Writer: Dr. Jane Segal and A. Melinda Smith translation: a. Lujain Bin Jadid
Challenges facing students diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the classroom
When teaching students diagnosed with ADHD, students may face some challenges, like: The student who stares out the window interrupts the mathematics explanation by saying: “Did you see the bird outside the window?” And the student who cannot sit in a chair throughout the class, When the teacher asks the students who will answer the following question: What played a major role in the development of ancient Egyptian civilization? One of the students answers, “A. Is your hair dyed?”
Students diagnosed with ADHD can be frustrated by their inability to change their current situation or by their inability to achieve something.
The mental ability of students with ADHD may be a challenge in the classroom, such as the ability to focus on the material presented to them by the teacher, In addition, behaviors in the classroom may not be relevant to the lesson and may disrupt the entire classroom.
Challenges facing students diagnosed with ADHD in the classroom:
- Demanding attention by speaking when the teacher does not ask him to answer, Move around the classroom.
- They may have trouble following instructions given to them by the teacher, especially when they are presented in a list. Lack of understanding of operations that require ordered steps, such as long division or solving equations.
- Forgetting to write or do homework at home and forgetting to bring it to school.
- lack of fine motor skills, This makes it difficult for them to take daily notes and difficulty reading handwritten writing.
- Difficulty working on long-term projects as there is no direct supervision on them.
- Having difficulty working in a group with peers may even hinder the entire group in terms of completing tasks.
The demands of the school environment require students to sit on the chair and without sound, listen, Pay attention to the lesson, Focus on the lesson. All of these are the same requirements that students diagnosed with ADHD experience. Not because they are not ready to carry out these instructions, but their ability to pay attention, focus, and calm will not allow them to do so. Such requirements may not make education easier for them.
Children and adults diagnosed with ADHD often pay the price for their problems with low grades. And reprimand and punishment, harassment from their peers, Low self-esteem and esteem. The teacher may feel guilty about not being able to find access to improvement for students with ADHD.
Where the teacher can use effective strategies in the classroom to overcome learning challenges, How to maintain focus without disturbing others, And raising the level of the student’s ability to succeed in the classroom.
How can we help students diagnosed with ADHD in the classroom?
Asked by teachers, How can I teach a student who does not stay still and listen to the lesson?
The answer lies in being patient and creative when teaching students, as the teacher’s role is to evaluate the individual needs of each student and show his strengths and develop them. The teacher can work on some strategies that help students with ADHD stay more focused and stay on task.
Effective strategies with students with ADHD include the following three components:
- Facilities: The teacher must provide facilities to the students in the classroom.
- Instructions: Instructions must be among the methods used in teaching.
- Intervention: Intervention by reducing behaviors that hinder the educational process or distract other students.
The most effective strategy in helping students diagnosed with ADHD is the “positive behavior” strategy. By engaging the student with words such as, “Let us discover together the ways that will help you accomplish this work,” and promoting positive behaviors and immediate moral and material reinforcement through praise, praise, offering rewards, and activating the symbolic economy strategy, The teacher should look for effective ways to motivate students with ADHD.
How to deal with unwanted behavior in the classroom
When avoiding unwanted behaviors that may disrupt the class for other students, The teacher must place warning signs for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as these signs may be, A hand signal or some sticky notes on the student’s desk.
When discussing student behavior, the teacher must be in private. Try to ignore unwanted behavior if it is unintentional and does not distract other students or disrupt the lesson.
Adapting the classroom for students diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
The teacher can make changes in the classroom and provide supportive education for students with ADHD by reducing the negative effects of unwanted behaviors.
Student location
- Work to keep the student’s place away from windows and doors.
- Place the student forward unless it is a source of distraction.
- Arranging classroom seats in rows may help the student focus with the teacher better than students facing each other in other arrangements.
- Work to reduce distractions in the classroom environment.
provide information
- Instructions should be given once and repeated as needed.
- Introduce difficult material at the beginning of the day.
- Use visual tables, pictures, Colors.
- Create concept maps to organize the information provided.
Student assignments
- The worksheets submitted should contain little information given, Providing short tests instead of long tests at the end of the academic term. Reducing time-bound tests.
- The teacher must choose the best methods for learning. For example, When assessing students, the test may be oral or fill-in-the-blanks.
- In the scientific subject, when choosing long-term goals, the goals must be divided into small goals so that it is easy for the student to understand each part of them.
- The teacher must accept the assignments even if the student is late in submitting them and give him credit for the partial assignments.
Organization
- Organizing students’ daily tasks by creating a separate main file for each subject. Ensure that note sheets are placed in the correct section and that each section is coded in a different color.
- Providing a notebook for students includes three sections: Homeworks, supplementary homework assignments, Written notes to parents.
- The teacher should ensure that each student writes down assignments and dates in their daily notebook.
- Giving students extra time to organize homework, And give instructions to prepare to go home.
Teaching strategies for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Teaching strategies help students diagnosed with ADHD focus and maintain focus on the tasks and materials presented to them.
The beginning of the lesson
- The teacher must indicate when the lesson begins using auditory signals. like temporary, And the bell. (Cues can be used to show how much time is left in the lesson.)
- Eye contact with students with ADHD is important in the educational process.
- The teacher should put a list of the lesson objectives on the board.
- Lesson introduction, The teacher should tell the students what they will learn and what their expectations are for the lesson presented to them.
Lesson procedures
- The instructions given must be simple, clear and organized. The teacher should use visual aids and concept maps.
- Competitive games and rapid, intense motor activities help students with ADHD focus on the learning process.
- When reminding the student to stay on task, The teacher should provide unobtrusive cueing to students with ADHD. like, Touching a student’s shoulder or placing sticky notes on the student’s desk.
- The teacher should give the student with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder frequent breaks when performing tasks.
- The teacher should not ask a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to perform difficult tasks or answer questions that are higher than the student’s current level.
End of lesson
- The teacher should summarize the main points at the end of the lesson
- When the teacher presents the task to the students, Try asking three other students in the class to repeat the information. Then ask all the students in the class to repeat the information in one voice and then put it on the board.
- The teacher should assign homework to the students.
- Reference: