To be successful in school, and in life, one must be able to pay attention and to control behavior and impulses. These areas are the same areas in which the child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has trouble.
You will best be able to help your students with ADHD succeed by learning as much as possible about the condition. This site will aid you in understanding the many aspects of children with ADHD and help you guide them in the classroom and with other school-related activities. The resources section of this site will provide you with access to an even wider range of information. The site is a guide only; the child's doctor and the professional staff of your school system should be available to help you with specific planning.
Why You?
A conservative estimate on the incidence of ADHD in the United States is about 3 to 5 percent of grade school children. More boys than girls have been diagnosed with the disorder—the ratio is about 4 to 1. As a teacher, you are likely to have a child or an adolescent with ADHD and/or learning disabilities (LD) in your classroom. Depending on the size of your class, you may have more than one such child.
The disorder usually starts at about age 3, but the symptoms are not usually recognized until the child reaches school age because classrooms demand more structured behavior, ie, an age-appropriate attention span and concentration. Difficulties in learning are often a part of ADHD, and for classroom purposes, they can be considered together. The symptoms of ADHD—hyperactivity, short attention span, easy distractibility, impulsive behavior and emotional changeability—and signs of learning disability may be first recognized in the classroom.
The classroom teacher may be the first to start asking questions.
Helping the Student With ADHD
Learn some common classroom adaptations that can be used with children who have ADHD.
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