ADHD
ADHD/ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
How to Help children with ADHD?
Students / children with ADHD have difficulties in concentration and attention so they struggle to learn curricular activities. Parents and teachers often feel that child is to slow in learning, difficulty in listening commands, and in following instructions. Child gets easily distracted.
Instructions for teachers and parents:
- Wait until child is attentive for your instructions.
- Read out the written directions. Students with ADHD should use colours, highlighter, circle, or underline key words.
- Encourage and focus on positive aspects of behaviour you want to encourage in child with ADHD. Ignore the unwanted and irritating behavior. Example: “please look at the diagram” instead of commanding “stop fidgeting” or “Stop looking here and there”
- Give complete and clear instructions to avoid confusion.
- After giving instructions, remain silent, and wait 5 to 10 seconds. If a child still doesn’t follow the given instructions, address him by name and repeat the command.
- Be specific while instructing, - Instead of saying “behave nicely or be a good student" say, “sit in your chair, please open your maths book, go to page number 50, see the question number 10.
- Multisensory instructions such as audio, visual, smell and touch cues promotes positive behavior, better compliance and enhance long-term memory. For this graphics, sounds are used. Facial expressions have their positive role.
- Avoid multiple tasks or instructions in a single command, instruct the child step wise (one by one).
- Don't get frustrated or demotivated with child's behavior. Instructor's frustration leads to unhealthy communication and faulty management of ADHD.
- Always consult doctor time to time.
