the teacher, much to the teacher's annoyance but to the joy of other students who may not like the teacher and know that she will react and hence take time away from the lesson.
How then do teachers handle such ADHD students? One way is to use a portable speaker phone so that the teacher can adjust the volume and pitch. The teacher will not need to shout and raise his or her voice, thus, avoiding shrieks. Another way is to put the students at the back of the classroom so that they will not find the teacher's voice jarring and other students are less likely to respond to their reactions or to notice them. It is also wise to devise a response system that uses non-verbal cues such as stares and hand signals and make it known to the ADHD students what the system is and the consequence of ignoring the cues. For example, if the students start to mimic the teacher, the teacher may walk up to them and put a finger to the lip as a signal for the students to stop the mimicking. A stare may suffice. It also helps to get all the teachers teaching the ADHD students to work along the system so that the ADHD students do not get confused with multi-systems. Teachers may also realize that the system that they use with the ADHD students will do well for the other students in the class. The ADHD students will not feel alienated from his peers.
Sight stimuli may be more difficult to deal with as it is often not possible to block out existing displays on the walls or even something flashed on the display screen. If something needs to be flashed using the projector, it may be a good idea to get the ADHD students to be in charge of the projector so that they are gainfully employed and know that they would need to pay attention to the teacher in case they show the wrong thing. When a visualizer is used to project something for students to copy, it is helpful to get the ADHD students to copy directly from the visualizer top instead of from the screen. With the teacher at the visualizer, the students are less likely to be distracted as the teacher can quietly bring their attention back to the visualizer with the tap or pointing of a finger.
During group work, it may do well to have the ADHD students head a group of less responsive students who are likely to be followers instead of leaders. It will not do for the ADHD students to start wanting to do everything and end up fighting with the appointed leader of the group. It is also good to break down a complex activity into manageable parts so that the ADHD students have sufficient time to focus on the task on hand and not be distracted by too many details at a time.
Very structured class routines are important to the ADHD students so that they do not have to adjust to new settings all the time. It is good to have class rules and duties displayed prominently so that the ADHD students do not have an opportunity to argue about what help they can or need not give in class. For example, to help them expend the extra energy they have, assign them tasks they can perform. ADHD students may be assigned the role of the teacher's runner. The teacher can thus send the ADHD students on legitimate errands such as taking items to the teacher's assignment locker or sweep the floor after they have managed a maximum length of time at an individual assignment or group assignment.
Teachers who love and treasure individual students will soon realize that ADHD students have strengths so-called normal students may not have. For example, ADHD students are able to think at more than one level at a time and would probably look at and understand things from a different perspective. Let them find their voice and let it be heard by the other students. Let their classmates hear teachers openly praise them for improved attention or a job well done. Let them earn self-esteem and self-respect. Rebuke them and counsel them as teachers would any other students and watch them blossom into capable and caring leaders.
Psychologists wisely advocate that teachers turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the minor antics of ADHD students which include singing, laughing to themselves suddenly, fidgeting within their personal space and doodling. Recognize these actions as their coping mechanisms. Allow them to use a personal digital assistant in class as it will get them to focus on taking notes and doing the right thing without distracting others. Get their classmates to understand their special needs and to accept them for who they are. Establish clear rules with ADHD students; get them to understand the rationale for the rules and the consequences of not complying with the agreed rules.
With a highly structured classroom and procedures, teachers will find their ADHD students effectively engaged in the classroom activities and even positive contributors who benefit the weaker classmates.