by Kim Richards

Created on: July 04, 2009   Last Updated: July 15, 2009

Teachers know the student; if he were a ball, he would ping off the walls with random abandon; If she were a butterfly, she would flit from place to place flapping her wings in front of each and every student she passed by. Teachers know them and can pick them out after just spending a few minutes with them at open house or watching them walk down the hallway. The ADHD student is one of a kind that is for sure, intelligent, energetic and unable to extinguish that constant state of chaos.

Engaging the ADHD student is an adventure to say the least. The funny thing about those students though is that they want to learn and they want to stay on task, but do not seem to be able to self regulate and prioritize the way a majority of their classmates can. This child usually has above average intelligence and knows a little information about a lot of different subjects. Engaging this sort of student can be daunting at times and quite tiring, but under the right conditions can soar with success. Seating arrangements, consistent teacher support, and a little bit of self-indulgence go a long way in keeping this boy or girl focused and engaged.

Where a student sits within the confines of a classroom is important to teacher and student. A few different methods of seating can allow the child with ADHD to stay in tune to what is happening in the lesson. Being in the front of the class is a good place to start. This can keep the child from being distracted by the activity going on behind him or her - although sounds from behind can also trigger a quick seat turn and thus, off task behavior.

Instructing the student with ADHD to follow the teacher's movement can be very helpful to a student that cannot stay focused on the lesson. If the teacher moves about the class and the student has been instructed to follow that movement, the student has the permission to turn in his or her seat without reprimand. Another place to seat an ADHD student may be near another student that can remain on task, someone that is usually a good worker and enjoys helping others. This kind of arrangement needs to be flexible and take the partner's temperament and learning style into consideration. Any seating arrangement should not be considered permanent, as one way to keep the ADHD student engaged is to show he or she that moving about is allowed and does not have to be disruptive, nor does it have to take away from learning.

An ADHD student can often be described as one who takes in all stimuli

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