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Creating an ADD- Friendly Classroom Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.

Creating an ADD- Friendly Classroom€¦ · Creating an ADD-Friendly Classroom Kathleen Nadeau, ... •Speak in a softer and softer voice ... Spark by John Ratey, MD

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Creating an ADD-Friendly Classroom

Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.

Presentation Overview

• How ADHD affects students

• What to look for in the classroom

• Description of an ADD-Friendly best practices

• ADD-friendly classroom techniques

We now know that ADHD affects many systems:

• Attention systems

• Control/decision-making functions

• Arousal system

• Time awareness system

• Memory functions

Attention System- Three separate systems

1- focused on external stimuli – distractibility

2- focused on internal thoughts/memories - daydreaming

3- control and decision-making system mediates between internal and external attentional systems

ADHD is NOT short attention span, but…

• A dysregulated attention system including :

– Patterns of hyper-focus

– Less control re shifting focus

– Difficulty with voluntary control of focus

ADHD affects Control/Decision-making functions

• Prefrontal lobes are last part of brain to develop

• ADHD symptoms can mimic immaturity

ADHD affects the brain’s arousal system

Reticular Activating System

Dysregulated arousal system can cause

1) hyperactivity,

2) hypoactivity, or

3) a combination of both

ADHD Affects the brain’s

TIME AWARENESS system Time awareness functions located in

the basal ganglia and parietal lobe

Basal ganglia differences found in ADHD

Poor time awareness affects all aspects of planning and functioning

ADHD affects Memory System in the Brain

• WORKING MEMORY – directions, multi-step tasks

• FORGETFULNESS – lack of awareness, events don’t register

• PROSPECTIVE MEMORY – remembering to perform an action in the future without reminder

Frontal Lobes: The Brain’s “Executive”

• Associate • Organize • Plan • Initiate • Monitor

• Compare

• Follow-through

• Evaluate

• Modify (self-regulate)

What does Inattentive ADD look like in the Classroom?

• Messiness, disorganization, forgetfulness

• Often doesn’t finish assignments

• Off-course when called upon

• More frequent teacher questions

• Poor test performance compared to in-class work

Inattentive Type - continued

• Withdrawn in class (shy, quiet)

• Somatic complaints, frequent absences

• Disheveled appearance

• Often loses personal items

• Trouble following multi-step directions

• Careless errors

• Problems with mechanics of writing

ADHD, Combined type girls in the Classroom

• Hyper-social or hyper-talkative

• Loses temper easily - verbal aggression toward peers

• Generally compliant toward rules (girls)

• Shows “minor” ADHD patterns - fidgeting, frequent teacher solicitation, messiness

Combined type girls, (cont’d)

• Blames others

• Unaware of affect on others

• Rushes through assignments with careless errors

• Misreads directions

• Chews fingers, twirls hair, taps pencil

• Frequently interrupts

Typical classroom behaviors for Combined type boys

• Not as motivated to please teacher

• Out of seat behavior/restless, fidgets

• Openly bored, looks for ways to amuse himself

• Class clown – looks for laughs from fellow students

• Very hard to stick with demanding task for more than a few minutes

Why (High) School is So ADD-Unfriendly

• Fatigue - sleep deprivation

• Boredom - little choice of classes

• Demand for prolonged concentration

• Little opportunity for movement

• Distracting environment

• Requires lots of memory, organization

ADD-unfriendly Practices • Believes ADD is an “excuse.”

• Yells, loses temper, intimidates • Rigid and inflexible teaching style • Lessons that are repetitive, non-

interactive, not creative • Disorganized classroom routines • Refuses to remind or set up visual cues in

the classroom.

More ADD-unfriendly practices

• Refuses to repeat – “if you’d been listening you’d know”

• Tough-love approach to learning • Believe that helping creates

dependence • Motivates through criticism rather

than praise and encouragement

ADD-Friendly Teaching

• Excited about subject matter – gets student excited

• Flexible - works with students to help them create “niche environment”

• Encourages rather than criticizes

• Sophisticated understanding of how ADHD affects wide range of brain functions

• Organized and clear course requirements

An ADD-Friendly Teaching

• Teaching style is fun, engaging, interactive

• Problem-solves with student to create accommodations (verbal cues, in-box, squish ball, doodling)

• Uses multiple modalities to teach all types of learners

• Allows students to select medium for projects (skits/plays, graphic, aural)

ADD-Friendly Teaching • Structure - teach use of day planners

• Reminders - re homework, quizzes, etc • Active/interactive learning; high-

response opportunities • Make it relevant to real life • Using internet/email to be ADD friendly • Check assignments/turn in assignments

on internet • Mind-mapping training • Multi-sensory methods

Addressing ADHD in the Early Grades

• Restlessness/hyperactivity – Don’t remove recess as a punishment –

– Find acceptable ways for children to move within the classroom

– Fidget objects that don’t distract others

– Permission to stand at times

– Balance ball seating or wiggle pads

Classroom Calm Down Exercises

• Lower the lights

• Cue mood with music – play same calm pleasant music – cues children to engage in calm down activity

• Place heads on arms on desk, close eyes, lead class through short guided imagery exercise imagining a calm, peaceful place

Managing Restlessness in the Classroom

• Fidget objects, stretch bands, wiggle seats

• Maximize controlled movement in the classroom

• Allow work while standing

• Build in 3-minute movement exercises led by teacher between periods of concentrated learning

• Structure the day so that periods of concentration are followed by periods of creativity or movement.

Classroom Quiet Down Technique

• Speak in a softer and softer voice – “If you can hear me, touch your nose.”

• Notice and verbally reward children that are listening – “Wonderful, Adam!” “Great listening, Lise.”

Helping Young Students Transition to Next Activity

• Give TRANSITION WARNING – in two minutes we’ll stop _________.

• Use MUSICAL CUES for transitions

• Use ACTIVITY CHART at front of class – ask for show of hands – Who knows what activity comes next?

• Raise your hand when you have your ____ materials out and ready.

• VERBALLY NAME AND PRAISE each child as he or she raises hand in readiness.

ADD-friendly Classroom Techniques

STRESS

• Stress increases ADHD symptoms

• Stress often related to: – Overwhelm

– Anxiety

– Fear of failure

SOLUTION

• Teach relaxation and focus techniques – begin day with class-wide relaxation and focusing exercise

• Research supports class-wide mindfulness meditation training

ADD-friendly Classroom Technique

Cognitive Fatigue

• Cognitive fatigue related to prolonged – Concentration

– Decision-making

– Problem-solving

Solutions

• Green Break - Research shows that exposure to nature refreshes the brain and decreases ADHD symptoms

• Snacks to raise blood glucose levels

• Exercise

ADHD-friendly Classroom Technique

Poor impulse control

Self-discipline more difficult and tiring

1) harder to maintain effort

2) harder to resist temptations

Solutions

• Self-control exercises

• Set reachable goals

• Remove temptations

• Frequent breaks

• More structure and oversight

Classroom Games to Increase Self-Control

• FREEZE – play music, everyone freezes when the music stops, child must sit down if he moves. Last one standing wins.

• MOTHER MAY I? Teaches children not to follow initial impulse and ask for permission before acting. Fun because children are giving the orders.

• TALKING STICK – group activities in which the only one that may talk is the one holding the talking stick.

Adding Interest to Learning Activities

• PASS THE BALL – student with ball tosses ball to another student who is the next one to answer a question from the teacher.

• TEAM PLAY – Boys with ADHD tendencies often more engaged when an academic activity is competitive

GIVING CHOICES • Allows choices so that students can

learn skills while focusing on areas of interests

• Choices of reading assignments that appeal to the child.

Awareness of Brain-based challenges

• Emphasizes areas of strength

• Aware of developmental lags in younger children

• Allows gifted children to move ahead w/o emphasizing areas of weakness (handwriting, spelling, careless errors)

ADD-friendly Classroom Technique

Restlessness

• Students with ADHD have great need for both minor and major motor movement

Solutions

• Fidget objects

• Desks that allow variety of positions

• Opportunities for movement within classroom

• Exercise breaks

ADD-friendly Classroom Technique

Aerobic Exercise

1) Calms the brain

2) Increases focus

3) Enhances ability to learn

Spark by John Ratey, MD

ADD-friendly Classroom Technique

Build “green breaks” into the day – research shows that exposure to the “green” of nature directly helps to reduce ADHD symptoms.

ADD-friendly Classroom Technique

Use friendly competition as a motivator – to get it done, make it fun!

Good technique for memorization of math facts

ADD-friendly Classroom Technique

Teach organizing skills on a daily basis. Give each student a day planner and then train them to use it throughout the day, each day.

Tie new habits to existing ones.

Habits require less brain energy!

ADD-friendly Classroom Technique

Make teaching highly relevant to the “real” world outside of class.

Use role playing and peer feedback to keep students actively engaged

ADD-friendly Classroom Technique

• Use positive motivators rather than negative ones (gold stars instead of demerits)

• Make rewards appealing and as immediate as possible – build in daily as well as weekly rewards for desired behaviors

ADD-friendly Classroom Technique

• Teach strategies

• Then provide structure and support to use strategies successfully

• Buddy system – for interactive learning

• Accountability

ADD-friendly Schools Provide

• Ability to turn in homework online

• Online support – Homework

– Notes

– Outlines

How does ADHD affect Writing?

• Planning and organization (topic, ideas, sequence, structure of genre)

• Divergent thinking – ideas not linear

• Memory (working and long term)

• Self-monitoring (make sense? enough detail?)

• Editing (revision, proofreading)

• Speed of written output and production

ADHD-friendly Written Language Strategies

• Use organizers for all written assignment planning

• Provide models for all written assignments

• Instruct through modeled and guided writing

• Editing assistance

A “Minus” in School/ A “Plus” in Life

• - Can’t sit still

• - Distractible/Can’t Focus

• - Talks in class • - Wastes time-games

and TV • - Oppositional • - Impulsive • - Listening/reading

difficult for learning • - Doesn’t complete

projects • - Daydreams

• + Energy & Drive • + Notices everything • + Good sales skills • + Can hyper-focus on

projects that interest him

• + Knows his own mind • + Able to act quickly • + Learns through

experience • + Good at start-up

projects • + Many creative ideas

Kathleen G. Nadeau, Ph.D. Director

Chesapeake ADHD Center Of Maryland

www.chesapeakeadd.com Silver Spring/Annapolis

301-562-8448 [email protected]