Teaching techniques for students with ADHD
Here are some teaching techniques that help students with ADHD focus
and maintain their concentration on your lesson and contribute to the
class.
Starting a lesson
❖ Signal the start of a lesson with an aural cue, like a bell or a ringer.
Using these aural cues helps children with ADHD
compartmentalize and switch from one task to another or one
subject to another. You can use the same cue to signal a change
in classes or subjects.
❖ Establish eye contact with any student who has ADHD – this helps
them to focus their attention better.
❖ List the activities of the lesson on the board – visual cues like this
help them plan their day and feel more in control. Knowing what
their day is going to look like helps them be prepared and feel less
overwhelmed.
❖ At the start of every class, tell students what they’re going to learn
and what your expectations are. Tell students exactly what
materials they’ll need and what they are expected to accomplish.
Conducting the lesson
❖ Keep instructions simple and structured. Use props, charts, and
other visual aids. Try to make lessons as engaging as possible to
help them stay focused and keep their attention
Communication is key!
❖ Break up a lesson into parts and communicate the end of each
section using visual or auditory cues. (having a schedule on the
board and striking off activities as you finish them will help
❖ Vary the pace and include different kinds of activities. Many
students with ADHD do well with competitive games or other
activities that are rapid and intense.
❖ Have cue set up with the student who has ADHD, such as a touch
on the shoulder or placing a sticky note on the student’s desk, to
remind the student to stay on task. Discuss this with the student in
advance and stay consistent with the cue.
❖ Allow a student with ADHD frequent breaks
❖ Try not to ask a student with ADHD perform a task or answer a
question publicly that might be too difficult.
Ending the lesson
❖ Summarize key points. If you give an assignment, repeat it a few
times, make sure the student has made note of it – but don’t single
them out! Make general reminders to the class as a whole.
❖ Students with ADHD can benefit from a reward system at the end
of every day to highlight things they did well – like listening to a
session, not disrupting a class, etc. This kind of reinforcement
helps children feel encouraged and supported.
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