Teaching Student with ADHD
WE need to identify our students with ADHD in our classrooms. It's hard to teach this student when there are so many distractions such as windows in the classroom, a friend that sits next to them. We need to give this student room to move about; to release energy, provide assignments and instructions in writing and orally, and use high impact audio visual aids to keep their attention focused on the lessoned being taught at hand.
Dear Jo
I agree about all the distractions, but I also find that breaking up the lesson with several activities helps to release some energy and enable the student to refocus.
I completely agree with you.
Hi Jo,
Students with ADHD is an emerging student group that are enrolling in career colleges. They present many challenges for instructors. One suggestion is to talk with these students and have them help with ideas for instructional support. If they have diagnosed while in high school they will have had IEPs that outline specific supports targeted for their success. These same supports can still be used with them on the adult level if you are made aware of what they are. Most ADHD students don't require excessive time, once you and the students have identified what really works for them.
Gary
Sometimes it is hard to keep the students with ADHD occupied especially with the computerized classroom. I tend to try to focus the students to finish their classroom work by reminding them when things are due, walking the classroom and trying to offer help. I have also noticed that when a student was distracted that if I would call on them for help with activities within the classroom such as running an errand or helping another student that this seems to calm the student's energy a bit.
Hi LaDonna,
Good strategy for working with a student that has ADHD. This disability as you know keeps the student from focusing on learning for long periods of time. By using short concentration points and then activity you help the student stay engaged. This type of students needs a lot of cues to stay on task. These cues can be instruction, color coded worksheets, visual identification points, etc. As these students are adults you should try to work with them to extend their concentration time. As children this maybe only 3 minutes and then through training it can be extended to 30 minutes as adults. Also, you can help them with self-cuing when they feel themselves going off task they can stop refocus and then engage once again in the learning task.
If possible you should have the student provide to you or the student affairs office a copy of the diagnoses of ADHD. Many students I see now are self diagnosing themselves as having ADHD when in reality they are lacking in study and
organizational skills.
Gary
I have only been teaching for the last two years and have just encountered my first ADHD student. Whew! What a challenge! The problem for me was the fact that admissions allowed her to be placed in my program to begin with. I teach Crime Scene Technology, which is a very detail-oriented, skill-specific area of forensic science. It is not a field for someone with ADHD. I have spent countless hours advising this student that perhaps criminal justice would be more suited for her, but she is determined to stay in the program, despite the fact that she completed the last course with an 18%!
Hi Kimberley,
This is an difficult situation for everyone. This student wants more than anything to be in this field has the desire but does not have the ability to stay focused on the tasks at hand for any length of time. Having worked with many ADHD individuals over the years I have found that time and experiences helps them to realize where their talents are and that they can succeed in other career areas that may not be directly in their field but closely associated.
I would assume that she is using medication for focus and concentration control. If not this would be a recommendation I would make to her. There are three medications that have been achieving very good results with ADHD individuals without impacting their lives to a major extent.
Gary
