Helping Children With ADHD Succeed
By Keath Low, About.com Guide
Updated October 24, 2009
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Dr. Sydney S. Zentall, professor of Special Education at Purdue University, is an internationally known researcher in the education of children with ADHD and the preferences and responses of these students to specific learning conditions and environments. She is also author of the book ADHD in Education.
According to Dr. Zentall, children with ADHD have a greater than average need for stimulation. Their activity is goal directed rather than random or purposeless. In other words, the behavior of a child with ADHD functions to increase stimulation in specific settings, time periods, and tasks.
For a parent or teacher, however, this activity level and the inappropriate or disruptive ways these kids can sometimes use to fulfill this need for stimulation can certainly be very frustrating and confusing. Understanding this need for stimulation and restructuring the class and home environment in ways that help a child find appropriate stimulation can have a major impact on the social and academic outcomes of a child with ADHD.
Children with ADHD seek change/novelty and high interest activities. They do best with an engaging active curriculum at school and an active home environment. Incorporating physical movement and motor activity throughout the day increases successes. When involved in a cognitive, thinking activity, children with ADHD often benefit from choices rather than solely adult directed tasks. With their innate curiosity these kids have a great potential for learning.
The trouble arises when a child with ADHD becomes bored. The longer they have to attend to a task, for example, or the longer they have to wait for their turn, the more stimulation they need. In addition to this need for stimulation, children with ADHD also have a need to feel competence, both academically and socially. They tend to do well with activities that involve some competition which enables others to see how well they are doing – earning rewards, badges, leadership opportunities or other symbols of achievement. Children with ADHD also benefit tremendously from social connections and relatedness to others. Social interactions are often their most important source of stimulation. If you are a teacher when you move about in the classroom and travel around a child with ADHD, you are a very powerful source of stimulation for this child. Your warmth and support and personal attention to this student is vital.
Kids with ADHD also enjoy producing emotional reactions in others. They may be drawn to the children at school who cause more trouble and they often look for or try to provoke an emotional reaction in order to feel more stimulation. Because a loud or angry response from an adult or peer tends to be reinforcing for many children with ADHD, when you must convey disapproval or reprimand a child with ADHD, a nonemotional, calm, and matter of fact response is best.
Dr. Zentall has developed a checklist for parents and teachers to utilize in order to help children with ADHD appropriately fulfill their need for stimulation and competence.
Friendly Class Settings to Support Children With ADHD
Goal 1 – Needs Stimulation (Movement and Choices)
Movement among centers and seats
Activity breaks
Active response tasks
Choice of tasks and reporting methods
Choice of jobs and responsibilities
Choice of learning groups
Goal 2 – Needs Competence
A. Academic Competence
1. Tasks
Reduced length (chapters)
Self-paced
Interests used in instruction
Color (overlays, markers, paper)
Relevant color used
Computers provided
Teach how to visually plan
Make global points and outlines
2. Settings
Interesting centers
Use of games in teaching
Animals present
Music available
Checklists, prompt cards used
Activities or toys for delay time
B. Social Competence
3 times more positives than negatives
Intense, emotional rewards
Private, firm, soft reprimands
Show personal interest in child
Peer activities with rules
Cooperation is taught and rewarded
Friendly Home Settings to Support Children With ADHD
Goal 1 – Needs Stimulation (Movement and Choices)
Available paths to run, trampolines, pools
Active responsibilities that are “helpful”
Available family activities (picnics, biking)
Choice of homework setting and task order
Choice of jobs and responsibilities
Choice of homework activity breaks
Goal 2 – Needs Competence
A. Academic Competence
1. Tasks
Flexible play materials (legos, paints)
Support for pretend play, journaling
Books selected for child’s interest
Family conversations related to interests
Support for collections/hobbies
Computers provided
Teach how to visually plan
Reduce verbalizations to the child
2. Settings
Interesting homework settings
Use of games in getting tasks/jobs completed
Pets present
Music available during homework
Checklists, prompt cards used
Activities or toys for delay time
3 times more positive statements than negatives
Intense, emotional rewards
Private, firm, soft, nonemotional reprimands
Shows personal interest in child and child’s friends
Friend activities with rules
Strict reasonable rules and manners are rewarded
Source:
Sydney S. Zentall, Ph.D., Friendly Settings and Tasks @ School (F SAT-S) @ Home (F SAT-H). Purdue University. Department of Educational Studies. 2009.
Sydney S. Zental, Ph.D. “Friendly Class and Home Settings to Support Children with ADHD.” Closing Keynote 21st Annual International CHADD Conference on AD/HD. Cleveland, Ohio. October 10, 2009.
Sydney S. Zentall, Ph.D. Email correspondence. October 20, 2009.
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