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| Author: Ruth Wells, M.S. |
Need some new classroom management ideas for your children and youth who have ADHD? Here are some of our favorites that you may find to be refreshingly different from what you are using now. These unique classroom management devices belong in every classroom and group room. All of these interventions are not only appropriate for your youth and children who have ADHD, but these interventions may also be essential training for any youngster.
* ILLUSTRATE PROBLEM AND TARGET BEHAVIORS
Children with ADHD may be comfortable, but the adults who work with them, may be uncomfortable with their speed. When you tell an ADHD child to "stop it," they may not be clear what the problem is, even though it may be obvious to you. Remember:
Give ADHD-affected children a picture of both the problem behavior and goal behavior, consider using these terms that paint a picture:
*Slow-Rolling Behavior: This conveys a rate of motion that may be too slow to work well.
*Speed-Racing Behavior: This term conveys a rate of motion that may be too fast to work well.
*Pace-Setting Behavior: This conveys a rate of motion that isn't too fast or too slow, but just right.
Follow-up: After students understand the terms, have them demonstrate of each term. Or students can create pictures explaining each term, and the pictures can be posted on thewall as visual reminders. Other options: use puppets to practice pace-setting behaviors, then discuss the benefits and
hazards of each type of behavior in the jobs and businesses
that interest your students.
* TEACH ABOUT ATTENTION-GRABBERS
ADHD children-- and plenty of other children-- don't know how to manage distractions. Use a loud radio, too-dim lights and other attention-getting devices to create distractions, then teach your students to identify and rectify the problem. You can assist them to identify what to say, when to say it and how to say it. For example, students can be assisted to develop specific phrases to alert teachers that they need help to manage a distraction.. Consider having your students use the words 'attention-grabbers" as a memorable way to describe distractions.
Follow-up: Have students identify potential attention-grabbers in their future work places and how to manage those distractions. Be sure to have your youngsters identify what can happen if work place distractions are not properly managed, especially for occupations like pilot, crossing guard, parent, and hair stylist.
* THOROUGHLY TEACH PAYING ATTENTION
ADHD children often need lots of repetition and practice before acquiring new skills. To teach ADHD-affected students and others how to better pay attention, use metal and a magnet to illustrate how students' eyes should be "stuck" on the teacher. Next, have students practice having their eyes, ears and mind stuck on the teacher.
* TEACH HAND RAISING
If you require hands to be raised prior to speaking, carefully teach the skill before expecting it. To show the desired way to perform hand raising along with the problematic way, teach students that waving around your arms could be called "windshield wiper arms" then ask them for "flagpole arms." Demonstrate both methods to ensure comprehension. Next, be sure to practice appropriate hand raising.
Follow-up: Have students identify jobs that often require workers to have permission prior to speaking. Include jobs like lawyers in court, pilots on the radio, and office workers in a meeting. Ask students to identify the consequences that these workers may face for frequent talk-outs. Assist students to view hand raising as essential preparation for their future jobs.
* NO STATUES ALLOWED
It is normal for children and teens to be active. Whether or not a child lives with ADHD, many children are ill-suited to sit extremely still for 60 to 90 minutes at a time. Children and teens make lousy statues. So instead of requiring your students to sit still, consider negotiating what motion you'll allow. So, you might not permit a child to bang his feet on the chair in front of him, but you might allow doodling or foot tapping that doesn't disturb others. Assist the child to practice doing the negotiated behavior so that the foot tapping isn't stomping, for example.
* WORK AREA MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Don't assume any skills. That means: don't assume that a child knows how to perform a behavior unless you have taught it to the child. This is true for all your students, but especially for ADHD-affected ones. It's unfair to expect students to perform skills that they haven't been taught--so teach them. One skill to teach: how to manage their work area. Ask students to draw or describe the "right way" and "wrong way" to manage your work area in their future jobs, and the consequences of a messy, disorganized or dirty work area. Once students can spot the hazards of mismanaged work areas in their future jobs,
assist them to spot the hazards of mismanaged work areas at school. Have them also devise the "right" and "wrong" ways for managing their work area at school.
Did You Like These Inventive Interventions for ADHD?
We have hundreds more unusual, dynamic interventions for every "kid problem" imaginable. Both our live and videotaped Breakthrough Strategies Workshop provide comprehensive coverage plus $40 college credit and free clock hours.
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Author Bio:
Get much more information on this topic at www.youthchg.com and theclassroommanagementsite.com. See hundreds more of innovative, problem-stopping interventions at the Youth Change web site. Ruth Wells MS is the director of Youth Change. Ruth is the author of dozens of books including the popular Temper and Tantrum Tamers, Turn On the Turned-Off Student, Last Chance School Success Guide and Maximum-Strength Motivation-Makers. She annually trains hundreds of teachers, counselors and youth professionals in staff development workshops, conferences, seminars and in-service throughout the country. Get free samples and see 100s more of her problem-stopping interventions at Youth Change's web site. Ruth is the author of dozens of books and ebooks, and conducts professional development workshops. Please visit us at our website at www.youthchg.com or feel free to call us at 1-800-545-5736. |
| You can also reach this article by using: Teachers' and Educational Professionals' Classroom Management Techniques for ADHD |
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