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Attention Deficit Disorder Classroom Management

By Tess Thompson

Anyone who has dealt with children who have an attention deficit disorder will know that the condition cannot be diagnosed or identified easily. It does not have a specific checklist of symptoms that one can refer to. Other problems like learning disability, mood disorders are likely to be part of the exhibited symptoms and then again these are likely to change depending on various factors that you may not be aware of.

Regardless of all this, tackling and managing children with ADD can be an arduous task. Though experience will teach you a lot of things, knowledge about the condition and the manner in which it should be handled is of utmost importance.

Firstly make sure that the child whom you are dealing with is in fact has ADD. While dealing with ADD children, be prepared for many moments of frustration. And ensure that at times like these, you do not loose your cool. Take the parents into confidence with regards to what you are trying to achieve with the child. Do not be afraid to ask for help when you feel the need.

Classroom management does not involve ADD treatment and you should consult behaviorists, child psychologists and psychiatrists when the need arises. Sometimes the best option is to ask the child for advice. Many times ADD children can come up with innovative and insightful solutions to certain problems.

In your dealing with the child, if you feel that the child requires some child ADHD treatment or is likely to benefit from alternate means of treatment like an herbal remedy for ADD , make sure to mention it to the parents.

As a teacher, you need to understand that ADD children have a problem in concentrating and therefore need a structure to help them carry out activities. As a teacher, your role is to provide an environment that enables them to perform certain tasks without too much of a problem. So you need to provide them a structure in which they can operate. This structure can come in the form of lists that they can refer to, constant reminders, post-it notes that you may put in the classroom and other such tools.

The other aspect to remember is that you need to keep the interest of the ADD child alive. You may need to make frequent eye contact to ensure that the child does not get into dreamland. Keeping the ADD child physically closer to you may solve this issue.

Make studying fun and provide stimulation in various forms. Be careful that you do not overdo the stimulation since that can lead to a chaotic situation.

Reduce the pressure so that the ADD child does not break. Make schedules for the children with them. Give simple instructions and partition relatively complex tasks into smaller sub tasks. Encourage feedback on whether it is too relaxed or too hectic. Avoid times tests and evaluations and ensure that you try and give exercises that are rich in content rather than lengthy, boring tasks. Use memory techniques like mnemonics and imagery to achieve success with these children.

Use behavior modification techniques and reward positive behavior and ignore negative ones. At times when you need to check certain behaviors, involve the child and explain explicitly why you think an action was not right.

It is of extreme importance that you monitor the progress of these children and keep watch for positive aspects of the behavior. ADD children often exhibit a lot of creativity and spontaneity. As a guide, you need to be able to nurture the creativity and you may have an Einstein on your hands.